Pesto!

I finally have time to post some meals that I eat in the summer. My apologies for waiting so long to post again, but my husband and I have tons of adventures and activities planned for our summers off (teachers rock!) and it's hard to find time to sit still long enough to post recipes.

Anywho, for those that know me, I am obsessed with basil. I love it so much. So I might have gone a "bit" crazy this year and planted 8 plants of basil...okay, actually 10 or 12. Suddenly I find myself with tons and tons of basil so I decided to make my first ever batch of pesto.

I have always enjoyed the taste of pesto, but I cringe at the price of a small jar of pesto at the store. Homemade tastes better and is WAY cheaper! All of the ingredients for pesto should already be in the cupboards of anyone who bakes and cooks. All you need in addition to common ingredients is basil and pine nuts. When I went to the store, I almost decided against making pesto when I noticed that 4 ounces of pine nuts cost 4 bucks! But then I realized that you get a huge quantity of pesto (see picture above) from only 2 ounces of pesto, so it ended up costing me 2 dollars for a huge dish of homemade deliciousness. If you do not have enough basil growing in your garden for this recipe, simply go to your local greenhouse and buy more basil. Around Milwaukee, basil plants cost between 1 and 3 dollars. No biggie. Do NOT buy basil from the grocery store produce aisle! The stores around me, at least, have terrible tasting basil leaves that are majorly overpriced. It's way better to just buy another plant.

Enough jabbering from me. I promise to post plenty of recipes that use pesto. We have eaten four meals this week that used only part of this container of pesto, and I just made another batch and put it in the freezer. It stays good in the fridge for 2-ish weeks and for 4-ish months if you freeze it.

Ingredients:
*3/4 cup olive oil
*3 cups of basil (can include some stems...I just cut of the top third of each basil plant and put it right in the  food processor)
*1/2 cup of parmesan
*4 garlic cloves
*1/4 cup (2 oz.) pine nuts
*1 tsp. lemon juice


Directions:
1) Place all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend to perfection. Taste and add additional items if necessary. Enjoy!

Comments:
*If you put it in the freezer, add a little layer of olive oil before putting on the cover. I don't remember why, but it had something to do with helping keep it fresh longer (I read it somewhere)

Homemade Pizza

Sometimes, when I go to the grocery store, I wonder if the frozen pizza selections have improved since I last looked. Perhaps it's just because I am fussy about my pizza toppings (I do not like pepperoni or sausage), but I have always found frozen pizza options as so disappointing. They are so boring; so expensive; or something is wrong with it (yucky thin crust with good toppings; half good toppings and half yucky ones; etc.)

I always get disgruntled with the frozen pizza options in the end and make homemade pizza instead. It's healthier (you know what's in it!), it's more fun, it's creative, and the list goes on. I often find it is a nice, simple, yet romantic date to make a pizza with Paul. We choose our favorite toppings and he chops the toppings while I make the dough. It's great fun!

While making this particular pizza at home, I thought it would be good to write down the ingredients so that I can remember it for the future, and figured, I may as well give these brilliant pizza ideas to my readers and friends while I am at it! :)

This particular pizza includes:
*Jiffy pizza dough (my favorite due to its price, taste, and simplicity
*spaghetti sauce with onion and garlic
*chopped spinach (handful)
*1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
*4 mushrooms, sliced
*4 leaves of basil (from my garden!), sliced
*clumps of goat cheese (1/3 a package: I roll bits into small balls and plop as much as possible on there!)
*mozzarella cheese

This pizza is SO good! I love all of these toppings and my stomach is happy with me afterwards. Yum!

While I am at it, here's another favorite homemade pizza that Paul and I adore. We ate a similar pizza at our favorite pizza restaurant, and now we make it at home with some variation:

*Jiffy pizza dough
*spicy bbq sauce
*1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
*chicken (rotisserie chicken, you are my friend once again!)
*jalapeno slices
*red onion, chopped
*cheddar cheese
*4 mushrooms, sliced (sometimes we do not include these)

I love how this pizza is unique and spicy! Yum yum...

