Cauliflower Crust Hawaiin Pizza ~ Guest Post

We have a special guest here today with us.  My sister-in-law, Ellie!!  Ellie is a Weight Loss Coach who focuses on Low Glycemic foods.  She made a fabulous Cauliflower Crust Hawaiin Pizza.  Take it away Ellie!

 

 

I have never written a blog before.  Or really anything that has been put out for the public, so bear with me.  Let me introduce myself, my name is Ellie and I am the talented Dee’s sister-in-law.  I am far from a foodie, though I do like to eat.  Ironically, I am actually a Weight Loss Coach, so needless to say, many of the recipes Dee posts, though decadent I am sure, don’t quite fit with the Low Glycemic Impact lifestyle that I live and teach to my clients.

So, how did I come about to be a guest blogger??  I sent Dee a Low GI recipe I thought she would be interested in and she suggested I make it and write about it. Huh? Not really a fabulous cook, nor writer.  However, I am always up for a new challenge, so I said to myself, “what the heck”.

 
I will be the first to admit that my biggest challenge with Low GI eating for me is that I only like a limited variety of veggies.  Kind of why I sent her the recipe…cauliflower.  I HATE cauliflower. The taste, the texture, the SMELL. Everything.  But, she put it back on me.  Like I said, a challenge. So, I made it.

Cauliflower Crust Hawaiian Pizza
Yield: One 9 to 12-inch pizza (feeds 2 to 3 people)
Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 18 min

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Ingredients for the Crust:

• 1/2 large head cauliflower (or 2+ cups shredded cauliflower)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (or try another kind!)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic (or fresh garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt

Ingredients for the Toppings: 

• 1/2 cup tomato-basil marinara sauce (or pizza sauce)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 slices Canadian bacon, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits

Instructions: 

1.  Shred the cauliflower into small crumbles. You can use the food processor if you'd like, but you just want crumbles, not puree. **I found the mini processor to work best.**  You'll need a total of about 2 cups or so of cauliflower crumbles (which is about half a large head of cauliflower. Place the cauliflower crumbles in a large bowl and microwave them (dry) for 8 minutes (see Tips below if you do not have a microwave). Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.




2. Prepare the crust:  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface). In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower crumbles (about 1 1/2 cups since they shrink after cooking) with the remaining crust ingredients. Pat the "crust" into a 9 to 12-inch round on the prepared pan. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes (or until golden). Remove the crust from the oven and turn the heat up to broil.




3. Prepare the pizza: Spread the sauce on top of the baked crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top. Add the bacon and pineapple, spreading it out around the pizza. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Broil the pizza 3 to 4 minutes, or until the toppings are hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately. 

Cooks Notes:
Tips:  From Eat, Drink, Smile (tip from Beth): For those who don’t have a microwave: You can steam the florets just until they are tender (not mushy) on the stove and then let them cool before grating them. The texture/consistency won’t be the same (It will be more like a puree) but it still works fine once you mix all the ingredients together.

*Other topping ideas:
Marinara or pizza sauce with your favorite toppings
Pesto with thin sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella
Alfredo with sausage, mushrooms, Provolone & Asiago cheese
Barbecue sauce with shredded chicken, green onions and smoked gouda

*This pizza is best served on a plate with a fork.

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Nutritional Information per serving FOR THE WHOLE PIZZA- per slice:
Serving size: 1 slice
Calories per serving: 151
Fat per serving: 7.2g
Saturated Fat per serving: 4.1g
Sugar per serving: 3g
Fiber per serving: 2.2g
Protein per serving: 12.6g
Cholesterol per serving: 53mg
Carbohydrates per serving: 9.2g 

WW POINTS per serving:  Points Plus Program: 4 Old Points Program: 3
 
Nutritional info per serving for JUST THE CRUST- per slice (if you want to do your own toppings):
Serving Size: 1 slice (pizza cut into 6 slices)Calories 84, Fat 4.3g, Sat Fat 2.6g, Cholesterol 40.8mg, Sodium 166mg, Carbohydrates 4.6g, Fiber 1.9g, Sugar 0g, Protein 7.1g 

WW Points Plus: 2 Old Points Program: 2

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Source: RecipeGirl.com (inspired by and adapted from Eat, Drink Smile)

I was nervous when I took that first bite, but I was pleasantly surprised, it was pretty good.  I would warn you, don’t expect it to taste like pizza crust, the texture is different, but you really can’t taste the cauliflower.  My 5 year old even wolfed it down and had seconds!  

