Taco Pizza & Fresh Salsa

We just found out this week that we'll be moving to El Paso, Texas this summer!  We are very excited about my husband's new job and for the opportunity to move back to good ol' Texas!  El Paso is right on the border of Mexico, so for this week's Pizza post, we're heading south of the border.  Okay, so this isn't exactly authentic Mexican food.  We'll call it Mexican inspired.  This one is definitely a hit with the kid crowd.  They love it!  I love the yummy salsa that tops it off.  I like to use a runny, store bought salsa to spread on the dough as the "pizza sauce".  You'll definitely want to make this salsa to top it off with though.  And make sure you have some tortilla chips to eat with the extra salsa.  Enjoy the fiesta!

INGREDIENTS
For Pizza:
1 uncooked pizza crust*
1 cup store bought salsa
1 lb. ground beef
½ package taco seasoning
salt and pepper
2 cups mexican blend shredded cheese
2 cups nacho flavored Doritos - crushed
Sliced Olives
homemade salsa (see below)

For Salsa:
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
handful fresh cilantro - chopped
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS
I always use my favorite homemade pizza crust* but you can use a store bought crust if you want.  (These directions are for the homemade crust.  Follow the baking directions that come with your crust, if you choose to use something else.)  Preheat oven to 500.  Place pizza stone (best choice) or pan in oven to preheat with the oven.  Brown the ground beef with taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Take off heat and set aside.  Roll out pizza dough on parchment paper.  Spread store bought salsa evenly over crust.  Top with the hamburger mixture. Add cheese and olives.  Carefully pull the hot stone or pan out of the oven, slide the parchment paper with the pizza onto the pan. Return to the oven and bake for 8 minutes.  Mix the salsa ingredients together while the pizza bakes. Set aside.  Remove pizza from oven and add crushed Doritos to the top of the pizza. Return to oven and bake for 2 more minutes.  Remove from oven and brush crust with olive oil, let set a few minutes before cutting. Top with freshly made salsa.

*This pizza crust recipe makes enough dough for 2 pizzas.

Source:  Recipes, Food & Cooking

{The Best} Gucamole

Mmmm...just looking at these pictures has got me wanting some guac!  I love this stuff!  Everybody has their own way of making it.  After many years of trying different recipes and tweaking this and that, this right here is my very favorite combo.  I'm calling it the best!  I'll admit, it's kind of basic.  You can throw in some diced red onion or tomato.  Spice it up a little with some more seasonings.  Do what you like.  This is my scoop of perfection on a chip.

Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Scoop the avocado out of the skin and into a bowl.  Mash until fairly smooth.  Add in garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping.

Cucumber Hummus

I love having a fridge full of homemade dips and sauces.  For some reason I just find that very satisfying.  This homemade hummus is among my favorites.  Five years ago I don't think I had ever eaten hummus.  Once we were introduced, we became quick friends.  Hummus is perfect for dipping pita bread, veggies and crackers.  It makes a wonderful spread for sandwiches and wraps too.  We are big cucumber fans over here and I love the hint of cucumber that this hummus has.  My favorite Mediterranean restaurant serves their hummus with pomegranate seeds.  After eating it like that, I have to add it in.  The little sweet burst of pomegranate in each bite is addicting.  Plus it looks so pretty!  Excuse me now, I need to go eat some hummus.

Ingredients
2 cups Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 sprigs fresh Dill
½ Cucumber, chopped
½ tsp Salt
1 TBS Lemon Juice
1 TBS Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
olive oil, pomegranate seeds and a dash of cayenne pepper to garnish

Directions
Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides if needed.  Scoop hummus into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and pomegranate seeds.  Serve with pita bread, crackers or veggies.

Source:  Vegan Family Recipes

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Fruit Dip

I'm always on the look out for yummy, kid friendly snacks.  And the healthier, the better.  This dip totally fits the bill!  I almost used peanut butter instead of almond butter but ended up going with the almond butter route.  That was definitely the right choice!  If you don't have any almond butter on hand, go put it on your grocery list right now.  The almond flavor just works so perfectly in this dip.  My kids are all smiles when they get home from school and see this sitting on the counter.  Definitely kid approved.  It's so fast and easy to throw together and definitely puts a smile on my face too!

