Giada's Pizza Pot Pie

A couple of weeks ago, my kids helped me make a variation of these Mini Chicken Pot Pies.
I don't think they have ever really had chicken pot pie or any kind of pot pie that they could remember, so it got them interested in the whole idea of a pot pie.

When I was asking my family members for suggestions for the weekly menu, someone of course wanted pizza, so I found this recipe and thought it would be a fun twist. The sauce starts out with some pancetta and fresh rosemary and the filling contains cubes of mozzarella cheese, chicken, and broccoli. It was fun for us to eat these for dinner because everyone had their own individual little ramekin to enjoy. The one pictured above was the one that we made for Dad, so it was bigger than the others.




Here is the recipe for Pizza Pot Pies

Green Fruit Salad with Rosemary

Please excuse some of these photos lately! When my family was visiting from Utah, I really didn't take the time to get a good picture of some of the recipes that I really wanted to share.

I tasted this at a recent book club get together and knew there was a secret little something in the fruit salad besides the green apple, kiwi and green grapes.
I asked the hostess what is was and quickly decided that I would definitely be making this at home. A Rosemary simple syrup was the secret ingredient that added that punch of flavor.

I used the simply syrup recipe that I have used with other fruit salads before that is usually flavored with citrus juice and zest and just added fresh rosemary sprigs instead of the citrus. I just guessed on the number of fruits to use, so if you want more green apple or kiwi or grapes, feel free to add more of that fruit.

It might sound like a crazy combination, but it is so amazing.
I took this salad to one of our family dinners and everyone raved about it.

Green Fruit Salad with Rosemary
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
fresh rosemary- I used a lot
2 green apples, cored and chopped
3 kiwis, peeled and chopped
3 cups green grapes, halved

Combine sugar, water and rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate until chilled.
Combine chopped fruit in a large bowl. Strain the rosemary from the syrup and add the syrup to the fruit. Stir to combine and chill until time to serve.

Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash, Parsnips, and Turnips

A couple of days before we left for DisneyWorld, I tried to use up the veggies that I had in my fridge and decided it was the perfect day for risotto.
The thing about risotto is that everyone thinks it is complicated for some reason. I used to think that and I don't even know why.
When I actually tried it and made it at home, I realized that it is easy.
You don't even have to stir it the entire time. You can walk away and do something else, come back, add more broth, stir, and do something else again.
It's easy; once you have tried it and once you make it at home, you will want to try it again.

I wanted to top my risotto with some roasted veggies and I had a butternut squash, turnips, and parsnips, so I decided that is what I would use.
I also used up the rest of my fresh herbs that I had on hand, which happened to be-sage, rosemary, and oregano. Thyme would also be tasty here or whatever herbs you like to use to flavor your veggies.
You could also use whatever combination of vegetables that you like- roasting them in the oven is the key.

I got my veggies in the oven and then started on my risotto. The veggies ended up being done just a few minutes before the risotto, so they were ready to serve at the same time.

I have also heard that risotto doesn't taste good warmed up or as leftovers. This is absolutely false, in my opinion. These leftovers were good cold, straight out of the fridge and tasted great warmed up too.


Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash, Parsnips, and Turnips by Mary Ann
Risotto:
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup arborio rice
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 t 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Roasted Veggies:
1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 parsnips, peeled and cubed
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 Tbls fresh rosemary
1 Tbls fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh sage
1 Tbls olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a large baking sheet combine your squash, parsnips, turnips and chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and toss.
Roast for 25 minutes or until tender.

In a large, heavy saucepan, or dutch oven type pan, over medium high heat, warm 1 Tbls olive oil.
Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, abt 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add rice and stir, for about 2 minutes, making sure that the rice is mixed with the onion and coated with oil.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth and stir.
At this point you can stir continuously, or make sure you stir every few minutes.
Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup chicken broth, once the rice has absorbed the broth that is already in the pan. Continue to stir and add broth, until the rice is creamy and all the broth has been absorbed.
This process should take about 25-30 minutes.
Grate fresh Parmesan into your risotto until it melts and is combined evenly.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Scoop the risotto into bowls and top with the roasted veggies.

Butternut Squash Soup

or maybe it should be called Butternut Squash Puree. I don't know exactly.
Did you hear about the hugest butternut squash ever?
Well, if you didn't, I will just tell you that this soup/puree is the last food item that I made with my gigantic squash.
I cut my squash into cubes and roasted it in the oven with a chopped onion, fresh chopped thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Of course, it was tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.
I roasted it for about 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees and when the squash was tender, I put the oven roasted mixture in the food processor.

I added some chicken broth, just to thin it out a little bit and, there you go- soup or puree or whatever you want to call it.
Healthier than some recipes because it doesn't contain any cream or half and half and so easy.

So if you happen to have a butternut squash on your hands and have no idea what to do with it, roast it in the oven. There are so many possibilities once you have all those tender little cubes of roasted squash!