So, before I sent this off to Dee, I had to use up the rest of the head of cauliflower in my fridge, so I made myself another pizza for lunch today.  Can I just say, OMG!! This time instead of going the traditional route, I looked in my fridge to see what toppings I had.  Found some onions, green and red peppers and Mexican Cheese.  Well, I bet you can guess what I did! Grabbed me a can of refried beans and made me a Mexican Pizza!!  Ole!  Seriously, did I just eat cauliflower??  Cause I did not taste it. 

Next up, Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings”.  Maybe Dee will let me blog that one too!

This pizza looks fabulous!  I am so intrigued.  Thanks for sharing Ellie.  You are more than welcome to share your Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings"!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

There are nights here at Deelicious Sweets where dinner consists of snackage foods.

Like these Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos for instance.  They get no points in the nutrition department but I say, what the hell?  Life isn't worth living if you don't indulge a bit every now and then.

If you bring these to a party you will be the most popular girl/boy there.  People will love you.  They will get down on their knees and possibly kiss your feet.  Note to self, get a pedicure before bringing these to a party.

While these are cooking, the kids and spouses will eventually show up in your kitchen as soon as the bacon waves hit their olfactory senses.

I like that, "bacon waves".  I should copyright that...

One of the best things about this recipe is that they are so incredible easy to put together.  I have always stayed away from making these as I assumed they would be difficult and time consuming.  Alas, once again I was wrong.  That makes two times in my life that I have been wrong about something.  I don't even think the first time even counts though.

I highly suggest you wear gloves.  I am sitting here highly regretting the fact that I chose not.  I washed my hands quite often but I forgot to remove my rings.  I guess the jalapeno juices ran under my rings and now my hands are burning like a bitch.  That sentence doesn't even make sense.  A bitch doesn't burn at all.

It was worth it though.  My son, Luke, went crazy over these.  It was his half birthday on Saturday and of course we had Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo.  He's not really a fan of Mexican food.  Tonight, he told me that this was his half birthday dinner.  He scarfed them down!  He didn't stop smiling for the rest of the evening.  I would say, that big smile, was worth it all! 

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos
Yield: 6 servings

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Ingredients

• 10 large jalapenos
• 8 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 pound peppered bacon

Instructions:

1. If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep... Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.
2. Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.
3. Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Bacon and Butter, Oh My!

It's been said that the gateway meat for a vegan is bacon.  Bacon was our downfall.  What's next?  Flank steak?  Pork Chops?  Oh god, not a fillet!  We would all be in need of an intervention for sure.  I can see it now, a dark smoky room with a tall glass of Merlot and a medium rare fillet Mignon with a side of drunken mushrooms and whipped buttery potatoes.  Tie me off, I'm going in!  Why do I always go for the meat?  Is this my cry for help?  Am I a depressed soul?  Is this my way of compensating for some personal deficiency or life situation?

Tomato-Bacon Butter with Ravioli
Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients:

• 5 strips bacon, diced
• 8 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (you could also use a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 2 T. butter
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 T. fresh basil, chopped 
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare ravioli according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile prepare your tomato-bacon butter. In a medium skillet, add 5 strips of diced bacon and saute until brown and crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon from pan and drain on paper towel. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and return to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, once butter gets foamy add chopped tomatoes and one sprig of thyme. With a wooden spoon gently scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Heat until tomatoes are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and salt and pepper to taste. Remove ravioli from water with a slotted spoon, pouring them into a strainer could cause the wrappers to break.
3. Divide between serving bowls and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle reserved bacon, Parmesan cheese and basil on top and serve with a warm and crusty baguette.

Adapted from Dandy Dishes

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Servings: 1

Calories: 310

Total Fat:  18.4 g

Cholesterol:  56 mg.

Sodium:  682 mg.

Protein:  10.1 g.

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Seriously, this stuff is da bomb!  My hubby let me know that I could make this anytime and top anything with it.  Maybe that's just his bacon high talking or maybe not.  Guess you will just have to try it and find out for yourself!