Ingredients
1 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt
1/3 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup of mini dark chocolate chips

Directions
Add greek yogurt, almond butter and honey to a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips and serve with fresh fruit.

Source:  Whisked Away

Homemade French Bread and Garlic Butter Spread

It's hard to beat a fresh loaf of crusty, chewy french bread.  It perfectly compliments almost any meal.  But here's my french bread problem.  I do my grocery shopping once a week.  When I buy french bread, it has to be eaten that night or the next or it starts to get stale.  And the rest of the week we are french breadless.  What a dilemma!  And then one day I was like, "Why not make some?!"  The search was on.  When I found this recipe for homemade french bread, I had high hopes that my french bread troubles were about to come to an end.  I wasn't sure if it would really be french bread or just a loaf of homemade bread shaped like french bread.  Since this recipe is making the blog, you can guess how it turned out.  Fabulous!  The crust is crusty but not too thick and the inside is nice and chewy.  This recipe makes a lot.  You can make four medium sized loaves that are as long as the width of a large cookie sheet or two loaves that are the length of the cookie sheet.  Does that make sense?  I like having extras to run over to a neighbor or drop off for a friend.  And it's usually not long before I get a phone call asking for the recipe.  And as a bonus, there's this incredible Garlic Butter Spread to boot.  It's so buttery and creamy and seasoned perfectly.  I like to keep a container of it in the fridge because it's perfect for bagels too,  Now we can enjoy french bread and this amazing Garlic Spread any day of the week!

French Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 TBS instant yeast
1 1/2 TBS sugar
1 1/2 TBS oil
2 1/4 tsp salt
6 cups flour
1 egg white, beaten (to brush on dough before baking)

I like to use my bread maker for the initial mixing, though you can do it by hand, of course.  Pour warm water, instant yeast, sugar, oil, salt, and 3 C of flour into bread mixer. Mix until flour is incorporated, then add remaining 3 C flour gradually.  I let the dough mix for about half an hour on the dough setting.  This next step is very important in achieving the right texture for your finished loaf, so don't skip it.  Remove dough from bread mixer and place on flat, floured surface, like a countertop.  Every ten minutes for the next hour knead two or three times. Cover with a dishtowel in between kneadings.  Form into 4 loaves. Brush with beaten egg white. Slash 3 diagonal lines into tops. Raise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Garlic Butter Spread

1/2 C butter
8 oz package cream cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t basil
1/8 t each dill, marjoram, thyme, and pepper

Set out butter and cream cheese until room temperature.  Mix together making it smooth and creamy.  Add in seasonings, mix until well combined.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Source:  It's Always Autumn

Spinach Basil Pesto

I always get a little thrill when I learn how to make something that I would normally just grab off the grocery store shelf.  Especially when it's something that I'd never really thought of making myself.  And, as always, homemade is better than storebought!  A good friend, and fabulous chef, fell in love with my Mediterranean Pizza.  We were messaging back and forth about it and she shared a recipe for homemade pesto that she used on the pizza.  I love pesto and was so excited to try making it!  My life will never be the same.  It is so easy to make and tastes fabulous!  Now I'm trying to make up recipes to use the beautiful green sauce with.  I can't get enough!

Ingredients
4 cups fresh spinach
2 cups fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup asiago cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions
Place spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender.  Blend for about 30 seconds.  Slowly add the olive oil while it continues to blend.  You can adjust the amount of olive oil to make it thicker or thinner.  Blend until smooth.  Serve with pasta, veggies, chicken, fish, as a spread, etc.  Store the pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.  This pesto also freezes well.

Source:  Julieann Hanson

Pecan Crusted Chicken & Maple Mustard Sauce

This. Is. Amazing.  I don't know how to describe or portray in pictures just how amazing this dish is.  I can't.  And I wasn't the only one in love with it.  My family couldn't stop raving, in between bits, about how amazing it was.  They only wished I had made more of it.  Before dinner was over, I already had one request to make it for a birthday dinner.  Her birthday isn't until September, but it never hurts to plan ahead.  Especially when this is on the menu.  And the sauce.  Let's talk about the sauce for just a minute.  You put some dijon mustard on the chicken before baking it.  When I saw that it pairs with a dijon mustard sauce too, I was skeptical.  Dijon mustard is good and all, but it sounded like too much of a good thing.  But the thing you've got to realize is that you're not just dipping it in dijon mustard, it's a MAPLE mustard dip.  Throw that maple in there with it (which I wasn't so sure about either) and it makes the best, most perfect sauce for this chicken.  There was a little sauce left over and I'm saving it in the fridge to use for chicken nuggets or something.  It is just way too good to throw out.  So start cooking, mixing and dipping.  And prepare yourself to be amazed.

