MMMmonday - Pizza, Pizza and More Pizza, a round-up of favorites!

One of our go-to meals that everyone loves is pizza and with back to school coming up for us this week, I thought it would be a good time to go around the blogosphere and check out some great and different Pizza recipes!

Let's start with some dough ... cause it's tough to make pizza without a crust:

Quick and Simple Yeast Pizza Crust
Heather's No Yeast Pizza Crust
Gluten-free Pizza Crust
Bread Maker Pizza Dough
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Gluten-Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Pizza Made at Home

MmmmMonday - Wayne's Shepard's Pie

My hubby has a few signature dishes and one of the family favorites is his take on Shepard's Pie...  I sometimes double the recipe and freeze one for a really quick dinner to throw in the oven on busy nights.  This is also a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!

Wayne's Shepard's Pie (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

1-2 cloves garlic (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
2 lbs. ground beef
2 lbs potatoes
2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Peel and dice potatoes.  Boil until done, then mash with butter, pepper and milk.
3. Brown diced onions, garlic and ground beef together.  Drain fat from ground beef mixture, add frozen corn and spread on the bottom of a 13x9 pan.
4. Spread 1 cup of cheese over the ground beef mixture.
5. Spread mashed potato mixture over the cheese.
6. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes and serve.

Alternate ideas:

We sometimes pick up the Birdseye Southwest Corn to add a little extra kick... and another alternative is to add some chili powder or taco seasoning to the ground beef...  it's a really simple casserole that freezes well - just omit the final step - you can bake directly from the freezer in about 40 minutes or defrost in the fridge overnight!

MMMmonday - Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those meals that looks like you spent a ton of time on... and while it is a little more labor intensive than spaghetti, this is a great casserole!  I always make a double batch and freeze the second one for later!  You can also add some additional color by adding a spinach layer between the cheese and the red peppers - or changing the recipe up completely and substituting the spinach for the red peppers!

Goat Cheese Lasagna w/ roasted red peppers!

2 10-oz (280 g each) logs fresh (not aged) goat cheese - I usually find these near the deli counter
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1/2 onion, chopped
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups (500 ml) tomato sauce
1 lb (450 g) lasagna noodles, cooked until barely tender
6 red bell peppers (capsicums), roasted, peeled, seeded,
and chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

2. Start layering by spreading a small amount of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a lightly
greased 13 x 9 x 3-inch (33 x 23 x 8 cm) baking dish or lasagna pan. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on top, overlapping them slightly.

3. Spread one quarter of the goat cheese mixture over the noodles, top with one quarter of the roasted red peppers and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, and finish with 1/8 cup of the Parmesan cheese.

4. Repeat three times for a total of four layers, finishing with the tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven until bubbly on top, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

Tasty Tuesday: Greek Style Shrimp

Any dish that adds feta cheese is tops in my book!  It does take a few pans, but the extra dishes are worth it!

Greek Style Shrimp

2 lbs (1 Kg) shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbs (30 ml) lemon juice
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped onion
2 scallions, finely chopped (green and white parts)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) tomato puree or canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry white wine or water
1 Tbs (15 ml) butter
1/4 cup (60 ml) ouzo or brandy (optional)
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried oregano (Greek if possible)
3 Tbs (45 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lb (250 g) feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes

Mix the shrimp with the lemon juice and let stand while preparing the sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, and saute the onion, scallions, and garlic for 3 minutes, until limp. Add the tomato puree and wine and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and saute the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ouzo or brandy and ignite it carefully, shaking the pan gently until the flame dies down. Add the oregano and parsley and toss to combine.
Place the shrimp in the bottom of a 2 quart (2 L) ovenproof dish, along with the juices from the pan. Pour the tomato sauce over the shrimp, and top with the feta cheese. Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serves 4 to 6.

MMMmonday - Rosemary Skewered Scallops

This is another great recipe from my favorite Chef - Joe from wwrecipes.com.  The rosemary skewers also work on shrimp, chicken and more... the sky is the limit!

Rosemary-Skewered Scallops (Serves 4 to 6.)

