Category Archives: Uncategorized

Bizza (Pizza Buns)

Uncategorized, , , ,

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The other day I was watching one of my favorite cooking shows that featured cinnamon buns. I like cinnamon buns but sometimes they are a bit too sweet for me. I am not a big sweet eater even though I love chocolate but it has to be dark chocolate which is more bitter than sweet. Anyway, I though it would be nice to come up with a bun recipe that was more savory than sweet like a pizza bun. The idea was to use the same method of building a cinnamon bun but with different ingredients.

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Of course when you think of pizza you think of pizza dough, sauce and cheese. Simple ingredients for a simple dish. I have to say that when I first pulled the Bizza (more on the name later) out of the oven it was not the prettiest of sights. Everything looked kind of mushed together but as I pulled each of the buns apart they started to look pretty good. The final test for whether or not I could post the recipe for a Bizza on dmariedining.com was in the taste. My hubby looked hesitant to try it and my youngest son just looked hungry. After my son took a bite he nodded his head (like a cool teenager would) and my hubby said it reminded him of a calzone which he loves. Score one for dmariedining.com!

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Now, you might still be wondering where the name Bizza came from. It was my hubby’s idea. Since I told him the recipe was a take on a cinnamon bun in the style of a pizza he came up with the name Bizza to represent a bun and a pizza. That is how the Bizza was born.  The Bizza has become one of my” go to” quick lunches for the family on the weekends.  Try it.  I bet you’ll become a fan of the Bizza.

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Bizza (Pizza Buns)

Ingredients:
1 pkg pizza crust
1 15 oz jar of pizza sauce
½ cup pepperoni slices
½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
¼ cup fontina cheese shredded
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
cooking spray
flour
round cake pan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray cake pan with cooking spray. Spoon a layer of pizza sauce in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Set aside.

Sprinkle flour on a clean flat surface. Place pizza dough on flour and using a floured rolling pin roll out the dough slightly. Spread pizza sauce evenly over the pizza dough leaving a ¼ inch boarder around the edges. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Layer pepperoni over the cheese then sprinkle the fontina cheese over the pepperoni. Start at one end of the pizza dough and begin gently rolling it forward and try to keep it tight to create a log. If the dough is too sticky to handle, pat your hands with flour.

Cut the log into 4 – 5 pieces. Place each bun in the baking pan end side up. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until the pizza dough is cooked and browned. Remove from the oven and let the Bizza rest for 5 minutes. Place a plate over the baking pan and then flip the buns onto the plate. You may need to run a butter knife around the edge of the baking pan to loosen the buns before flipping onto the plate. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese while the Bizza is still warm. Gently pull buns apart and serve.

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Potato Chip Butter Cookies

Desserts, Uncategorized, , , ,

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Many, many moons ago my brother gave me a recipe for potato chip cookies. When he first told me about them I could not imagine eating a cookie made with potato chips. I thought he was crazy and I must admit I turned my nose up to the idea. The amazing thing about these cookies is that you cannot taste the potato chips at all!

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One of the things I love about my brother Gregg is that he is adventurous and willing to take risks in life. He is always moving forward no matter what life throws his way and I truly admire him for it. That is also my goal in life to always move forward no matter how many peaks and valleys I encounter along the journey.  To this day, Gregg inspires me and makes  me laugh every time we get together.

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The flavors of salty and sweet are actually a great combination. Plus the buttery taste is wonderful. The cookies basically melt in your mouth which is always a good sign of a good cookie. Although this is a butter cookie it can be made into a chocolate potato chip cookie by adding a few chocolate chips. Yummy no matter how you make them.  Potato Chip Butter Cookies are delicious!

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Potato Chip Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup crushed potato chips
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed. Add egg yolk and vanilla to the bowl then beat together until well mixed. Gradually add flour. Gently stir in potato chips and pecans.

Grease a cookie sheet. Shape rounded teaspoons of the cookie dough and place on the cookie sheet approximately ½ apart. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until cookies are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack. Sprinkle with remaining powdered sugar (or not) using a sifter while the cookies are still warm. Store in an airtight container.

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Open Faced Taco

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , , ,

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An Open Faced Taco came to mind when I was looking for something to do with the extra tortillas I had on hand. I usually roll up the tortillas and make enchiladas but I had a taste for tacos not enchiladas. Instead of making a basic folded soft taco I imagined I could make an open faced taco similar to an open faced sandwich.

