Pita Pizza

I just had to share what Marilyn and I have had for lunch twice this week. So easy and good! Here is what we did. 

Put pita bread on broiler pan and spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. This is to keep the juices from the tomatoes from soaking into the bread.

Add toppings. Cherry tomatoes sliced in half, fresh basil leaves,

some slices of zucchini,

salt and pepper to taste,

and some grated mozzarella or a slice of fresh mozzarella.

Broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. 

Last time we had this I also put on some bell peppers, but I didn't have any today. 

If you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, use canned diced tomatoes and just drain the juice before using.

Tomato Basil Soup

After the last not-so-good tomato soup I made, Lindy shared this recipe with me. It did not disappoint! It tastes so good. She got it from allrecipes.com. I have made a few changes from that recipe to be lower fat. The original called for 1 cup cream and 1/2 cup butter. That was too much for me, and this version was tasty.

From Lindy

Makes 4 large bowls of soup

4 tomatoes – peeled, seeded and diced

4 cups tomato juice

14 fresh basil leaves

½ cup cream

½ cup milk

2 Tbs butter

½ tsp salt

pepper to taste

Place tomatoes and juice in pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves and return to pot. Stir in the milk, cream, butter, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not let it boil.

Note: I didn't really see the advantage of the fresh tomatoes because you cook them anyway. I think that next time I make this I will just use 5 cups of tomato juice, delete the 4 tomatoes and skip the simmer 30 minutes step. I believe it would turn out just as good and would be much quicker to make.

Also - I serve this with toasted cheese sandwiches and call it a meal. I also served fresh strawberries with it last night.

Ham and Lima Beans

This is really good. We all like it.

Serves 4

2 Tbs butter

¾ C. chopped onion

½ tsp granulated garlic

½ tsp salt

Pepper to taste

¾ C chopped ham (can use a small can of ham)

1 ½ Tbs flour

1 can baby lima beans with juice (or follow instructions below to cook from dried baby lima beans)

Melt butter in frying pan. Sautee onions in butter, when they turn clear, add garlic, salt, pepper, ham and flour. Stir. Add to baby lima beans in saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Ready for the lima beans

I served this with breadsticks last night. We ate half and I froze the other half for a later meal.

To cook dry lima beans:

Pressure cooker:

Cook 1 cup dry lima beans and 3 cups water 15 minutes in pressure cooker, then quick release (cool pressure cooker with water)

Stovetop:

Put 1 cup dry beans and 3 cups water in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let soak 1 hour.

Drain and rinse beans. Put back in saucepan with 3 ½ cups water and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Salmon (Teriyaki)

1 large salmon fillet (enough to serve about 5 people)

1 tsp minced ginger

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs water

¼ tsp garlic  powder

Mix and pour on salmon to marinate about 15 minutes.

Heat grill to 275°. Cook salmon skin side down for about 10 minutes, then turn over and cook for 5 more minutes.

Thanks to Ken and Missy for our yummy Alaskan salmon.

Navajo Tacos

 Makes 4 tacos

1 C flour (I use whole wheat ground from soft wheat)

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp powdered milk

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 to ½ C warm water

Olive oil to cover bottom of fry pan about ¼ inch.

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add warm water a little at a time while stirring until you have a dough that can be handled. If it is too sticky, you can add a little more flour. Let rest for 10 – 20 minutes.

Divide dough into four balls and roll on a floured surface until about ¼ inch thick.

Heat oil on medium heat. When it is hot cook the fry bread about 3 minutes on each side. Set on plate covered with paper towel to soak excess grease. You can keep these warm in an oven with the light turned on until ready to serve.

Serve with taco filling.

Taco filling I used today:

1 can white beans

1 can black beans

1 chopped bell pepper

1 hot pepper (finely chopped)

1/2 chopped onion

1 tsp. taco seasoning

Drain and rinse beans. Put in sauce pan with the rest of the ingredients. Heat (stirring occasionally) for about 10 minutes while cooking the fry bread.

Serve the tacos with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, plain yogurt or sour cream.

These could also be served with chicken or hamburger or canned chili. I just used what I had in the garden and in the pantry.

Here is the order that I made dinner.

1. Get the dough mixed.

2. While dough is resting, mix filling.

3. Roll out dough and fry, while filling cooks.

Cheater Pizza

I was thinking "easy meals" as I browsed the aisles of Costco a while back when I spied a 4 pack of frozen Kirkland brand cheese pizzas for about 10 dollars. Hmm, $2.50 per pizza? I was willing to try them. I brought them home and when I got one out to cook it, I decided to fancy it up a bit before I put it in the oven.
Everyone loved it and it was so easy! I just served it with a green salad and Marilyn kept saying it was the best pizza she ever had. I may never make my own pizza dough again.

