Veggie Pizza Burgers

This was a quick mid-week dinner one night...I kinda made it up as I went along...

Veggie Pizza Burgers

2 hamburger buns
butter
garlic powder
tomato paste
2 Morning Star Prime Grillers veggie burgers
1 can mushrooms
2 mozzarella string cheese sticks
shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

1. In a large frying pan, make hamburger buns into garlic bread by spreading with butter and sprinkling with garlic powder:
2. In another small frying pan, saute mushrooms until nicely browned.
3. Microwave veggie burgers to thaw them, then add to pan; dash with Italian seasoning.
4. Place strips torn from string cheese over burgers, then put lid on pan to allow cheese to melt.
5. Take out buns and spread tops with tomato paste; add shredded cheese. Place burgers on bottom buns and generously heap the mushrooms on them. Serve immediately!

random amusements

Turco a Hawk

In what I consider to be an odd twist of fate, former Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco is now a Chicago Blackhawk.

I have followed Marty's career for a while and considered him to be a "good guy" (as long as he wasn't playing against my team). It all goes back to a tv show that's not on anymore called "NHL Cool Shots," which was a 1/2 hour program where they'd focus on different NHL players and teams.

The episode which sticks in my mind was one featuring the Dallas Stars doing a photo shoot for a calendar sold to raise money for the Humane Society. In this episode, Marty Turco was posing with this little black and white kitten, and talking about a similar cat he had when he was a kid. Well, that won me over! LOL!


Now, it sounds like he appreciates the opportunity to become a Blackhawk: The Blackhawks are a first-class organization in a world-class city and at this point in my career I am excited to be a part of a team that will give me such a good chance to win the Stanley Cup.”

I'm also LOL'ing because of the name I gave to the tacos I make with ground turkey, instead of ground beef....

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate Chip Pancakes for Casey

No real recipe here, just a picture. I did add some brown sugar and vanilla extract to the (box mix) pancake batter, so they'd taste more like chocolate chip cookies. Problem with dropping the chips on like that is: when you flip them over, the chips kinda melt and make a mess of the pan. But, according to Casey, they were great.

Turkizo

What else are you going to call a taco made out of turkey-chorizo burgers?

Turkizo

I thawed out 4 turkey-chorizo burgers, and fried them in a pan, breaking them apart as they cooked:

Put on a flour tortilla; add cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream:



Related links:
Chorizo Burgers
Chorizo Burgers Again

POLL: What is your favorite summer pasta salad?

Mayo-free rotini salad with carrots & peapods

POLL: What is your favorite summer pasta salad?

Is it the deli salad with the elbow macaroni and the creamy sauce? Or maybe it's the one with bits of salami, olives and mozzarella? Something else?

Or maybe your favorite is the one that you make yourself?

Is is hot? Or is it served cold?



My favorite is my grandma's tuna-macaroni salad....recipe to follow on Monday...

Olive Tapanade

This was a quickly-put-together mixture that didn't really follow any of the 5 or so recipes which I have in my recipe archives. It still turned out lovely. We put it on the Tomato Rolls and the Impossibly Squashed Pie.

Black Olive Tapanade

1 can black olives
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. Parmesan, grated
2 T. Romano, shredded
1 t. minced dried onion (or use fresh, if you prefer)
1 t. lemon juice
garlic powder, to taste
1 string cheese, diced very small

1. Coarsely chop olives, or pulse them in a food processor, until they reach your desired texture. (I wanted them to remain a little bit chunky.)
2. Mix chopped olives with olive oil, Parmesan, garlic and onion.
3. Shred in the Romano:
4. Chop/dice up the mozzarella string cheese, and mix it in...
   

Tomato Bread Rolls

This was going to be tomato herb bread, but since we were taking it to our friends' house, I decided it would be more reasonable to make dinner rolls. Worked out wonderful! Very good with the olive tapanade, too!

Tomato Bread Rolls

1 c. warm water
1 pkt. active dry yeast
3 c. flour
1 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. dried minced onion
2 T. tomato paste
pinch of: oregano, garlic & paprika

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir yeast into warm water; allow to set 5 minutes.
   
2. Add to bowl: tomato paste, onion, seasonings and brown sugar. Mix well.
   
3. Add flour and salt.
4. Stir and then knead to form a dough. (may require additional flour!)
   
5. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).
6. Punch down and divide into 12-15 even sized dough balls. Place into prepared 9x13 baking pan.
7. Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot; check them after 30 minutes.
8. Bake at 375˚ for 17-22 minutes, or until tops are nicely browned.

