Authentic Greek Moussaka

I love Moussaka!  I haven’t made it for many years.  So, when I saw this recipe come up in Google the other day – I just HAD to make it.  When I told my son what we were having for dinner, I called it Greek Lasagna.  My hope was that he wouldn’t ask a lot of questions.  He ate it – but wasn’t thrilled with the texture of the eggplant.  My husband and I, however, devoured it and enjoyed the left overs for lunch the next couple of days.  The eggplant really absorbs all of the flavors of the meat sauce and Béchamel, which was delightful.  This is definitely comfort food for me.  Not going to lie, there’s a lot of moving parts to this recipe.  It’s a bit time consuming.  But, the payoff is SO worth it.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

 

For the Eggplant: 

3 medium eggplants (I used two larger eggplants)

Salt and Olive Oil

 

For the Meat Sauce: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef or lamb (I used lamb)

1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup red wine (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Béchamel Sauce: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and white pepper to taste

2 egg yolks, beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions:

 

Prepare the Eggplant: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds, place on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt. Allow them to sit for about 20 minutes to draw out bitterness, then rinse and pat dry. 

Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil and bake until golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. 

Note: I prepared the eggplant earlier in the day and set it aside, covering it with wax paper.  It was all ready to go when it came time to put the Moussaka together.

 

Make the Meat Sauce: 

While the eggplant is baking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until they begin to soften. Add the ground meat and cook until browned. 

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, wine, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. 

Note: You could prepare the meat sauce earlier in the day, or even the day before if that timing works better for you. 

Make the Béchamel Sauce: 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens. 

Season with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the beaten egg yolks and Parmesan cheese. (I chose to temper the eggs by adding a spoon of the hot milk mixture to the eggs – one at a time – whisking in between each spoon of the hot milk.) 

Assemble the Moussaka: 

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). In a 9x13-inch baking dish, layer half of the eggplant slices, then top with the meat sauce. 

Layer the remaining eggplant slices on top. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top layer, spreading it evenly with a spatula. 

Bake the Moussaka: 

Bake the moussaka in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly. Let it cool for about 15-20 minutes before cutting into it. This helps it hold its shape when serving. 

Enjoy your delicious, homemade Greek Moussaka!

Click HERE for printable recipe. 

Pizza Cupcakes

I found the inspiration for this recipe on Mandy's Recipe Box Blog.  I’m posting the recipe as Mandy wrote it.  But, this is one of those recipes that you can make your own by choosing whatever pizza toppings you like.  I used pepperoni, cheese and a little bit of onion.  And I scattered some green onion tops over them after they came out of the oven. Also, if you don’t have pizza sauce – you can substitute your favorite pasta sauce in the jar.  I like Classico Tomato & Basil – or Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce.

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Seamless Dough Sheets

½ cup pizza sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp garlic powder

pizza toppings of your choice - pepperoni, ham, sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple, peppers etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Spray or grease a muffin pan and set aside.

Unroll dough sheet and cut into 8 equal squares. Press into muffin cups.

Sprinkle some cheese into each dough cup. Add 1 Tbsp. pizza sauce followed by remaining cheese and the toppings of your choice. Sprinkle garlic powder over toppings.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Carefully remove from pan.  Using a fork helps with this.

Serve. 

Click HERE for printable recipe

Mexican Lasagna (With Homemade Enchilada Sauce)

This turned out really great!  I used a couple of different recipes as my inspiration, along with my traditional lasagna making skills, to come up with this dish.  The flavors really compliment each other and this is a lot easier than making traditional enchiladas – and Italian Lasagna, for that matter.  As an added bonus – the homemade enchilada sauce recipe is to die for!  So easy to make and so much more flavorful than the canned version.  That said, if you’re in a rush – you could used canned enchilada sauce too.  Whatever works best for you. Cheers!

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 1/4 pounds 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or grated

1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles – mild or medium depending upon your liking

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

18 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas

2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

2 cups coarsely grated mild cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

Or – you could use 4 cups of a Mexican Cheese mixture or even Pepper Jack if you want to add a little extra zing

Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Recipe Follows)

To serve: Sour cream, Avocado or Guacamole, Cilantro and Salsa if you’d like.

Directions:

I start by making the Enchilada Sauce so it’s ready to use had a chance to cool down.  (Recipe follows)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan or cast iron frying pan on medium high heat. Add the ground meat, breaking it up as you add it.

