Garlic Bread Tomatoes

 Well hello everyone!  I've been on hiatus lately, which is code for I've been really busy and haven't managed my time well enough to get everything done.  No, actually, I've been enjoying the summer with my 7 fantastic children.  They are growing up so fast, and I didn't want to miss the last summer we would ever all be home.  You see, my oldest son, Colton is spending the next 2 years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  in the great state of Montana.  So far, he has thoroughly enjoyed his time there and has met so many wonderful people!  Amazing, down to earth, good people.  I'll tell you more about that later, but right now, these lovely tomatoes are the order of the day.

In my area, the tomato plants are just loaded with what is, without a doubt, the main reason we have summer.  The only reason to endure the 105° temperatures is to go to the water park and eat tomatoes.  I have so many tomatoes I've been searching for new ways to use them.  I've already made several batches of my favorite home canned salsa, eaten more tomatoes and cottage cheese than should be allowed by law and shared them with everyone I know and I still have them coming out my ears!  I've tried to incorporate them into every dish I make.  Then I found these.

Let me tell you about this dish.  It is so delicious and wonderful and different that it will knock your proverbial socks off.  It really is a great side dish.  Just a touch of garlic and a hint of fresh basil topped with a crispy crumb coating.  It's a party in your mouth.  It is also low fat and really quite healthy.  And as I sit here writing this I'm contemplating how I could make these on the grill to add a smokey outdoor flavor to them.  Hmmmm....  I think I know what I'm trying for lunch today. 

So grab a tomato out of the overflowing bowl you have sitting on your counter (come on, you know you have one of those this time of year too) and give these a try, you'll love them.


Garlic Bread Tomatoes 
Serves about 4
 
1 large tomato, cut into fourths horizontally (Be sure to use a nice meaty tomato, or you could end up with a watery side dish)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Chopped basil leaves (fresh is best, but dried will do in a pinch)
pinch or two of coarse salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan and chopped basil leaves together.

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top with garlic and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Don't over do it on the garlic.  A little goes a long way in this dish.  We are going for light garlic flavor, not vampire repellent.  

Then  carefully add spoonfuls of the Parmesan/bread crumbs mixture to the top of each tomato slice. Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Adapted from:  Savoring the Thyme

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

This has become one of our favorite pizzas.  My kiddos love it so much that I made it twice last week alone!  Its a nice change from pizza with red sauce, and since ranch dressing is practically a food group among kids I knew they'd love it.  I thought about adding some chopped fresh spinach too, but I wasn't sure how my kiddos would react.  I think next time I make this, since I have to make 2 pizzas anyway, I'll make a grown up one with spinach for me and the hubby.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Serves 8-10

Pizza Dough:

3 cups flour, more or less

1 tablespoon honey, heaping
1 tablespoon oil, heaping
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Toppings:

Prepared ranch salad dressing

Cooked chicken (I cook mine in the crock pot with some salt and pepper and chicken broth on low for about 4 hours.)
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 sliced green onions (I forgot to put these on)
2 cups Shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 475°.   Mix all pizza dough ingredients together, except the flour. Add flour and knead for a bit then put into a greased 10 x 15 sheet pan.   Spread the dough with ranch dressing, then sprinkle on the chicken.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and then the remaining toppings, finishing with the Parmesan cheese.  Bake for about 12 minutes (checking often) until crust is browned and cheese is golden and bubbly. Makes 1 large pizza.

Recipe source:  Pizza dough from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Pizza toppings are an original recipe

Olive Garden Roasted Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Last week I promised a recipe that used the gnocchi you made last week.  If you haven't made it yet, you really should.  Its yummy!  This is a knock off of an Olive Garden soup.  Once again, I've never had this one before, so I don't know how close it is to the real deal, but it really doesn't matter when you're dealing with something this good.  This soup is so rich and creamy.  Its chock full of chicken and veggies and of course those lovely little gnocchi.  If you don't want to use the gnocchi, you could always substitute some form of pasta, but you'll be missing out on the great texture the gnocchi adds.  This soup has the potential to be so creamy you could eat it with a fork, or to be more on the soup side.  It just depends on how much broth you add.  Next time I'll thin mine down a little more, but either way, its delicious!

Olive Garden Roasted Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Serves 6-8

1/3 cup butter
3 chicken bullion cubes
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/3 cup flour
1-2 cups chicken broth (Start with one and add more to reach the desired consistency)
1/2 carrot shredded
1 stick of celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup fresh chopped spinach (I used 1/3 pkg. frozen creamed spinach)
4 c. Half & Half (Non fat works too!)
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1 lb. roasted chicken
Cracked pepper to taste
Gnocchi

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large pot on medium heat, melt butter. Add the carrots and celery and saute until tender.  Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour to make a roux; cook and stir 1 minute.  Add 1 cup of chicken broth, stirring well. Add half and half, nutmeg, pepper and chicken bouillon. Stir well. Add the spinach and heat through.

Heat the soup, stirring occasionally until it thickens.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add more broth if a thinner consistency is desired.  Add the chicken and heat through.

Add your Gnocchi last; allow it to cook for 5 minutes to heat through.

Source:  Adapted from Frieda Loves Bread

Rasta Pasta

I think I have (temporarily) found my new favorite meal.  I really love pasta dishes, but this one takes the cake.  The flavor is fabulous!  My kids took one look at it and said (and I quote) "Oh!  This is going to be good!"  And they were absolutely right.  Not only was it delicious, but it was quick and easy too.

Now I cooked my own chicken and made fresh Alfredo sauce, but you don't have to.  Rotisserie chicken would work great, and you can use jarred Alfredo sauce (although I wouldn't recommend it).  If you do use the Alfredo sauce recipe below, be sure to double it so you will have enough.

