Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pizza

I was going through my recipes on Pepperplate and I stumbled upon Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pizza and it made me hungry so I knew I had to make it even though I don’t have an real oven.  I made multiple small pizzas so they would fit in the toaster oven (I did not use a second cookie sheet in the oven).  I made it with precooked chicken and apple sausage so I just sliced it and put it directly on the pizza (I did not cook it).   I like my onions a little softer than my peppers so I put them in the pan first and cooked for a couple of extra minutes.  I served with a salad and beer while we watched hockey.   

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pound refrigerated pizza dough

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 package chicken and apple sausage, sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 red bell peppers, sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

¾ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, place an inverted baking sheet on top and preheat to 500 degrees. Using oiled hands, stretch the pizza dough to fit a parchment-lined baking sheet(s).

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and the rosemary.

3.  Scatter the sausage, onion and peppers across the pizza dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Dollop with the ricotta and sprinkle the parmesan on top; drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set the baking sheet on the inverted baking sheet in the oven and bake until the crust is crisp and golden-brown, about 20 minutes.

Laurel’s Marinara Sauce

I had a bunch of basil leftover and needed to use it so I decided to make a big pot of my Marinara Sauce.  Tonight we are having it with Rotini, then adding a topping of ricotta cheese (mixed with some thyme and parmesan cheese).  I am going to save the rest of the sauce to make lasagna at the cabin this weekend.  I don’t really like Tomato Sauce straight of the jar so this recipe adds a ton of flavor to basic tomato sauce without too much work.  This recipe can be modified to meet any taste and you should use whatever you have in your fridge or cupboard. 

Laurel’s Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper flakes
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ Yellow Onion, diced
1 Bottle Tomato Sauce
2 cans diced Tomatoes
¼ cup Tomato Paste (or whatever you have left in the tube)
1 cup chicken stock (to rinse out the cans and bottle)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, add the red pepper flakes. Add the garlic and sauté until you just start to smell the garlic.   
2. Add the onion and sauté until onion are slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and stir.  Then add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, rinse out the cans and bottle with chicken sauce.  Add basil, season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often.  Let simmer until ready to serve.   

Minnesota Meals

It has been a long time since I posted, I have been traveling and have not been using my kitchen (my mom did a couple of times but I didn’t help much so they didn’t make it onto the blog).  I went to Minnesota for a week to see my family and watch my college hockey team play in the Frozen Four.  While there I got to have some great meals with some of my very best friends.  Here are some of the food highlights:

Thursday March 21^st

Dinner at Restaurant Alma with Kat, Dan and my mom

This was a fabulous dinner, with great wine, amazing friends and delicious food.  It is a more high-end restaurant that serves seasonal, organic and local ingredients.  They have a very large wine list.  It is a set price for a Three Course Tasting meal.  I had the vegetarian option so I got 2 salads: The Bitter Greens and an Arugula Salad with marinated potatoes and mustard vinaigrette.  Then for my “main” course I had Potato Agnolotti with a mushroom ragu.  I am not big on mushrooms but I absolutely loved them in the sauce.  Then for dessert Dan and I each ordered a different option and shared.  We got the Meyer Lemon Curd Tart and the Triple Chocolate Moouse Cake, both were delicious but the Lemon Tart was the tables favorite.  The fabbri cherries on the chocolate cake were AMAZING. 

I would highly recommend Restaurant Alma if you are looking for a great place to go out for a special meal. 

Friday March 22^nd

Kat and I got morning coffee at Dunn Brothers (the original location is just blocks away from my house).  This was one of the places that Kat wanted to visit while she was in Minnesota and she was not disappointed in the coffee. 

For lunch we went to Shish.  This is a great little Mediterranean café.  The food came out quickly and was delicious.  The produce was very crisp and fresh and really hit the spot. 

Spent the afternoon and evening at the hockey arena cheering the Terriers on. 

