White & Gold Pizza

For the last few weeks, I've been on this pizza kick, but wanting to make them at home.  So a few weeks ago, I stocked up on some refrigerated pizza crust just so I can make whatever kind of pizza that tickled my fancy, whenever I felt like it. 

Well, since Malu and I are having another movie night, I thought it was a perfect evening to try this pizza recipe that I found in a Kraft Philadelphia cookbook.  It's called the White & Gold Pizza and instead of using red marinara as a sauce, you use Philadelphia Cream Cheese!  And then, it's topped with cheese and carmelized sweet onions to make a sweet and savory pizza that we both thoroughly enjoyed.  It was delicious!

~White & Gold Pizza~

by Kraft Philadelphia Desserts and More (Vol. 24)

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Olive Oil (divided)

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 lb. frozen pizza dough, thawed (I used the one in the can--Pilsbury brand)

1 large clove garlic, minced

4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz. pkg). Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated romano cheese (I used grated parmesan)

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

To Make It:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

1.  HEAT 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet on medium heat.  Add onions; cook 15 to 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally.

2.  MEANWHILE, place pizza dough on lightly floured baking sheet; pat to 16x12 inch rectangle.  Mix garlic and remaining oil; spread onto dough.  Bake 10 minutes.

3.  SPREAD cream cheese onto crust; top with remaining cheeses, onions, and crushed pepper.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

You can make the carmelized onions ahead of time (which I did).  Cool, then refrigerate up to 2 days before using as directed.

Now, how easy was that?  Try it!  You'll be pleased with the results!

Tiramisu Bowl

Tonight, Malu and I are going to my friend, Leah's, house for dinner!  The theme is Italian night and since I didn't feel like making a salad or pasta dish, I opted to make some dessert.

Now, I've never attempted to make a real Italian tiramisu before.  I think it's because it's a little intimidating to me.  So...I opted for a faux tiramisu recipe from a Jell-O/CoolWhip/Baker's Chocolate (Kraft Kitchens) cookbook--you know, the kinds you find with the magazines at the register of grocery stores?  And not only is the dessert so pretty...it's so easy to make! 

I have to admit...I made a boo-boo.  I was supposed to drizzle coffee on both layers of Vanilla Wafers, but forgot to do the second layer.  I hope no one notices.  It still looks great though and I can't wait to taste it tonight!

Tiramisu Bowl

(Kraft Kitchens, Simply Stunning Holiday Desserts)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream   Cheese (softened)

3 cups cold milk

2 pkg. (4 serving size) Jell-O Vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filling

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip (thawed & divided)

48 Nilla Wafers

1/2 cup brewed strong coffee (cooled & divided)

2 squares Baker's Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate, coarsely grated

1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:

1.  Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually beat in milk.  Add dry pudding mixes; mix wellStir in 2 cups of the cool whip.

2.  Line bottom and side of 2 1/2 qt. serving bowl with half of the wafers.  Drizzle with half the coffee.  Top with layers of half each of the pudding mixture and chocolate. (I added half of the raspberries to this layer).  Repeat all layers, starting with wafers.  Top with remaining cool whip and raspberries.

3.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Now, doesn't that look delicious?!?

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I found this particular recipe on Mrs. Gambizzle's blog, Life as a Sailor's Girl.  I actually found it while I was at work (I know...shame on me for doing this while on the clock) and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have this meatloaf for dinner that evening.

And we did.  While Malu was at the gym, I went to the grocery store and bought all of the ingredients, although I had most at home already.  When he got home, I had it all ready to go!

For those of you that love the combination of sweet and salty, why this is the meatloaf for you!  And it made perfect leftovers for at least two days afterwards!

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

(compliments of Mrs. Gambizzle at Life as a Sailor's Girl)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

3/4 cups milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 small onion

1/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees & lightly grease your 5x9 inch loaf pan with butter.

2.  Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.

3.  In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.

4.  Sprinkle more brown sugar on top of meat.  I also put a good layer of ketchup on top, just for good measure :) 

5.  Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

I'm not a picky eater and I pretty much like anything and say that just about every dish is delicious.  This meatloaf is no exception...it was fantastic!  You'll love it!

Great Snacks--Little Turtles

I found this sweet little recipe on a blog that I just found--and already love--the other day.  The blog is called The Luckiest Mrs. and I actually found her blog through her mom's blog, Personalized Sketches & Sentiments.  Both blogs are phenomenal and these ladies are beautiful and truly inspirational and so talented...so you should check them out.

In any case, The Luckiest Mrs. said that her mom used to make these for her when she was younger, and send them to her while she was at college.  When I saw them, they looked so delicious and so easy to make...I just had to have them. 

Try them...you'll find that you can't have just one, two or three.  You can be like me and eat in upwards of thirty!  But hey, I like to tell myself that it's okay...I'm pregnant!

~Little Turtles~

(compliments of The Luckiest Mrs.)

Ingredients:

Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Snaps

A bag of Rolo's

A bag of Pecan Halves

1.  Assemble the pretzel snaps on a cookie sheet.  I lined the sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Unwrap and cut a whole bunch of Rolo's in half.  I LOVE Rolo's!  Doesn't this bring you back to your childhood?  I used to eat them all the time!

3.  Top each pretzel snap with a Rolo half.

4.  Place in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until chocolate is softened/melted.  Top each with a pecan half to make the "turtle shell".

5.  Let them sit for about 5-10 minutes to let the chocolate and caramel set.

Now aren't they just darling?  Oh, and they're so good.  My handsome test-taster wholeheartedly agreed.

We packed a bunch of them and gave them to my friend Jennifer, just because!

Thanks to The Luckiest Mrs. for sharing the recipe!  I'm definitely going to be making these for years to come!

