Pizza 3 Ways

We had a pizza party for Gianna's 8th birthday, and each child made their own personalized pizza with small crusts and their favorite ingredients.  We bought Mama Mary's Pizza Crusts for their affordability, and they turned out pretty good!  Afterwards, we had some leftovers that Sasha made for her daddy, Gianna, and herself.

Ingredients:

• Mama Mary's 3 Pack of Pizza Crusts
• 1 Jar of pizza sauce (14 oz.)
• Favorite topping of choice (pepperoni, sausage, prosciutto, etc.)
• Mozzarella or any white cheese blend (Italian, Quesadilla, etc.)
• Olive Oil or Olive Oil Spray

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Brush or spray crust with oil.
3. Spread sauce on crust.  (Use spreadable herbed cheese for white pizzas.)
4. Top with favorite ingredients.
5. Lower temperature to 425 degrees, and bake on oven rack or pan.

Pizza #1:  Gianna had a white pizza with pepperoni and spinach.

Pizza #2:  Sasha had the traditional kids' pepperoni pizza.

Pizza #3:  Jereme had an adult pizza with pepperoni, red onions, and spinach.  After we cooked his in the oven, he topped it with sliced jalapenos.

 For easy cheese sticks, just brush the crust, top with some white cheese, and bake according to package directions, or until cheese is melted.  Then cut into little strips like these.

White Bean, Turkey, & Kale Soup

I must dedicate this post to my super awesome friend Courtney Sutterfield because she is my favorite friend to talk to about food, recipes, and nutrition.  Courtney is a dietitian who provides meal plans at http://www.bariatricbites.net/.  We happened to have an interesting talk over the weekend about kale.  I thought I should share this soup, Courtney!  XOXO 

Kale seems to be the official star of the health food world, and it's for sure the star of this soup.  Combine it with super foods beans and turkey, and you have a winning combination.  In times of storms and the dark clouds and rolling thunder that they bring, this soothing comfort soup is nourishing to your soul and also a meal that you can feel good about.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch of Kale, stalk removed and shredded into bite sized pieces
• 1 lb. Navy or Great Northern Beans soaked overnight.
• 1 Package of Turkey Wings or Drumsticks (About 3 lbs.)
• 2 Quarts of Chicken Stock or Broth
• 1 Can of No Salt Added Tomatoes
• 1 Onion Finely Diced

Directions:

1. Lightly coat the bottom of a dutch oven with olive oil.  When hot, brown the turkey in batches.  Remove the turkey from the dutch oven and place onto a plate.
2. Add the onion to the dutch oven.  Salt generously, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Once soft, add turkey back in.
3. Also add 1 Quart of stock or broth with beans and tomatoes.
4. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to low and simmer with lid on for 2 hours.
5. Remove the turkey.  Let cool, remove skin, then shred with 2 forks.  Add back to soup.
6. Bring heat back up to medium high.  Add kale a little at a time with the other quart of stock or broth.
7. Season generously with salt and pepper, a dash of Louisiana hot sauce, and sherry (all optional).

Caramelized Haricots Verts with Pearl Onions

(French Green Beans)

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Private Selection French Green Beans
• 1/2 Bag of Pearl Onions from Produce Section, Peeled & Sliced in Half
• 2 Tablespoons of Butter
• Salt (Kosher or Sea Salt are best)
• Sugar ( I prefer Turbinado)

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet with the butter over medium high.
2. Add the pearl onions face down.
3. Add the green beans.  Season with salt and sugar.  (About a teaspoon each)
4. Stir occasionally, but not too often.  The key is to let them sit long enough to brown, without burning.  The more you stir, the less browning occurs.  Find a balance.

5. Add more butter on top if needed and stir.

Haricot Vert

Taco Truck Tacos

These beef and chicken tacos came from the taco truck that parks in the Colonial Wine & Spirits parking lot on West Markham.  I love these things - the tortillas taste authentically homemade.  My husband brought 18 of these things home.  (They're actually pretty small, if you can't tell.)

Here's a 6 pack in a typical to - go box.  They gave us the red sauce and the green sauce.  We so loved the green sooooo much better....   

Of course we had leftovers! 

The next day, I topped them with some Monterey Jack cheese, put them on a rack on a pan, and baked them at about 400 degrees for about 10 minutes....sorry I'm not very exact.  When the cheese was melted, they were cripsy, delicious, and ready!

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

New Product Test:  I found this pizza crust at Kroger Marketplace the other day, and I was excited to try it because the ingredients looked pretty good to me.  (I'd noticed lately that almost every frozen pizza in the grocery store has trans fats!)  Even the pizza crust in the tube had something I wasn't sure I liked.

