Brandy Slushy

I made a batch of these yummy adult beverages at Christmas time, and I am thinking they would be a fun drink for the big football weekend coming up. I am not a fan of pro football (I enjoy college football) but my husband and sons will be watching and they have already created the menu (how kind of them). I will be happy to hang out alone or with my mom in the living room, away from the television, and knit quietly. Maybe sipping on a brandy slush. These are simple to put together, but you do need to allow time for them to freeze, so start at least one day in advance. They are not very strong (in alcohol) so feel free to enjoy as many as you like. {wink}

Brandy Slushes

4 cups water, boiling

1 cup sugar

4 tea bags (I prefer black, but really pick what you like. I would avoid any complex blends.)

2 cups brandy (I use apricot or blackberry)

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I use low acid)

1 bottle (2 liter) lemon-lime soda, like Sierra Mist or 7-up, chilled

Place tea bags in a large bowl and pour bowling water over them. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add brandy, and concentrates. Stir until all combined. Place in freezer containers and place in freezer for at least 24 hours.

When ready to serve, scoop out slush with an ice cream scoop or heavy duty spoon. Place in glass, filling about halfway. Fill the rest of the way with cold soda. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw.

My Superbowl Menu (as set by the menfolk)

Loaded Potato Skins

Kansas City Chicken Wings

Layered Taco Dip with tortilla chips

Roasted Garlic Bean Dip and homemade pita chips

Hoagie Dip

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This week I tried a recipe that has been on my "recipes to try" list on my sidebar for a while. I saw it back at the end of the professional football season -- a suggested Super Bowl dish. When I saw it I knew my boys would love it and they did. I did, too! All of the flavors of a delicious meat hoagie, in the easy to serve and eat form of a dip. I made two loaves of Artisan Bread (in 5 minutes) and sliced one up and used the other to serve.

My version of the dip is maybe what you would call "poor man's" because I used only salami and ham instead of the pricier prosciutto, but I think this dip would be good with almost any meat -- even bologna. I used 1/2 pound of both ham and salami. I think next time I'll had some hot ham for spice, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing. The day after I made it I thought that using it for cold topping on a hot pepperoni pizza would be almost divine, so we'll try that soon -- a sort of pizza sub. Yum!

Hoagie Dip

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1/2 purple onion diced

4 pickled pepperoncini peppers drained and diced (I used 8 medium)
1/2 head iceberg lettuce chopped about the size of nickels
1 large tomato, halved, seeded, and diced (I used two)
1/2 pound deli-sliced Genoa salami, sliced and diced
1/2 pound deli-sliced ham, sliced and diced
1/4 pound deli-sliced provolone cheese, sliced and diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 10-to-12-inch round loaf of choice, hollowed out
8 hoagie rolls, cut into pieces or halves for spreading dip on (I sliced another loaf of bread)

Combine the chopped vegetables, meats and cheese in a large bowl.

In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, and red pepper flakes and stir until everything is all mixed up.

If you are going to serve within an hour, pour the dressing over the meat/veggie mixture and toss until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you are NOT eating it soon,  keep all ingredients refrigerated until about an hour before then toss together so that the lettuce does not get soggy.

Carve out the center of the bread loaf to make a bowl and cut the top piece taken out into bite-size pieces. Serve the hoagie dip in the bread bowl, with the extra bread and hoagie rolls to scoop it up.

Source: modified from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

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I planned these little hot sandwiches for a day last week, and as it turned out I was really glad for an easy dinner. I was away from home most of the afternoon and when I got home I really wasn't in the mood to cook dinner. Fortunately I didn't have to. I started these little gems just about 30 minutes before dinner time, and I was glad to have some time between walking in the door and prep time to catch my breath (and grade some school work!).

They were so popular, that I have a feeling they will be welcome as a regular on our menu. The kids all wanted to know what the sauce was on top, but I just told them it was "magic" sauce. I didn't want to listen to gripes about onions and mustard and since they all loved them, it was a good decision. What they don't know won't hurt them!

The sauce was not exactly low in fat, which was the only drawback to these sandwiches. But I used Hillshire Farm honey ham, which is very low in fat, and I only used a quarter slice of cheese for each, so I'm not stressing over the little bit of sauce each sandwich gets. (I'm sure these sandwiches would be even tastier with some really awesome ham, but it was a weekday and I was going for easy over awesome.)