~ Enjoy!

Corn Chowder - Vegan and Non-Vegan Versions

Has it been a week since we went "vegan", yet?  I think so.  Well, in that week, 3 have succumbed to meat.  I am the only one left.  We have all succumbed to dairy when I saw Ben and Jerry's was on sale.   While I haven't missed dairy per say, I couldn't pass up Ben and Jerry's.  My family has not been happy with the meals I have been putting on the table this past week.  I have made a huge variety of meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and only one or two have been a hit.  They are not very happy supportive campers.   I, myself could continue this way of life but it would be a lot easier for me if I lived by myself.  Please don't be disappointed in me if you come across a blog post in the near future that includes meat.  My family is looking at me like I'm a turkey leg and I am scared for my life!  If you notice I haven't posted in a while please come check on me.  They are turning into cannibals!  Oh gosh, I hope they aren't reading this....

This is a veganized version of the Corn Chowder.  I make this Corn Chowder every fall.  It's my families absolute favorite.  It wasn't the same this year as I veganized it but it was still very good and better yet, it was super healthy and lower in fat using this version.

Corn Chowder - Vegan and Non-Vegan Versions
Yield: 8 - 10 servings

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Ingredients for Corn Chowder:

• Tempeh sausage crumbles - recipe follow or 1 lb. pork sausage
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 cups water - see note
• 1 t. marjoran
• 2 (15-ounce) cans corn, drained
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cream corn
• 12 oz. soy milk or 12 oz. evaporated milk

Ingredients for Tempeh Sausage Crumbles

• 1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
• 1 T. fennel seed
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1 t. dried marjoram or oregano
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 t. dried sage
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T. tamari, or soy sauce
• 1 T. olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions for Corn Chowder:

1. In a large stock pot, prepare tempeh sausage (directions below) or cook pork sausage and drain. Return sausage to pot, add potatoes, marjoram, and 2 cups water (or enough to cover the potatoes). Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are done. Add the corn and milk and heat through. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens 

Instructions for Tempeh Sausage:

1. In a small pan, crumble the tempeh and add enough water to almost cover it. Over medium-high heat, simmer the tempeh ntil most of the water is absorbed, about 12 - 15 minutes. Drain the remaining water and add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Adapted from Vegan with a Vengance

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Non-Vegan Version

Servings: 1 bowl

Calories:  494

Total Fat:  26.1 g

Cholesterol:  80 mg.

Sodium:  699 mg.

Protein:  22.5 g.

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Vegan Version

Servings: 1 bowl

Calories:  338

Total Fat:  9.5 g

Cholesterol:  0 mg.

Sodium:  109 mg.

Protein:  19.9 g.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Fall is in the air!  I can smell it, feel it, hear it and taste it!  The early morning chill in the air calls for two cups of coffee and breakfast on the back porch in sweat pants and a hoodie.  Open windows while you're sleeping and lots of snuggling during the night to ward off the threat of a chill.  An extra blanket thrown over the bottom of the bed to pull up over yourself for an afternoon nap.  Spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove all afternoon while the kids are out enjoying the beautiful weather exploring the creek and nearby field.  As my daughter says, "It's perfect adventuring weather!".  Yes, my dear, it is perfect adventuring weather! 

They spent 5 hours outside today.  How do I know that?  Because, my little man who would rather spend 5 hours on video games was forced to go outside and enjoy today's weather.  He kept track of the hours...  When he came home from his adventures and stepped in the door he took a big inhale and a huge smile broke across his face.  The spaghetti sauce was simmering away and there was an Apple Cake in the oven (will be posted later).  This is what makes home, home.  I hope this is one of the many happy memories my kids recall when they think back on their childhood.