Ingredients:
Chicken:
1½ cups pecans
⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 TBS dijon mustard
coarse salt and fresh black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 TBS dried parsley

Dipping Sauce:
¼ cup maple syrup
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1 tsp rice or white vinegar
2 TBS mayonnaise

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with sides or a 9 x 13 pan, set aside.  To chop up the pecans, you can use a food processor or place them in a ziplock bag and crush them up by rolling over them several times with a rolling pin.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Mix 1/3 cup may and 1 TBS dijon mustard.  Use a spoon to cover the chicken with the mayo/mustard mixture.  Cover the chicken with the crushed pecans, using your hand to press them in making sure that they stick.  Sprinkle on dry parsley.  Place on the baking sheet pecan side up.  Bake 25 minutes or until cooked through. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the maple syrup, mustard, vinegar and mayonnaise together until well mixed. Add a couple dashes of salt and pepper. Refrigerate.  Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle the sauce over it or serve on the side for dunking.  Or both because it's that good.

Source:  Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

{homemade} Marinara Sauce

I'm a busy mom and I won't lie, I'm not opposed to grabbing a jar of Ragu out of the pantry on spaghetti night.  But when I have a few minutes (because that's literally about all it takes) and make this homemade marinara, it takes dinner from fine to fab.  You just can't beat homemade!  You can use this sauce to top off your favorite pasta, spread on your pizza or as a dipping sauce.  This Cheesy Italian Pull Apart Bread and marinara sauce make a perfect pair!

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 TBS milk
2 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 TBS parsley
1/2 TBS Italian seasoning

Directions:
In a saucepan, saute minced garlic in olive oil.  Blend tomatoes in blender.  Add to saucepan.  Whisk in milk and seasonings.  Simmer 3-5 minutes until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Source:  Jamie Young

Kneader's Cinnamon Syurp

I've not actually been to Kneaders before.  It's only graced the western U.S. with it's presences so far.  I hear it's pretty amazing though and totally on my bucket list next time we go to Utah.  If the rest of their food is anything like this syrup, I know we'll be good friends.  This thick, creamy cinnamon syrup is amazing.  It's tempting to just grab a spoon and skip the whole pancake part!  Speaking of pancakes.  Do you see that little tiny "baby pancake"?  When I make pancakes my three year old always asks me to make a few baby ones.  He requested one of his babies be in the picture.  There's always room for a baby pancake!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

Directions:
In saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, water and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool for 5 mnutes.  Stir in evaporated milk.  Serve over french toast or pancakes.

Source:  Who Wants Dinner

Perfect Cinnamon Rolls and Cream Cheese Frosting

For years I searched for the perfect cinnamon roll recipe.  It had to be ooey and gooey, not too fluffy or bready and chewy and moist were a must.  This was long before the dawn of pinterest, so I had to do it the old fashioned way and ask around.  I tried many different cinnamon roll recipes, all with the promise of being the best.  There were some decent ones that came close and there were some complete fails.  I didn't give up in my quest though.  One day I was talking with a  friend from church, Susan.  Christmas was just around the corner and I had visions of cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning dancing through my head.  I knew she liked to cook so thought I'd see if she could help me in my search.  I was in luck.  She pulled out her grandma's cinnamon roll recipe.  I didn't realized it at that moment, but in my hand I held the treasure I had been searching for.  Finally, the stars aligned and my search for the perfect cinnamon roll had come to an end.  I don't remember many specific details about that Christmas except that that morning we ate the best, most amazing, perfect cinnamon rolls ever.  That was about ten years ago now and this recipe continues to make mouths happy far and wide as I make it for others and have passed along the recipe to those on their own quest to find the perfect cinnamon roll.  If you're here, then good news, you've found it!

Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
2 TBS yeast
1 1/2 cup water
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
butter
1 cup brown sugar
1tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except for the last three.  Knead for several minutes until smooth and well mixed.  The dough should not really stick to your hands.  If it's really sticky, add a little more flour but not more then you need to.  When the dough is well kneaded, form into a ball, place in mixing bowl, cover with a dishtowel and set in a warm place to rise.  Let it rise until doubled in size.  Knead down then cover and let it rise again until doubled in size.  Remove dough, place on a floured surface and roll out into a rectangle.  Brush with butter.  Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over buttered dough.  Roll up, cut into circles about 1/2 inch thick.  A little trick for cutting the dough is to use a thick thread or floss.  Wrap it around the dough at the place you want to cut.  Pull the two ends together crisscrossing them over each other. Pull tight until it cuts through the dough.  Place the cut circles on a greased cookie sheet.*  Cover and let rise one more time.  I know there is a lot of rising time, but be patient and trust me, it'll be well worth it!  When doubled in size, bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

*If you want to prepare these the night before to cook in the morning, stop here, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.  Pull it out in the morning, place in a warm place and let the dough rise until doubled in size.  It will take a bit longer since the dough is cold to start with. 

And a perfect cinnamon roll needs a perfect frosting.  Some like a light drizzle of glazy frosting on their cinnamon roll but I prefer something thick and creamy.  This cream cheese frosting is the perfect companion for the perfect cinnamon roll.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

4 TBS butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy.  Store in sealed container in refrigerator.

Source:

Cinnamon Rolls - Susan Sorenson

Cream Cheese Frosting - Disney's Family Cookbook

Vanilla Whipped Cream

As a kid I was a cool-whip-aholic.  In my opinion, the cool whip was usually better than any dessert it was adorning.  I would have been just as happy eating a bowl of that creamy sweet fluff.  I don't know why I was into adulthood before I realized that you can make your own whipped cream and that it is so easy!  When my husband and I were engaged, we went over to his brother's house for dinner.  I remember watching in awe as my soon to be sister in law whipped a bowl of cream in to a beautiful bowl of white creamy fluff.  It was magical, I tell you.  As heavenly as I thought the store bought stuff was, this is ten times better!  I still grab a tub of cool whip from the freezer isle every now and then but the homemade stuff is definitely where its at!

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract*

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Use a wire whisk or electric mixer to whip together.  Whip until it thickens and forms stiff peaks.  Use to top your favorite dessert.  Or eat by the spoonful.  No judging.

*I usually use vanilla extract but you can trade it out for a different flavor.  Try peppermint extract to make some whipped cream for a cup of hot chocolate.  Or how about lemon extract to dollop on top of a strawberry shortcake?  Get creative and enjoy some yum!

Whipped Honey Butter

There's honey butter and then there's this.  This whipped honey butter is the perfect creamy way to top any kind of bread.  I think I'm going to have to make sure I have a constant supply of this stuff on hand.  Which is going to be hard to do because it disappears almost instantly every time I make it.  Thanks Jamie for passing along this gem!

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Whip the butter for about 5 minutes then add the powdered sugar, honey and cinnamon.  Whip again until smooth and fluffy.  Cover and store at room temperature.

*Source:  Jamie Young

Pumpkin Butter

I originally made this because I needed it for another recipe (that I will be sure to post soon!).  I was so excited to have a reason to make this lovely fall delicacy.  It made way more then I needed for the other recipe and I have a mostly full jar of it in my fridge just waiting to be spread on a thick slice of homemade bread.  (Find my favorite homemade bread recipe here.)  Plus, with the holidays coming up, I think it would make a fabulous neighbor gift in a cute little jar with a loaf of bread.  I'll bet teachers would love some too.  Oh, the possibilities are endless!  I had no idea how much I was needing pumpkin butter in my life!  It's super easy to make and made my house smell so good!

Ingredients:

• 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree, approx. 3 1/2 cups or fresh
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1/2-1.5 teaspoons ground ginger (optional, sometimes I omit)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, covered with lid ajar (I prop it with a wooden spoon). Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, covered with lid ajar, for 35-45 minutes, stirring frequently. Be careful as the mixture bubbles and pops!

2. Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes before removing lid. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice. Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Makes enough to fill one large mason jar or about 3.5 cups.

*Source: Oh She Glows