I saw this recipe most recently at Annie's Eats, but you can find it all over the internet and in every "favorites" cookbook. I used the Hawaiian rolls as recommended, and they were very yummy, but I'm sure some good bakery slider buns would be awesome as well. You can find the little sliders at almost every grocery store these days.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
24 sandwiches

24 slider rolls or small Hawaiian rolls
24 slices honey ham
24 small slices Swiss cheese (I used a quarter slice because it fit perfectly)
mayonnaise
1½ T. yellow mustard
8 T. butter, melted
1 T. finely minced onion (or 2 tsp. dried minced onion)
½ t. Worcestershire sauce
Poppy seeds, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Split the slider rolls and spread the insides lightly with mayonnaise. Fold a slice of ham to fit on each slider bun, and top with a slice of Swiss cheese. Replace the top bun to assemble the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet (cover with foil or parchment for ease in clean-up).

To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the sauce over the tops of the slider buns. Sprinkle with poppy seeds (be sure to have a "helper" for this step -- it's good fun). Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer (I baked about 5 minutes longer until the cheese was bubbly). Serve warm.

Recommended dishes to serve with the Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders: Apple slices with Cream Cheese Apple Dip, Cabbage Slaw, and Veggie Chips

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Caprese Salad Skewers

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Last week I was sending all my guys out the door at dinner time with the makings of a tailgate party for a high school football game. I admit I was a little nervous sending all this food with my husband -- he's not much for creating an attractive spread. Frankly, I was afraid he would forget to get most of the food out and it would go untouched. He did a good job, however, and said all the food was gobbled up -- no leftovers at all.

These skewers were sort of a last-minute thought I had while strolling (or racing) through the grocery store. I had bought fried chicken, and made a potato salad, but felt they needed something bright-tasting, but not too heavy. I grabbed a pint of grape tomatoes (actually they were called "cherry," but shaped like grape), 12 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese and a package of fresh basil leaves. I had the rest of the ingredients in the pantry. There is a huge difference between fresh mozzarella and low-moisture mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella has a really great texture, slightly firm but not hard. It has almost a meaty texture.

This salad would be just as good tossed in a bowl, but for a tailgate party the skewers were fun and convenient. Just use some bamboo skewers cut to a desired length -- I just used a few tomatoes and a few chunks of cheese each.

Caprese Salad Skewers

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely snipped basil leaves (or you can roll them and slice them thinly)
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. salt
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/8 t. pepper

Rinse tomatoes.
Cut mozzarella cheese in cubes -- about the size of the tomatoes.
Skewer tomatoes and cheese alternately on skewers or toss in a bowl to serve with a spoon.
Mix together vinegar, oil, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and mustard in a container with a lid. Shake thoroughly to combine. Add basil and mix gently.
Pour dressing over skewers, or ingredients in bowl, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Roasted Veggie Sandwich

One night a month or so ago, Doug and I were wasting time in front of the television and Sam the Cooking Guy was on. Have you ever seen him? I must say he amuses me. He loves food and he's not afraid to say so.

Anyway, he was having a veggie night and this sandwich (or something very much like this sandwich) was being featured. I made the comment that I would love this sandwich, if only the people I live with would eat veggies. My husband responded that he absolutely would eat this sandwich, and so I said, "You're on." The following Saturday I bought yummy veggies on my Saturday morning grocery shop, as well as a big loaf of Orlando Ciabatta. Yum.

Doug offered to grill the veggies outdoors, but you could also put them on a grill pan on the stove. I'll do that during the winter. I threw the ingredients for a pesto in the processor and when the veggies were done, it all came together in just minutes. All-in-all it was started and finished within 30 minutes. This would be a great dish for a weekend tailgate party -- especially if you have a veggie eater in your crowd. All of my kids ate it, and Joshua, who is a senior in high school, was so taken by this sandwich that when he saw this picture he said, "Oh, mom, when can we have those again?" Big success!

You can vary the veggies according to what you like; I'm listing those that I used. Also, my pesto is a nut-less version, but feel free to add toasted pine nuts or even toasted walnuts to pump yours up. I could not find the recipe on Sam's website, so I had to work from the memory of the show.

