Breakfast Pizza

This is a nice little recipe because you can change it to suit your own taste and it works for breakfast, lunch or dinner! 

Breakfast Pizza
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 package reduced-fat crescent roll dough
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup shredded frozen hash browns, thawed
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup egg substitute

Open crescent rolls.  Press all seams together to form a large rectangle.  Fold up the edges to form a crust.  Top with ham, pepper, hash browns and cheese.  Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Pour egg mixture over pizza.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Is it any surprise that I would try this recipe?  No.  And is it any surprise that the next time I make these I will definitely be adding more peanut butter?  No.  What is surprising is that there is still dough left in my refrigerator to bake later and that I haven't eaten it all yet.  (I only made half a batch!)

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
From The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I would add more, maybe cut back a smidge on the butter)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips     

In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Slowly add flour mixture and mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips. 

Roll cookie dough into balls.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. 
 

Sesame Chicken

Happy New Year!  Yes, I realize I'm a week late.  I don't really do resolutions, but I hope to get back to trying more new recipes.  Here's one that I tore out of my Food Network Magazine ages ago and finally got around to trying.  I don't cook Asian food very often at all, so this was a nice change!

Sesame Chicken
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/4 lbs. chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
3 teaspoons canola oil
1 green onion, thinly sliced (original recipe calls for more)
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons sugar
3-4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon chili paste (all I could find was chili sauce in the Asian food section - don't know if this is the same or not, it could have used more to be a little spicier)
cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (I left these out because I didn't want to spend $5 for a huge container just to get 2 tablespoons)

Whisk 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil the honey in a bowl. Toss in the chicken and marinate 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the marinade using a slotted spoon. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, turning once or twice, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Heat the remaining teaspoon canola oil in the skillet. Add the green onion and the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk the broth, sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, chili paste and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl; add to the skillet and cook, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil.

Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and heat through. Serve the chicken over brown rice, if desired. Top with the sesame seeds.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This is not a recipe at all, but, in case anyone is still reading this and needs an easy Christmas cookie, I'll throw it out there.  These cookies are so simple, yet they taste fantastic!  They are perfect for teacher/neighbor/coworker gifts.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 package peanut butter cookie dough
1 bag Reese's peanut butter cups

Place mini cupcake liners in mini cupcake pan.  Place a small lump of dough in each liner and press down slightly.  Bake at temperature listed on the package until they just barely start to brown.  While cookies bake, unwrap the peanut butter cups.  As soon as you pull the cookies out of the oven place one cup in the middle of each cookie and press down slightly.  Allow cookies to cool.

Pizza Crust

I got a pizza stone for my birthday last month!  I've never had any kind of stone bakeware, and I'm a chicken when it comes to cooking with yeast, but I was excited to try my hand at homemade pizza crust.  Last night I gave it a shot and it was pretty easy and very good!  The dough was a little sticky and hard to get out of the mixing bowl, but other than that this recipe was so easy.  I like knowing exactly what's going into my pizza.  This might become a staple in the Kahler house!

Pizza Crust
From allrecipes.com

1 package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in a mixing bowl until cream, about 10 minutes.  Mix in flour, salt and oil.  Beat until smooth.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.    

Salsa

At our MOPS meeting yesterday one of our mentors shared her recipe for salsa.  I was supposed to bring chips and dip to a Christmas party tonight and hadn't decided what kind of dip to bring, so it was the perfect time to try it out.  I love that this is a very basic recipe that you can adjust to your liking.

Salsa
Adapted from Sheri Wright's recipe

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1/2 bell pepper, cut into chunks (or use jalapenos if you want more heat)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (omit for less heat)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/8 cup vinegar
1 bunch of cilantro, trimmed

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until it is the consistency you like.

    

Forget Me Not Cookies

So these are called Forget Me Not Cookies because you turn off the oven and leave them in overnight, hoping you don't forget them in the morning.  My problem was not forgetting about them but having to wait so long to eat one.

Just a warning - humidity can affect these and make them a little soft.

Forget Me Not Cookies

4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 cups chocolate chips

Beat egg whites until stiff.  Slowly add sugar, salt, vanilla and vinegar.  Gently fold in chocolate chips.  Drop by small spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Place in oven heated to 350.  Turn off the oven and let the cookies sit overnight.  Do not open the oven to peek!