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Just like an open faced sandwich my open faced taco can be eaten with either a knife and fork or with your fingers. Depending on the meal, I like the idea of eating with my fingers to catch all the wonderful bits and pieces that try to escape my mouth. Fried chicken, open faced tacos or pizza. All of them are finger licking good but for now open faced tacos are at the top of my list.

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Open Faced Taco

Ingredients:
4-6 tortillas
1 lb ground turkey or beef (optional: shredded chicken)
1 avocado sliced
1 14 oz can black beans drained
1 cup shredded lettuce
½ cup Mexican cheese or pepper jack cheese
½ cup fresh salsa
¼ cup red onion finely sliced
¼ cup taco sauce
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup sliced black olives
½ cup water
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Adobo
1 1 oz pkg taco seasoning
Heat vegetable oil in a non- stick frying pan on medium heat. Lightly brown tortillas on each side. Drain on paper towels. Pour out oil from the pan. Reduce heat to low melt butter. Add black beans, red onion, ½ tbsp salt and ½ cup water. Warm the beans for 3 – 5 minutes then gently mash the beans. Turn off heat.

Brown ground turkey on medium high heat in a large frying pan. Drain off any grease. Reduce heat to medium low. Add seasonings along with ½ cup water and taco seasoning. Stir to mix well. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Assemble Taco:
Taco
Spread a spoonful of black beans on bottom of taco
Meat
Taco Sauce
Black Olives
Lettuce
Fresh Salsa
Cheese

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Parmesan Crusted Potato Wedges

Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetables, ,

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Potatoes. Baking potatoes, sweet potatoes or red potatoes. I love then all no matter how you fix them. I also love cheese so of course the combination of potatoes and cheese is always a winner in my book.

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Gooey cheese is good on potatoes but I liked the idea of potatoes with a cheese crusted skin. Parmesan cheese is usually the cheese of choice when creating a crusty cheese coating. At least that is what I have seen when watching cooking shows. I use grated parmesan cheese  whenever I make parmesan chicken so why not use it on potatoes.

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Besides the nice crusty texture on the potatoes the blend of seasonings gives the potatoes a nice flavor. My family likes the taste of spice so I added red pepper flakes to the cheese topping to give the potatoes extra heat. The next time you want to turn up the flavor on your potatoes add a little parmesan cheese. This is a wonderful side dish I think you will enjoy.

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Parmesan Crusted Potato Wedges

Ingredients:
4 baking potatoes (can mix with sweet potatoes)
1 medium onion sliced
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp parsley chopped
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tsp seasoned salt
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
paprika
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash potatoes then cut into wedges. Spray the bottom of a baking dish with cooking spray then line with sliced onions and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Toss potatoes with olive oil in a large bowl. Add potatoes to baking dish then season with salt, black pepper and top with paprika. Mix grated parmesan cheese, thyme, parsley and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over potatoes. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until potatoes are tender and golden.

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Cinnamon Chips

Appetizers, Desserts, Uncategorized, , ,

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Cinnamon Chips are a quick and easy snack or dessert you can make at anytime. I recently featured this recipe on the back of my business card for dmariedining.com. So if it can fit on the back of a business card, you know it must be a very simple recipe without a lot of ingredients or fuss.

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Back in the days when I would go to fast food restaurants one of my favorite snacks were the Cinnamon Crispas I would get get from Taco Bell. I don’t think they make them any more but I do remember enjoying them with my tacos. My recipe is not quite like the Taco Bell version but I like them because of the addition of chocolate. I am a true fan of dark chocolate and there are not too many desserts that I don’t like if there is dark chocolate in the mix.

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The next time you don’t what to do with all of your leftover tortillas after making one of my Tex-Mex dishes from dmariedining.com, try making Cinnamon Chips. You will be amazed at how quick and easy it is to great a tasty snack and bring back memories from the old days at Taco Bell.

Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients:
4-6 small tortillas
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cayenne (optional)
4 oz baking dark chocolate
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cinnamon, brown sugar, sugar, nutmeg and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place tortillas on a rimmed cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Brush each tortilla with melted butter. Sprinkle sugar mix evenly over each tortillas. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until tortillas are crisp. Cut into triangles with a pizza cutter.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. May need to add a tbsp of milk to chocolate to thin it out. Drizzle melted chocolate over tortillas. Store in an airtight container.