Here is the box of pizzas

Ready to cook

I topped this one with pepperoni on half, pre cooked frozen chicken pieces, 1 slice of precooked bacon cut into small pieces, sliced zucchini, bell pepper, and a few cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

From Brian and Sarah Matthews

Serves about 4

2 cups dry pasta (I used garden delight Penne)

1 lb. cherry tomatoes (about 30)

1 tsp. olive oil

½ cup chopped fresh basil

½ tsp granulated garlic (or fresh)

8 oz. fresh mozzarella (Ciliegine is in little balls and I like it best)

½ tsp. garlic salt

Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, chop the tomatoes in half. In fry pan heat olive oil and add 15 halved tomatoes and garlic. (Save the rest of the tomatoes to add later.) Heat for about 5 minutes and smash the tomatoes a little. This makes a sort of sauce.

When pasta is finished cooking, drain, put in serving bowl and add the rest of the ingredients stirring in the cooked tomatoes last. This melts the cheese a tiny bit. Serve hot.

Saute half the tomatoes

Fresh basil from the garden

Save half the tomatoes to add fresh

I first had this at Brian and Sarah's and I'm not sure if I make it the same as them. It was a while before I tried it on my own.

We had it last night and everyone loved it. Marilyn and McKay don't usually like cooked tomatoes, but they really like this pasta.

It is a wonderful light summer dish.

Taco Salad

This is one of those meals that just pleases everyone, even the pickiest eater, because they can put what ever they want into their salad. I have some eaters that just skip the lettuce completely.

I serve each ingredient in a separate bowl:
Lettuce
Grated cheese
Salsa
Sour cream (or plain yogurt)
Tortilla chips
Kidney beans or black beans (15 oz can drained and rinsed)
Bell pepper (chopped)
Corn
Avocado
Fresh Cilantro

If you don't have all the ingredients, just leave some out. I might not have a ripe avocado or some cilantro on hand, but it doesn't stop me from serving taco salad.

This is an idea that I served yesterday along with the above ingredients (it replaced the pepper and beans) and it was well received.
In a fry pan heat 1 tsp olive oil. Add 1/2 chopped green pepper, 1/4 chopped onion and 1 can red beans (drained and rinsed). Add a dash of cumin, cayenne pepper and chili powder. Stir and heat for 3 or 4 minutes and serve.

Pasta Salad

I made this pasta salad tonight and it turned out pretty good. It has lots of cheese in it because I made it for Lindy and she is a cheese lover. Here is what I did.

Serves about 5 people

Bring 6 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups pasta. I used bow tie, but any kind will work.
Boil for about 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking; Whisk the following together in a serving bowl:
1 Tbs. mayonaise
1 Tbs. ranch dressing
2 Tbs. plain yogurt (substitute milk or sour cream if desired)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 shake of season salt or celery seed

Add:
3 baby zucchinis (sliced) I like my zucchini very small, like 4 inches long.
1 cup sweet peas still in the pod (cut into bite sized pieces) (can substitute 1/2 cup frozen peas)
1 avocado (chopped)
1 small can chopped black olives (or about 10 whole olives sliced)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese cut into cubes

Stir until coated with dressing.

Drain pasta and rinse. Stir into salad and serve.

Note:
Other vegetables can be substituted for the ones above. Use what you like to eat or what is in season.
Some suggestions are:
Corn, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green onion, celery, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds, boiled eggs, anything you like.
I'm thinking some fresh chopped basil would be a good addition. I'll try that next time.

Note:
I served this with breadsticks tonight, but I changed the size of the pan I cooked them in. I liked them better this way. I used a flat 18" X 13" jelly roll pan.

BLT Sandwiches

Tonight for dinner we had one of my favorite summer meals; Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches.
Here is how I did it.

For each sandwich:
2 slices toasted whole wheat bread
2 or 3 tomato slices
1 or 2 pieces cooked bacon (I like the pre cooked kind so I can just heat it up)
Lettuce (It was fresh from the garden tonight, so good!)

Spread a little mayonnaise on the toast and add the rest of the ingredients. Salt and pepper the tomatoes and enjoy.

Note:
Tonight I added sliced cucumbers to my sandwich. I also enjoy adding sliced avocado.

I served strawberries and cream and cottage cheese with the sandwiches.

Cream Cheese Chicken Filling

Serves 8 – 10

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

4 stalks celery (finely chopped)

1 green onion (finely chopped)

2 cans or 1 pint jar of chicken (drained)

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and serve.

This is good with scones, on sandwiches or on crackers.  I use the low fat cream cheese.