What about you? What are YOUR favorite pizza toppings? Please share if you can, because I love getting new ideas! :)

Here's that pizza picture close up to make you crave pizza right now. :)
                                                                                                                                                                                      

Julie's Quiche

I sometimes envy my best friend Julie. While I research recipes and follow them closely, Julie can wake up one morning and think: "I wonder if such and such ingredients will taste good together..." and off she goes, inventing a new recipe with relative ease. :)

One day in college, I came home from my Latin class, grumpy and brain-tired, to a wonderful smell in our apartment. Julie and our friend Cindy were eating something delicious in our kitchen. When I asked about what they were eating, they replied that it was a quiche recipe that Julie came up with. I hate egg dishes, so I was confused why I thought it smelled good. I couldn't resist and sample it and fell in love with it immediately. I never thought that I would ever eat a quiche before. Now I crave it every once in a while and I have never veered from using Julie's recipe. Someday, maybe, I will be brave and try another quiche recipe. However, for now, I will remain loyal to my Julie's idea for quiche with a smile on my face. :)

What I love: It's simple and I love the taste of ham and tomatoes together! And of course, I love how I can add more cheese than the recipe calls for and it still tastes AMAZING!

Ingredients:
*1 pkg crescent rolls
*1 cup of grated cheese (swiss, cheddar, or mozarella are all good)
*1 cup of diced smoked ham
*3/4 cup of diced tomatoes
*3 eggs, lightly beaten
*1 cup cream, heavy or light
*salt, pepper, preferred seasonings

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) In a 9 inch pie pan, press in the crescent rolls (up the sides and the bottom of the dish)
3) Put 1/2 of the cheese, ham, and tomatoes in the pie dish, in that order.
4) In a separate bowl, mix eggs, cream, remaining cheese, salt, pepper, and preferred seasonings (I use paprika)
5) Pour this egg mixture on top of the ham/tomatoes in the pie dish.
6) Bake for 45 minutes or until the egg dish is set. Let it cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Comments:
*The crust along the edges gets burned while in the oven. It doesn't taste burned (to me) though, so I don't bother being worried about it. However, if you are concerned, try putting foil around the edges of the pie dish.

*Depending on your oven, more time might need to be added. Since taking this recipe from Julie, I have lived in four different places with different ovens. For each one, I had to alter the amount of time for this dish in the oven. So just watch your quiche carefully toward the end of the time in the oven. When you can "jiggle" the quiche and it doesn't slop all over, the egg is set and can be taken out.

Penne Gorgonzola with Chicken

This is another fantastic and simple meal. When I was home visiting family in Michigan a while back, I was paging through my mom's Taste of Home cooking magazines. This recipe won first prize of all the meals from 2010. That should be the best proof of how delicious it is. It makes 4-6 servings.

I have not changed anything about this recipe because it is perfect the way it is. Well, okay, I admit, I DO add more gorgonzola than the recipe requires because of my addiction to cheese. :)

What I love about this recipe: It is quickly prepared, simple, yet elegant and SO good! I love the wine, garlic, and gorgonzola combination, it is marvelous.

Ingredients:
*1 package of penne pasta (16oz)
*1 pound of chicken cut into pieces
*olive oil (approx. 1 tbsp.)
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1/4 cup of white wine
*1 cup heavy whipping cream
*1/4 cup of chicken broth
*2 cups (8 ounces) crumbled gorgonzola
*basil (dried or minced fresh)
*salt, pepper, parmesan

Directions:
1) Cook pasta as directed on box. Meanwhile, brown chicken in oil on all sides. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add wine and stir.
2) Add cream and broth, cook until sauce thickens and chicken is no longer pink. Stir in gorgonzola and spices; cook until the cheese is melted. Combine the sauce and pasta. Enjoy!

Comments:
*This is one of the few chicken recipes that I make where I do NOT use rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken is too shredded-like for this recipe. I used it once and I did not care for it. Instead, grab some frozen boneless/skinless chicken breasts and use them. I cut the partially frozen chicken into cubes. I like the texture of cubes of chicken in this pasta dish.

*If you are wary of gorgonzola, add less and taste. You can always add more. I love it so much that I usually add 10 ounces of it. Yum...

