Grilled Pizza Crust

2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons yeast
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix together and let stand 10 minutes

1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon salt
5 to 5 1/2 cups flour

Mix the rest of the ingredients and kneed for 5 minutes using dough hook on Kitchenaid or kneed by hand for 10 minutes. Roll into balls (about the size of a baseball) and flatten using rolling pin until desired thickness (it is easiest to work with if they are personal sized pizzas). Drizzle or spray each side with olive oil to make sure it is covered. Pre-heat grill to 300 degrees. Place dough on grill and quickly close the lid. When grill marks appear on the crust and the inside starts to cook, flip crusts and quickly add toppings then close grill lid as quickly as possible. Leave closed till grill marks appear on the other side of the crust and cheese melts.

For freezer meal: Grill each side of the crust and do not add toppings. Freeze in ziplock bag. When ready to eat, thaw on counter (only takes about an hour), add toppings and broil in your oven.

My Favorite Cafe Rio Pulled Pork

3-4 lbs bone-in pork shoulder/butt roast (cheaper cuts do great in the slow cooker)
Coke

Add the pork and some of the coke (doesn't need to cover it) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Remove the pork and shred. Discard bone and fatty pieces. Drain the juices from the slow cooker and return shredded pork to slow cooker.

2 cups coke
1 cup brown sugar
16 oz red taco sauce
1-2 tsp. chipotle pepper seasoning (to taste, it is a little spicy)

Combine these ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour on top of pork. Let pork soak for 30-60 minutes.

Serve with black beans, rice (cook using chicken broth instead of water, stir in some cilantro and lime juice after it is cooked), THIS salad dressing, and Tortillaland uncooked tortillas (Costco has these).
Or serve with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacomole, rice, beans and tortilla strips and the same salad dressing.

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups pasta sauce

Mix all ingredients using your hands then shape into 15-16 balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Place tomato sauce in a skillet and turn stove to low. Place meatballs in sauce and cover and simmer another 15-20 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or on subs with provolone cheese.

Chile Rellenos

Sauce:
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chiles:
1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6 poblano chiles, charred, seeded, and deveined *see Cook's Note
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions
Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes or till done with other steps. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Chile rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Cut a slit through 1 side of the charred chiles and fill each chile with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the filled chiles in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chiles into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.

Arrange the chiles on a serving platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve.

Notes
To char the chiles (or any fresh chile): Put the chiles over a gas flame or underneath the broiler and cook until they are blackened on all sides. Enclose them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam, which will make them easier to peel. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles (use plastic gloves!) Once peeled, the chiles may be chopped, sliced or stuffed.

Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich

1 large firm eggplant
Salt
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
6-10 soft rolls, warmed in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 5 minutes before serving
3/4 cup part-skim Mozzarella, shredded
2 cups prepared marinara sauce, warm

Directions

Slice the eggplant crosswise about 1/2-inch thick - make slices as consistent as possible. Season eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 1 hour then rinse with water.

Beat eggs with a fork and place in shallow bowl. Place flour in another plate and bread crumbs in another. Then dip the eggplant slices in flour, then egg then seasoned bread crumbs, covering all surfaces, and set on cookie sheet.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to heat up. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.)

Add the breaded eggplant slices to the pan cook 3-4 minutes. Flip and put the cheese on and cover. Cook till the other side is browned and the cheese is melted.

Remove from frying pan and place onto paper towels to blot any excess oil.

Place 2 or 3 eggplant slices onto warmed roll, top with warm marinara sauce.

Falafel

Chickpeas:
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, peeled
1 rib celery
1/2 onion
Kosher salt

Falafel:
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
2 to 3 grates lemon zest
1/2 Spanish onion, small diced
Flour, for dusting
Kosher salt

Garnish:
Pita bread
Chopped lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Peeled, grated cucumbers
yogurt Sauce, recipe follows
Directions

Peanut or other neutrally flavored oil, for frying

To cook the chickpeas: Drain the chickpeas from the soaking water and place in a medium saucepan. Toss in the garlic, bay leaf, carrot, celery, and onion. Add water to the pan until it covers the chickpeas by about 2 inches of water.

Put the pan on a high heat and bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn the heat off.