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Spinach

Once upon a time there was the most gigantic butternut squash in the whole entire world.
I happened to find this huge squash and I bought it. It was 18 inches tall.
I was able to make this Bundt cake that had a couple cups of shredded butternut squash, these roasted veggies,
both of these stuffings/dressings, a soup (which I haven't posted yet) and I STILL had some squash left.
I roasted the rest of the squash cubes, along with a large chopped onion, in the oven with fresh oregano, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary.
Then I remembered Maria's post about Pizza that was topped with butternut squash and I decided that sounded really good. I didn't follow her recipe, but I used her idea.

I used a pre-made whole wheat crust, just because I had one that needed to be used. I also had some arugula and spinach that I thought would be great under the squash.
I drizzled my crust with a little bit of olive oil, heaped on tons of arugula and spinach and then topped the greens with my roasted butternut squash/onion mixture.
I sprinkled feta cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese on top and put it in the oven for a few minutes.
Ok, people. This was the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted. Ever. So good.
I can't tell you how great the flavors went with each other.
Unbelievable.

I know there are people out there that believe the simplier the better when it comes to pizza. I agree-sometimes.
This is a topping heavy pizza, but it is so good. And pretty too. And it just seems like it has to be good for you because of all the veggies.
That probably only applies if you don't eat the entire pizza yourself. Good luck with that.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Spinach
pre-made whole wheat or regular pizza crust (Here is my fave quick crust)
3-4 cups butternut squash cubes
1 onion, chopped
fresh thyme
fresh oregano
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil
spinach
arugula
feta cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread your butternut squash cubes and chopped onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
Roast at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until squash is tender.

Make your crust and prebake if necessary.
Drizzle crust with a little bit of olive oil.
Spread arugula and spinach over crust.
Top greens with roasted butternut squash/onion mixture.
Sprinkle cheeses over squash mixture.
Bake in oven, until cheese is melted and crust is done.

Maria's Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

2 Thanksgiving Sides- Autumn Hash and Vegetable Trio with Orange-Thyme Dressing

I love roasting vegetables. I truly believe that any vegetable can taste delicious if you roast it in the oven with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. It's true for brussel sprouts, parsnips, beets, cauliflower, etc. I could give millions of examples.
I saw a couple of recipes in the Thanksgiving issues of food magazines and these 2 side dishes really looked delicious. I decided to try both of them and see if they would be a great addition at a Thanksgiving dinner. Both of these would be great for a special occasion, but I also think they would be great anytime. Delicious.

The first recipe comes from Bon Appetit and I thought it looked beautiful with all the different colors and I loved that they included the beet greens, mixing them in with the oven-roasted vegetables. The original recipe calls for potatoes, sweet potatos, yams, baby golden beets, and butternut squash. I changed it a little bit and decided to use red potatoes, butternut squash, golden and red beets. The fresh herbs it uses are oregano, Italian parsley, and rosemary.

I couldn't find baby beets, so I just used normal sized beets and cut them into small pieces.
This was really delicious and a great way to get more vegetables on the table!

Recipe for Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash



The second recipe I found in Ladies Home Journal. It combines acorn squash, carrots, and beets. It also has a fabulous dressing that combines thyme (one of my fave herbs) and orange juice/zest. Delicious! The thyme and orange really go great together and make these vegetables taste amazing.

Spice up your thanksgiving table by adding some delicious color and nutrition with roasted vegetables!


Recipe for Vegetable Trio with Orange-Thyme Dressing

Recipe for Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash

CEiMB- Turkey Meatballs with Quick & Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti or Spaghetti Squash

This week's CEiMB recipe, Turkey Meatballs with Quick & Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole Wheat Spaghetti, was chosen by Amanda over at Oddball Oven Mitt. I really like meatballs (is that wierd, because I don't actually like meat?) Anyway, I was excited about this meal. My 4-year old is always asking me for noodles and red sauce, so she was excited too.
I decided to give everyone a choice and serve cooked spaghetti squash too. I used whole wheat angel-hair pasta and most everyone wanted some noodles and some squash. I followed the recipe pretty closely. I used 93% lean ground turkey because I think it is better for meatballs than ground turkey breast, which is a bit leaner.
One of the things I did change was that I made the meatballs smaller than Ellie called for. My kids like meatballs and I prefer them to be smaller also, so I got about 28 meatballs and then changed the cooking time accordingly. And I didn't add the sauce and meatballs to the pasta. I just served up everyones plate separately and that left enough sauce and meatballs to be distributed to the pasta and the squash.
We really enjoyed this dinner. To see what everyone else thought, check out the Craving Ellie Blogroll!

Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti 2006, Ellie Krieger
The spicy kick and multiple herbs in this sauce lend layers of flavor without fat. The carrot, onion and Parmesan add volume and moisture.
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 30 min
Ingredients
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotle en adobo and sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Meatballs:
Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey meat ( I used 93% lean)
1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 box (16 ounces) whole-wheat spaghetti
Directions
Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.
Make Sauce:
In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.
Meatballs:
Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl. Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.
Meanwhile, remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the whole-wheat spaghetti according to package directions.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with parsley and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan.
Yield: 6 servings

Coming Tomorrow- Persian Pomegranate-Walnut Chicken

TWD-French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze and Green Egg and Ham Cups for St. Patricks Day!