As for the pesto, don't leave it out.  It is the reason this dish is so great.  If you've never used pesto before, don't worry, you are in for a real treat.  Pesto is a sauce that is usually made with crushed basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese (Sometimes there are other herbs thrown in.  My favorite variety has sundried tomatoes.).  It can be used in pasta dishes, as a sandwich spread, on Bruschetta, and in soups.  Once you taste it you'll be looking for ways to use it.  I've found it in the canned tomato section of the grocery store and in the deli section near the gourmet cheeses.

Rasta Pasta
Serves 6-8
1 14 oz box farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T butter
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups packed spinach leaves
1 large roasted red pepper (jarred is fine)
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
3 cups prepared Alfredo sauce  (recipe below)
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto

Cook pasta according to package directions, and with 3 minutes remaining for the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli florets to the pasta pot to cook.

While pasta is cooking, saute the garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add spinach and broccoli, red pepper and grilled chicken and toss to combine. Stir in Alfredo sauce and pesto and cook until warm, about 5 minutes.

Drain pasta and add to the skillet. Toss to combine everything and serve.

Alfredo Sauce
Makes about 1 1/2-2 cups

1/3 cup butter
1 Tablespoon flour
1 2/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In sauce pan, melt butter. Then add flour and mix until smooth. Mix in cream, milk, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer until sauce is decreased by half and thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Pour sauce over cooked fettuccine and toss

Source: An original recipe

Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica

I love Macaroni Grill.  Its one of my favorite restaurants.  But its quite a drive from my house, and like everyone else in America, our eating out budget has been drastically slashed.  Because of the size of our family and the costs involved, we only go out to a real restaurant (as opposed to going to Wendy's) once a year.  So instead of going out to restaurants, we bring the restaurants home.  We put on the fancy tablecloth, use the nice dishes and eat by candlelight.  It makes "restaurant night" really fun for the kids.  Its a great time for them to practice using good manners and sometimes they even get to be the servers, tips and all!

As for the menu on restaurant night, the Internet is full of knock off restaurant recipes.  No matter what they say, nothing I make at home tastes exactly like the restaurant version.  But a lot of them are really close.  And even if they aren't, they're still delicious.  This version of Penne Rustica was a huge hit with all my kiddos.  We served it with crusty garlic bread, a Caesar salad and chocolate cheesecake for dessert.

Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica
Serves 10-12

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed (I grilled mine)
6 slices bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
1 (16 oz.) box penne pasta
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. paprika
Additional chopped rosemary (for the topping)
Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Gratinata Sauce

1 Tbs. butter
2 large cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup Marsala wine (I used 2 Tbs. apple juice, 2 tsp. red wine vinegar and enough chicken broth to equal 1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chopped rosemary
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 cups heavy cream

Saute the garlic in butter.  Add the Marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper and heavy cream.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Cook the bacon (I baked mine).  Combine the sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, Parmesan cheese and paprika and mix well.  Spread into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Top with more chopped rosemary and shredded Mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 475° for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it is heated through.

Source:  Adapted from Your Homebased Mom

Vegetable Lasagne

I probably should have posted this a month or two ago when fresh produce was still everywhere.  But that's okay, its always in season in the grocery store.  :)    I love how simple this recipe is.  Other than cutting up the vegetables, it comes together in a flash.  This fit perfectly in to our one day a week "meatless meal".  This is so full of vegetables you won't even miss the meat!

I do have to apologize to those who follow both my blogs.  For the next little while they will have some of the same recipes.  I'm still cooking everything in my dutch ovens until the end of the year, you're just getting the kitchen instructions on this blog.  :)  But never fear, there will be new recipes and tips every week that you won't find at Dutch Oven Madness, so stick with me!

Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 10-12

2 medium carrots,  thinly sliced
1 yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4" slices
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 (29 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
8-10 lasagna noodles
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella

In a large skillet, stir fry the vegetables, garlic and salt in oil until crisp-tender.  Spread 3/4 cup of sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Arrange half of the noodles over the sauce.  Layer with half of the vegetables, spaghetti sauce and cheese.  Repeat layers.  Cover and bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Source:  A Mommy's original recipe

Meat and Cheese Stromboli

I loved making this delicious Italian sandwich.  It was simple and easy and quick.  Thursday nights are busy at my house.  Three of my girls are on three different soccer teams.  It's a real treat trying to get to all the games.  I have yet to be able to just sit and watch an entire game.  I'm constantly running from game to game.  Such is the life of a "soccer mom" and I wouldn't have it any other way!  So Thursday nights I try to plan something simple for dinner.  Something that is easy to reheat so that everyone can eat at their convenience.  This sandwich was perfect.  It can be served hot, at room temperature or reheated.  I served this with a fresh garden salad and some melon slices.

Start by rolling out your bread dough on a well greased 10 x 15 inch baking sheet.

Layer the meats on half of the dough.  You can use any combination of meats, but make sure one of them is an Italian meat.  Salami is my favorite, but pepperoni would work too!

Sprinkle with the cheeses.  Be generous here!

Top with sauteed onions and peppers, garlic powder Italian seasoning and pepper.

Fold the dough over and pinch the sides to seal everything inside.  Brush with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake until it is a beautiful golden brown and enjoy!

Meat and Cheese Stromboli

1 large onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 Tbs. butter
2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed (you could also use homemade bread dough)
1/2 lb. sliced hard salami
1/2 lb. sliced deli ham
1/2 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. poppy seed

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until crisp tender; set aside.  On two greased baking sheets, roll each loaf of dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle.  Arrange the salami, ham and cheeses lengthwise over half of each rectangle to within 1/2 inch of the edges of the dough..  Top with onion mixture; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper.  Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal.

Brush with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.  Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.  Makes 2 loaves (about 8 servings each).

Source:  Taste of Home