Season the water generously with salt and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the chickpeas from the cooking liquid and remove the veggies, and bay leaf and discard.

To make the falafel: In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas until they look coarse and grainy but are NOT a puree.

Transfer the pulsed chickpeas to a mixing bowl and add the cilantro, parsley, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest, onions and spices. Gently stir to combine. Taste the mixture to see if the mix needs seasoning, season with salt if needed.

Form the mixture into balls the size of walnuts and gently press to make patties. Lightly dust with flour on both sides and pat off excess. Place the patties on a sheet tray and let hang out in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or over night.

Add oil to a large straight-sided saute pan until the oil is about 1/2-inch deep. Bring the oil to a medium-high heat. Add the falafel to the pan and fry them on both sides until they are brown and crispy.

Remove the falafel from the pan and dry on paper towels.

Serve the falafel in pitas with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and yogurt Sauce.

Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Gnocchi with Sage-Butter

1 package potato gnocchi
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi pasta, and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook until the garlic has softened and is beginning to turn golden brown. Stir in the sage, salt and pepper for a few seconds, then add the cooked gnocchi. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Garnish with remaining Parmesean cheese.

Chicken Carbonara

From Foodnetwork
I found this recipe when I had some extra roast chicken. I didn't have a lot of the ingredients so I made several substitutions and it was great! I am sure it would be even better with everything.

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped (I used bacon)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups whipping cream (I used milk)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used dry)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (I used dry)
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (Had to leave these out)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel (All I had was lemon juice)

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and
garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2 tsp canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 lb ground chicken or finely diced chicken
3 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped (about 8 small mushrooms)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 C bagged coleslaw mix or thinly shredded cabbage
1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and finely minced
1/2 C thinly sliced green onions
4 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 3-4 Tbs juice)
1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce
4 Tbs soy sauce
4 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs water
2 tsp honey
1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp sriracha (or put a small amount in individual portions of the sauce to adjust the spice)

Heat a very large skillet to medium-high heat on the stove top. When hot, add vegetable oil and then garlic and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and then add ground chicken, chopped mushrooms, and kosher salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through. (*At this point, sometimes I have some extra liquid in the pan from the chicken. If it’s quite a bit, I tilt the pan and spoon it out so the chicken can cook and not boil.) Add cabbage/coleslaw, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook for about 2 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, the zest from the lemon and the lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

To prepare dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine.

To serve, carefully remove the individual leaves from the head of lettuce. (The closer you get to the center, the easier it becomes!) Place chicken mixture in the leaves and serve with sauce.

Yield: about 5 C chicken mixture. Makes 14-16 lettuce wraps.

Recipe from Our Best Bites
The only thing I changed was to put the hot sauce in the dipping sauce instead of the wraps so that some of us could have it spicy and some could have it mild. And I did dice the chicken because it didn't seem like it was worth the mess of grinding it. I liked the chicken diced and will probably always do it like that.

Jambalaya

2 teaspoons oil
1 chicken breast (sometimes I just leave this out)

1 cup diced ham
1.2 lb smoked sausage


1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups bell peppers (mixture of red, green, yellow, and/or orange), seeded & finely chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (14.5 oz) diced, undrained tomatoes,
3 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Tony's creole seasoning to taste

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled (optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Season chicken with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add chicken to pan and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and cook until golden brown on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add diced ham and sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ham and sausage to paper towel–lined plate and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add vegetables and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon, until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, salt, thyme, and chili powder; cook, stirring frequently, until rice is coated with fat, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaves, and browned ham and sausage to pot; stir to combine. Place chicken on rice. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir once, keeping chicken on top, skinned-side down. Replace cover and continue to simmer until the internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees, about 10 minutes more; transfer chicken to clean plate and set aside for ten minutes (this keeps the chicken from drying out). Scatter shrimp over rice, cover, and continue to cook until rice is fully tender and shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Add Creole seasoning to taste.

Shred chicken. When shrimp are cooked, discard bay leaves; off heat, stir in parsley and shredded chicken, and serve immediately.


