Caesar Salad in Parmesan Cheese Cups

Awhile back I had made some Parmesan disks to go with dinner that were absolutely delicious. I mean seriously, who doesn't like melted Parmesan? I'm not talking about that gross kind that you shake out of a plastic container that smells like dirty socks. I'm talking about fresh shredded Parmesan cheese, that you either purchase in the deli department or shave right off the block of cheese yourself! The Parmesan disks were super easy as you just melt Parmesan on a cookie sheet covered with Parchment paper and eat the hot melty cheese disks as a side dish after they firm up a bit. Well, when I saw the idea on Pinterest to mold those same little disks around something to create a "cup" I just knew I had to try it. So I decided to fill my little cups with Caesar Salad since Parmesan is such an integral part of Caesar Salad. They were tasty, small enough to just pop into your mouth with one or two bites, and who doesn't like eating their bowls? I know I do!

This is where I found the idea: http://duhlicious.com/2010/07/parmesan-cups-make-for-simple-canapes/

Shredded Parmesan Cheese (not the powdery kind, the fresh kind)
Romaine Lettuce or a Bag of Caesar Salad
Caesar Dressing
Croutons

Heat oven to 350°
Line a cookie sheet with Parchment paper.
For each cup, place 1 Tbsp of Parmesan onto the Parchment paper and flatten it out a bit with the back of the tablespoon. Don't flatten it all the way, it will melt and flatten itself out.

 Place each tablespoon full at least 2 inches apart as it will melt and spread out.

Fill up the cookie sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and let stand for about 20 seconds.

Use a spatula and lift each cheese disk and place it either over a shot glass (turned upside down) or a mini muffin tin flipped upside down so the bumps or cavities for the muffins are facing up. Use your fingers to "mold" the cheese around the container to create "cups." Allow these to cool and then remove onto a tray or plate.

Toss your romaine or Caesar Salad mix into a bowl with the Caesar dressing. Place a small amount of salad into each bowl and top with croutons. Enjoy!

Zucchini, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

After arriving home from vacation yesterday afternoon, I was surprised that my sweet little neighbor that was watering my garden for me, had left all the ripe vegetables on the vines. I had told her to take anything she wanted that was ripe while we were gone, but I guess she decided not to. So needless to say, I had zucchini and tomato overload! There was a zucchini the size of Texas...yes it was that big...and tons of ripe cherry tomatoes. So after eating a lot of tomatoes, I decided to save some of them to throw together with some zucchini for dinner. I didn't cook the zucchini that was larger than most adults, but trust me, I will soon and you just wait until you see the picture of this bad boy! But I did cook up a couple smaller zucchini's and made this really tasty side dish. The hubby and I really liked it.

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large zucchini, sliced
1 cup sliced onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
Italian Seasoning, to taste
Salt/Pepper, to taste
Crushed red Pepper, to taste

A handful of Cherry Tomatoes
Grated mozzarella cheese (you can use as much or as little as you prefer)
Grated (Fresh) Parmesan cheese (you can use as much or as little as you prefer)

In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add the zucchini, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Saute until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes and the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cook just until the cheese is melted.

Parmesan Crisps

It's been a busy day and an extremely busy week all together. Just the thought that it's only Wednesday tomorrow is enough to make my head spin. So tonight as I was throwing together a quick dinner, I had the thought "what could I make as a side dish that's super easy, requires no thought at all and I have the ingredients for?" That's when I thought of Parmesan crisps. There really is no recipe as this is just cheese and salt. So if you like cheese and are looking for something super easy to cook, this just might be your answer!
These are very thin crisps. There is actually about 9 or 10 of these on this plate. Also this is a fairly small plate. These are about 3" in diameter each. You just can't tell because (like I have stated before), I am a lousy food stager and picture taker.
** Confession- There was 10 or 12, but somebody and I'm not saying who, for the sake of not incriminating myself) may have eaten 1 or 2 of them ;)

Fresh shredded Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Drop cheese onto the cookie sheet in circles. You don't want them mounded up too high or they will not crisp up. Place in oven and remove when golden brown and crispy. I can't tell you the exact time because it depends on the size of the cheese circle. Just stay close by your oven as it may only take a few minutes. Let them sit out of the oven for about a minute to finish crisping up. Enjoy!

Deep Dish Pizza

♫ When the moon hits your eye like a big-a pizza pie, that's amore ♫
Ok, ok, I will stop singing. I felt like singing this happy tune as I was making home made deep dish pizza last night. I'd like to say that I could toss the dough high in the air and catch and twirl it like the pros do, but trust me....that would not have been pretty. (Cut to the next scene....me getting out the hubbies ladder to scrape pizza dough off the ceiling)    ;)
Making home made dough was a little time consuming, as it had to rise in a couple separate intervals, but while it was rising, it gave me plenty of time to get other things done around the house. Besides, there is just pure satisfaction in knowing that the entire pizza was made from scratch, with no pre-made items. This pizza tasted great and was extremely filling. It's not too often that I can say "one piece of pizza filled me up."
If you are thinking that I forgot to add  the cheese, you thought wrong. All the cheesy goodness is hiding under all that wonderful sauce! The pizza was great and today it still tastes great as a leftover.