~Chicken Chili Recipe: Ina Garten~

Back in May, I went to Fort Bliss' Armed Forces Day Celebration and they were holding a chili cook-off.  I went crazy trying out all kinds of chili.  I think I'd have to rank chili up there with my top 5 comfort foods. 

So like I said before, with Malu home, we're doing a lot more cooking in the house.  A few weeks ago, I had a mad craving for Ina Garten's Chicken Chili.  I've made it several times before and it's just delicious--especially for those of you that like another twist on chili. 

It's packed with delicious chunks of chicken breast, has no beans, but has sweet red and yellow bell peppers in it.  It's literally to die for.  It takes a while to make, but it's well worth it!

Chicken Chili
by Ina Garten

4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken

1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained

1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves

4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Freshly ground black pepper


For serving:


Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream


1.  Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

adding the peppers after sauteing the onions

don't you just love the colors?  it smells great too!

2.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3.  Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

yum!  chicken!

Some of my notes:

I don't know about you guys, but I like my chili to have a sweetness to it.  So I added two tablespoons of sugar to the sauce in step 1.

If you're looking to cut down on time for this one--which I've had to do before--I use an already-prepared rotisserie chicken from Walmart or any grocery store, chop it up, and put it right in the pot!  Good thing I had a worker bee to help me do the messy work!

The recipe already suggests eating the chili with corn chips, but I highly recommend the Tostitos Scoop chips...they're great for getting the right amount of chili all into one bite!

And this chili is even better as leftover!  Enjoy!

~Pina Colada Freeze~

Nothing says summer to me like a pina colada--or anything with coconut and pineapple in it, for that matter!  On the 4th of July, my friend Maddie hosted a get-together at her house and she loves the combination of coconut and pineapple as much as my hubby and I do.  So....to help curb the El Paso heat and satisfy our palates, as well as finding something easy to whip up...I made a Pina Colada Freeze!

Literally, with three easy steps and just a few ingredients, you've got a nice, easy and tasty dessert that your friends will ooh and ahh over. 

Oh yeah...the dessert is supposed to be served frozen, but I found that it was just as wonderful--with a cheesecake-like consistency--as it sat out on Maddie's dinner table for a while.

Pina Colada Freeze
from Kraft Foods Food & Family (Summer 2010), kraftfoods.com

1 cup finely crushed pretzels
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (melted)
1 pkg. (8 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened)
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping (divided)
1 can (8 oz) Dole Crushed Pineapple in juice
1/4 cup toasted Baker's Angel Flake Coconut

1.  Mix pretzel crumbs and butter.  Press onto bottom of plastic wrap-lined 9-inch round pan.  Freeze until ready to use. I think next time around, I'll be using a springform pan just to make it easier.  Getting the plastic wrap off was a pain.

2.  Beat cream cheese, sugar, pineapple and toasted coconut until well blended.  Whisk in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip; spoon over crust.

3.  Freeze 4 hours.  Use plastic wrap to remove dessert from pan.  Top with remaining cool whip.

Enjoy!!!

Shrimp Wonton Cups & Coconut Pineapple Bars

Wow! This is my first cooking/baking post in, like, over a year. I can't believe it. It's just that I've been so busy since I moved to El Paso a year ago, that I kinda just stopped cooking/baking. This weekend, I was invited to a friend's house for dinner and I decided to get off my butt and make something. And I thought that I'd start of nice and simple just to ease back into everything. And I hope it doesn't stop here. With the baby coming in two months, I'll have to start cooking more!

First off, I wanted to make an appetizer. So I made these Shrimp Wonton Cups. They're so easy to make and delicious. Now, I'd rather deep fry wontons any day, but I suppose baking it, like this recipe calls for, makes it just tad bit healthier. Only, I found that the shells soften up a little to quickly for my taste. And, these cups taste best when served immediately out of the oven. By the time I got to my friend's house on the other side of town, not only had the wonton cups softened, but the cheese was no longer hot and stringy. Apparently, no one else noticed. They were practically all gone. I'd consider this a hit!

Shrimp Wonton Cups
(taken from the Pampered Chef Celebrate! Cookbook)


24 square wonton wrappers
1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
10 oz. shelled, deveined, cooked, medium shrimp, chopped
2 green onions with tops, finely chopped
1/3 cup grated carrot
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozarella


1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Using a pastry brush, brush one side of each wonton square with melted butter. Press each wonton, butter side up into muffin cup. Bake 8 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Remove pan from oven to cooling rack.

2. Finely chop green onions and grate the carrots. Combine cream cheese, pressed garlic, and worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Blend well. Stir in chopped shrimp, green onions, carrots and mozarella cheese.

3. Using a small scoop, fill each wonton with a rounded scoop of the cream cheese mixture. Bake 5 minutes or until wontons are golden brown and filling in bubbly around the edges.

Enjoy! See how easy that was? Now for dessert...you guys know that being from the islands and all, I love anything with pineapple and/or coconut. So I made these yummy Coconut-Pineapple Bars that were to die for! Now the bars have a cake-like consistency. I think I'm going to have to come up with a good frosting for this. Anyone have ideas?

Coconut-Pineapple Bars
(from Simply Better, Easy Potlucks, May 2006)

1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1 20-oz. can drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 c chopped nuts toasted (if desired)
1/2 c shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease 3-quart rectangular, baking dish. Set aside

2. In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and baking soda. Add eggs, pineapple, and butter. Stir until combined. Fold in nuts and coconut. Spread mixture in prepared baking dish.

3. Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in dish on wire rack. Cut into bars.

And there you have it! Again, I'm going to try to post more recipes here in the future. Hope you guys stop by again!