Pizza Sauce

I taught a class on how to make homemade pizza at Church last night and thought I'd better post my recipe for pizza sauce for those who will be looking for it on here. I should mention that I typically just throw the spices in without measuring them, but for those who feel a little more comfortable following a recipe with actual measurements I did my best to estimate the amounts of each spice that I use.


Pizza Sauce
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
6 oz water (use the empty tomato paste can to measure)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano

Combine the tomato paste and water until well mixed. Add the rest of the ingredients and spread over dough.

This makes enough to cover 2 pizza's.

*Note: If you're only making 1 pizza you can freeze the rest.

*Note: This can also be used as a dipping sauce for your pizza or breadsticks.

Coconut Curry Chicken

I've made this once before but after I made it tonight Chris said he liked it more than the last time so I figured I should write down what I did before I forgot. And mum wanted the recipe, so here we are. I have to say I enjoyed it a lot more this time as well... probably because I didn't have the chicken flavour in it as I made a separate little pot for myself so I wouldn't have to pick it out.

*Note: I just wanted to add that this really is not a spicy curry dish at all. In fact, I gave some to Eliana who is now 9 1/2 months old and she loves it.

I've posted two versions of the recipe, a small batch (feeds about 5 people) and a large batch (feeds about 10 people) to make things easier.

Coconut Curry Chicken (Small Batch)

2 large chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (1/4 - 1/2 inch cubes)
salt and pepper
vegetable oil (not measured but guessed about 1 1/2 tbsp)
2 tbsp curry powder
1 medium onion, sliced
lots of minced garlic
1 1/2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
1 large can (28 oz) stewed tomatoes (or 2, 14.5 oz cans)
1/2 can (5.5 oz) tomato paste
1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water


Coconut Curry Chicken (Large Batch)

4 large chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (1/4 - 1/2 inch cubes)
salt and pepper
vegetable oil (not measured but guessed about 3 tbsp)
1/4 cup (or 4 tbsp) curry powder
1 1/2 large onions, sliced
lots of minced garlic
3 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
2 large cans (28 oz) stewed tomatoes (or 4, 14.5 oz cans)
1 can (5.5 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup water

Season chicken with salt and pepper and cut in to pieces.

Heat oil and curry powder in large skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in onions and garlic and cook for another minute. Add chicken, tossing to coat with the curry oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and sugar in to the pan and stir to combine. Stir and cook approximately 30-40 minutes.

Serve over rice.

* Note: This recipe freezes well if you want to make a big batch and save half of it for another time;)

* Note: You can also use any cooked chicken meat you want. My mum bought two rotisserie chickens and cut up all the white meat on them for me to use tonight and everyone said it was just fine.

Yummy Baked Quesadilla's

I love these quesidilla's. I make mine without chicken in them, but make Chris's with chicken. Of course when Chris makes them mine have chicken in them as well (he claims "the baby wants it").

They're really pretty simple, but very very yummy! And sorry there's no exact amounts for anything as it all depends on how many you're making and of course how full you like your quesadilla's.


Yummy Baked Quesadilla's

chicken breasts or tenderloins, cut into small pieces (approx. 1 tenderloin or 1/2 breast per full quesadilla)
zucchini, sliced and halved
red, yellow, orange peppers, julienned
onions, sliced
Wishbone Bountifuls Simply Santa Fe or Kraft Zesty Italian dressing (regular, low fat or fat free)
cumen, very generous sprinkling
shredded cheddar cheese (sometimes I used pepper jack for Chris's as well)
sour cream
tortilla's (2 for every quesadilla)
tomatoes, chopped
cilantro, chopped (fresh is preferable, however dried works as well)
lettuce, chopped
avocado/guacamole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a large baking sheet with tin foil.

Over medium heat and in a frying pan (sprayed with PAM) add the cut up chicken and drizzle a generous amount of dressing on top, followed by the cumen (again be generous).

When the chicken's about half way done I start my veggies in a separate frying pan (also sprayed with PAM) and again drizzled with the dressing and cumen on top.

Of course if you're making chicken/veggie quesadilla's then you can add the veggies to the same frying pan as the chicken.

When the chicken and veggies are almost finished lightly cook the toritilla's (we always buy the uncooked ones from Costco, so if you have precooked tortilla's already then you can skip this step).