                 

Ingredients:

• Pizza Crust
• Garlic & Herb Spreadable Cheese
• Arugula
• Prosciutto (3-4 oz. thinly sliced)
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Mozzarella

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Top the crust with spreadable cheese.  Add a layer of mozzarella.
3. Toss arugula lightly with olive oil & lemon juice.
4. Add the arugula & prosciutto to the crust.
5. Bake 8 - 10 minutes in the oven.  It's ready when the cheese is melted.

This was so easy to make.  Well, Gianna actually made it.  She's 7 years old.

The Purple Cow Purple Ice Cream Pie

Here in Arkansas, Little Rock and Hot Springs are known for frequent visits by former President Bill Clinton.  He was, after all, Governor of Little Rock to the fullest term limit allowed, and Hot Springs I believe is or was the home of his mother.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  Let's get to the point already.  Coincidentally, these two towns in Arkansas both have an eatery, actually, a staple, as my husband put it:  The Purple Cow.

The family - friendly atmosphere is too much fun, the food is so satisfying, and the kids love it!!  Believe me, the wait is worth it!  So tonight in the Red Kitchen we had The Purple Cow owner Todd Gold and his too - much - fun wife Cindy over.  My husband Jereme and Todd have been friends FOR EVAH!  So when I said "Honey, I just read at Arkansas Times Online that Todd won Chef of the Year.....Jereme was like, "Pffff....Todd can't cook!"  That's the kind of fun you get to have with someone you know that well for that long.  I am pretty sure that Todd CAN cook.     

You people who know me really, really well know that I hardly ever eat anything sweet..I mean, I would feel like I have to hike Pinnacle Mountain if I do!  But look at how beautiful this sweet temptation is!  I looooved it......purple ice cream on a bed of oreo cookie crust topped with oreos and whipped cream.  Gianna laughed as she does when she sees me eat something sweet because she knows how rarely I do this.

Here she is enjoying her purple ice cream pie.  And she ain't laughin' now!  And Jereme, who says that his childhood buddy Todd can't cook, well he ate a quarter of the pie that the Golds left behind for us.  Here are a few other things that made our night great!

 Jereme loves to light candles when we have people over.  I love to put out bejeweled toothpicks!

 We also put out some other goodies, like Brie.  Brie is so yummy.....not like yam.  Sasha wrote a sentence in Kindergarten saying "Yam is yuck."  As I told another Baker mom about it, she laughed and said, "But yam IS yuck."  LOL

Baby Water Crackers, Kalamata & Green Olives, & Dutch Parrano Cheese - a delicious combo!

Prosciutto, Basil, and Mozzarella Roll

Todd & Cindy, thanks for a wonderful evening!!! XOXO 

Thai Beef Salad

The first time that I ever had Thai Beef Salad was at Loca Luna.  Is that unusual?  Since I haven't been there in years, I thought that now would be a good time to make my own version of it.  As I was developing this recipe, I discovered the greatest thing since sliced baguettes... zest!  I can't believe that all these years I have been watching all the Food Network greats lightly rub citrus fruits with their grates, and I have waited till now to try it?!  All I can say is - it is about time.  Invest in a Microplane.  It's good for Arkansas.

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Flat Iron Steak
• Arugula or Butter Lettuce
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Red Onion
• 1 Tomato on the Vine
• 1 Half Lemon or Lime
• 2 Tablespoons The Ginger People Sweet Ginger Chili
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

The amount of saturated fat in a flat iron steak is comparable to that of a typical 4 oz. serving of beef tenderloin, which is around 3 - 4 grams depending on how you cook it.  For this recipe, you can slice the beef ahead of time and marinate it overnight with reduced sodium soy sauce and garlic.  You can then skewer it and broil.

Or if you want to leave it whole, you can simply broil it 5 minutes per side for medium rare.

Directions:
Make the dressing:  Mix the sweet chili sauce with the rice wine vinegar, then grate the lemon or lime zest into it.  Squeeze the juice of the fruit. Mix the remaining salad ingredients, and toss the dressing in.  Enjoy this aromatic salad!

Gianna's Turkey Cheese Rollups

Is it rocket science to put together some turkey & provolone, roll 'em up, then slice for your child?  No.  But to be honest, I never thought of it until Sam's Club had them on display as samples one Saturday morning around lunch time!  My kids loved them, and I've been making them regularly for them since then. 

TIP:  When you add their initial on their snack plate with a condiment such as Boar's Head Delicatessen mustard or ketchup or whatever you have on hand, they thank you with such delight, it warms your heart.  My kids also love bejeweled toothpicks such as the one you see here.  I found mine at Kitchenco.  If you don't see them when you visit, tell Jay you saw the one on my page.