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Double Decker Oatmeal Bars

Desserts, Uncategorized, , , ,

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I have been staring a box of raspberry bars in my pantry for sometime now thinking about when I should make them. I liked the idea of making raspberry bars when I saw them in the grocery store but for some reason I have not been able to motivate myself to bake them. I think it is because they are just sitting in a box. Since I have started experimenting with baking I like the idea of making things from scratch rather than from a box. Don’t get me wrong. I would still use a boxed cake mix in a minute instead of making it from scratch. I have not graduated to that level of baking yet. However, the thought of making a box of raspberry bars no longer intrigued me once I got it home.

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Double Decker Oatmeal Bars popped into my mind while watching the Pioneer Women one morning. She made a very simple strawberry oatmeal bar dessert that I figured even I could make. I decided I wanted to try making two layers of oatmeal bars so I could experiment with using complimentary flavors. I liked the idea of apricots and raspberries or orange and blueberry preserves.

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The best thing about making this simple but yummy dessert is that you can prepare it with any flavor you like. Be adventurous. Make this recipe into your own!

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Double Decker Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup ground pecans
2 sticks of cold butter cubed
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 jar raspberry or blueberry preserves
1 jar apricot preserves
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter and cut into dry ingredients until well blended. Press ¼ of oat mixture in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread apricot jam over the bottom layer of oats. Top with more oat mixture and gently spread out over preserves. Add a layer of the raspberry preserves and top with remaining oat mixture and gently spread over preserves. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Let cool then cut into squares.

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Turkey Bean Burritos

Meat/ Poultry, Uncategorized, , ,

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Mmmm… I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how good my Turkey Bean Burritos were on the first try. Like I have said on other occasions, keep it simple and stick to the basics. Since tortillas have become a staple in my pantry I thought I would try a few new recipes using tortillas. I had made chicken enchiladas and figured burritos would not be to much of a stretch to make.

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Burritos like tacos are part of the “Tex-Mex” cuisine which is a culinary tradition of both Southwestern USA and Northern Mexico. Depending on if you are in the US or in Mexico the fillings you find in Burritos are different. In the US we tend to add a lot of ingredients to Burritos such as rice, beans, lettuce, cheese and avocado. In Mexico Burritos can be much simpler filled with only meat and refried beans.

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I like the US version of Burritos so I fill mine up with several ingredients. Be careful not to over fill them or you will never be able to roll up the Burritos. Depending on your audience you can make every Burrito different based on their tastes.

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However you decide to fill up your Burritos, have fun with it and make it your own.

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Turkey Bean Burritos

Ingredients:
6 – 8 tortillas
1 lb ground turkey
1 14 oz can refried beans
1 10 oz black beans rinsed
1 packet taco seasoning
1 jar taco sauce
½ cup water
½ cup fresh salsa
½ cup Mexican cheese or pepper jack cheese
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Warm refried beans in a small sauce pan stirring occasionally. Brown turkey. Pour off excess fat. Season meat with salt, pepper, onion powder, cumin, cinnamon and worcestershire sauce. Add water and taco seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Spread refried beans on a tortilla. Add 2 – 3 tbsp of meat on one end of the tortilla. Top with black beans, salsa and cheese. Fold sides of the tortilla towards the middle. Roll the end of the tortilla forward and tuck in the sides. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle taco sauce over the tortilla and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Bake for 10 15 minutes until the cheese melts.

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Chicken Quinoa Soup with Napa Cabbage

Meat/ Poultry, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorized, Vegetables, , , , ,

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Light, bright soups are fun to make and wonderful to eat. I recently wanted to make a light chicken soup to take away the chill on a cold winter day. I didn’t want to use pasta and thought Quinoa would be a great substitute for noodles.

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Quinoa has a unique texture and is easy to use in recipes. I have made salads using Quinoa and even created a Spinach Quinoa Cake that was delicious (check it out at dmariedining.com). Adding Quinoa to the chicken soup definitely kept it light and adding Napa Cabbage helped kick up the flavor and nutritional value.

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Next time you have a desire for a quick tasty soup or just want to use the leftover chicken in the frig think about making a nice Chicken and Quinoa Soup with Napa Cabbage.

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Chicken and Quinoa Soup with Napa Cabbage

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken pre-cooked
2 cups Napa cabbage shredded
4 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups Quinoa rinsed
1 bay leaf
½ cup baby carrots thinly sliced
½ cup slice celery
¼ cup red peppers thinly sliced into strips
¼ cup red onion chopped
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp seasoned salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp parsley
½ tsp cilantro
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook Quinoa according to package. Set aside.