Spaghetti

Serves 4 – 6

spaghetti noodles (about 1" diameter  when held tightly in hand)

5 cups water

½ tsp salt

Bring water and salt to boil in saucepan. Break spaghetti in half and add to water. Bring back to boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Water should just cover spaghetti, add more if needed.

½ lb hamburger

½ chopped onion

½ chopped bell pepper (optional)

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp granulated garlic

½ tsp salt

pinch of sugar

Brown hamburger with onion and pepper. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until spaghetti noodles are done.

Simmering sauce

Come and get it

Mix noodles and sauce together to serve.

Parmesan rolls or breadsticks are good with this. And of course a green salad.

Taco Soup

The weather outside still has me turning to warm comfort food. I am grateful for my warm house.

½  lb. ground beef (cooked and rinsed)

1 - 15 oz can whole kernel corn (drained)

1 - 15 oz can Mexican style tomatoes (or regular diced tomatoes)

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

2 – 15 oz  cans beans, drained (black, pinto, white, kidney, whatever you like)

1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 1 Tbs chili powder and 1 tsp cumin)

½ tsp salt

1 – 4 oz can diced green chilies (if desired)

Add all ingredients to pot and let simmer for 20 min. (or more) on stove.

Serve with sour cream (or plain yogurt), grated cheese and tortilla chips.

Note: I had a bell pepper that needed to be used, so I left out the chilies and added ½ chopped bell pepper and ¼ chopped onion. It gave the soup a fresh taste.

I served cornbread with it and it was a nice change from chips, although some of the family still had chips too.

Quick Pasta Dishes

I love to serve pasta in the summer. It is easy, quick and fresh vegetables are always plentiful. Chop and add them liberally. Adding a grated vegetable is sometimes easier for children to accept. Good luck with that. If you have a child who just won't try it with the vege's, spoon a serving out before adding them. 

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Cook enough pasta for your family. Follow package directions. Choose whatever shape of pasta you desire.

To cook about 4 servings of rotini pasta, bring 6 cups water and ½ tsp. salt to a boil. Add 2 ½ Cups rotini.

When the pasta is ready, drain and add one of the following:

Chicken and Noodles

Add 1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup, 1 can cooked chicken and 1 cup frozen peas. Cook until warmed through.

Note: for a lower calorie version add 1/2 can soup and 1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt.

Alfredo Noodles

Add 1 bottle of alfredo sauce. Chicken and broccoli may be added if desired.

Bean and Pasta Salad 

Add 1 drained can of black beans, 1 can (drained) kidney beans. If desired add chopped bell pepper. Add about ½ Cup Italian salad dressing and mix.

Pizza Macaroni

Add 1/2 - 3/4 cup pizza sauce. Chopped spinach and grated zucchini are good additions to this one. Top with parmesan or grated cheese if desired.

Fried Rice

Serves 4 - 6

broccoli

onion

bell pepper

celery

zucchini

carrots

pre cooked chicken or canned chicken

ham pieces

1 egg

peas, fresh or frozen

½ tsp. olive oil

1 ½ cup cooked rice

Vegetables are ready

Wash and prepare veges into bite sized pieces or smaller. Use any or all of the above in desired amounts. Heat oil in large fry pan and add vegetables. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, then add meat if desired and stir in. If you want to add an egg, push the rice and veges to the side of the pan and break egg into cleared spot. Scramble the egg and then mix with the rest of the fried rice.

For flavoring add:

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp garlic

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp sesame seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Mix into rice and serve.

My beautiful helper

Buttered Noodles

Serves 4-6

4 cups dry pasta (any kind you want)

8 cups water

1 tsp salt

Cook noodles as per instructions on package. Drain.

Return cooked noodles to pan and add the following:

4 Tbs parmesan cheese

1 Tbs dry herbs (Italian Seasoning or Herbs of Provence, or whatever you like)

1 Tbs butter

½ tsp granulated garlic if desired

Heat and stir until butter is melted. Then if desired add:

3 cheese sticks (cut into bite sized pieces)

Serve with chopped spinach to top with.

Note: For food storage replace butter with olive oil.

I served this with a fruit salad, butternut squash and bread as sides.

Pizza

I have been looking for a pizza crust I really like for years and finally found one a couple of months ago when I tasted Jenn's pizza. She shared her recipe with me and here it is for you.

Crispy Pizza Crust

From Jenn Matthews

3 C flour (or 1 1/2 cup white and 1 1/2 cup wheat)

2 1/2 t yeast (if using wheat flour, decrease yeast to 2 tsp.)

