pb&kelly update: printing recipes

you've asked and i listened.

i've added a print button to the bottom of each of the blog posts so you can easily print my recipes. simply click on the link and a new window will pop up, hit print and you're ready to start cooking!

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shrimp pesto pizza

i turned the leftover shrimp from my toaster oven meal and into a gourmet pizza with very little effort and boy was it amazing. something about goat cheese and pesto really make my tastebuds happy.  i didn't really write down a recipe for this one, it's more of a throw-whatever-you-like on there type of thing. i've included measurements but use however much {or little} you want depending on your tastes!

ingredients:
16 oz package store-bought pizza dough
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, cut into small bites
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into thin strips
1/3 goat cheese crumbles
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup pesto

directions:
preheat oven according to pizza dough directions - should be somewhere around 400-425 degrees.

on a floured surface, roll out pizza dough into whatever shape you like. transfer to a large baking sheet. smother dough with generous amount of pesto. top with mozzarella cheese and roasted red pepper strips. bake for about 10 minutes (cook time depends on the brand of pizza dough you buy...basically cook for about 5 minutes less time than what the package says). take pizza out of oven and top with cooked shrimp and goat cheese crumbles.  cook for additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and shrimps are warmed through. 

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oatmeal, dark chocolate & peanut butter bars

the title of this post alone should have your mouth watering. mine sure was after i found this recipe at dinner or dessert.  you probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinets anyways (i did) and its super easy to make. my favorite part was that these bars weren't too sweet (i'm not really a sweets eater) and the pb & dark chocolate really complimented each other. serve it as a dessert or a mid-day snack!

i followed the recipe exactly so here it is...

ingredients:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup dark chocolate chips or 1 dark chocolate bar
1 cup peanut butter

directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees.

combine butter, sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy. beat in the eggs. add the flour and oatmeal. spread into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 20 minutes. while the oatmeal mixture is baking, use a double boiler to melt the chocolate with the peanut butter. depending on how thick the chocolate mixture is, you can add in 1-2 tsp of milk or shortening if needed. let the oatmeal base cool and then spread the warm chocolate, peanut butter mixture over the oatmeal base. place in fridge to let cool and harden for 30 minutes. cut into squares.

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Countertop Cuisine: Pesto Shrimp with Spinach and Bell Peppers

i'm over at clarendon patch today where i wrote about cooking an entire meal using only my toaster oven, including the rice! it was very sonja morgan of me.

check it out here: http://patch.com/A-hJmk

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spring pasta with squash, spinach and chicken sausage

 

i'm on a mission to clean out our fridge. it's a complete mess that seems be an endless black pit. tonight's recipe was really a beautiful mishap that came together with whatever we had lying around. it's amazing how you can pull together a delicious, healthy and easy meal with just a few essentials.

ingredients:

1/2 lb angel hair pasta

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

2 cups fresh spinach

1 lb chicken sausage, sliced on a diagonal (our was roasted garlic and gouda flavored)

2 tablespoons garlic olive oil (heat olive in small pan with crushed garlic cloves over low heat for 10 minutes)

red pepper flakes

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

directions:

bring large pot of water to boil for pasta over medium high heat.  meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat with evoo.  brown chicken sausage for about 8 minutes, turning frequently.  set aside.

using a vegetable peeler, slice zucchini and squash into thin ribbons.  should look like this.

add liberal amount of salt and noodles to boiling pot of water. cook according to directions. two minutes before pasta is done add zucchini and squash ribbons. remove from pot and reserve pasta water.

in a large serving bowl mix together cooked pasta, zucchini/squash, fresh spinach, chicken sausage, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes (to your liking), garlic olive oil and 1/4 cup reserved pasta water.  add more if pasta is too dry. keep tossing together, letting the heat from the pasta wilt the spinach. serve immediately and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. 

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grilled pizza with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto

grilling pizza is much simpler than you might imagine. i even think it's easier than making pizza in the oven. sometimes when i cook pizza in the oven i have a hard time getting the crust to cook all the way through. but by using a grill, you ensure you'll get that wonderful charred taste on both sides that pairs so nicely with the melted, fresh mozzarella. add whatever pizza toppings you love most; i just went for the basics.

ingredients:
fresh pizza dough
roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch
fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch
fresh basil, cut into small strips
proscuitto, cut into small strips
wegman's basting oil (if you can't find this, just use evoo)

directions:

preheat outdoor grill to medium high heat. (make sure you grease the grill!)

using a floured surface, shape pizza dough into desired shape - square, rectangle, round. place on rimless cookie sheet and bring out to grill. let the dough slide off the cookie sheet onto the hot grill grates. close the lid of the grill and let cook for 2 minutes.

open the grill and check underneath the dough to see if it is getting browned. if not, close grill and cook for a couple more minutes. this step shouldn't take long. the top of the pizza dough will start bubbling up with air pockets.

once the dough has cooked on one side, use the same cookie sheet to remove it from the grill. flip dough so grilled side is facing up on the sheet.

brush surface with basting oil and top with your favorite pizza toppings. slide back on grill, close top and cook for 4-5 minutes. cheese will be bubbly and bottom side will be charred.

remove from grill and let rest for a couple minutes. garnish with fresh basil leaves. cut into slices and serve!

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step right up round 2

back in march, i wrote about the carnival-themed work party i threw. last weekend i was back at it again, throwing another carni-themed party, but this time with a bigger budget and for my best friend - no expenses were sparred and we really went all out. i bought a circus/carnival printable birthday party pack from greenapplepaperie on etsy. she customized all of the decorations just for meagan. all i had to do was print, cut and decorate! i made the backdrop myself with just some poster board, fabric, ribbon and hot glue! take a look at how things turned out:

entire view 

side view

gumballs & lemon heads with lollipops

what carnival is complete without a funnel cake station?

all that's missing is the dogs - they were on the grill!

meagan's signature cocktail - complete with personalized bottle labels.

dark chocolate candy bars - her fav.

got this bags off etsy too - filled with kettle corn popcorn

old school.

homemade napkins rings.

two for one: cotton candy and funfetti cupcakes

another one of her favorites - haribo gummy bears and twizzlers

old-fashioned peanuts!

frosted & plain.

happy birthday meagan!

i hope your birthday is all you want and more!

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baked reuben dip

it was a sad day at the office yesterday. it was one of my good friend's last day at work. i wanted to do something special for her since she's been such a big part of my life for the past 4 years, so i put together a little luncheon to send her off. i had found this recipe {via the way the cookie crumbles} a long time ago and was keeping in my files until the right moment. you see, ali's absolute favorite sandwich is a reuben...she might even be border-line obsessed.  yesterday was the perfect opportunity to whip out this little gem. it tasted pretty much exactly like the real thing - and it was very easy to make. you basically throw all the ingredients in a baking dish and cook for 20 minutes. serves about 10.

ingredients:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup minced parsley
16 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
8 ounces corned beef, shredded (i bought this from deli counter)
3 cups shredded swiss cheese

directions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees. in large bowl, mix together mayo, cream cheese, ketchup, onion, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, and parsley until evenly combined. stir in the sauerkraut, beef, and cheese. spread the mixture in large casserole dish. bake 20-25 minutes, until bubbling and golden. serve immediately with rye bread.

up close and personal.

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