Rotini and Meatballs
Yield: 12 servings

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Ingredients for the Meatballs:

• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 12 Saltines
• 2 heaped t. Dijon mustard
• 1 lb. ground beef, pork, or mixture of the two - I always use a mixture of the two
• 1 heaped T. dried oregano - I used Thyme today
• 1 large egg
• Sea salt and black pepper
• olive oil

 Ingredients for the Sauce:

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 t. salt
• 1 t. white sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 t. dried basil
• 1/2 t. ground black pepper
• 24-ounce box of pasta - we like to use Rotini

Instructions for the Meatballs:

1. Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and finely chop them. Place the crackers in a baggie and finely crush them. Add to the bowl with the mustard, ground meat, chopped rosemary, and oregano (or thyme). Crack in the egg and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well. Divide into 4 large balls. With wet hands, divide each ball into 6 and roll into little meatballs - you should end up with @ 24. Drizzle them with olive oil and jiggle them about so they all get coated. Put them on a plate, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Instructions for the Sauce:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to box directions. Serve.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com and Jaimie's Food Revolution - love that book!

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Servings: 1

Calories:  729

Total Fat:  28.5 g

Cholesterol:  117 mg.

Sodium:  1494 mg.

Protein:  40.6g.

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Not Yo Mama's Grilled Cheese

Hubby asks me "why wasn't my sandwich cut into a wedge?"  Me, "Because honey, yours wasn't the model"

I just love starting my recipe's off with "Not Yo Mama's...."  Cracks me up every time.  I'm easily entertained.  Did you see the conversation I had between me and self the other day?  It doesn't take much!

So, the other day it was getting pretty late and I hadn't made lunch yet and realized that I needed to stop blog stalking and make us some lunch.  The boy's (hubby and son) have been so addicted to Starcraft lately that I need to sometimes go down there and remind them to use the bathroom.  Not really, but seriously, they could go all day without eating.  Not that I have let them....yet....

Do you realize how annoying it can be when hubby crawls into bed with his iPad and Day[9] is droning on and on about the most recent professional Starcraft match?  The guy is relatively cute for a nerd.  That is, until he lifts up his arm and he's wearing a short sleeve shirt and you catch a glimpse of his extremely hairy armpit.  Talk about a gross out harmony between me and my daughter of a big "EWWWW!" as we run upstairs as fast as our little feet can carry us away from the TV.  Or the time's he finishes up with his dinner right as he goes online and he picks his tooth and the crumb fall on his lip and he nonchalantly licks it off.  Can I get another "EWWWW!"?  Yeah, so my hubby comes to bed with his iPad and Day[9] essentially comes to bed with us.  I don't even remember my point to this story.  I am so grossed out now.  But this grilled cheese was good!

Not Yo Mama's Grilled Cheese
Yield: 1 sandwich

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Ingredients:

• 2 slices of Texas Toast
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 link of Bobak's jalepeno and cheddar sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
• Butter
• Pickles for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet on medium heat, melt a Tbsp. of butter in skillet.
2. Spread butter on Texas toast.  Lay bread butter side down on on hot skillet and layer with sausage slices and spread your cheese in an even layer on top of sausage.  Put the other piece of bread on top butter side up.
3. Brown both sides of sandwich for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.  Serve with pickles!

Pork Chops for Comfort Food

It was 7th. grade registration for Luke today.  I still can't get over the fact that he is in 7th. grade.  I'm sure the tears will start any moment during this post so don't mind me if I get all perklempt.  It was only yesterday that I was sitting in the gymnasium during his kindergarten registration and bawling my eyes out much to the embarrassment of my hubby who was sitting next to me giving me the evil eye as I snorted and snotted as the principal read a stupid, heart wrenching poem to the parents about how our babies grow up so quickly.  When it was Natalie's turn to register for Kindergarten, she pulled out that damn poem.  Oh, but I was prepared this time. Oh yes, I did what any mature adult would do.  I plugged my ears and hummed softly as she read on and on. While other mother's snorted and snotted and I sat happily in my warm safe place next to the hubby who may have shot me a few glances of embarrassment. 

Anywho!  When I was still in school and it was time to go register I would get the worst stomach ache.  You can only imagine how I felt the first day of school!  Can you say ANXIETY!  I still get that feeling when it's time to go register Luke and even on his first day of school I get anxious!  How silly and weird is that!

I started homeschooling Luke at the beginning of fifth grade.  Last year, he decided to go to the middle school for three classes and he really enjoyed it.  So this year he decided to add a fourth class.  Baby steps to full time in 8th. grade!

Oh, I almost forgot to include this recipe!  See, told you I would get perklempt!  I also may like using that word....  This is super easy and the pork chops come out falling apart.  No need for a knife!  Just what I needed for my day of anxiety!

