Family Favorite...

Manicotti

Crepes:
4 eggs
1 cup water
1 cup flour

Combine above ingredients in blender and mix. Pour into large mixing bowl.

Pour a small amount, 1/3 cup, into a small frying pan. 

Spread evenly, cook 1 minute, flip crepe and cook another minute.

Layer crepes on plate with wax paper in between each crepe. 

You can make the crepes the day before.

Filling:
Ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella, Parmesan...

Mix the above ingredients together and spread down the center of your crepe.
Fold both sides toward the middle.

Place crepe "seam side down" in a baking dish that has some sauce on the bottom.


Cover with sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan 

(sorry no picture with mozzarella!)

Bake at 350 until bubbly and your kitchen smells like Little Italy! 

Enjoy!

Veggie Pizza...

I know, I know, I haven't updated this blog in AGES!

Don't worry, I've been feeding my family!

Just needed a break.  

If you want to find out what I've been up to, 

head over to my other blog Walking on Sunshine.

Here's a great recipe I made 2 weeks ago.  

It was so good, I made it again last week!

First a little explanation.  

I was making this recipe just for myself.  

My kids would NEVER eat pizza with just veggies.  

So I only used half the pizza dough.

I made the recipe as usual and after the first rise, 

I cut the dough into two pieces.

I put the unused piece in a plastic bag and froze it.

And please DON'T feel you have to make your own pizza dough!

I've used store-bought pizza dough in the past 

and even pizza dough purchased from a pizzeria.

The tomatoes I used were fresh from the garden.

Are there any other kind to eat? 

And the zucchini I used was leftover zucchini that 

I had grilled for dinner the previous night.

VEGGIE PIZZA

1 recipe Pizza Dough

1 Tomato, sliced pretty thin

Zucchini

Mozzarella Cheese

Olive Oil

Spread out your dough.  Brush the dough with the Olive Oil.

Top with the sliced tomatoes, zucchini, mozzarella cheese...

Bake at 425 until golden brown and crispy on the bottom...

This was the most delicious pizza I've had in ages!

Let me know if you try it!

Sneaky Baked Ziti...

This recipe is from my friend Jani. 

She has 3 children and cooks very healthy for her family. 

Below is a recipe that I think would be a great addition to any family 

trying to get more vegetables into their diet.

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 c. carrots
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 large can tomato puree
2 cans diced tomatoes
salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes as desired
1-2 T. honey, agave nectar or sugar
1 lb. ziti 
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:

• Put a large pot of water on to bowl, cook pasta al dente, drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet heat olive oil and cook ground turkey over medium heat. Season the meat as desired with garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
• In a food processor (this is where it gets sneaky) add carrots, onion, garlic, and the large can of tomato puree. Process sauce until smooth. 
• Add sauce to ground turkey with the two cans of diced tomatoes. The meat sauce should be a nice consistency although you may need to add a bit of water if it is too thick. 
• To finish this meat sauce add about 1-2 T of honey. The honey is not going to make the meat sauce sweet, it will just take the bitterness out due to using canned tomatoes. 
• Combine meat sauce with the pasta and pour into a 9X13 pan. 
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta. 
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

A note from the cook:

I really love this dish. I make it low sodium, and it is delicious. 

The carrots give the sauce a creamy color and you won’t even miss the ricotta.

Pizza

I use to buy my pizza dough from the grocery store or even a pizza shop.

 

A few years ago my husband gave me a Kitchen Aid Mixer 

and most of the time now,

I  make my dough using my mixer. 

IT'S REALLY EASY.

And REALLY INEXPENSIVE!

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup water (110 degrees)

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.

Let stand until creamy and tiny bubbles start to appear, about 10 minutes.

In your mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 2 cups flour, olive oil, salt, 

white sugar and the yeast mixture.

Mix well to combine.

Beat until a stiff dough has formed.

Turn out dough onto your counter and knead by hand for a few minutes.  

If the dough is sticky, add more flour.  

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and allow to rise 

until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Turn your dough out onto a well floured surface.

Form the dough into the shape you desire, square, round, etc.  

Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings.

Bake in a preheated 425 oven until golden brown.

The Colonel and Michael making pizza together about a year ago.

When I make pizza, I don't use a rolling pin.  

I just shape the dough with my hands.  

You can see Michael had a lot of fun "shaping" the dough!

ENJOY!