Season with the salt, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Increase the heat to high. Continue cooking until the meat is cooked through.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan to a bowl. Set aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the empty pan used to cook the meat and set over medium heat. Add the onions and chopped bell peppers. Cook until onions have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, green chilies and oregano.  Cook for an additional minute or two.  Add the meat back to the pan and mix well.  Turn off burner.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Assemble the casserole in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Assembly instructions: Put a small amount of enchilada sauce in the dish to give a base for the lasagna.  Just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.

I cut 2 tortillas in half so they fit in the dish better.  Placing the cut edge of the tortilla on the perimeter edge of the casserole dish.  Then place 2 whole tortillas over those to cover the bottom of the dish.

Place half the meat mixture evenly over the tortillas.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the meat.  Add another layer of tortillas exactly like the first layer.  Pour about half of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas.

Place the last half of the meat mixture over the tortillas and sauce.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over that.  Add the last layer of tortillas.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas.  Top with the last third of the cheese.

Bake casserole on the middle rack in the oven at for 35 minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted and bubbling.

Let the casserole stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, chopped avocado and/or guacamole and chopped cilantro.  Could also use salsa if you’d like.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I found this recipe on the Cookie and Katie website.  You can view it HERE

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!)

1 tablespoon ground chili powder (scale back if you’re sensitive to spice or using particularly spicy chili powder)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon salt, to taste

Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups vegetable broth (I have used chicken broth on occasion and it turns out just as well.  Just depends on whether or not you want to keep it vegetarian/vegan)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove!

Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.

Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)

Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary. Go forth and make enchiladas! (Or in this case – Mexican Lasagna!)s

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Apple Fritter Cake

My favorite donut is an Apple Fritter.  The sweet delicious apples folded into the doughy goodness is so warm and comforting.  While perusing the internet for recipes one day, I came across this recipe for Apple Fritter Cake – which is a soft apple filled cake, with a crispy sugar glaze! Your favorite old fashioned doughnut in cake form!

Ingredients:

For Filling:

2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and cut into bite-sized chunks) 

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

small pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons water

Plus

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used a 1/4 cup each of dark and light)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For Cake:

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup greek yogurt (you could use plain yogurt as well or sour cream)

For Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Make your filling by combining apples, sugar, water, cinnamon and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Cook on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and the apples are a bit soft. Set aside to cool. 

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together until well combined and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add applesauce and vanilla and mix till combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in three parts alternating with the yogurt in two parts, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the cooled apple mixture over the batter carefully and spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle 2/3 of brown sugar cinnamon mixture over apples and cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar cinnamon mixture over the top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze. In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until the glaze is desired consistency. 

When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately but carefully pour onto hot cake. Try to pour as evenly as possible. You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly. I even poured some out that pooled at the corners and repoured that over the top. Let the cake sit for a while for the glaze to set before serving.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Individual Pavlova with Whipped Cream & Fresh Fruit

I needed a sweet treat for a dinner I attended recently.  One of our girlfriends is gluten intolerant, so I wanted to find a dessert that would work for all of us.  Pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit came to mind.  So, to the internet I ran – and found this recipe here: The Foodie Affair.  It came together quite easily. The sweet meringue combined with the rich whipped cream and fresh fruit was a hit with the girls.  I will be making these again!

Ingredients:

5 Egg Whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar superfine (blend regular sugar if you don’t have superfine)

Whipped Cream Filing

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 cups assorted fruits (I used strawberries, blueberries and kiwi)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For same size nests, draw 3 inch circles on the parchment paper and turn the paper upside down.

Pavlova Nests:

Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add salt and cream of tarter, and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Put meringue in a pastry bag with a decorator tip (recommend Wilton 1M). Outline the nests and fill the bottoms with meringue. Build up the nests with two rows of meringue.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the nests are dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the nests in the oven for 2 hours to continue to dry out.

Whipped Cream Filling:

Beat the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract on high speed until soft peaks form. Pipe the filling into the nests.

Top with fruit and enjoy right away.

Note: I didn’t get fancy by piping the meringue or whipped cream filling.  I simply used a scoop to ensure equal sized meringues.  Then, I used a spoon to create the nest.  For the whipped cream filling, I used a spoon to fill the next and then placed the fruit on top of that.  Although not showing the picture, ultimately I placed a dollop of whipped cream on top of the fruit as well.

The nests can be made and stored in airtight containers for several days before serving. The whipped cream filling can be made a day before filling the nests. Assemble right before enjoying, so the whipped cream does not soften the meringue nests.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Chicken Posolé Soup

With the arrival of fall and the cooler temperatures - I’ve definitely been in a soup kind of mood.  So, one day I came up with the idea to use Green Enchilada Sauce as the base for a chicken soup – and I wanted it to be on the hearty side – so in went a couple of cans of golden hominy.  This soup comes together very quickly but tastes like it was cooked for hours.  It’s slightly spicy, although you could make it spicier if you prefer, really tasty and will warm your belly!