I used the recipe from the following link, but I adapted it some. I did not use Parmesan as the recipe  called for. I still can't talk my hubby into appreciating a good parmesan cheese. Also, I added some italian seasoning when adding the tomatoes!

 http://annies-eats.com/2010/01/21/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/
  
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (8 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (1 3/8 oz.) yellow cornmeal
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. (5 oz.) water, at room temperature
1½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
For the sauce:
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. grated onion
Pinch of dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper
For assembling and topping:
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tbsp.)
Directions:
To make the dough, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook on low speed.  Mix until blended, about 1 minute.  Add the water and melted butter and continue mixing on low speed until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.  Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is glossy and smooth, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 4-5 minutes.
Using your hands, coat a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil.  Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to coat with oil.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled, about 45-60 minutes.
While the dough is rising, prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, oregano, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until reduced to about 1¼ cups, about 25 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in the basil and oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll into a 8- by 6-inch rectangle.  Using an offset spatula, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges.  Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.  With the seam side down, flatten the cylinder into a 9- by 2 inch rectangle.  Fold into thirds like a business letter, pinch the seams to form a ball, and return to the oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator until nearly doubled in size, 40-50 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  To assemble, coat a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Transfer the dough ball to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about ¼-inch thick.  Transfer the dough to the pan.  Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into the corners and 1 inch up the sides.  If the dough resists stretching, let rest 5 minutes before trying again.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the surface of the dough.  Spread the tomato sauce over the cheese and top with Parmesan.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Yield: 1 9-inch deep-dish pizza

Mexican Stuffed Shells

I wasn't sure what my initial reaction to this recipe would be, because as I have stated many times in this blog, I am not a big fan of ground beef. But, I guess if it's disguised in enough taco seasoning, it seems to work for me.This turned out to be very delicious and pretty simple to make. I love spicy food, so this one was right up my alley! If you don't like food too spicy, you could use mild  salsa and mild taco sauce.

1 lb. ground beef
1 package Lawrys taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a skillet cook ground beef. Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Mix together thoroughly. Set meat aside and let it cool down. Cook the pasta shells according to directions. Drain. Set shells out individually on a cookie sheet so that they don’t stick together. Pour salsa into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells on top of the salsa in the pan with the open side of the pasta facing upward. Cover the shells with taco sauce. You may need to use a spoon to collect some of the sauce off the bottom of the pan to help cover the shells. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheeses and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with green onions. Serve with sour cream.

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

Another night of "no cooking" cooking? Yes please! Even though the temps have dropped into the 90's it's still too hot for me. I am yearning for the cold weather and the hearty food that goes along with it. Hurry up fall and winter. Well, not that we really get a fall or a winter much in Southern California, but I long for the days of summer to go far, far away!!

Sourdough Bread
Butter
Cream Cheese
Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
Cheddar, Cheese, shredded
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Whole canned jalapenos (or green chilies)

Butter the outsides of two slices of bread. Layer the grilled cheese ingredients in any order or amount that you would like on the unbuttered side of the bread. Grill in a skillet or a panini press until golden.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Since it's been so hot this week, I have been making easy, no muss, no fuss, dinners. I usually make home made macaroni and cheese in the oven. Truthfully I like my oven recipe just a little bit better than the crock pot version, but hey when it's 100 degrees outside, the crock pot version will suffice.

This recipe makes quite a bit....you could cut it in half for a small family or a single person.

16 oz package elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 can evaporated milk

2 cups lowfat milk

Salt/Pepper to taste

32 oz velveeta cheese, cubed

6 Tbsp melted butter

 

Cook the pasta, drain and place back into the pan. Toss the cooked pasta with the olive oil to coat thoroughly. Put the pasta into a *GREASED* crock pot along with all the other ingredients. Stir well.  Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.

Grilled French Ham and Cheese

My creative cooking juices were just not flowing today. That's very unusual, but it does happen. I have to admit that I don't like ham at all. I took a couple bites of this sandwich and passed it happily along to John. That's not to say it didn't taste good though. If you like ham, I'm sure you would like this sandwich. It's really easy to make and hardly takes any time at all.

French Bread
Ham Slices
Gruyere Cheese Slices
Butter
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp water
Salt
Pepper

Butter 2 slices of french bread on one side. On the non buttered side of one slice, place ham and slices of cheese. You can use as much or as little as you like. Place the other buttered piece of bread (buttered size out) on the top of the sandwich. In a medium bowl, mix two eggs with water, salt and pepper. Dip the sandwich into the egg mixture and press in a panini press or cook in a skillet for 5 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking process.

Cheese Ball

My mom has made this wonderful snack for years. All of us love it and tonight I made it for only the second time. I think the reason I don't make it very often is because I would sit and eat all of it.
Somehow even though I might possibly be coming down with a cold or the flu, it still tasted great!

1  carton soft cream cheese, softened
1-2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/4 of a med size green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 of a med size red bell pepper, chopped
12 cup chopped walnuts

Mix all ingredients together and shape into a ball. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Macaroni and Cheese

I am not a fan of Macaroni and Cheese, but I think it's maybe because of that atrocious stuff on the market called Kraft Mac N Cheese. UGH....I probably have not had macaroni and cheese of any kind in years. It's just not a food I typically choose to prepare. Well, I wanted to try something new and somewhat simple for tonight. This is definitely simple and it was quite tasty! I would make this again for sure. I know the picture doesn't really show much of what's on the isnide, but hey it's Mac and Cheese, what else can I say? ;)

Here is a link to the recipe!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traditional-Macaroni-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Cheese and Fruit "Turkey" Appetizer

My daughter Kylie made this today for Thanksgiving and I just had to share it on my blog. It was super cute and looked great on the table. She is super creative and always makes her things look so good!

For  the body use a honeydew melon. For the tail feathers, place cheese and grapes on skewers and insert them into the melon. For side feathers, cut red and yellow pepper slices and place in with toothpicks. The head is a bosc pear and the nose is a cube of cheese. The eyes are cranberries and the "gobble" was cut out of a red pepper also. Attach with toothpicks!

Quite a few months ago, she also made this baby carriage stroller for my other daughters baby shower. I thought this post would be a good place to put this picture too! Isn't it adorable???