Saturday March 23^rd

We wanted to watch the BU Men’s hockey team play so we had to find a sports bar to watch at (even in Minnesota it can be difficult to find a bar to put hockey on during March Madness).  We ended up at Joe Sensors and I was pleasantly surprised with the food (this was the feeling from the entire table).  The menu is pretty big with a lot of options, and not only classic sports bar food.  I had BBQ Chicken Burger topped with an onion ring. The Sweet Potato Fries with Maple Dipping Sauce are to die for! I love sweet potato fries and have had them at a lot of different restaurants but the maple dipping sauce is something special.  I wish I could have taken a bottle home.  My team did not win the game but it was a great casual meal with some of my hockey watching friends (and my mom). 

Sunday March 24^th

National Championship Day

My mom and I went out to breakfast with an old friend (both in age and how long we have known him).  After breakfast I was so nervous I didn’t eat much throughout the day.  Again my team didn’t end up winning the game but it was great to get to see my coach and teammates again.  After the game I got to go visit with them and have a couple of glasses of wine before they flew back to Boston.  Then I went and had “dinner” with my best friend Kat at her hotel bar.  Again I was pleasantly surprised by the food.  This time it was at Beacon PubHouse.  We shared a couple of different pub grub options that we all really good.  They had a special of mini chicken tacos with fresh salsa.  Then we had Crispy Chicken Wings and Thick Cut Truffle Fries.  The chicken fingers were so good I ordered a second batch! 

Monday March 25^th

My mom and I went to one of my childhood favorites Big Bowl.  I had their homemade ginger ale that is spicy and sweet and delicious.  Then we shared chicken satay as an appetizer.  My main course was my favorite Orange Chicken.  I love the Orange Chicken at Big Bowl because the chicken is crispy and they put orange rind in that adds just a touch of sweetness.    

Tuesday March 26^th

We had to take a break from eating out so we invited some friends over for lasagna.

Wednesday March 27^th

After working all day (and into the evening) to get a house sold with my mom and her business partner we decided to go Brasa for some comfort food.  The idea of the restaurant is that they have different sizes for all of the food that you share.  Even though it was only about 35 degrees outside we decided to start with a glass of sangria, which is one of my summer favorites.  We started by sharing some chips and guacamole (I guess it fits with the Sangria).  Then we shared 4 pieces of chicken, an order of Pulled Chicken, Candied Yams, and Crispy Yuca.  I also had a piece of corn bread.  Everything was delicious; I really liked the candied yams and the pulled chicken, which is simmered in light cream and peppered gravy.  After using my slow cooker so much this winter I am very tempted to try to make the pulled chicken in the slow cooker. 

My trip home was a ton of fun and I had some great food but I was glad to get back home to my “kitchen”.               

       

Chicken Fried Rice

My boyfriend has been begging me to make him chicken fried rice for over a week now and I finally caved in.  We looked at a bunch of different recipes online and sort of mixed them all together to make my chicken fried rice.  My boyfriend really liked it even though it was not quite like what he remembered from a restaurant when he was a kid.  Make the rice as far ahead of time as possible (a day or more), it should be cold when added to chicken and vegetables.  

Chicken Fried Rice 

Ingredients: 

2 cups of white rice 
4 cups of water
Peanut Oil
3 eggs, scrambled
2 inch piece of ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ to 1 pound chicken, diced
3 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce  
1 12oz bag Mixed Vegetables (corn, beans, peas and carrots)
Soy Sauce, to taste
3 Green Onions, chopped

Instructions:

1.     Cook 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of water.  Put rice into the fridge.

2.    Marinate chicken in Sweet Chili Sauce for a couple of hours. 

3.    Put about 1 Tbsp of oil into a wok over high heat.  Add eggs and a couple splashes of soy sauce.  When eggs are cooked place in a bowl.  Clean out wok.

4.    Put about 1 Tbsp of oil into wok.  Add minced garlic and ginger, cook for 30 seconds.   Add chicken and cook through, about 5 minutes.  Add vegetables, cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add rice and soy sauce, heat through stirring constantly.  Turn off the heat and add the cooked eggs.

5.    Stir in green onions and serve.           

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken

I found this recipe a couple months ago and it was a hit the first time I made it.  It is super simple to make and absolutely delicious.  You can use chicken breasts right out of the freezer.  The first time I made this I severed it with rice, since then I have used it as the base for tacos (served with rice, peppers, onions, and cheese).   