 

Ingredients:

 

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces

1 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. can diced green chilies, liquid included

28 oz. can green enchilada sauce (I like Las Palmas brand)

2 cups chicken stock

2 Tbls. dried oregano

1 ½ Tbls. ground cumin

2 – 15 oz. cans golden hominy – rinsed and drained

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Serve with your choice of garnishes.  Jack Cheese, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Green Onions, Cilantro and/or Crushed Tortilla Chips.  Basically, anything you’d like.

 

Directions:

 

Drizzle olive oil directly into the soup pot you will be using.  Fry chicken in batches, approximately 5 – 6 minutes per batch, in order to not over crowd the pan.  You want the chicken to brown slightly.  Season with salt and pepper as you’re cooking.  Remove chicken to a plate and cook the next batch, until all of the chicken is done and on the plate.

Add the onions and garlic into the pan.  Cook, until the onions start to become translucent, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.  This is what adds a depth of flavor to the soup

Add the green enchilada sauce, chicken broth, green chilies, oregano and cumin.  Cook until it begins to bubble. 

Add the hominy and chicken and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  You can cook longer, if you’d like.  However, be careful you don’t overcook the chicken. 

Serve in bowls with garnish of your choice.  I recommend putting a chunk of cream cheese in the bowl and ladling the hot soup on top of it.  Stir until the cream cheese melts.  Makes the soup very creamy! Then put your garnishes on top.  

Click here for printable recipe.

Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce and Pasta

This is very close to Chicken Piccata; however, it’s not breaded and fried. That said, it’s full of lemony goodness and so much delicious flavor. I decided to serve with rotini pasta, but you could use spaghetti or linguini if you prefer. 

Ingredients: 

¼ cup flour 

¼ tsp. black pepper 

¼ tsp. garlic salt 

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make them thinner 

1 Tbls. Olive Oil 

1 Tbls. Butter 

8 ounce of pasta, cooked until done. Reserve some of the cooking liquid. (Rather than draining my pasta, I typically remove it from the boiling water using a stainless steel spider/strainer – and add the pasta directly to the sauce. The pasta water retains some of the starch and helps to thicken your sauce.) 

1 ½ cup chicken broth 

¼ cup dry white wine 

3 Tbls. Fresh lemon juice 

Clove of garlic, minced 

Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes 

2 Tbls. Capers, drained 

Additional 1 Tbls. Butter 

Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Parsley for garnish 

Directions:

Begin boiling your water for the pasta. 

Butterfly and cut the chicken breasts in half for four servings. 

Mix the flour, pepper and garlic salt in a dish/bowl for dredging the chicken. 

Heat a skillet over medium flame, add the olive oil and butter. 

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Reserve the flour, as you will use a bit of it when making the sauce. 

Add the chicken to the skillet after the butter has melted. 

Cook the chicken on one side for 5 minutes. 

Add the pasta to the boiling water when you flip the chicken and cook chicken for an additional 5 minutes. 

Remove chicken from skillet and reserve on a plate, keeping it warm. 

Add the additional tablespoon of butter to the skillet, along with 1 tablespoon of the reserved flour mixture. 

Cook the butter and flour mixture for a minute or two, making a roux. 

Check your pasta, it is likely just about done. 

Add the lemon juice and wine to the skillet, scraping up any cooked bits from the skillet. 

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. 

Slowly add the chicken broth to the skillet. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken. 

Add the capers at the last minute, heat through and turn off the flame. 

Remove approximately a ½ cup of the sauce to use as a topping for the chicken. 

Add the pasta directly to the remaining sauce in the skillet, cook until all liquid is absorbed. You can add a bit more wine and lemon juice if necessary – along with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve the chicken on top of the pasta. Spoon some of the reserved sauce on top of each chicken breast. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Click here for printable recipe.

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs with Mint Yogurt Sauce

At my son’s work they have a food calendar that indicates different food holidays.  Who knew that July 9^th was kebab day!!??  (Or that the 24^th is Tequila day!!)  So, he asked if we could make kebabs yesterday.  I said SURE!  It’s not something that we normally have – so I thought this would be a delicious experiment and great idea for the blog.  I took bits of several recipes that I found online.  These turned out better than I expected.  So much flavor!  The combination of the sweet red onions and tomatoes with the delicious basmati rice, hummus and yogurt sauce was fantastic.  