Roasted Veggie Sandwich
serves 4-6 depending on size of ciabatta

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1 large loaf ciabatta bread, sliced horizontally and brushed with olive oil
1 medium yellow squash (sliced in about 1/8-inch slices)
1 medium zucchini (sliced in about 1/8-inch slices)
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 red onion, sliced
olive oil
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and dried
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
salt to taste

Place basil and garlic in bowl of food processor. Process until chopped. Add olive oil through feed tube in a slow drizzle, processing until basil and garlic is pureed, adding only enough olive oil to keep it wet. Add Parmesan cheese, process and then add more olive oil as needed to keep pesto wet (you don't want a paste, you want it just slightly runny). Taste and salt as needed.

Preheat grill or grill pan on stove. Place vegetable slices in a bowl and coat with olive oil (you might want to individually coat onion slices so they stay together). Place vegetable slices on grill or grill pan and grill until tender and slightly charred in appearance. When vegetables are done remove to a platter and cover with foil. Grill bread on cut sides, and on outside if desired. When bread is toasted layer vegetables evenly over bottom piece. Spread pesto on top piece and then sandwich them together. Cut in squares or slice loaf crosswise. Serve immediately.

Oven Baked Onion Rings

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Since I learned that I have high cholesterol (and probably always will -- family history), I think about fats every single time I put something into my mouth. Every day is a balancing act -- good fats, bad fats, not too much fat. Some days I do better than others, and I think that's o.k. I don't expect that I will eat only fruits and vegetables for the rest of my days. Some days you just have to eat corned beef -- just a smaller portion.

Last week I put Oven Baked Reubens on my menu -- a way to use up leftover New England Boiled Dinner corned beef. I put less beef on my sandwich than I would have before, and I used light Swiss cheese -- compromise. I also compromised on my side dish -- Oven Fried Onion Rings. Not exactly low in fat, but much lower than deep-fried and so delicious. Oh my goodness! These will make it on our menu frequently, and I think next time they might be paired with a Chocolate Malt (low fat ice cream). Between the sandwich and the onion rings, the meal was definitely diner fare.

I found the recipe at the Brown-Eyed Baker and I don't think there is a thing I could do to perfect it. My only tip is to keep one hand dry and one hand wet when you are breading to keep from washing continually. Also -- I did not have any parchment paper on hand so I used aluminum foil and sprayed it with cooking spray. Whoops -- one more tip -- I first crushed the chips by hand, inside the bag, but found the crumbs were not fine enough. I ended up throwing them into the food processor for a whirl.

Oven-Fried Onion Rings

about six side-dish servings

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2 medium (or 1 large) sweet onions, sliced ½-inch thick

¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
¼ cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

1½ cups crushed potato chips (kettle-cooked chips, if available)

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine ¼ cup flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl.

In another bowl combine the buttermilk, egg and additional flour, whisking until a smooth batter is formed.

In a third bowl, place the crushed potato chips.

Prepare the onion rings by first dipping a ring into the seasoned flour, then into the batter (let the excess batter drip off), and then coat with the crushed potato chips. As you finish the rings, place them on a large plate. Repeat with all rings (make sure you have all the rings breaded before you proceed).

Cover a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper (or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray -- I used two cooking sheets so they would have plenty of room). Drizzle the vegetable oil on the parchment-lined sheet and place in the oven for 8 minutes. Carefully remove the sheet from the oven and tilt to evenly coat with oil.

Working quickly, place your onion rings on the baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 8 minutes, then flip onion rings (carefully or the breading will come off) and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown.

While baking, prepare your dipping sauce!

Dipping Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons horseradish
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker
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Rootin' for the Red, White and Blue!

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And what better way to celebrate and cheer on the team than with some good, old-fashioned Cream-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes? Besides being a great party dessert, these cupcakes are great for packed lunches (love in the lunch box), and bake sales. What kid (or grown-up) can resist cream-filled love?

Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

makes about 30

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
⅓ c. cocoa
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. vegetable oil (I often use 1/2 c. applesauce, 1/2 c. oil)
1 c. water
1 t. vanilla extract


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Filling

¼ c. butter, softened
¼ c. shortening
2 c. confectioners' sugar
3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
pinch salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
Add eggs, milk, oil, water and vanilla.
Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups half full.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Insert a very small tip into a pastry or plastic bag; fill with cream filling.


