Grilled Pizza

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Such a fun summer party dish!  And pretty easy, too, if you buy the pizza dough ready-made at the store like I did {sell out!}.  This really is such a fun meal to entertain with.  It's a social experience putting it all together, too, and absolutely delicious!

{What you need}

your favorite pizza dough recipe {Whole Foods has the best pizza dough!!}

mozzarella cheese {or feta, goat, whatever you like}

pizza sauce {Boboli brand is delish!}

olive oil for grilling

your favorite pizza toppings, like:

mushrooms

pepperoni

chicken

bacon

tomatoes

spinach

sausage

basil

oregano

garlic

blah blah blah

Divide the dough into as many pieces as personal-pizzas you will be making.  On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough out into a circle about 1/8th inch thick. Brush some olive oil on each piece of dough and place, oil side down, on a heated grill.  Grill for about one minute or until the bottom is brown.  Flip it over with tongs and grill the other side for about 30 more seconds.  Repeat with all your pieces of dough.  Let the crusts cool.    When you are ready to eat, top your personalized pizza with the toppings of your choice and return to the grill for about 2-3 minutes, watching carefully so that it doesn't burn.  It's best to do one pizza at a time.

{Inspired by THIS recipe}

Eggless Cookie Dough

source

Some people are paranoid about eating cookie dough because of the raw egg in it.  This has never fazed me, but I stumbled across this delicious recipe and whipped it together for a tasty treat for a sisters day.  It keeps great and I just keep a batch in the fridge to snack on every once in a while when I'm having a sugar craving.

{What you need}

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 small (~3.5oz) box instant vanilla pudding 

1/4 cup milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips 

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light in color.  Add pudding and combine well. Stir in vanilla and milk.  Add in baking soda and flour, 1/2 cup at a time until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Keep refrigerated. 

(compliments of The Sisters Cafe)

Baked Pesto Chicken

(source)

Delicious and elegant and oh, so EASY!  I made this for John for our romantic Valentine's dinner.  It was incredible.  I prepared it in the morning and then stuck it in the oven about 20 minutes before we were ready to eat.  Easily doubles.  (Yours will look a little different than the photo above.  That one doesn't have breadcrumbs.)

{What you need}

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed

1/3 cup prepared pesto

1 1/2 t. sour cream

1 1/2 t. mayonnaise

2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese, plus a little extra

2 T. pine nuts or walnuts, crushed

about 3 cups bread crumbs

In a medium dish, combine pesto, sour cream, mayo, 2 T parm, and nuts.  In a separate medium dish put the breadcrumbs.  Spray a medium dish with Pam.  Take your chicken breasts and spread the pesto mixture all over each one, coating each breast as much as possible.  Dip the pesto-covered chicken in the bread crumbs and coat as much as possible.  Place each breast in prepared dish.  Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top.  Bake at 450 for 15-25 minutes, or until chicken is done.  I served it with this and this.  So yum!

(inspired by this recipe from The Sister's Cafe)

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Wow. So I had these very enchiladas recently at several different parties within only a few weeks and figured that meant they deserved to be on this blog, for all my followers to have. They are so delicious, especially with extra honey and less chile powder. The recipe comes from a favorite blog I follow, The Sisters' Cafe. I have never been disappointed by anything I've tried from it. I feature a lot of the recipes I try from it on here, so if you check out that blog and don't know where to start you can start with the ones here. And you should definitely start with these enchiladas! Easily doubles, or triples if you're extra hungry:) The meat and sauce mixture also makes a great addition to a taco salad.

{What you need}

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded (I poach it)

{Sauce}

1/3 c honey (I used about 2/3 c)

1/4 c lime juice (I used about 1/3 c)

1 Tb chili powder (I used about 1/2 Tb)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

(I love the Costco unbaked variety, you'll have to fry each one)

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.

(Compliments of The Sisters' Cafe)

Pesto Swiss Fondue

I really think this was the best dinner I have ever made! I'm quite proud of myself. Not that I can take credit, because it was just an awesome recipe. It is full of flavor and fondue is always super classy. We served this at a dinner party we hosted and had each couple bring a few of the dipping foods. This could also serve as a romantic dinner for two, or a beautiful spread to impress the in-laws with. No matter who you serve it to, they'll

LOVE IT!

So delish . . .

{What you need}

1 12oz. block of swiss cheese, cubed

2 T flour

2 large garlic cloves, chopped (I used a garlic press)

1/2-3/4 c. of white cooking wine (I used 3/4 c)

1/2 c. milk

2 T of jarred prepared pesto

{Ideas for dipping}

cubed french bread

cauliflower

broccoli

granny smith apples

new potatoes or cubed red potatoes

sausage

bratwurst

Cube cheeses and chop garlic. Place cubed cheese in a tupperware and add flour. Replace the tupperware lid and shake until all the cheese cubes are coated. Spray a medium sauce pan with cooking spray and add the chopped garlic. Cook on medium high until the garlic just begins to brown. Then add wine. When the wine begins to boil, reduce the heat back to medium and slowly add the flour coated cheese and milk a little at a time, always stirring so it will not burn. When the cheese is all fully melted, add the pesto, transfer to heated fondue pot, and serve immediately. If you are not using a fondue pot you may need to reheat it after a little while as the fondue will thicken as it cools.

(Compliments of The Sisters Cafe)

Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies

submitted by Melanie from The Sisters Cafe

So I didn't try these cookies because I gave up cookies for Lent, but John said he absolutely LOVED them. He said they may even be his new favorite cookie, which says a lot because he is a cookie connoisseur! I love the cooking blog The Sisters Cafe, which is where I got this recipe. It has loads of winners! These are great for parties, etc., or for the neighborhood kids. I know that for a fact, because all the neighborhood kids came over to snarff them when I was done! Major hit.

{What you need}

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. sugar

1 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c. softened butter

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 c. chopped almonds, or pecans

(I left the nuts out entirely)

48 Rolo (caramels in milk chocolate), unwrapped 9 oz. pkg.

1 tbsp. sugar

4 oz. vanilla flavored candy coating (opt.)

(I used a tub of vanilla frosting and it worked just as well. I just put it in a ziploc and snipped a tiny corner off to use as a frosting-squeezer-drizzle-thingy. Im sure there is a technical term for that...)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; blend well.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter until light. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture, blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pecans.

For each cookie with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoonful dough around 1 Rolo, covering completely.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place nut side up, 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cool on wire rack. Melt the vanilla flavored candy coating in a saucepan or in a baggie in the microwave. Drizzle over cookies.