3/4 t salt

1 1/2 Tbs oil

1 1/8 cup warm water

Dissolve yeast in warm water; add oil.  Add flour and salt. Mix to soft dough and knead 5 minutes. Cover and let rise 1 hour.  ( I had never let a pizza crust rise and it is really worth it) Makes 2 crusts. Spray pan with Pam before putting dough on it. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Then remove from oven and add toppings. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Tip: Make the crust ahead of time and then just put the toppings on when you are ready to make the pizza. You can even make a few batches and freeze them, then you have a quick dinner ready to go. (quick meal)

Red Pizza Sauce

1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ to ½ tsp. granulated garlic

pinch sugar

Mix in a small bowl.

Use the leftover for dipping sauce. Just warm in the microwave.

Toppings for 13 inch pizzas

Meat Lovers

Spread ½ cup red pizza sauce on pre baked crust.

Add pepperoni, ½ cup diced ham, ½ cup diced precooked chicken, 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425°and serve.

Before cooking

Hot and Ready!

Margarita

Brush ½ Tbs olive oil on pre baked crust. Sprinkle ¼ to ½ tsp granulated garlic over oil. Rinse and drain one can diced tomatoes. Spread ½ to ¾ cup tomato pieces over oil. (Fresh tomatoes are a great replacement for canned). Spread 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil. Then sprinkle ¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes at 425° and serve.

There are not enough tomatoes on this one, so I fixed the recipe.

Barbecue Chicken
Spread bottled barbecue sauce on pizza crust. Add chicken, onions, bell pepper and sprinkle lightly with cheese.


Alfredo Chicken
Spread bottled Alfredo sauce on crust. Top with chicken, green onions, bell pepper, a little bacon and chopped spinach. Top with parmesan instead of mozzarella for a different flavor. You can sprinkle a little garlic on top if desired.

Barbecue or Sloppy Joe

My mom called these sloppy joe, McKay's mom called them barbecue. I don't have a written recipe from my mom, but it was similar to Grandma Jane's.

From Grandma Jane Matthews

1 pint chili sauce

½ cup brown sugar

3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1 cup ketchup

1 cup tomato juice

¼ cup vinegar

pepper

3 lbs. hamburger

1 large onion

Brown hamburger (salt and pepper it) and onion together. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a pot. Add hamburger to liquid mixture. Simmer about 5 – 10 min.

Or

Put all ingredients in with the browned hamburger and simmer.

Serve on hamburger buns or bread. Lightly toast buns in the broiler if desired.

Toasted Buns

This was Grandma’s original recipe. I have never made that much so here are the amounts I use: 

Serves 4, fills about 6 buns

1/3 cup chili sauce

1 Tbs . brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp dry mustard

2 Tbs ketchup

3 Tbs. tomato sauce (I usually don’t have tomato juice on hand)

1 tsp. vinegar

pepper

½ lb. hamburger

¼ cup finely chopped onion

Or just brown some hamburger and add a bottle of barbecue sauce to it. (Quick meal)

Note: I always rinse my hamburger in a colander after cooking to decrease the fat.

Rinsing the hamburger and onion

Salmon Patties (or Tuna or Chicken)

Makes 6 patties
1 6 oz can salmon or tuna or chicken or turkey (drained)
3 stalks celery (finely chopped)
1/4 onion (finely chopped)
5 saltine crackers (crushed)
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil

Mix all ingredients except oil together in a mixing bowl. Heat oil in large fry pan over medium heat. Put salmon mixture into pan by large spoonfuls and press down into patties. Cook 4 min on each side over medium heat.
Serve with ketchup or ranch dressing. Or you can serve with buns like a hamburger.

To make this out of food storage, substitute 1 tsp celery seed for celery, 1 Tbs dried onion for onion and 1 Tbs water for the egg. They will be less patty like without the egg, more like a sandwich filling.

First side cooking

Ready to Serve

Enchiladas (Flat)

From Grandma Anna C Whitney

Serves 4

Sauce:

2 – 8 oz cans tomato sauce (or I use 1 can tomato sauce and one 15 oz can diced tomatoes)

¼ tsp garlic powder

1 Tbs. chili powder

pinch of sugar

Mix together in saucepan until hot.

Enchiladas:

8 corn tortillas

2 Tbs vegetable oil (I always use olive oil)

1 cup grated cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

8 tsp. sour cream (or I use plain yogurt)

1 – 15 oz can kidney or black beans (or Grandma used ½ lb browned hamburger)

4 fried eggs

1 cup shredded lettuce

Brush tortillas with olive oil and heat in fry pan over medium heat, about 1 minute per side.  Place on plate and put a couple of spoonfuls of sauce on tortilla. Place ¼ cup beans on top of sauce, then 1 tsp. sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese. Add another tortilla and repeat the same steps. Put in oven turned to 200° to keep warm as you make the next one. Fry egg and place on top, then put on one more spoonful of sauce.

Top with a ¼ cup shredded lettuce. 

Spoon on sauce

Add beans and sour cream

Sprinkle with cheese

Two layers with egg on top