Appetizers, Main Dishes, Pizza, Recipes

Mexican Pizza

Sarah

I’m embarassed to say that this recipe has been in my posting queue for two months now. TWO MONTHS! Oh my goodness. I am so, so, sorry, you precious pizza you. 😦 I should just quit school and tend to food all day long.

Kidding.

Kind of…

But anyways, I whipped this Mexican Pizza up back in the good ‘ole snowy days of yore February on a Saturday night. I was hungry after a long marathon training run and in the mood forsomething delicious and easy, packed with oodles of my favorite flavors. and filling. This Mexican Pizza fit the bill perfectly! It was substantial enough to be filling, but I think it’s light enough to be a great appetizer. It reminded me of  a less-greasy quesadilla on pizza. Each slice was loaded with savory black bean spread [that was incredible on tortilla chips too, by the way] and a chock-ton of vegetables like onions, peppers, tomatoes, and corn. I can’t wait to make this in the summer with even more fresh veggies! Summer is almost. here. YAY! Topped off with crazy amounts of gooey cheese, this dinner was  a winner in my book! [okay…maybe not crazy amounts of cheese, but definitely enough to delight in!]

Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 batch pizza dough
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese [I used 3/4 cup each cheddar and monterey jack]
  • 1 batch black bean spread, see below
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
  • 1/3 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/4 cup red onions, diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
  • sour cream, for dipping
  • spinach, for topping
for the black bean spread: [from goodLife {eats}]
  • 15 ounce can black beans, drained
  • 2-4 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • water or chicken broth, added to consistency’s sake
Directions:
Prepare pizza dough as directed, divide into two portions if applicable. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out 1 round of pizza dough and bake for about 8-10 minutes [use your judgment–longer, 14-16 minutes, if a thick crust in a springform pan; shorter if spread thin… basically you want the crust to cook somewhat but not be crispy when it’s time to top that baby!].
Meanwhile, prepare black bean spread. In the bowl of a food processor, combine black beans, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Pulse to blend well. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste and water or chicken broth to thin out the sauce if need be. A hummus-like consistency is good.
Then, prepare the pizza! Spread a thin layer of black bean spread on the crust, then top with onions, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and cilantro. Cover with cheese and return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until done. Serve with spinach and sour cream.
Click here for the printable version: Mexican Pizza
Candy, Desserts, Recipes

Oreo Truffles

Sarah
oreo deliciousness
plate o awesome

These Oreo Truffles are so easy, they’re hardly a recipe. Yet I’ve had so many requests for the recipe that I had to oblige. [What a tough obligation….haha]

I was first introduced to these delicious bites of chocolately goodness at a bridal shower thrown for me by my in-laws a few months before we got married. Then, my mom and sister made a batch for the bridal shower they threw for me the next month. This was back in 2009, and I’ve lost count of the occasions where these babies have made an appearance. Let’s see… multiple bridal showers, a tea party, New Year’s Eve, a church team meeting, and more, I’m sure!

friends
friends 🙂

The most recent appearance made by my good friend Mr. Oreo Truffle was at my friend Allison’s wedding shower this past weekend. It was a great shower filled with fabulous friends, fun, and food…

food table... lots to enjoy!

I can’t wait for the wedding in May! But now… I’m sure you all can’t wait for the recipe. 🙂 Enjoy!

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients:

  • 1- 18 oz. package of Oreos
  • 1- 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
  • 1- 12 oz. package of white chocolate chips
Directions:
Crush Oreos completely using a food processor. Mix in cream cheese until thoroughly combined. [Alternatively, you can crush Oreos in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin and then mix in cream cheese in a bowl.] Roll mixture into 48 one-inch balls and set aside on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or the microwave. Dip balls in chocolate, remove to sheet, and refrigerate or freeze for about one hour or until firm.
Click here for the printable version: Oreo Truffles
Menu Plans

Menu Plan

Sarah

Week of April 18

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: Indian night compliments of Trader Joe’s naan & masala simmer sauce 🙂

Wednesday: man meal for Ben/class for me

Thursday:  chicken sausage, vegetables, and rice

Friday-Sunday: out of town for Easter!

Giveaways

Winner, winner

Sarah

Chicken dinner! Or, perhaps, Chobani yogurt 🙂

But before we look at our winners, be sure to check out my Greek Orzo Pasta Salad recipe, perfect for summer lunches. It’s featured today on Today’s Housewife. 🙂

I used Random.org to select the winners….

Congratulations to these ladies! You should have received an email with details about how to claim your prize. Responses must be made within 48 hours or new winners will be chosen.

Happy Thursday!

Breakfast, Egg Dishes, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Sausage Egg Apple Strata

Sarah
ben
grrr!

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Hello again.  I’m here to share another recipe with you, man-style.  For this edition, we’ll go the route of “breakfast for dinner.”  This is a concept that my wife really enjoys.  She could eat breakfast every meal of the day and this is not an exaggeration.  We had breakfast food at our wedding reception.  But even before I knew Sarah, I knew about breakfast for dinner.  In college, one of my roommates (one Patrick Hinker) and I used to occasionally splurge and make

good eats, good man

breakfast feasts for dinner.  This occasionally involved making 14 links of sausage, a dozen eggs, and a batch of pancakes…and consuming it entirely ourselves.  Ah yes, those were the days.  Now I have to think of something a bit more…mmm…refined to satisfy my roommate.  [Sarah here… Ben just got kicked for that and said, “but I love you!” All was forgiven. :)] And so this recipe may not have been a hit four or five years ago, but now it’s a hit with my wife.  The other reason I decided to make this recipe is because we’ve had a pound of ground sausage in our freezer for God only knows how long, and I wanted to do something about it.

Sausage Egg Apple Strata [from $5 Dinners]

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices bread (this can be of your choosing; you can pick what type of bread [we used Italian bread] and you can adjust the amounts depending on how bready you want yours [I probably would have cut back just a bit if I made it again]
  • 1 lb sausage (mild or spicy, your preference)
  • 1 chopped apple (I used Jazz)
  • 8 eggs
  • 1/2 c milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 c cheese (guess what? you can choose the type of cheese too! I used cheddar.)

Directions:

Spray or grease a 9×13 cooking pan.  Vent your frustrations on the bread by tearing into pieces, but don’t get too carried away.  Keep those pieces of bread a halfway decent size.  Put the pieces of bread in the pan.  Brown the sausage on the stove and drain the excess grease.  Put the sausage in the pan with the bread.  Chop the apple and add that to the pan.  Mix the ingredient around in there a little bit.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.  Refrigerate overnight.  The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the casserole for 45-55 minutes.  With about 5 minutes to go in the cooking, remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Put back in the oven to finish cooking.  When it’s done, enjoy thoroughly.

Click here for the printable version: Sausage Egg Apple Strata

Question of the Day:  So if you could only eat five foods for the rest of your life what, what would they be?