Pizza Rolls

This idea has travelled around the neighborhood and my family loves them! I will post a picture later because they really are pretty! -Lacey

Use any pizza dough you want, refrigerated or fresh. Here's an easy basic dough recipe that you can make without a mixer.

Pizza Dough:
1 Tb or 1 pkg yeast
1 cup very warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tb oil
2 1/2 cups flour (approximately)

Dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt and oil. Mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time until soft dough is formed (I usually have to knead in the last little bit). Knead until smooth.

Pizza Rolls:
Roll the dough out into a big rectangle. Add your toppings of choice (cheese, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, peppers, etc.). Do not add sauce! It will make them soggy and gross! Roll the dough up like a big jelly roll and cut into pizza rolls (use a piece of thread or floss to cut the dough. It won't squish them.) Place on a baking stone or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Dip pizza rolls in sauce of your choice.

*Try shredded chicken, red onions, chopped cilantro and bacon. Dip in BBQ sauce for a delicious BBQ chicken pizza roll! My favorite so far!

Tortilla Soup

There's a cold weekend coming up. Make this! -Lacey

2 chicken breast cooked (I've made it without the chicken. Turned out fine.)
2 cans chicken broth
1 large can of V8 juice
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn, drained
diced medium onion
2 cloves or garlic
1 pkg. spanish rice, unprepared (or you can use already made spanish rice)
1 Tb. lemon juice
1 small can diced green chilies

Stir together all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Top with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

*Don't use a crockpot for this. I regret it every time I try.

Cola Pork Chops and Roasted Potatoes

I made this for dinner tonight and it was yummy! Pork chops have a tendency to be quite dry but these were nice and moist. Add some steamed fresh green beans and you've got a fabulous dinner! Lacey

Cola Pork Chops:
1 cup ketchup (I used 1/2 c. ketchup, 1/2 c. BBQ sauce)
1 cup Coke (or some other lame cola-flavored carbonated beverage)
2 Tb. brown sugar
8 pork chops
flour
garlic powder
onion powder
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together ketchup (and BBQ sauce), Coke and brown sugar.

Season pork chops with garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Roll in flour and brown in saucepan before baking. Place pork chops in baking pan and pour cola mixture over, coating well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for about an hour depending on the thickness of the pork chops.

*After baking, I used a little corn starch to thicken up the sauce.

Roasted Potatoes:
3 medium potatoes cut into chunks
2 Tb. olive oil or butter, melted
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp paprika

Place potatoes in greased 9x9x2 baking pan. Combine oil and seasonings. Drizzle over potatoes, tossing to coat. Bake covered, in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. Stir potatoes. Bake uncovered, 10-20 minutes more or till potatoes are tender and brown on edges.

*To speed it up, roast potatoes, uncovered in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
** I stuck the potatoes in the same time I stuck my pork chops in (at 350 degrees) and they turned out great!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Sorry Sarah it took me so long to post this. Enjoy!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Recipe by Alton Brown

1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
1 1/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts (I used canned)
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and serve hot.

My alteration. I didn't boil the spinach and artichokes I just heated the cream cheese and then added the rest and cooked in the oven at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes just until hot.

Alice Springs Chicken

I completely stole this off someones recipe blog and I have no idea how it taste but it sure does sound yummy and doesn't look too complicated to follow. I'm going to try it as soon as I get all the ingredients together. If someone else tries it before me, let me know how it turned out.

Kristy



Alice Springs Chicken (from Outback Steakhouse) :

4 Chicken Breast (boneless, skinless)
Honey Mustard (recipe below)
6 pieces bacon, fried and sliced in half
1/2 tsp McCormick Season All (I use more than this)
1 C. Sliced Mushrooms, if from can or jar make sure they are drained
3 C. Shredded Colby / Monterey Jack Cheese
Parsley for Garnish (yeah, right)

Prep:Rub raw chicken breast with Season All and set aside to marinate for about 1 hour. While the chicken is marinating, fry bacon until crisp and drain. Shred cheese and set aside.
**This is as long as I have ever let the chicken marinate. I have never had the patience to wait the whole hour.
Saute chicken on medium heat in pan with just enough oil to prevent sticking. Cook on both sides until a slight golden color and cooked in the middle but not dry. Remove from pan and place in baking dish or on cookie sheet.Spread chicken breast with honey mustard, cover with a layer of mushrooms, three slices of bacon and then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake in oven heated to 350. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with extra honey mustard, if desired.