*One of the coolest things about this recipe is that when you start boiling the water for your pasta, you should start at the same time making the sauce. Both the pasta and the sauce will then be done at the same time! It works out perfectly and it is not a difficult multi-task cooking job at all.

*Of course, if you open a bottle of wine for the recipe, you can't let that wine go to waste! I highly recommend drinking the remaining wine with this meal. It's a great combination! :)

Minestrone Soup

Wow, I have not added recipes in a long time. I have been pretty busy, but I promise to get caught up soon on my recipes. I have a few more to add, so stay tuned in the next few days.

One reason I was too busy to post recipes was because I went Home to Michigan partly for a historical conference and partly to see family. Due to being busy socializing or learning, I ended up eating out every day. Since Paul and I do not eat out more than once a month, this was a bit too much for me. I came home feeling fat and craving fresh vegetables. So I searched through some potential recipes that I have wanted to try and found this Minestrone Soup at allrecipes.com. Other than a sprinkling of cheese, there is nothing but healthy stuff in this soup.

What I loved: There are SO many veggies in this soup! I felt so healthy and the colors were beautiful. :)


Ingredients:
*Olive oil
*1 onion, diced
*3 cloves of garlic, minced
*3 medium carrots, diced
*3 stalks of celery, diced
*2 yellow squash, diced
*6-8 cups of vegetable broth
*3 potatoes, skinned and diced
*Huge handful of spinach, cut into strips
*1 cup of orzo pasta
*1 can (15oz) of diced tomatoes
*handful of fresh basil leaves, cut into strips or minced
*3/4 cup of parmesan cheese
*salt, pepper, spices of your choice, and extra parmesan for the topping

Directions:
1) Heat up oil in a large soup pot. Saute onion and garlic until tender.
2) Add the carrots, celery, and squash. Saute for approx. 5 minutes.
3) Add the broth, potatoes, spinach, pasta, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
4) Lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes and pasta and tender.
5) Stir in basil and parmesan. Season to taste.
6) Pour into bowls and top with more spices and cheese. Enjoy!


Comments:
*I wrote 6-8 cups of broth because it depends how you like your soup. If you like it more stew-like, only use around 6 cups of broth. If you like a more clear, broth look, add 8 cups. I like my soup to be clear, so I added 8 cups.

*It's hard to say how much spinach to add. What I did was go for equal portions of all of the veggies. I put the carrots, celery and squash on one plate, potatoes on another plate, and spinach on a plate as well. With the display of veggies in front of me, I added enough spinach to make it a good balance with the rest of the veggies. Sorry I cannot be more exact.

*I think next time I make this soup, I will add more tomatoes. I might add one of those cans of diced tomatoes that have spices with it. If anyone does that, let me know what you think!

Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

This past week, I was craving mexican food and both Paul and I were craving protein. Human bodies are so cool: if you listen closely, it tells you what nutrients you need.


Since Paul and I hang out pretty much all the time, we have this creepy habit where we say the same thing at the same time. This time it went like this:
*We were watching a TV show
*We looked up at each other.
*We both said at the same time: "I am really craving protein right now!"

It's a weird but awesome experience to say the same random thing at the same time as someone else. Anyway, since we both desired protein, I mixed multiple enchilada recipes from all over the internet to come up with a protein-rich meal that satisfied all of our cravings. It made 10 enchiladas.

The best compliment one can get about food: I told Paul that the meal had to last two days. So I was going to have 2 enchiladas for dinner and he was allowed to only have 3. Paul said: "Don't worry, Cris. I am not that hungry. I am only in the mood to have two." About 15 minutes later, Paul sheepishly got up and got the third enchilada... :) I will definitely be making this meal again!

What I love: Green chilies make an appearance again! I also enjoyed the taste of cilantro on the top combined with the many beans in this recipe. Yum!


Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:
*2-3 cups of shredded cooked chicken
*1 (4oz) can of green chilies
*1 (15oz) can of red beans, drained
*1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans, drained
*1.5 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese
*1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
*cumin and cayenne pepper
*1 onion
*1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
*olive oil
*2-3 cans (15 oz each) of enchilada sauce
*1/2 cup of sour cream
*10 flour tortillas
*optional toppings: cilantro and more sour cream

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(2) In a large bowl, mix chicken, green chilies, beans and 1 cup of pepper jack and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and spices. Set aside.
(3) Cut onion in half. Chop both parts of onion but keep separated. Heat olive oil in a skillet pan. Add half of the chopped onion and the garlic and saute until golden. Add the enchilada sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Whisk in the sour cream. Add approximately 1/2 of the sauce into the chicken mixture bowl.
(4) Spread approx. 1/4 of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 oven proof glass dish. Warm up the tortillas in the microwave so that they are easy to work with. Fill each tortilla with a heaping amount of the chicken mixture. Roll and place seam-down into the glass pan. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.
(5) Bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Top with remaining onion and optional cilantro. When on plate, top with optional sour cream. Enjoy!


Comments:

*I apologize that I did not give specific amounts for the ingredients. I love having heavily stuffed enchiladas, so I went a bit crazy on the amount of ingredients. It turned out that it was too much toppings and I had enough extra for two more enchiladas (but no room in the dish) at the end. I suggest just eyeballing the ingredients. It's never bad if you have extra at the end...in my opinion at least.

*For the chicken, I used a rotisserie chicken. That way, I didn't have to cook in the kitchen even longer. I love using rotisserie chickens! I had extra left over, and we used that in another meal (coming soon to this blog!). They are so handy to use for meals!

*You can probably use whatever kind of cheese you want. I liked the idea of using pepperjack and sharp cheddar. It was a great blend of spicy and tangy. Mozzarella would probably work nicely too if you want a milder taste.

*I used one large can of medium-spicy red enchilada sauce and 1 small can of mild red enchilada sauce. I had a hard time finding spicy enough sauce at my local grocery store. Use what you prefer. They had spicy green enchilada sauce but I have never had that before and it scares me a bit... If you enjoy the taste of green enchilada sauce, please let me know! I would love to know what it tastes like from an experienced person.

Vegetarian Soup

The other day, I had a killer headache that just would not go away. When I have these type of headaches, there is only one kind of food that I want: clear broth soups with a spicy kick. This soup was perfect for these needs.

In many ways, it is a "typical" vegetable soup, but it becomes unique with a spicy touch, avocado, and green chilies. I really liked this soup. It made so much soup, that I froze leftovers. The next time I am sick or have another one of my headaches, I will eat that leftover soup. It's also perfect for a gloomy, rainy day. Ahh, it was so satisfying. :)

Once again, I found this recipe at allrecipes.com but I changed it a bit and made it my own.

Vegetarian Soup

Ingredients:
*olive oil
*1 package (1 pound) frozen pepper and onion stir fry mix
*1-2 cloves garlic, minced
*cumin (1 tbsp, approx.)
*1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
*2 (4 ounce each) cans of diced green chilies, drained
*1-2 chipotle peppers with adobe sauce, chopped (add adobe sauce from can as well) (optional)
*4 cans (14 ounce each) vegetable broth
*1 can of corn, drained
*1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
*salt and pepper and cayenne pepper (added to your preference of taste)
*shredded cheddar cheese
*avocado, peeled, pitted, diced
*cilantro (optional)
*sour cream (optional)

Directions:
(1) Heat olive oil in large soup pan. Add stir fry mix, garlic and cumin until tender (approx. 5 minutes).
(2) Mix in tomatoes, chilies, chipotles (optional). Stir and heat. Add broth and spices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer about 30 minutes.
(3) Add corn and beans to soup, stir and heat until warm. Pour into bowls. Top with cheese, avocado, and cilantro (optional) and sour cream (optional). Enjoy!


Comments:
*If you want to make it with fresher ingredients, instead of the stir fry, use a few different colored peppers and an onion. The stir fry mix just cuts down on the time it takes to get the veggies tender.

*If you want to make it vegan, just don't add the cheese at the end. This is a very nutrition-packed meal for those vegans out there.

*I like to dip bread of any kind into this soup. Paul liked dipping tortilla chips. Go crazy! Be creative! And let me know what you prefer! :)

*If you want a spicier soup, add more green chilies, chipotles, cumin, and/or cayenne pepper. Alternatively, if you want it more mild, do the opposite.