Push the tip through the bottom of paper liner to fill each cupcake (I find I need to cut a small slit with the point of a sharp knife first).



Squeeze filling into each cupcake. I usually squeeze to the count of three -- if you overfill the top will bust open -- then you have to eat it!





Frosting

1/4 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 1/3 c. milk


In a mixing bowl, whip butter. Add cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Add small amount additional milk, if needed.

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Pinto Bean and Cheese Nachos -- Low Fat

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Cheese Nachos don't sound like a low-fat treat do they? The way they serve this dish at most restaurants, it's not low-fat at all. But with the right ingredients at home, this can be a really yummy, and filling, and healthy dish-- I served it for dinner and it was really a treat. This recipe will likely make it back to my buffet on Superbowl Sunday. If you're watching your fat grams, you will love having these because you don't feel like you're sacrificing anything.

The first step in building your nachos is choosing low-fat chips. My grocer sells some really good ones near the produce section. I can't think of the brand (in an orange paper sack), but they really are low in fat and they come in both yellow and blue varieties. Finding a low-fat chip is not as hard as you think -- look in the organic foods department of your grocery store if you can't find a low-fat variety in the chips aisle. If all else fails -- bake your own.

The second step is making your own beans -- these are so easy don't even think about buying ready-made. The beans are the bulk of your flavor so you want good ones. And these are really low in fat, so they are better for you.

The other toppings on the nachos are really negotiable. My family likes my salsa, which is so easy to make, but if you have a favorite bottle, go ahead. And the cheese I use is low fat, but if you're not watching your fat grams carefully, go for a nice full-fat sharp cheddar, or even a Mexican Queso Blanco. The guacamole, you may say, is fattening. And you'd be right in some respects. But the fat in avocado is good fat -- monounsaturated -- the kind that can actually improve cholesterol levels. It's also high in potassium and folate, which is good for growing babies (in utero), and for lowering cholesterol. Plus, they are a good source of fiber, so go for the guac!

The recipe is written to serve to a group, but if you are feeding your family each a plate, divide up the ingredients among each plate.

Low-Fat Bean and Cheese Nachos (low fat)

low-fat corn tortilla chips
1 T. canola oil
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, undrained
low fat cheddar cheese (4 - 6 oz.)
1 cup bottled salsa (or my recipe below)
1 c. guacamole (my version below)
3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
juice of half a lime
low-fat or fat-free sour cream


Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin, chili powder, and garlic; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add pinto beans, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes. Partially mash bean mixture with a potato masher until slightly thick.

Place a layer of chips on a serving plate. Sprinkle with cheese, heavy or light hand depending on your taste. Heat in the microwave until cheese is melted (or in a 450 degree oven if your plate is oven-safe). Spoon bean mixture evenly over tortilla chips. Top with salsa, sour cream and guacamole, or serve those in bowls on the side. Sprinkle with cilantro and squeeze on the lime juice.

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Salsa

1 can tomatoes and chilies (like Rotel)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 red or sweet yellow onions, cut in a few big chunks
1/2 lime
salt
Cilantro to taste (optional) (I use about 2 T.)

Place garlic and onion in food processor bowl with metal blade. Pulse until onions are in small bits. Drain about half the juice of the tomatoes and place tomatoes and remaining juice in food processor bowl with garlic and onion (the level of heat in salsa depends on how much juice you add -- more juice = more heat). Squeeze 1/2 lime over tomatoes, add cilantro if desired, and then pulse until tomatoes are in small bits -- do not puree. Salt to taste, pulse a few times, then taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.



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Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
3 heaping tablespoons salsa
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
salt
Cilantro to taste (optional)

Peel ripe avocados and break into chunks, removing pits; place in a medium bowl. Spoon salsa on top, add garlic, toss in cilantro to taste (if desired) and squeeze lime over the top. Mash with a potato masher, or the back of a fork, until guacamole is creamy, but not pureed (there should still be small chunks). Salt and stir, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

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Burgers and Fries -- Light

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On Saturday night, College Boy was home with Peach and I -- the other guys and dad were at a hockey game, so it was just the three of us for dinner. I had been at the grocery store earlier in the day and Slider Burgers sounded good to me. Most grocery store bakeries sell the little buns for Sliders, making them extra yummy.