Impossibly Squashed Pie

This turns out sorta like a quiche, but there's no dry crumbly crust on the bottom, which is what a lot of people object to with your typical quiche. I served this with some yummy olive tapanade, the recipe for which will be posted tomorrow...

Impossibly Squashed Pie

1 medium yellow squash, sliced
3 eggs
3/4 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1 1/2 c. milk
seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder
sharp cheddar for topping

1. Mix Bisquick, eggs, milk & ricotta.
2. Place slices of squash in a buttered pie plate; add seasonings.
3. Pour egg mixture over the top.
   
4. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet (just in case it decides to overflow!) and sprinkle cheddar on top.
   
5. Bake at 400˚ for about 35 minutes. Top should be browned and center should not be jiggly.
   

Happy Birthday, Thumper!

It was 14 years ago today that I brought Thumper home.

He's such a good kitty; never gets into things, is polite, has a sense of humor, wants to hang out with us all the time. Thumper has been a very good friend to us, and we appreciate him every day. But today is the day we celebrate his homecoming. :)


Related links:
Thumper's Story
Cat Magnet
Thumper Took My Spot I
Thumper Took My Spot II

random amusements

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist; this is really hilarious...

random amusements

Find the cute in this picture!!!

http://icanhascheezburger.com

Squashed Tart

More cheese would weigh it down...

Puff Pastry Squashed Tart

I didn't use a recipe for this, I just kinda threw it together last minute. There's not a lot to it, but it was very tasty and I really cannot offer suggestions to improve upon it. One could argue for more cheese, but in this case, less cheese provided a nice light snack, and I think too much cheese would have made it too heavy. In this form, it would make a good appetizer when sliced into finger-food portion sizes.

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
3 or 4 small to medium sized yellow squash, sliced (I peeled them, too)
mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
Romano cheese, shredded
garlic salt
Italian seasoning

I pre-cooked the squash in the microwave (about 5 minutes), because I wanted to get some of the water out of it, so it didn't make the puff pastry soggy. Drain in a mesh strainer and/or pat dry with paper towels before adding to crust.


Roll out your puff pastry on a large cookie sheet or a jellyroll pan:

Fold the edges over inward to create a crust along the edge; brush with water (underneath) and press with fork. Then poke holes in the center of the puff pastry for pre-baking a short time:

After about 10-12 minutes at 350˚, remove puff pastry from oven, and add squash:

Top with cheese and seasonings; bake an additional 15-20 minutes until crust is done and cheese begins to brown:

p.s. Yes, that is a sliced-up string cheese on top because that was the only cheese I had on hand...

Chicken Waldorf Salad

I've made this for several picnics and potlucks, and never fails to be a big hit. Everyone always asks for the recipe....so here it is!

Chicken Waldorf Salad

1 can (9.75 oz.) white chicken meat
1/3 c. mayo
1/3 c. sour cream
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. honey
1 RED apple, cored and cut into wedges, then diced
1 GREEN apple, cored and cut into wedges, then diced 1 stalk celery, diced
1 c. RED grapes, sliced (or diced)
1 c. GREEN grapes, sliced (or diced)
1/3 c. raisins
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. In medium bowl, blend: mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, honey.
2. Stir in other ingredients.
3. Eat.




NOTES: It really is necessary to use both red and green apples; and, both red and green grapes. I have tried this recipe in various mixtures, but this complete one is your best bet, honestly. Otherwise, it seems unbalanced to me.
I have also tried it with chopped pecans instead of walnuts, and either way, we liked it just as well.

Tillie's Zucchini Casserole

Okay, yeah, I made this with yellow squash, because that's what the garden gave me. It turned out good, but Tillie is right—it is better with zucchini.

Tillie's Zucchini Casserole

2 lbs. zucchini, sliced (you don't have to peel it if you don't want to)
Swiss cheese, sliced (maybe a 1 lb.? [NOTE: next time I'll use the larger deli slices])
oregano
olive oil
crushed saltine crackers

1. Brush a baking pan with olive oil. Make a layer of zucchini slices; sprinkle with a little oregano and salt.

2. Top with a layer of Swiss.

3. Repeat layers.


4. Sprinkle top with olive oil and cover with cracker crumbs.
5. Bake at 375˚ for about 45 minutes to an hour.


(...longer is better in my opinion cause then it's gets a little crusty and that is the best part! ~B)

Yellow Squash Ideas

Yellow Squash From My Garden

There is also one lonely zucchini plant, but there are just more yellow squash plants, somehow. Poor garden planning, I guess. And we need more space, too!

I was recently talking with a neighbor, who asked me, "what about variety? What do you make with your squash?"