Place chicken in a small bowl and season with seasoned salt and onion powder. Set aside.

Add chicken broth, onions, peppers, celery, carrots, bay leaf and seasonings to a large pot on medium high heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium then stir in chicken, Quinoa and cabbage. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with crackers.

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Mushroom and Spinach Quiche

Uncategorized, Vegetables, , ,

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Since I have a busy schedule between family stuff, work and dmariedining.com I am always looking for easy recipes that are packed with flavor. I think quiches are one of the simplest dishes to make when you don’t have a lot of time or you don’t feel like fussing over dinner. A quiche can be a full meal paired with a nice salad or it can be an appetizer (smaller portion) at the start of a meal.

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Mushroom and spinach quiche is one of my favorite meals to make. It has lots of protein and is very filling even though there is no meat in the dish. Mushrooms and spinach seem to go together well whether in a salad or a quiche.

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For all the moms out there that want to teach their kids how to cook, you may want to introduce them to the world of quiches. Because they are so versatile, you can turn quiches into a vegetarian dish, a seafood dish or a meat dish. Think about how it easy it would be to teach your kid how to cook a little spinach, beat a couple of eggs and add some cheese to a pie shell. I know I make it sound a little too easy but it is easy enough for a teenager to make.

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If you have young adults at home who have limited cooking skills (like my son), a mushroom and spinach quiche would be a good dish to teach them how to make for those independent days of cooking. This one will might even be an impressive meal for a date.

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Mushroom and Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:
1 9 inch deep dish pie shell thawed
1 10 oz bag baby leaf spinach
1 10 oz pkg sliced button mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp parsley
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
¼ tsp cumin
¼ cup half and half
¼ cup fontina cheese shredded
½ cup Gruyere cheese shredded
4 eggs
2 shallots sliced thin
paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter with olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add spinach, ½ tsp salt, and black pepper. Saute until spinach is wilted but bright green. Remove spinach from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan along with mushrooms, shallots and ½ tsp of salt. Saute until mushrooms are slightly browned.

Poke the bottom of pie shell with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from oven. Layer spinach on the bottom of the pie shell. Sprinkle half of the cheeses over the spinach. Layer the mushrooms over the cheese then top with the remaining cheese.

Beat together eggs, red pepper flakes, cumin, parsley, a pinch of salt and half and half. Pour into pie shell, sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 25 – 35 minutes until the middle of the pie is set. Test with a knife. It should come out clean. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes.

 

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Black Eyed Peas

Uncategorized, Vegetables

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In honor of our southern roots my family always rings in the New Year with black eyed peas. It is a tradition I hope will pass on to my children. Black Eyed Peas are suppose to bring you good fortune for the New Year. I say good fortune because I do not believe in luck. To me, everything happens for a reason whether or not we understand the reason why it happens.

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So on New Year’s day, black eyed peas are guaranteed to be on the menu. Of course, they can be delicious anytime of the year. The key is to season the peas with a nice meaty ham hock or flavorful smoked turkey leg. For my vegetarian friends you will need to pack in a lot of other seasonings to produce a wonderful flavor in the peas.

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The hardest part of preparing black eyed peas is to tenderize the meat before adding it the peas. I am comfortable with using a pressure cooker so that is how I quickly tenderize any meat that would other wise take hours to cook to get tender. If you are not comfortable using a pressure cooker, you will need to cook the meat for a few hours until it feels tender. Taking the time to tenderize your meat makes a big difference in how the dish tastes. No matter when you decide to fix a pot of black eyed peas, I am sure good fortune will shine upon you.

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Don’t forget the cornbread!

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Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:
2 10 oz bags of frozen black eyed peas
1 small onion diced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1 large ham hock or smoked turkey leg/ wing
3 cups broth from ham hock or smoked turkey
1 cups water
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
3-4 dashes of hot sauce

Place ham hock or smoked turkey in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Secure top of pressure cooker and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool before removing top of pressure cooker. Reserve 3 cups of broth from the cooked meat.

Place the meat, black eyed peas, onions, jalapeno pepper and seasonings into a large pot. Add the reserved broth and place lid over the pot. Simmer over medium heat until peas are tender. Approximately 30 minutes.

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