Today's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze, was chosen by Liliana over at My Cookbook Addiction. Mine don't look like a yogurt cake with glaze because I chose Dorie's Riviera version which uses greek yogurt or strained plain yogurt, olive oil and then either rosemary or mint. I had fresh rosemary and wanted to try these with the minced rosemary mixed in with the sugar and zest. I decided to make these in a muffin tin so they would bake faster (20 minutes) and for portion control. The overall taste was wonderful. My 2 year old really liked them-she ate more than her fair share, but I guess that is my fault for leaving them right within her reach on the countertop. The combination of the lemon and rosemary in a sweet muffin/cake was very good. Go check out what the rest of the TWD bakers did by checking out the TWD Blogroll!

I also made Green Egg and Ham cups because my kids love green eggs and ham. I only do this on St. Patricks Day because I think it looks sort of digusting, but the kids love it. Usually I just do scrambled eggs and add green food coloring and ham, but this time I decided to bake them in the oven and I added spinach and thyme. The ham sunk to the bottom but that didn't matter, the kids loved them. Happy St. Patricks Day- I hope you are wearing green!

Green Egg and Ham Cups by Mary Ann

10 eggs

6-8 drops of green food coloring

1/2 cup shredded cheese

salt and pepper

1 cup cubed ham

baby spinach leaves

fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Drop in food coloring and whisk until combined. Add cheese; season with salt and pepper and add ham. Stir well.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or brush with melted butter. Scoop 1/4-1/3 cup egg mixture into each cavity of the muffin tin. Place a couple of spinach leaves in each cavity and submerge with your finger or a spoon. Sprinkle fresh thyme leaves on top.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. Cups will be puffed and cooked through.

Coming Tomorrow- Fried Egg and Polenta Stacks with Sauteed Spinach and Pesto

Steel-Cut Oat Risotto with Chicken

I don't know why I used to think that risotto was difficult. I guess because it sounds complicated or sophisticated? Well, I know the truth and I am in love with it. I really like the creaminess that this technique produces. I really love how you can use almost any grain in risotto and it turns out great.
Steel-cut oats are the the best kind of oats out there, health-wise. They do take longer to prepare, but they are really good for you. Oats in any form are good for you, but steel-cut oats have the best nutritional value.
I didn't tell anyone that we were eating oats for dinner because I didn't know if it would be wierd since they are usually a breakfast food that you eat with fruit and cinnamon. Once we were eating, someone asked and they seemed surprised that this savory dish was oats. I didn't use Manchego cheese since it is very expensive (I have used it before) and I couldn't find it anywhere. I just substituted Parmesan.
Look for steel-cut oats. They are worth the time and are a very versatile grain (as you will see tomorrow). This was a delicious dinner!
Steel-Cut Oat Risotto with Chicken, Red Peppers, and Manchego from Cooking Light
Steel-cut oats are whole-oat groats that have been cut into pieces to cook quickly. Find them on the cereal aisle in the supermarket labeled "steel-cut Irish oatmeal."
Do not substitute quick-cooking Irish oatmeal or American-style rolled oats.
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/4 cups steel-cut oats
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used more chicken broth instead)
1 cup chopped cooked dark meat chicken (I used cooked, chopped chicken breast)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese (I used grated parmesan)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm.
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper; sauté 5 minutes.
Add oats; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 2 minutes or until nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes). Stir in chicken, cheese, rosemary, and salt.

Coming Tomorrow- Oats and Buttermilk Snack Cake

Cooking Light Night-Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

CB came up with the beautiful logo at the beginning of this post. She started a Cooking Light Night, and I thought it was a great idea. Since I use Cooking Light all the time, I decided I would start calling some of these posts, Cooking Light Night. This is a wonderful dish that I showed my sister a couple of years ago. I wasn't sure of my love of winter squash at that point, but now that I know, watch out! I have been buying squash of all kinds and this was a very delicious dish. The only thing I changed was that I used turkey bacon, because I always do. I usually use whole wheat pasta in all my pasta dishes, but I used mini penne in this one because that is what it called for and I figured there was enough good stuff in this dish for it to be okay. This was the first time I have made a roux with absolutely no fat at all and I was a little skeptical about how it would turn out, but it was delicious with the cheese melted in.

This dish also used cooking spray to roast the squash and it turned out beautifully. I love the color of it. The provolone, bacon, squash, and rosemary, all really played off each other in this dish. It was a definite favorite for me. (Could I use the phrase "this dish" a few more times?)

Try this one- it is GOOD!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta from Cooking Light March 2004

Mini penne pasta works well in this dish since it's about the same size as the squash. You can also use elbow macaroni, shell pasta, or orecchiette.

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash

Cooking spray

6 slices turkey bacon, raw

1 cup thinly sliced shallots

8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Rugelach!