So I felt compelled to answer Dana's question, and went searching for recipes. This is what I came up with so far:

1) Tillie's Zucchini Casserole (recipe to follow)
2) "Impossible" Zucchini Pie (Bisquick recipe; I have an adaptation, recipe to follow)
3) Zucchini Casserole
4) Puff Pastry Squashed Tart (recipe to follow)
5) Summer Squash Soup
6) Squashed Chili
7) Squashed Enchiladas
8) Squashed Lasagna
9) "Squashed Eggs" (basically add squash to your scrambled eggs)
10) Zucchini Pizzas (same principle as Portobello Pizzas)
11) Ratatouille Relish
12) Fettuccine Zucchini
13) Orzo w/ Summer Squash
14) Squashed Souffle
15) Squashed Turker Italian Casserole
16) Squashed Moussaka
17) Roasted Zucchini Spears
18) Scalloped Squash / Zucchini Au Gratin
19) Squashed Ratatouille
20) Zucchini Bread/Muffins
21) Squashed Carrot Cake

Some of these are obvious, so you can just go ahead and fit summer squash into a recipe you may already have, but others may take some explaining. At least I may have given you some ideas, or sparked some creativity, I hope. Enjoy your squash, and NEVER complain about an over-abundance of food!!!

random amusements

As I have previously stated: August is officially "Chocolate Pie Month."

The possibilities are endless, so please look through your cookbooks and magazines now, and prepare yourself for the month of August.

Also remember that the declaration I made last year does include chocolate desserts which may not necessarily fall into the category of "pie". Tarts and other pastry forms are acceptable. "Close enough" is a very broad term when you are dealing with chocolate.

Be sure to come back and visit me in the month of August to see what I'm up to. There are so many recipes in my house that are begging to be brought to life in my kitchen. One in particular is a Truffle Cake which I've only made once before, and I still dream about it...

Join me in the celebration of Chocolate Pie Month. Make your lists of recipes and required ingredients NOW!

Ramen Cabbage Salad

Posted previously as "Tony's Thai Salad."

Ramen Cabbage Salad

For the salad:
1 head cabbage, shredded
1 c. shredded carrots (measured as shredded)
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles (dry, minus the flavor packet)
2 green onions, minced (optional)
1/2 c. toasted almonds (optional)

For the dressing:
1/3 c. cider vinegar –OR- rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 c. canola oil

1. Prep vegetables and put them in a LARGE bowl.
2. Smash Ramen noodles in their unopened packages, careful not to rip open package and rain Ramen noodle bits all over your kitchen. Add them to bowl.
3. In separate mixing bowl, add vinegar and sugar; stir to dissolve. (I had to heat it for 10 seconds in the microwave.) Add in other dressing ingredients and whisk to blend well.
4. Pour dressing over veg-noodle mixture, and slowly turn and stir to mix. My grandma always told me, "there's no need to hurry—it isn't a race." Remembering Grandma's words will keep you from spilling or flipping the contents of the bowl onto the counter or the floor.
5. Taste it and see if it needs more salt. Season to taste.
6. Let this salad stand in the fridge for about an hour before serving. As you may already know, some things taste better once they've had a chance to sit and blend a little, especially when you're dealing with cabbage.

OTHER OPTIONS:
Add some finely diced or shredded cucumber.
Add a small can of crushed pineapple.
(I've tried both in the same batch, with great results; it adds to the sweet-n-sour taste and the crunchiness.)

random amusements: Party Cake

No recipe today, sorry. Just wanted to post this photo that'd been sitting there in iPhoto, bugging me.

I made a small Jiffy yellow cake for some friends with July 4th birthdays, and I thought it turned out so cute.

It made me realize that I don't often take the time to add sprinkles or embellishments to my cakes and brownies. But I should! It's so easy! And it really makes the cake FUN!

I don't recall where I found the little flags, but I had forgotten they were tucked away in one of my containers in "the baking cabinet"...shoulda taken a picture of that cabinet... But the sprinkles were at the grocery store, and when I saw them, I had to get 'em.

The pink frosting is not one of my creations. It's just a can of Duncan Hines strawberry frosting. And, man, is it ever sugary! But it was well-received, and the cake disappeared almost instantly.




So, the next time you're planning to make a cake, be sure to pick up some little decorative items to add to it. You'll be glad you did!


LINKS:
Wilton store
King Arthur's Flour Baker's Catalog
Vermont Country store (old-fashioned candy)
Kitchen Krafts

STORES:
Hobby Lobby
Michael's Arts & Crafts Store
Jo-Ann Fabrics (carries Wilton supplies)