There is actually very little meat on a Slider, so it probably wasn't really necessary to use chicken to try to stay low-cholesterol, but I thought it was a good place to test the waters. I don't normally use chicken or turkey to sub for beef in burgers -- the gang just doesn't go for it, but they loved these chicken Sliders. I'm not sure they would be as excited with chicken burgers on the grill -- the method for cooking the Sliders doesn't dry them the way the grill does, but these are wonderful to eat during the winter when you don't really want to brave the cold to light the grill. With a little dab of ketchup and mustard, I really didn't miss the beef at all. The chicken was quite a bit more expensive, however -- I think I paid $3.69 for one pound of Perdue ground chicken at Giant Eagle. It's a good thing they were tiny burgers! You could cook these in a pan with some onions, but I just add onion powder to the mix so the kids don't bellyache.

They were all over the Sweet Potato Fries, too (College Boy said he could eat those burgers and fries every day of his life -- although that's not saying much coming from a college student). I admit they were head and shoulders better than white potato fries. They look a little over-cooked in the picture, but that color is caramelization and that's where the yummy comes from. They were a cinch to make.

Chicken Sliders
serves four

1 lb. ground chicken
2 T. water
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. Worchestershire
salt and pepper

ketchup
mustard
mayo
pickles

Add water, onion powder, and Worchestershire to ground chicken and mix thoroughly with your hands. Heat a griddle over medium high heat until water drops bounce; lightly oil griddle with vegetable oil (if you are cooking onions with your burgers, add a little more oil to the griddle and throw a handful or minced onions to the deck -- saute until soft before adding your burgers).
Form about a tablespoon (maybe a heaping tablespoon) of chicken into a patty in the palm of your hand -- it's stickier than beef, so wet your hands first. Place the patty on the griddle and repeat with the rest of the meat until your griddle is full. Salt and pepper the top sides, flip and salt and pepper the other side. It only takes a couple minutes for them to cook through. Remove done burgers to a plate and keep warm (cover with foil and place on the stove top to catch some warmth from the oven) while you cook the rest.
When all the burgers are cooked and staying warm, lightly oil the griddle again and toast the buns.
Serve with mustard, ketchup, mayo and pickles.




Sweet Potato Fries
serves four

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled
3 T. vegetable oil
salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cut sweet potatoes in 1/2-inch fries. Place fries in a bowl and toss with oil.
Place in a single layer on a baking sheet, spreading the extra oil from the bowl around the pan to coat. Salt lightly (you'll salt them again when they are done) and bake on the bottom rack for 20 minutes. Turn and bake for another five minutes or so, until they are golden brown all over. Salt and serve.

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Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter Thingies

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I'm in the mood for something sweet, how 'bout you?

College boy was home last weekend and I was trying to think of something sweet that I could send back with him. Since I had sent those Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chippers the week before, I was thinking that these Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter Thingies would be nice. What do you think of that name? I saw them at Stephanie's Kitchen, and she calls then Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites, which is no better than Thingies, if you ask me. So, Thingies they are.

There is one major difference between Stephanie's Bites and my Thingies -- peanut butter. Because of my son's allergies, I don't ever cook with it. So I subbed Sunflower Butter with perfect results. I've talked about Sunflower Butter before -- I get it at Trader Joe's and it's made just for people with nut allergies, so there's none of that "made in a facility with peanuts and tree nuts." It's perfectly safe.

About the recipe -- I thought the sunbutter part of the little Thingie was very sweet -- too sweet, so I would cut down on the sugar next time. If you're willing to keep them in the refrigerator, which I did, I think they would be great with some natural peanut butter, with no sugar at all. As long as you refrigerate the natural peanut butter, it stays hard. I am posting the recipe just as I found it, however, and you can adjust as you like. There's no science involved here -- just wing it.

Chocolate, Pretzel, Peanut Butter Thingies
makes about 45 sandwiches

1 c. peanut butter
2 T. softened butter or margarine
1/2 c. powdered sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
waffle-shaped pretzels
1 bag good quality chocolate (I used Hershey's milk chips)

Using a mixer, combine peanut butter and softened butter and beat until smooth. Add the sugars and stir to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go (I did not roll these into balls -- I just plopped a scoop onto each pretzel -- I guess they would be prettier if I had, but what the heck). If not, add more sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll. Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball and set on a cookie sheet. Roll all the balls and then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour (I skipped the freezing step, too. I was in a hurry -- no harm, no foul.).