Green Bean & Bacon Bundles

Weekend cooking is my favorite!  Especially during the spring time when Jereme washes off the back deck and we get to hang out and enjoy the view.  It's also his favorite time to grill!!  So on this nice weekend, we grilled scallops, beef skewers, chicken.....then I made the sides.

This was my first time to make this side dish.  I had it at my friend Rhiannon's house the first time I ever tried it.  She & husband Doug have my DREAM kitchen, by the way!!  You may have seen their company trucks around town - they're black & white and say DUKE CUSTOM CABINETS.  So their kitchen has a warming drawer, Viking range, a refrigerator adorned in custom cabinetry, sconces above the stovetop with hidden spices inside.  If you want the ultimate cabinetry experience, Duke Custom Cabinets is the way to go from kitchen to bedroom to all throughout your home - even your garage!!

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz.Bag of Private Selection Green Beans from the produce section.
• 8 Strips of Bacon
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar or turbinado sugar
• 2 Cloves Minced Garlic

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut the strips of bacon in half (You'll shorten each slice)
• Wrap the shortened slices around 4 green beans each.
• Lay seam side down onto a foil - lined pan.
• Cover with foil, and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
• While cooking, prepare sauce:  melt 1/2 stick of butter with 1/4 c of brown sugar on medium low heat and wisk.
• Uncover, then bake another 15 minutes.

• Drizzle with butter & brown sugar mixture.

In My Father's Daughter, Gwyneth Paltrow makes such an incredible point:  letting your children cook with you really buoys their sense of accomplishment as well as their connection with you.

Here's Gianna - making bundles for me.  She was so excited when I asked if she wanted to help, and she did such a great job, I realized that I can be less tired at the end of the day with such enthusiastic helpers!!

P.S.  Sasha did also help, but then Jereme put her on towel duty while he was washing dishes.  Soon, though, I'm sure I'll involve both girls in my cooking again. 

Note:  This is one of those recipes that everybody makes.  I didn't invent it, and I don't claim that I did.  I have seen it in dozens of books and online recipes.  I took what I like out of each recipe, and I've simply shared it here.

Mexican Soup with Pork

The absolute best thing about Mexican soup has got to be the garnishes!  Is it funny that this Vietnamese girl is sharing a Mexican food recipe?  Consider this:  I learned how to make Asian spicy mayo from Gwyneth Paltrow in her book My Father's Daughter.  It's my latest favorite!!

I know there are a lot of Mexican Soup recipes out there with chicken.  I was in the mood for pork, so I decided to develop the recipe for it using my usual favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 4 Country Style Ribs or 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 onion finely diced
• 3  cloves of garlic - minced or pressed in garlic press
• 2 Cans Mexican Rotel (has lime & cilantro) undrained
• 2 Cans Black Beans - no salt added variety drained & rinsed
• 7 oz. Can Diced Green Chiles undrained
• 1 Bag Frozen Corn
• 1 Can Beer 
• 32 oz. Chicken Stock 

Garnish:

• Lime
• Cilantro
• Monterey Jack Cheese
• Tortilla Strips
• Avacado
  

Directions:

1. Heat a dutch oven with oil, then brown the pork.  If using the cut up pieces of the ribs, include the bones.
2. Once browned, set the pork aside on a plate.  In the dutch oven, add onions and saute until clear.  (If more oil is needed, add this beforehand.)   
3. Add garlic and saute about 3 mintues, then add pork back in.
4. Add all remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for an hour.

Gianna loved it!!!

Lamb T-Bones with Kale

Today it's hot and sunny outside, so it's a perfect time to grill!  Or if you're challenged like I am, you can just use the oven and stove inside your cool, air conditioned kitchen.  If you like to try new flavors so that you're not eating chicken everyday, lamb is really tasty stuff!  I marinate lamb for 2 days in soy sauce, a few dashes of sesame oil, some garlic powder, fresh mint, and freshly grated ginger.  (Sasha helps - she loves the microplane!)

• Pre - heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray a hot skillet with canola oil, then sear the chops on a hot skillet 3 - 4 minutes per side.

• Finish in the oven 10 - 15 minutes for medium rare.
• Start the kale by spraying a dutch oven with canola oil spray.  Heat at medium high.
• Add one half sliced onion and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
• Tear the stems out of the kale.  This is pretty easy, and it doesn't take long.
• Add a little bit of kale at a time.  It will really wilt down.
• Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock.  Season with sesame oil or peppers in vinegar sauce.  Add salt.