Pork Chops for Comfort Food
Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 medium onion, separated into rings
• 8 oz. sliced fresh bella mushrooms
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. prepared mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 ground black pepper
• Hot cooked rice with peas - if desired
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add pork chops, and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until browned.  Place onion evenly over pork chops. Spread mushrooms over onion.
2. In a small bowl, combine broth, parlsey, paprika, mustard, salt and pepper.  Pour broth mixture over pork chops. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Serve over hot rice and peas.

Adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen

Do you get anxious when it's time for your kids to start school?  Does the principal pull out stupid, heart wrenching poems during registration? 

~ Enjoy!

Awesome Rotini Carbonara and Vegan Blog Hop Results

Awe inspiring!

I just recently got a membership to Costco. I know, right! I'll bet you're wondering why I didn't already have one.  When I went the other day to look around, I wondered what took me so long as well.  Natalie and I went at lunch time and they had sample's galore.  By the time we were through we were pretty full of samples.  You need to be careful though, some people use their carts as weapons to get to said samples.  I found myself having to use my cart as a shield against some crazy hungry people. People need to simmer down now!  One of the sample's Natalie tried was Bobak's Sundried Tomato Italian Sausage links.  It was love at first bite!  I picked up a package with a few ideas in mind. It all started with the simple idea of sausage, diced tomatoes, rotini and basil but it turned into that and so much more!

Awesome Rotini Carbonara - Yes, this dish inspired awe! If you don't believe me, try it for yourself! 

Yields 4 very hungry people and some very good leftover lunch

1 24 oz. box of rotini prepared according to directions
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic

3 links of Bobaks Sundried Tomato sausage sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 14.5 oz. can of organic diced tomatoes - drained
1 cup Feta cheese
2 large eggs
1 bunch of basil

Prepare pasta according to directions. 

For the Sauce In a small bowl add 1 cup of Feta and 2 eggs and whip together. 

For the Sausage, etc

Pour 2 Tbsp. olive oil into skillet on medium heat.  Add sausage pieces and cook until warmed through; about 7 minutes.  Add 1 Tbsp. garlic and stir for about 1 minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and the pasta and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and add the sauce and stir together for about 5 minutes to warm through but being careful to not allow the eggs to scramble.

Do you shop at Costco?  Are you a cart wielding sample mongler?

Adapted from Me, myself and I!

The Vegan Wednesday Blog Hop was a complete and total success!  Can you see the sarcasm oozing from those words?  I had a lot of fun saying "Vegan Vednesday" all day on Wednesday.  I also had a ton of fun making the picture button.

I had two link ups but they were fabulous link ups!  I hope you checked them out.  Rachel from My Naturally Frugal Family linked up a fabulous Vegan Apple Pie and Wendy from Modern Mom - Food linked up some yummy Vegan Heart Healthy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies. Thank you ladies for linking up!  I'm looking forward to whipping these up in my kitchen!  If you haven't already, put on your bunny slippers and hop over and check out the yummy goodness!

Vegan Apple Pie from Rachel at My Naturally Frugal Family

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies from Wendy at Modern Mom - Food

Is there a blog hop that you would rather see on Deelicious Sweets? Are you blog hopped out? Do you own a pair of bunny slippers?


~ Party on, man!

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Ah, another made up recipe ala Dee! This is pantry/freezer foraging at it's best! I was inspired by Cooking with Chrissy.  Go check out her fabulous blog, you won't be sorry!  I had similar ingredients that she called for in her Cheesy Tortellini Bake recipe.  With a few tweaks I could make it happen.  For the win, I discovered a very quick and easy marinara sauce!

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Yields 4 very hungry people or 2 dinners!

For the Quick Marina:
1 pound spicy ground sausage
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed basil tomatoes, including liquid

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
24 oz. box of rotini
1 cup ricotta cheese
6 slices of provolone - diced

Preheat oven to 350.

For the Quick Marinara:
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and sausage, and cook, stirring constantly, until sausage is browned; drain. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Turn heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

Meanwhile; cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine the marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, and pasta and basil in a large bowl.  Pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Top with diced provolone.