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

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Source: Stephanie's Kitchen

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Stromboli

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When I put Stromboli on my menu last week (college boy's choice), I went to link to it and then realized that I had never posted the recipe. I can't imagine how I missed it, since it's one of my children's favorite dishes -- right up there with pizza. And since it's as easy to make as pizza (maybe easier), I'm not sure why I never posted it.

I'm fixing that today with the recipe for Pepperoni Stromboli and a Veggie Stromboli (down at the bottom) which I usually make for myself when I make pepperoni for the family. You can stuff a Stromboli with just about anything, however, and I have used sausage, peppers and mushrooms, and chicken and peppers for stuffing as well. But, really anything goes here -- BBQ beef, taco meat, Mexican pork or chicken. It's all good!

I don't usually brush the tops of my Stromboli with egg white, but if you like a shiny crust, go for it. It gets eaten far too fast at my house to worry about shiny crust.

Stromboli
(as written, makes one Stromboli)

1 pkg yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 T. sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. salt
3 to 3 1/4 cups flour
2 -3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 t. minced garlic
8 oz. package pepperoni, quartered (just stack 'em and cut 'em)
6 oz. shredded mozzarella or pizza blend cheese

pizza sauce or marinara sauce (homemade or canned), heated to steaming


Combine water, yeast and sugar.
Let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Add 1 c. flour, oil and salt and mix with dough hook until dough forms
(or if mixing by hand, with a spoon).
Add remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time,
kneading at low speed until a smooth elastic dough forms, about 5 minutes, in mixer
(or if kneading by hand, turn onto floured surface
and knead until smooth and elastic).
Place in a greased bowl, turning once.
Cover and let rise at least one hour, until doubled.
Punch down proceed with stromboli.

With each piece, roll out a rectangle about 8 inches by 24 inches.


Dot with garlic (it doesn't take much, so don't be surprised by how little you have -- see my picture?).


Place pepperoni down the center of the bread dough.


Top with shredded cheese.



Then, fold one side of the dough over the center and then the other side. Pinch to seal down the length of the dough.



Place, seam side down, in an almost circle, on a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan.
Make small slits in the top for the steam to escape. Let it sit on the stovetop while you heat the oven.



Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, until top is golden brown.
Let cool for a few minutes, cut in wedges and serve with hot sauce.





For a veggie version of the Stromboli, just use whatever veggies you like. I used about 1/2 an onion, sliced, half a bell pepper and half a red pepper, sliced, about 8 button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, and two cloves garlic, crushed.



Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small saute pan.
Add onions and peppers and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until peppers get a little bit soft.
Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are soft, but not really done.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, Cool for about 5 minutes and if there is any liquid in the pan, soak it up with a paper towel.
Then follow the directions for the Stromboli, placing your veggies down the center of the dough, topping with cheese, folding, sealing and baking. Don't forget to slit the top.

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Calzones

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By now you've probably noticed that we eat a lot of pizza on Saturday nights. Sometimes I get tired of pizza -- unlike my children, it's not my favorite dish. I try to mix it up a little, every once in a while and serve burgers or stromboli or calzones. They are all easy Saturday night dishes. This past weekend I mixed it up with Calzones. Basically all the ingredients of a pizza are involved and you're just changing the method for baking them. We attended Saturday evening Mass, so I made my dough and sauce ahead of time, and assembled them when we returned.

The dough is almost my pizza dough. I add a little more oil so you get a crispy exterior on the calzone. This is really not so much a recipe as a method because you can fill them with whatever you want. Some of my kids like just pepperoni and cheese and some like everything, so these are made to order. You can make meat calzones, veggie calzones, or a mix. Mine (pictured) had sausage, mushrooms and cheese. If you're using sausage (I use Bob Evans Italian or spicy Italian), brown it and cool slightly before filling the calzone. I sauté mushrooms, cool, then squeeze out the moisture on paper towels. Green or red peppers, onions, hot pickled peppers can all be used raw.