Honey Mustard:
1/2 C. Prepared Salad Mustard
1/4 C. Honey
1/4 C. Light Corn Syrup
1/4 C. Mayonnaise

Blend all together until completely smooth and free from lumps. The corn syrup may be adjusted depending on how sharp the mustard is to your taste.
**I ususally half this recipe and have plenty of honey mustard to coat my chicken.

Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce

Knock off of the original that is pretty close. I've served it at a play group a few years back and it was a total hit. (warning high in fat)





Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

optional:

Snipped Fresh Chives

Add all ingredients, except chives, in a medium sauce pan, let simmer for 12 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. Add snipped fresh chives if you like

Serve over your choice of pasta noodles or if you want, you can just have it as a dipping sauce for your bread sticks! Add grilled chicken breast cut in strips for even more deliciousness.

-Kristy's Kitchen

Southwestern Chicken Wraps

2 c. minute rice

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

4 chicken breasts, cut into strips

1 Tbsp. oil1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 c. salsa

8 flour tortillas

romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes

Prepare rice as directed adding 1 Tbsp. soy sauce to boiling water. While rice is cooking, cook chicken in hot oil. Stir in black beans, salsa and remaining soy sauce. Add rice. Heat through. Roll mixture in tortillas and serve with lettuce and tomatoes.

From Brooke B.

Grilled Banana Split

I haven't tried this yet but I am going to -- I think it looks delicious! I'll let you know how it goes. -Lacey

12 large firm-ripe bananas, unpeeled, skins washed with detergent before using to remove residue
3 bars (4 oz. each) milk chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
3 pt. of your favorite Ice Cream
3 cups Whipping Cream, lightly sweetened to taste and whipped (optional)
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
12 Maraschino Cherries (optional)

1. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct, medium-high heat (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 in. above the cooking grate only 2 to 3 seconds.

2. While grill heats, cut into each unpeeled banana lengthwise, making a deep slit but taking care to avoid cutting all the way through. Slip pieces of chocolate into each pocket and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon. Wrap each banana in foil.

3. Lay bananas on cooking grate; cover gas grill. Cook, turning once, until soft when squeezed with tongs, about 10 minutes. Lift bananas onto a platter.

4. Carefully unwrap each banana and place on a plate with the cut side facing up. Top each with small scoops of ice cream; add a dollop of whipped cream, a sprinkling of walnuts, and a cherry, if you like.

Ceasar Club Sandwich

2 Chicken breasts

Good olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 pieces bacon

1 large garlic clove, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 large ciabatta bread (or 4-5 small ciabatta rolls- better the bread, better the sandwich)

2 ounces Spinach

12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil (I didn't have any so I used regular tomatoes, but it would be even better with sun dried tomatoes)

2 to 3 ounces Parmesan, shaved

Homemade Caesar Dressing (if you're really ambitious; I was lazy and used some from a bottle.)

1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan skin side up. Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Cool slightly, and slice the meat thickly. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place the bacon on another sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Place the garlic and parsley in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until minced. Add the anchovy paste, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise and process again to make a smooth dressing. (Refrigerate the Caesar dressing if not using it immediately.)

Slice the ciabatta in half horizontally and separate the top from the bottom. Toast the bread in the oven, cut side up, for 5 to 7 minutes; cool slightly. Spread the cut sides of each piece with the Caesar dressing. Place half the spinach on the bottom piece of bread and then layer in order: the sun-dried tomatoes, shaved Parmesan, crispy bacon, and sliced chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and finish with another layer of spinach. Place the top slice of ciabatta on top and cut in thirds crosswise. Serve at room temperature.

- from the kitchen of Jenny G.

Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

From the backyard grill at the Willdens (it's too hot to be cooking in the kitchen).

INGREDIENTS:
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1 t chili powder
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 garlic powder
cayenne pepper to taste
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 1/2 in cubes
skewers

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear.