Cover with foil, and bake for 20-30 minutes until the pasta is heated all the way through. Then remove the foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese on top is melted.

~ Enjoy!

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Turkey Sundried Tomato Corn Wrap - BLTTSTCW

Whew! What a title, huh?  I found this recipe in the new Eating Well magazine and in my attempt to use up some of my left-overs I changed it up quite a bit.  Don't worry, I'll let you know what I added in case you want to make it as the magazine calls for but if you decide to make it my way, well, it's awesome! Not to brag or anything but I think my changes took this recipe over the top and probably took it from "Eating Well" to not so much.  You win some you lose some! Okay, so you're saying "get on with it, Dee! Let's see this fabulous recipe that you spun up".  Okay okay! Geez people, patience is a virtue!

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Turkey Wrap

by Deelicious Sweets

Keywords: sandwich entree

6014936

Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped soft sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar or cider vinegar - I used red
• 8 thin slices low-sodium deli turkey (about 8 ounces)
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 4 bacon slices
• goat cheese

Instructions

Combine corn, tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, oil and vinegar in a medium bowl.

Divide turkey and bacon among tortillas. Top with equal portions of the corn salad, goat cheese and lettuce. Roll up. Serve the wraps cut in half, if desired.

Powered by Recipage

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Servings: 1 

Calories:  336

Total Fat:  15.5 g

Cholesterol:  37.3 mg.

Sodium:  901.7 mg.

Protein:  21.4 g.

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Ultimate Baked Beans

You had me at bacon!

This is the last side item that I served up for the Ultimate BBQ weekend last weekend.  I love baked beans but they have to be pretty special for me to be impressed.  These did not disappoint!  The ingredient list was super short too.  Trust me, I have a baked bean recipe with an ingredient list as long as my arm and this one beat that one.  It just goes to show that simple fresh ingredients make the best dishes....sometimes!

Ultimate Baked Beans

Yields 8 servings

1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup ketchup - I used organic
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
3 big (28 ounce) cans cannelini beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10 bacon strips
3 to 4 fresh rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 350. Put the molasses, ketchup, mustard, and chiles in a blender and puree.  Scrape that into a big bowl, add the beans, season with salt and black pepper; and gently toss so that the beans are coated with the molasses mixture.  Now dump that into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and level it.  Shingle the bacon strips over the top.  Throw the rosemary sprig on top and bake until the bacon is browned and fat is rendered, about 25 minutes. Honestly, these took longer in my oven. I probably had them in there for 30 to 40 minutes.  After 25 minutes was up I just continually checked on them.

Of course this was adapted from Tyler Florence!


~ Enjoy!

Ultimate Barbecued Ribs

Yoga was extreme today!  There were headstands and back bends galore.  My body obviously feels much better today as compared to Monday.  Otherwise, I would have probably snuck out of class today when she rubbed her hands together and said "go to the wall, we are doing head stands today"!

I had a revelation on Monday after class.  My yoga teacher had posted on her facebook fan page "Your issues are in your tissues".  Over the weekend I was feeling a little uptight and just not right.  On Monday, my body was overly tight and not wanting to move in the ways I make it move three times a week.  So, my feelings are that my body was very tight all weekend and therefore made me feel "uptight and just not right".  Sometimes we don't know what to expect from our bodies and it can have an affect on our personalities as well.  Memories of the past that can disturb one's well-being and keep us from reaching our full potential in all areas of our lives.  For some of us, it can even hinder us from our ability to heal pain and dis-ease.  Don't let your past events be so strong that they begin to define you and cripple you into thinking small.  Be strong and have no regrets.  Let yourself learn from your mistakes and keep on keeping on!

Speaking of bodies, I barbecued some ribs up over the weekend!  Oh, is that unappetizing to put those two together?  Well, don't worry, they were baby back pork ribs....  These had a deep, rich flavor and they were falling off the bone yummy.  Of course they were, they were Tyler Florence's Ultimate Barbecued Ribs!  Anything from Tyler Florence is to. die. for.