Adapted from Joelen

Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Recipe from foodnetwork.com

1 pound rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound assorted mushrooms, (such as cremini, shiitake and button), cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (CONFESSION: I used cream cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper (make sure you taste it to see if they are well seasoned. It will make a big difference). Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Beef Fajitas

10 Flour Tortillas
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 pound beef (skirt steak, flank steak, or round steak)
1 tomato
1 ripe avocado

sour cream

Prepare marinade of all ingredients except tortillas, avocado, tomatoes and meat. Place the meat in a plastic bag and cover with the vegetables/marinade, turning once or twice, and marinade 8 to 24 hours.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm in 250 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cut meat across the grain in thin strips. Broil or fry the meat in a little oil for 3-4 minutes. In the meantime, quickly saute the onions and peppers in the marinade just until tender. Add the meat and chopped tomato to the vegetable mixture. Toss until covered with marinade, and serve immediately with hot tortillas. Top with sliced avocado. Serve with sour cream.

Chicken Piccata

• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups all purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Reduce heat to medium low and add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Layered Mexican Chicken Rice Bake

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced

1 bell pepper (any color)

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

4 Cups cooked/steamed rice

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

Chili Powder to taste

2 12.5 oz cans chicken (for shredded chicken use 3 cups)

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning

1 Cup prepared Salsa

1 can great northern beans (or any bean of choice), drained

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and peppers for about 5 minutes or until softened; season with salt. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in cooked rice, season with cumin and chili powder and reduce heat to low. Transfer mixed rice to a 9×13 inch baking dish.

2. Place chicken breast into a medium skillet over medium heat. Season with garlic salt, ranch seasoning and salsa; mix and reduce heat to low. Layer the beans, cilantro, chicken and top with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Pan Bagnat

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 baguette, approximately 16 to 18 inches long
• 12 ounces canned tuna packed in oil or water, drained and crumbled
• 1 small green pepper, sliced into rings
• 1 small red onion, sliced into rings (I omit)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 cup chopped kalamata olives
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. While continuing to whisk, gradually add the olive oil. Whisk until an emulsion forms. Set aside.

Slice the baguette horizontally into 2 pieces. Tear out some of the soft bread in the center of each side, making a slight well in the bread. Place the tuna, green pepper, red onion, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tomato on the bottom side of the bread in that order. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the vegetables, top with the second piece of bread, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.

Cut into 4 sandwiches and serve.

Linguine Carbonara

2/3 pound linguine
3 minced garlic cloves
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs-beaten with 1 tablespoon milk and 2 tablespoon pasta cooking water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp. makes it pretty spicy)
1 cup Kirkland Crumbled Bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon parsley-chopped (optional)
freshly ground pepper-to taste

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve a little of the cooking water for the egg mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic and peas, and cook over very low heat. Stir in the red pepper. Next, add the cooked pasta to the pot, and stir to combine. Add the bacon crumbles and the egg mixture and toss. Turn the heat off and add the cheese, parsley, and black pepper. Serve.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

½ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup butter, softened
3 tablespoon Mayonnaise
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 lbs. tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven’s broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice; season with basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery seed, garlic powder and paprika. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the cheese mixture on the top side; broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Shoy-u Chicken

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
6-8 chicken parts (thighs & legs are best)

Spread chicken in 9 x 13 pan. Combine sauce and pour over chicken. Allow to marinate a few hours before baking. Cook at 450 for 30 minutes. Serve with rice using sauce as gravy.

Sweet and Savory Salad Wrap

Toss together the following and then wrap in a tortilla, pita, or flatbread wrap:

baby spinach
rotisserie chicken
crumbled bacon
feta cheese
craisins
poppyseed dressing

Florrie's Salad

Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Spinach
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chicken, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup Almonds
3 tablespoons sugar

Candy the almonds by placing them in a small frying pan with the sugar over medium heat. Stir almost constantly until sugar begins to melt and coats the almonds. Remove from the pan and place on cookie sheet to cool.

Place all other ingredients in a large bowl, and coat with dressing just before serving.

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon poppyseeds
2 generous teaspoons raspberry jam

Mix all ingredients and place in refrigerator until ready to pour over salad. The flavors mix better together if you make this a little ahead of time and let chill in refrigerator.