**The kabobs were a big hit with my kids. They really liked eating the chicken off the "stick".

Party Treat

1/2 lrg. box
Corn Chex
1/2 lrg. box Golden Grahams
2 c. coconut
1 c. almonds
1 c. sugar
1 c. white Karo syrup
3/4 c. butter

Boil sugar, Karo, and butter for 2 minutes. Mix Chex, Grahams, coconut and almonds. Pour Karo mixture on top and stir. Pour out onto waxed paper and let cool.

Stolen from Brook Blackner's blog!

Strawberry Salad

From the kitchen of Jessica Rawson

Toss the following:
Salad Greens
Sliced Strawberries
Diced Rotisserie Chicken
Diced Munster Cheese
Toasted Pecans
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette
ENJOY!
By the way, my Mom used the same dressing on a salad with mandarin oranges, craisins and avocado that was also delicious.

Ham & Cheese Turnovers

I stole this from my friend Emily N.'s blog and will be trying these tomorrow. They look yummy!

1 pound package refrigerated pizza dough

8 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced

4 ounces swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin rings

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll the pizza dough intoa 14-inch circle and cut into 8 triangles. Stack a piece of the ham, cheese, and onion on the bottom of each triangle and roll the dough up around the filling. (Some of the filling will stick out the ends.)

Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.

Combine the mustard and oil in a medium bowl and toss with the romaine. Serve with the turnovers.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

Here is a really easy bread recipe with just basic ingredients. Enjoy! -- Valerie

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

2 heaping T. yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1/4 tsp. honey
4 1/2 c. hot tap water
5 c. whole-wheat flour
2 c. white flour
2/3 c. honey
2/3 c. oil (I use canola, less fat)
1 T. salt
4 to 6 c. whole-wheat flour

Dissolve yeast into warm water. Add 1/4 teaspoon honey and set aside. Beat together 4 1/2 cups water and 5 cups wheat flour and 2 cups white flour. Add 2/3 cup honey and oil. Beat together and add the yeast mix. Add salt and the remaining 4 to 6 cups flour until it pulls away from edge. Knead on low for 10 minutes. Place in four greased 8X4-inch loaf pans. Let rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the top of bread with oil and bake for 40 minutes for large loaves and 20 minutes for small loaves. Makes 4 loaves.

Recipe Note:
- Any combination of wheat and white flour that includes at least 2 cups of white flour can be used.
- I have halved this recipe and it still worked really well.

Won Ton Chicken Salad

1 pkg. won ton wrappers (fried)

4-8 chicken breasts (shredded)

1/2 c. chopped green onions

sliced almonds

2 heads of lettuce


*Do not mix salad mix and dressing until ready to serve.

Dressing
1 c. oil

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. vinegar

3 tsp. salt

3 tsp. pepper

Mix sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper until dissolved. Wisk in oil until completely combined. Pour over salad mix when ready to serve.

We (Blackner5) usually have fruit and some type of roll with this salad. You could also take advantage of the roasted chickens you can get at the store, just shred the meat. That would make for an even quicker meal. Yummy!

- Recipe shamelessly stolen by Kristy off the blog of Brooke Blackner!!! :0

Baked Four Cheese Pasta

4 slices of bacon, chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream (I used half cream and half 2%)
3/4 pound penne
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas
salt
pepper
1 cup shredded Italian 4-cheese blend (or whatever commercially available preshredded Italian cheese blend is available at your store)

1. Pre-heat oven to 450.
2. Cook bacon, drain fat leaving a tiny bit of bacon fat to cook the onion and garlic in. Cook over med. high heat until onion is softened - about 5 minutes. Add broth, cream, pasta, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cover and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to med. low and simmer, stirring frequently until pasta is tender - about 15 minutes.
3. Off heat, stir in Parmesan and peas(I threw the peas in the microwave for a few minutes before adding) and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer to a pretty 2qt casserole dish and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and spotty brown- about 5 minutes
This is a rich Italian restaurant style meal. If you want a date night at home, I think it's a yummy (very fattening) meal. Add some Pugalese bread from Costco and a salad
From the kitchen of SARAH JANE :)

Crockpot Chicken

This is probably one of our most favorites of all time. It's quick and easy and very delicious! If you already have the recipe (I'm sure most of you do). Brook B.