Calzones
makes 8

Dough
2 c. warm water
2 T. sugar
2 packets yeast (or 4 t.)
1/4 c. olive oil
5 to 6 cups flour
2 t. salt

Filling
1/3 cup cheese for each calzone (total about 3 cups for 8 calzones)
meat or veggies -- about 1/2 cup all together for each

Sauce for dipping
1 large can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. oregano
1/8 t. pepper



For dough:
Place water in a bowl and add sugar.
Sprinkle yeast over the surface and allow to sit for 10 minutes (until it foams). Add the oil, 3 cups of flour and salt, and mix until smooth.
Knead with dough hook for 3-5 minutes (or 7 minutes by hand)
adding flour as necessary to keep dough from sticking.
Dough is ready when it no longer sticks to your hands or the side of the bowl. The amount of flour may need to be adjusted if the weather is very dry or very humid. Just add flour slowly by the tablespoon and allow to incorporate before adding more. Place dough in greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes to an hour, until doubled.

While the dough is rising, start sauce. Heat a medium pan over med-high heat; pour in olive oil; turn down to low. Add garlic and stir until it is fragrant and hot, but not cooked. Add tomato puree, sugar, salt, and spices. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning to taste, adding more sugar if desired, or salt and pepper.


When dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
To assemble calzones, punch down risen dough. Cut into eight equal size pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough piece to about an 8 to 10-inch circle.
On one half, place meat and/or veggies and cheese. Flip other side of dough over the meat and cheese and pull the bottom dough up over the top and crimp to seal. It doesn't have to be pretty, just sealed. You can mash the edge with a fork if that's easier. Place calzone on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 13 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with sauce to dip.

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Kansas City Hot Wings

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Sunday night we had "fun night" for dinner, as my kids are known to call it. That pretty much means no cooked veggies with dinner, and usually it means you can eat with your fingers.

These chicken wings are a big hit at my house. I do not eat wings, so I can't give you my personal opinion, but they are all thumbs up if you count me out. I do give them a thumbs up for prep, though. When I make traditional hot wings, Buffalo style, I deep fry them and then toss them in the sauce. They are a big pain and they smell up the house. These however, cook in the oven, and if you line your pans with foil, the big pain level is tolerable. I use fresh wings, because they are much meatier than the variety that are sold in freezer bags. It's a bit of a hassle cutting the wings into pieces, but my honey sharpened my knife and did them for me this past Sunday. It was his payment, I suppose. This recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks, Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer.

Kansas City Hot Wings

4 lb. chicken wings (separated into two large pieces, discarding tip)
⅓ cup cider vinegar
1 T. Tabasco sauce
1 cup Kraft Original Barbeque Sauce


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse chicken with water and pat dry with paper towels.
Mix together vinegar, Tabasco and Barbeque sauce.
Place chicken wings on baking sheets (cover sheets with foil for easy clean up).
Baste with sauce on one side.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Turn and baste on other side.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Set oven to broil and raise height of rack for broiling.
Turn wings and baste, repeating every 5 minutes for 15-20 minutes
until wings are crispy and cooked through.

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Kid-Style Cheese Dip and A New Buckeye Plate

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On Monday night before the Ohio State verses Texas bowl game, the kids were bugging me for snacks. We had already had dinner, but the big game was starting and what's a big football game without the snacks? So, I rummaged through the pantry and came out with a bag of pretzels and a box of macaroni and cheese. You're probably thinking that's a pretty weird combo, and it's definitely not Fiesta-ish, but if you add a carton of sour cream to that combo you have a pretty yummy, kid-style pretzel dip.

When I was young, my mom made this chip dip, which we only ever ate with pretzels, that consisted of sour cream and grated American cheese. Maybe my mom created it because we didn't have a lot of money and it was what she had on-hand. I have no idea. But, it's really good stuff and my kids like it as much as I did when I was growing up. Hey, I still like it, and Doug does, too.

Just in case you're a Buckeye fan, I'm showing you my brand spankin' new Buckeye plate, too. My mom gave it to me for Christmas and I just had to get it out for the game. Even if the Bucks didn't win, we still love 'em.

Kid-Style Cheese Dip and Pretzels

1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
(remove cheese envelope and reserve pasta for another use)
1 1/2 cups sour cream (light is o.k.)
bag thin pretzels

In a medium bowl, add envelope of cheese to sour cream.
Whisk until smooth (it may look grainy, but that's o.k.)
Refrigerate for an hour or more.
Whisk again before serving to break up any little bits of cheese.
Serve with pretzels.


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