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of chicken thighs, boneless/skinless and cut into approximately 2” pieces for threading onto skewers

1 red onion, cut into wedges (again think of sizes appropriate for the skewers)

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

8 ounces plain Greek yogurt

3 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced

2 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the yogurt, garlic, spice mix, mint, parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Mix well.

Add the chicken chunks and stir well to combine.  Place in refrigerator for at least an hour, and up to four.

Remove the chicken from the fridge, thread onto skewers alternating with the pieces of onion. Fire up your grill – or heat a grill pan on the stove.

I was concerned that the tomatoes would over cook on the grill if I added them to the skewers. So, once all the chicken was out of the bowl I added the tomatoes and tossed them around to cover with the yogurt spice mixture.  Then, I added them to a skillet and cooked them on the stove top until they started to blister. Turned them off and let them sit until the kebabs were ready to serve.

Cook the kebabs on the grill until done, turning occasionally to avoid burning.  Our grill was at about 400 degrees, so it only took about 15 minutes. 

Take the meat and onion off the skewers.  Serve with basmati rice, hummus and mint Greek yogurt sauce - recipe follows.

Moroccan Spice Recipe (makes about ¼ cup)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp ground cloves

Mix all the spices together.  Place into a container. 

Mint Greek Yogurt Sauce

This is a great accompaniment to Mediterranean or Moroccan inspired meats and meals.  I’m serving it with the chicken kebabs.  But, it would also be great with lamb or beef, gyros or as a dipping sauce for pitas.

Ingredients:

1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt

½ cup finely chopped mint leaves

1 clove garlic, grated (I use the micro plane to grate my garlic – opposed to mincing it.  I also use the micro plane to zest the lemon)

Zest of one lemon

1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  Taste and season accordingly.  But, don’t get over zealous.  The flavors will develop as the sauce sets.

Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.  Mix again and taste again for seasoning.

Place the sauce in the fridge until ready to use.  The longer it sits – the more the flavors will develop.  I make this about five hours before I’m ready to use it. 

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Sunshine Chicken with Rice

I found this recipe on the Cooking Professionally website.  I’ve adjusted it slightly by adding ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes and lime juice to it.  Also, I fry the chicken breasts first, then add the rice and remaining ingredients to the pan.  I feel like this gives me more control over the doneness of the chicken – and gives plenty of time for the rice to cook thoroughly.  Additionally, by frying the chicken first it adds more depth to the flavor of the rice.  This dish is just the right combination of sweet and savory – with the perfect amount of tang!

 

Ingredients:

2-3 teaspoons curry powder

1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided

¼ teaspoon pepper

6 (5-ounce) chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless

Drizzle of Olive Oil

1 ½ cups orange juice

¼ cup lime juice

1 cup long-grain rice

½ cup water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 ½ tablespoons of minced ginger (I sometimes use the ginger that comes in a tube.  Timesaver for sure!)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)

fresh parsley, chopped, optional, for topping

Directions:

Combine the curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.

Rub the curry powder mixture over the chicken.

Drizzle the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat on the stove.

Fry the chicken breasts in the skillet for four minutes per side.

Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and place on a plate.

Add the orange juice, lime juice, rice, water, brown sugar, mustard, ginger, garlic and the remaining salt to the skillet.

Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to simmering and cover the skillet. Cook until the liquid is almost absorbed.  

Return the chicken pieces to the skillet.  Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, until all of the liquid is absorbed.  About 5 minutes.

Serve topped with parsley.

Click HERE for printable recipe.

Pizza Stromboli

 I found this recipe here: https://charisseyu.com/pepperoni-stromboli/#recipe

It’s easy to make and super delicious.  I’ve posted the recipe “as is”, but you can definitely mix things up by using different ingredients.  I’ve made it a few times and changed the fillings – all to equal raves. 

Ingredients:

1 ready-made pizza dough (I used a garlic herb dough from Trader Joe’s.  Loved it)

⅓ cup marinara

6 ounces salami

6 ounces pepperoni

½ cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup fresh greens spinach, chard, kale or greens mix

1 teaspoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon grated parmesan

Optional-Fresh herbs or cheese for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or non-stick spray.

Place the pizza crust on the baking sheet.  Roll it/spread it out into rectangle and spread a layer of marinara onto it.

Layer salami and pepperoni on top of the marinara base.

Next sprinkle mozzarella and your fresh greens.

Carefully roll up the dough horizontally placing the Stromboli seam down on the prepared baking sheet.

Brush the olive oil along the top and sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan.

Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Let it rest for a few minutes.  Slice into individual pieces.

Serve with extra marinara sauce for dipping - and enjoy.

Click here for printable recipe.