To prepare the quesadilla's, place one tortilla on the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little shredded cheese, followed by a nice thick layer of the chicken / veggie mixture. Sprinkle some chopped tomatoes, cilantro and more cheese on top of the chicken and veggies. Then spread a thin layer of sour cream on the other tortilla and place on top of the first tortilla. Continue with as many as you're wanting to make and then bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven with a lifter/spatula.

Serve with guacamole/avocado, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and lettuce on top.

Enjoy!

*Note: You can also make a 1/2 quesadilla by of course using only one tortilla and folding it in half.

Creamy Veggie Chicken Pasta

I got this recipe from my sister in law Shannon and as noted below had to make some alterations to it (I've included notes at the bottom that show her original recipe). It's a yummy creamy pasta with a little bit of a zing to it!

Sorry there's no pic, but another sister in law just asked for the recipe so I thought I'd put it up without a picture for now...I'll be sure to add a pic the next time I make it!


Creamy Veggie (w/ optional Chicken) Pasta
1 lb noodles of choice (penne, bowtie, rigatoni, shells, corkskrew, etc), approximately

Sauce:
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp mustard*
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup veggie/chicken stock
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 tbsp parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

2 chicken breasts (or 4-5 tenderloins), cubed
1/2 large onion
1 medium zucchini, chopped and halved**
1 red pepper, julienned (or orange or yellow peppers)
1/2 cup creamy ceasar dressing (or ranch dressing)***


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Over medium heat fry onions in a little olive oil and when the onions start to soften add the chicken. After the chicken is about half way cooked add the zucchini, red pepper and ceasar dressing. Cover and slightly reduce heat.

Boil the water for the noodles while you start the sauce. Cook the noodles to al dente.

Sauce: Melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Add mustard and whisk until combined. Mix stock and milk together and gradually whisk into the flour mixture. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add cheddar and parmesan cheeses and salt and pepper.

Combine the noodles, chicken/veggies and sauce together in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbling.

Serve with garlic bread, breadsticks, etc.

Enjoy!


*Note: Original recipe called for 3 tbsp mustard, but as I'm not a fan of mustard I found that was too much mustard for me.

**Note: My sister in law makes this with an added 1 lb bacon (fried and cut into 1/2 inch pieces) and uses 1 head of broccoli (chopped into bite sized pieces) and mushrooms (a couple handfuls of sliced) instead of the zucchini and peppers. Again because Christopher won't eat broccoli or mushrooms I had to improvise. I've never made it with the bacon in it, but I'm sure Chris would love it if I did...I just wouldn't;)

***Note: I wanted to make this once and I didn't have any creamy ceasar dressing on hand so I used ranch dressing instead and it turned out just as yummy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butterscotch Squares

I've had versions of this square before and always wanted to figure out how to make them as I love them! My sister Rebekah gave me a recipe for them last year but we tried them and they didn't quite turn out right. Then lucky for me she went to a cookie exchange just before Christmas and got this recipe...and they're absolutely perfect! Thanks Rhonda Dubeau (the girl she got the recipe from)!

I have no idea what they're actually called so I'm calling them:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Butterscotch Squares

1 pkg milk chocolate chips
1 pkg butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup of shortening
1 small bag of mini marshmallows (fruit marshmallows preferred)

Place the first 4 ingredients in a double broiler and stir until completely smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan with waxed paper. Cover the bottom of the prepared pan with some of the chocolate peanut butter mixture then add the bag of marshmallows on top. Then cover with the remaining chocolate peanut butter mixture. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until firm, remove and cut in to bite sized squares.

Enjoy!

* Note: Chris suggested to add Chow Mein Noodles next time which I thoughtwould be a good addition so I tried it today and made half the pan with the noodles and half without. I think I like the squares better without the noodles, but Chris and a few others I've asked like the squares better with the noodles. I think it just depends if you like a little crunch in your chocolate. (The top row of squares in the picture has the noodles in them and the bottom row doesn't.)

*Note: If you're allergic to peanut butter, use an additional bag of chocolate or butterscotch chips. Flavour will of course change, but they should still be great;)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

This is another squash soup recipe I found and tried and both Chris and I like it better than the other squash soup recipe I've already posted (though we liked that one a lot too). This one just has a kick to it thanks to the curry powder and we're big curry fans at our house so we of course like it!