Ultimate Barbecued Ribs

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Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients for the Ribs:

• 2 slabs baby back ribs (about 3 pounds)

Ingredients for the Ultimate Barbecue Sauce:

• 1 bacon slice
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups ketchup - I used organic
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp. red vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250.  
2. Put the ribs on a baking sheet and stick them in the oven.  Let the ribs bake, low and slow, for 1 1/2 hours.  
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Wrap the bacon around the thyme bunch and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle.  Heat a 2 count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 -4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste.  
4. Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly without coloring for 5 minutes.  Add all the rest of the sauce ingredients.  Give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low.  Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.  
5. Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes.  
6. When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven.  You can let them hang out like this until you are ready to eat.  
7. Preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill to medium hot, or preheat a broiler.  
8. If you are grilling outside, take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a thick square.  Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel and carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates to make a non-stick surface.  
9. Throw your ribs on the grill or under the broiler and cook, basting a couple of times with the sauce, until crisp and charred about 5 minutes on each side.  Pick the onion and garlic out of the barbecue sauce and serve with the ribs.

~ Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Loin with Peach Salsa

My mom bought two maple bourbon marinated pork tenderloins at the store the other day.  She nonchalantly asked if I would mind making them dinner and I could have the other one to make my family dinner.  That sounded like a pretty good deal to me! I usually just throw these pre-marinated pork loins on the grill or in my rotisserie as is but this time something told me that I needed to step up to the plate and rock this one out in a big way.  I did.  Total and complete success!  If you want to woo your guests at your next bar-b-que you need to make this dish!

Grilled Pork Loin with Peach Salsa

Yields 4 servings

1 pre-marinated maple bourbon pork tenderloin
olive oil
4 Tbsp. BBQ dry rub - recipe below
Peach Salsa - recipe below

Preheat your gas grill - turn the heat on high and close lid. Let preheat for 15 minutes.

Rub tenderloin with olive oil and sprinkle the BBQ dry rub onto tenderloin and rub in.

Turn your grill down to medium low and grill tenderloin turning occasionally for about 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.  Transfer to a platter and cover with foil tent and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Serve with Peach Salsa

BBQ Dry Rub

Yields about 1 cup

1/4 cup sweet paprika
2 Tbsp. chipotle chili powder
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground white pepper
1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper flakes

Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. (The rub can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks).

Peach Salsa

Yields 2 1/2 cups

2 ripe but not mushy peaches, pitted and chopped coarse
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parlsey leaves
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon) - don't tell my dad there was garlic in this recipe!
1/4 cup pineapple juice
6 Tbsp. juice from 2 or 3 limes
1 medium jalepeno chili, stemmed, seeded and minced
Salt

Mix all of the ingredients, including salt to taste, together in a medium bowl. Transfer the salsa to an airtight container and refrigerate to blend the flavors at least 1 hour or up to 4 days.

Adapted from The New Best Recipe

~ Enjoy!

Fire it Up!

A couple of years ago, around Father's Day, while at lunch at Red Robin, I entered to win a gas BBQ grill.  Thinking nothing of it, I filled out the form, ate my yummy lunch (Buffalo Chicken Wrap and Freckled Lemonade in case you were wondering, my fav) and left.  A few days later, the phone rings.  It's Red Robin!  Holy Hell I won the BBQ grill.  I didn't even know what it looked like.  I was seriously that convinced that I was not going to win that I didn't even check it out (come to find out it was sitting right by the door as you walk in.  Yeah, I rolled badly on my perception check).  We made a spot for 'Ole Red in the garage.  I had bought him a Weber Charcoal grill the year before and he was pretty happy with it for the time being.  Besides, propane is freaking expensive!  I love grilled hamburgers and hot dogs on a charcoal grill but I hate how long it takes to warm up the coals, etc, etc, etc.  So I decided 'Ole Red needed to come out of the garage and settle into her new home on the back porch.  Since my parents are currently out of town, they won't be needing their propane tank, right?  I lurked over there and sniped it up brought it home and hooked 'Ole Red up.  Don't worry, I gave the hubby the honors of lighting her up for the first time.

Bacon Bacon

Foodie party!  Radhika and Ashok our gracious hosts always have the best foodie parties!  There is always a ton of food and alcohol to go around.  I'm talking about good food and good alcohol.  The best of the best!  Candis and Leana came in town to join us.  They are the best girls.  All three of them are.  We came together last year thanks to Radhika and it feels like we have always known each other.  It was just comfortable.  Have you met anyone like that?  It is so rare to meet people who you feel that way around.  When you do find them, hold on tight to them!