Crockpot Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can of water
1/2-1 pkg.
Italian dressing seasoning

Boil chicken breasts until done, about 30 minutes. While chicken is cooking put cream cheese, butter, soup, water and seasoning in large crockpot. Set crockpot to high. When chicken is done add to sauce. Cook for 4-6 hours. Before serving, shred chicken and add back to sauce.We serve our's over penne noodles but I know some people serve it over rice. Add a salad and some garlic bread and you've got an awesome dinner. (Not WW friendly, sorry!)

Bingham Bars

(please excuse the yucky synthetic light picture of these treats. Kitchen lighting at night sucks!) My darling friend Jared's mother used to make them for him as a child. She got the recipe from his elementery school because he loved them so much. She passed away 5 years ago and he asked me to take her recipe and make these for him instead of a cake. (If any of you watch "The Office." let me just say that my boss calls me Angela.) So anyways- here is the recipe. TO DIE FOR. 5 points for one teeny square for you chubby chica's!

Bingham Bars

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup flour

2 cups oatmeal.

Combine wet ingredients, then sift together dry and add them to wet mixture. Bake in largest pan you have at 350 for 10-15. Let bars cool then spread with peanut butter. Then spread chocolate frosting on top of peanut butter.

(I used creamy peanut butter- also.. I baked mine until they edges turned a tiny bit golden and then took them out. I liked them really gooey!)

ENJOY!

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas

4 T. honey
3 T. lime juice
1 T. oil
2 tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 can mild green enchilada sauce (I used a large can)
1-2 lbs. cooked chicken
shredded cheese
Flour or corn tortillas (flour is better in my opinion )
Mix honey, lime juice, oil, chili powder and garlic powder in a large bowl. Then add shredded chicken, mix well. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture, add cheese and roll up. Put a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place enchiladas in pan and cover with remaining enchilada sauce. Bake covered about 30 minutes at 350. Sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven uncovered until cheese melts. (I bet the honey lime chicken would be great on soft tacos or on a salad.)
***Note to chubby chicas... I didn't use the shredded cheese on mine and it tasted great. Also, I doubled the honey lime sauce for extra flavor..I recommend it.
From the kitchen of SARAH JANE :)

This little piggy went to the market ...

Welcome to Pigs & Spice! Feel free to post your good recipes and ideas. Simple, complex - all are welcome.

In the right hand corner is the login and password. Everyone is more than welcome to post, as long as they are posting appropriately. I know it's kind of a pain to type in a recipe but I'm hoping in the long run this blog won't be a waste of time. Get typing!

p.s. If I post a recipe that I may have gotten from you, I'll try to give you credit. If I don't, feel free to stake your claim!

p.p.s. Still working on the whole design thing. If anyone really knows how to do this, let me know!

Pita Bread Chicken

So, this is pretty much your basic chicken salad - but stuffed inside these soft, thick pitas is pure heaven! I've made this dish a couple of times already this summer! Thanks Sarah Jane for the pita recipe! Enjoy! Oh, and I don't know how to take pictures of food so trust me when I say these looked good when we ate them! Lacey



Salad:
2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 hardboiled eggs (I usually forget to add these)
1 Tb. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup mayo

Combine and let sit in refrigerator.

Pita Bread:
2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. quick rise yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup hot water
1-1 1/2 cups flour

Combine first four ingredients. Beat well about 1 minute. Mix in remaining flour using just enough to make a soft, not sticky dough. Turn out on floured board and continue to knead for 5 min.

Divide into 8 balls. Roll out each one to about 1/4 inch thick and 6 inch diameter. Place on a very lightly greased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

Let rise in warm place for 25-35 minutes. Bake at 450 for 4 min. and then turn over for 4 more min. or until lightly brown. Wrap immediately in a dish towel for 3-4 min.

**These bad boys are perfect as they are, but to add a little something, throw some butter in a pan and lightly toast them . You won't be disappointed!