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can corn kernels
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese

Instructions:
1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker.  Top with the tomatoes, corn, beans, ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powders, stir to combine.  Then top with the cream cheese.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring one or twice to blend in the cheese.
3. Shred the chicken to serve. 

Final Tacos

Katherine Noodles

This recipe got renamed when my best friend in high school, Katherine, would ask my dad to make this dish when she would come over.  Then when I moved to Boston I started making this dish for my new best friend, whose name also happens to be Katherine.  So now every time I make this dish, which is pretty often since it is one of my favorites, I remember all of times I have had Katherine Noodles with my 2 favorite Katherines. 

Besides reminding me of 2 of my best friends I also love this dish because it is pretty simple to make, has turkey sausages, and is a 1-pot meal (I don’t count the sauté pan you toast the pecans in because you don’t have to wash it just have to wipe it out with a paper towel).   If you want to make with regular sausages make sure to cook completely.   

Toasting Pecans: just put them into a small saucepan in a single layer on medium heat.  Stir occasionally.  Pecans are done when they are fragrant and golden. 

Katherine Noodles

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Butter

1 cup diced chicken, cooked and diced

Turkey Sausage, sliced

1 Medium Onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 cups Chicken Stock

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

1lbs corkscrew noodles

1 cup pecans, toasted

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

1 cup sour cream

Instructions:

1. Heat large saucepan over medium-high heat until it is hot; then add the butter until it begins to smoke.

2. Add the chicken and sausage, sauté for 3 minutes.

3. Add the onions, red bell pepper and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add chicken stock, white wine, noodles, salt and pepper. Make sure most of the pasta is covered in liquid (if you need to add a little water). Bring to a boil for about 7 to 9 minutes; most of the liquid should be absorbed.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans, parsley and sour cream.  Return to heat for 1 more minute, stirring often.

Flattened Chicken

This is one of the few meals my boyfriend actually makes for me (well I help but he tries lol).  His mom use to make this in her deep fryer and I have lightened it up a little by making him cook it in just a little bit Olive Oil.  I also make my own breadcrumbs (have you ever looked at the ingredients of commercial breadcrumbs?  There are a ton of unpronounceable ingredients, yuck!).  The breadcrumbs are pretty simple and absolutely delicious.   I served this with a little bit of simple gravy (I froze the leftovers from No-Fail Gravy recipe a couple weeks ago), Foil potatoes and a salad. You can not be afraid to a little messy with this recipe.   There will probably be leftovers, which are great on a sandwich or a salad. 

For the breadcrumbs I save all of the say old ends from our French Bread (we go through about a loaf and a half a day now that the bakery across the street is open).  Put them in the freezer until you are ready to make breadcrumbs.   Any extra breadcrumbs you have just put into a container and save for later. 

Flattened Chicken

Ingredients:

2-3 Chicken Breasts

2 cups Breadcrumbs (recipe below)

1 cup Flour

2 eggs

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil for Frying

Instructions:

1. Pound Chicken until about ¼ inch thick.  

2. Prepare 3 shallow bowls.  Flavor each with salt and pepper. 

            1. Flour

            2. Eggs, whisked

            3. Breadcrumbs

3. Take a piece of chicken and place in flour, flip chicken to cover completely.  Shake off any extra flour then place in egg bowl. Flip breast to cover completely, and then place in breadcrumbs, flipping to cover.  Repeat until all the chicken has been breaded. 

4.  Heat Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Take a small piece of chicken to use as your test piece.  Oil is ready when you dip the test piece of chicken into the oil and it begins sizzling immediately.   Fill frying pan with a couple pieces of chicken (do not over crowd).

5. Once chicken reaches a golden brown color flip and cook until that side is golden brown.  Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels.  Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.  Add more oil as needed to an empty frying pan, let the oil heat up before adding chicken. 

6. Serve and Enjoy!

Bread Crumbs 

Ingredients:

French Bread

Italian Seasonings (omit if you want)

Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. In a food processor chop small pieces of bread until they are close to crumbs.  If you have a smaller food processor like I do just do it in batches.       

3.  Pour crumbs onto cookie sheets in a single layer.  Bake until golden and toasted, about 10 minutes. 

4.  Put crumbs back into food processor.  Top with Italian Seasonings, Salt and Pepper.  Pulse until combined.  Put aside until ready to use.