So, I was in charge of the appetizers and dessert.  It was cold and blustery here in Missouri yesterday and the last thing I wanted to do was go out to the store.  What could I do?  Here are some ingredients that I had on hand.

Odd combination if I do say so myself.  I know that's what your thinking too!  Bear with me though.  Uh oh, I feel a ramble coming on and I just can't help myself.  Did you know that “Bear with me,” the standard expression, is a request for forbearance or patience.  “Bare with me” would be an invitation to undress. “Bare” has an adjectival form: “The pioneers stripped the forest bare."  Keep this in mind!  That would be a very embarrassing grammatical error!

Allrecipes to the rescue!  I love that you can type in your ingredients and it pulls up recipes.  Here's what I came up with:  Bacon Roll Ups II.  With a couple of changes I made them mine!

Bacon Roll Ups

Yield: about 20

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Ingredients:

• 1 (1 pound) loaf bread (crusts removed) I like to use nutty bread
• 1 (8 ounce) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut in thirds (you will have some left-over.)
• Garlic Garlic from Tastefully Simple or garlic powder
• Brown sugar

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.  Cut each slice of bread in half horizontally. Spread with cream cheese. Sprinkle with Garlic Garlic (or garlic powder) 

3.  Tightly roll each piece of bread with half a piece of bacon. The bacon should be on the outside of the bread. Secure with toothpicks. 

4.  Arrange roll ups in a single layer on a medium baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until bacon is no longer pink and bread is lightly browned. Serve warm.

Adapted from: Allrecipes.com

~ Enjoy!

Sunday Night Dinner

I love a lazy Sunday.  Tinker around in the kitchen, lay on the couch, blog, blog, read blogs, take pictures of your food that you created while tinkering.  You get the picture.  Breakfast was outstanding (even though I wasn't finished with it until 11:00)!  Then came Sunday night dinner.  I have had this one of the menu all week and I decided that it would make a good Sunday night dinner.

Chili Pork Tenderloin
Yield: 6 servings

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 pork tenderloins, trimmed (about 1 lb. each) 

Instructions:

1. I made mine in my rotisserie but you can also grill it.  If you are grilling it, preheat your grill to medium-high.  Brush grate with oil.
2. Combine honey, chipotle chili powder, salt, and lime juice in a large resealable plastic bag.
3. Add tenderloin to bag and marinate 10-15 minutes. 
4. If you are preparing this in your rotisserie, just spear the tenderloins on to the spears and pop in your rotisserie for about an hour or until the internal temperature is 150.  If you are grilling - grill pork, covered, flipping and basting with marinade until cooked to an internal temperature of 150, 15-20 minutes.  Remove pork from grill, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing into 1 1/2-inch thick pieces.

Per Serving: Cal 232; Total Fat 8g; Chol 100mg; Sodium 408mg; Protein 31g

Source: Cuisine Lite

Potato and Green Bean Salad with Creamy Cucumber Dressing
Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients for the Salad:

• 1 lb. red potatoes, quartered
• 4 oz. green beans, trimmed (I used frozen)

Ingredients for the Dressing:

• 3/4 cup seeded, finely chopped cucumber
• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh tarragon
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil potatoes in water, 12 minutes.  Add beans, cook 3 minutes; drain.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, tarragon, scallions, Dijon, lemon juice, salt, and pepper for the dressing; add cucumber.
3. Toss dressing with potatoes, beans and eggs.  Serve warm or cold.
4. Feel free to add 2 hard boiled eggs to this dish.  The original recipe called for it but I didn't see that until it was too late.  Also, if you would like to add 2 minced scallions to the dressing, go for it!

Per Serving: Cal 203; Total Fat 10g; Chol 109mg; Sodium 329mg; Protein 6g


Adapted from : Cuisine Lite

I also made Garlic Knots because they are so out of this freaking world savory!  I had left-over Artisan Bread dough and decided to tie some up into knots, let them rest for about 40 minutes.

Melt some butter and add minced garlic, stir it up, brush it on to your knots, sprinkle with dried rosemary and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Pop in the oven for about 30 minutes on 350.

~ Enjoy!