I think I might have gotten this recipe from the Thanksgiving Point calendar mailers they send to me...though I can't quite remember if that's where I found it or not. I've kept the recipe mostly the same except I decreased the amount of olive oil and maple syrup by half.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
1/8 cup olive oil
pinch salt and pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp butter
3 cups chicken stock (or 3 cups water plus vegetable or chicken base or bouillon cubes)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk or evaporated milk)
pinch nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 tsp curry powder
1/8 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss diced squash with olive oil, salt and pepper in large bowl. Spray PAM on a large baking sheet and spread squash in an even layer and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

While squash is roasting, place diced onion in a pot with butter and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear.

Add chicken stock to pot and then the roasted squash and boil until the squash is tender.

Place in a blender and puree until smooth. * (I recommend doing 1/2 of the soup at a time and make sure you loosen the middle part of the lid on the blender to let the pressure caused by the heat out - I usually cover it with a paper towel once I loosen the center piece).

Return to large pot and add the nutmeg, ground cloves, curry powder, maple syrup and cream. Simmer until hot and combined.

Top with Parmesan cheese and roasted pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds) if you have them and serve with breadsticks, in bread bowls, etc.

*Note: I like to puree 1/2 to 2/3rds of the soup and then mash the rest that's left in the pot with a potato masher. This gives the soup a little texture.*Note: You can of course substitute grated cheddar cheese for the Parmesan cheese, but like with the other squash soup Chris likes it with the Parmesan cheese better.

Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from my sister in law Traci. The cinnamon rolls are nice and light and fluffy just the way I like them. The original recipe calls for using dry active yeast, however I've been using instant yeast for everything lately so I've made that change. I also can't eat cinnamon rolls without a cream cheese icing so I've added that as well!

The last time I made them I gave some to a friend in the ward and she's been wanting the recipe, so I figured I'd better get it on here as that was over a month ago. I didn't take a picture at the time so I'll have to add it the next time I make them!

Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups milk slightly scalded (little skim on top, barely bubbling around edge)
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup instant mashed potatoes cooked (2/3 cup milk, 2/3 cup flake. I don't add salt, butter, etc)
1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast (I use SAF instant yeast and love it) or 2 tbsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, slightly beaten
7 - 8 cups flour (add more if needed to get right consistency)

4 tbsp softened butter divided in half
1 cup sugar and 4 tsp cinnamon mixed and divided in half

Directions:
Make instant potatoes.

In Kitchen Aid or large bowl, pour the scalded milk over the next 4 ingredients. Cool until lukewarm (approximately 15 minutes).

If using the instant yeast:
Combine 4 cups of flour and the instant yeast in a medium bowl and set aside.

When cooled, add the water, the eggs and 4 cups of the flour (with the yeast in it) to the Kitchen Aid bowl / large bowl. Beat until smooth. Then add the rest of the flour and mix until dough becomes smooth and elastic.

If using the dry active yeast:
Dissolve yeast in the warm water while the above ingredients cool, during last 5 minutes or so.

When cooled, add the eggs and 4 cups of the flour to the Kitchen Aid bowl / large bowl. Beat until smooth. Then add the dissolved yeast and the rest of the flour and mix until dough becomes smooth and elastic.

The rest of the directions are the same despite what yeast you use:
Place dough in a lightly oiled (PAM) bowl and cover with saran wrap and a dish towel and raise until doubled (at least 1 hour). Divide dough in two and roll out each half into a rectangle (about 10-12" by however long it rolls out).

Soften 2 tbsp butter and brush on the rolled out dough. Sprinkle with half of the sugar/cinnamon mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon).

Roll down 10" side and cut approximately 1" slices with thread or dental floss (slide the thread under the roll and pull it up on the sides and cross to cut).

Put on greased cookie sheet and let rise until doubled (30 min-1 hr.)

Repeat for the other half of the dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins or until lightly browned. Add cream cheese icing while cinnamon rolls are hot.


Cream Cheese Icing
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter softened
3 cups icing sugar
3 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Note: the original recipe called for this glaze, but I'm all about a cream cheese icing instead so that's what I always use!

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
8 tsp milk
2 tbsp soft butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Enjoy!

*Note: I hope this makes sense...but if you have questions about the method for the instant yeast versus the dry active yeast please ask me!