1 1/2 - 2 lbs (675 - 900 g) large sea scallops
3 Tbs (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 - 6 branches of fresh rosemary, each about
6 inches (15 cm) long

Toss the scallops with the olive oil, season them with salt and pepper, and sprinkle them with the Parmesan cheese.
Strip the leaves off the rosemary branches, leaving only about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of leaves at the tip.
Skewer the scallops onto the branches - it may help to form a sharp point on the tips of the
branches by cutting them at an angle.
Grill directly over hot coals or under a preheated broiler for a total of 3 to 4 minutes,
turning them halfway through the grilling time.

Shopping tip: When you are looking for fresh scallops, you don't want to buy them if they are sitting in a murky/milky liquid or, like any seafood, smell seafoody... fresh scallops should have a very mildly salty smell and if there is any liquid present it should be clear...

MMMmonday: Greek Shrimp with Feta Cheese

This is one of those yummy dishes that will make company think you've been slaving away for hours but is really quick and easy to prepare and oh so yummy!  Plus... it's got Feta cheese in it, so it has to be fabulous, right?


Greek Shrimp with Feta Cheese (Serves 4 to 6)

MMMmonday - Smokey Joes (Guest Post)

Real life has kept me pretty busy and I haven't been cooking anything new or fun in my kitchen so I asked one of my blogging friends, Danielle from Simmworks Family Blog to share one of her yummy creations!


Over the past few years I've tried a few recipes for sloppy joes but none seem to make the cut. They're either not flavorful enough, too tomato flavored, or just not right in some way. Well, I've finally found the perfect sloppy joe recipe and couldn't be happier. I use ground turkey instead of ground beef to lighten up this meal but feel free to use whatever meat your family prefers. 


This recipe is perfect for those days where you need a quick dinner and is ready in under 30 minutes. There isn't a lot of work or preparation involved and is a great weeknight addition to any family menu. Paired with veggies or a fresh salad and it's a healthy and complete meal any kid would love.

MMMmonday - Greek Style Flank Steak

I absolutely love Flank Steak - down here in the South I've found that Flank Steak is often labeled as London Broil... which is not a cut of meat at all... but a method of cooking... either way - if you find it labeled London Broil or Flank steak this recipe will give you an incredibly tender meal. If there are any leftovers you'll find that this steak goes great on top of a nice salad and also makes a yummy steak sandwich.  You can also use this marinade for chicken breasts or pork loin... so versatile :)


Greek-Style Flank Steak (Serves 4 to 6)

MMMmonday - Grilled Chicken with Summer Tomatoes and Finlandia Muenster Cheese

I had the opportunity to try out some yummy Finlandia Cheese and they sent along this recipe that just screamed try me, so I did!  I honestly hadn't realized that Finlandia Cheese was available at my local Harris Teeter, but now that I know I am going to go back and try other varieties!

Grilled Chicken with Summer Tomatoes and Finlandia Muenster Cheese

MMMmonday - Lasagna Florentine w/ linky

This is another yummy recipe from my favorite place - Chef Joe at WWRecipes - I've had this on in my repitoire since 2006 and it's easy and so yummy!


Lasagna Florentine

MMMmonday - Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Tart (and recipe linky)

I'm still on a total Asparagus kick here... it's on sale and plentiful for such a short time, so I'm taking advantage!  Plus, it's one of hubby's favorite veggies, so I try to incorporate it in as much as I can.  This dish combines two of his favorites the asparagus and mushrooms - yummo!


This elegant dish would also feel right at home on the table at a fancy brunch or luncheon - it comes from one of my favorite sources too - The Chef at wwrecipes.com

Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Tart

MMMmonday - Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaves and a linky!

This recipe came from Publix Apron Simple Meals counter - and we taste-tested it over a year ago, it's one that Robyn makes on a regular basis... and since I'm still breast-feeding my constantly eating son, I'm relying on others to cook...

Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaves

Photo courtesy of Publix

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs - or (1/4 cup gf breadcrumbs & 1/4 cup grated parm w/ a shake of Italian seasoning)
1 egg 
1/2 cup frozen diced onions or 1 small onion diced
1 1/4 lb lean ground beef, 
4 sticks mozzarella string cheese or 4 wedges of block mozzarella, cheddar etc


Steps

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine 3/4 cup pasta sauce and remaining ingredients (except cheese) until blended.
2. Divide into four portions; shape around each string cheese, covering cheese completely. Seal tightly so hot cheese will stay inside (wash hands). Bake 20–25 minutes or until 160°F.
3. Before serving, microwave remaining 3/4 cup pasta sauce on HIGH 1 minute or until hot. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 410kcal; FAT 18g; CHOL 150mg; SODIUM 810mg; CARB 21g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 41g; VIT A 15%; VIT C 8%; CALC 30%; IRON 30%

Link up your recipes here (month long linky)

I am also hanging out with:

Question of the Week: Where will you be celebrating Thanksgiving? Will you have lots of guests?


So far, it's just us and my in-laws, but I'm happy to have more if I find out that friends don't have plans

MMMmonday - Smoked Sausage Kabobs from Out of the Box

I got this recipe from my friend Heather at Out of the Box and into the Kitchen and the sauce is great!

Smoked Sausage Kabobs- from Taste of Home Recipes 2009
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1 inch slices
1-2 sweet peppers, largely cubed
1 onion, largely cubed
1 pkg grape or cherry tomatoes
other veggies(zucchini, mushrooms, etc)
bamboo or metal skewers

Sauce:
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

*If using a gas or charcoal grill, make sure to soak bamboo skewers for at least 30 mins beforehand.

Mix together sauce ingredients and set aside.

Alternate, ingredients on skewer until skewer is full and all ingredients have been used. Place on grill and baste with sauce. Let cook for 2 mins, flip and baste with sauce and continue to cook until cooked through. 


Check out the link to Heather's recipe to see her yummy photo of the kabobs!


I am also starting something new - to help spread yumminess on Mondays- this is going to be a regular linky to post any recipes from your blog that you would like to share!







I am also participating in:

Mailbox Monday!!  A blog hop to boost your subscriber count!

Hosted by Simply Stacie, This Mama Loves Her Bargains and A little of this A little of that…

MMMmonday: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This recipe comes again from one of my favourite e-zines WWRecipes, and the wonderful man who puts it together, Chef Joe...

Chef Joe's Comments: Portobello mushrooms are so rich in flavor and texture that they
satisfy even the most devout meat lover. This recipe calls for
two mushrooms per serving, but you might consider serving just
one as a delightful brunch or luncheon dish.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

8-12 large Portobello mushrooms, at least
5 inches (12 cm) in diameter
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
3-4 red bell peppers (capsicums), seeded and chopped
3-4 green bell peppers (capsicums), seeded and chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-4 scallions (spring onions), green and white parts, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried oregano
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (125 ml) crumbled goat's cheese

Remove the mushroom stems and chop. Set the mushroom
caps aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate
heat and saute the chopped stems, bell peppers, garlic, scallions,
and onion until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the herbs, salt,
and pepper and saute an additional 2 minutes. Spoon the mixture
into the mushroom caps and place on a lightly greased baking
sheet. Top with the cheeses and bake in a preheated 425F (220C)
oven for about 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and
the cheeses have melted. Serves 4 to 6.

My tweaks: Since it's summer and the herbs are abundant here, I substituted fresh herbs for the dried at a 2 to 1 ratio, reduced the amount of salt and increased the amount of garlic slightly to taste... the last few times I've made it, I've had to eliminate the goat cheese because I'm pregnant and can't find a good pasteurized goat cheese, so I've experimented with the cheese a bit and used havarti, gouda and monteray Jack with good results...


I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

MMMmonday - Gyros Burgers with my twists...

I was excited to read about another great recipe to try on my friend Heather's blog Out of the Box and Into the Kitchen - Gyros Burgers...

Our family is a huge fan of the real authentic gyros, shaved pressed lamb and beef, grilled and served with tzatziki sauce and other additions... so I thought we'd try these...

and even before I could try them, I recommended them to my cousin who was looking for an interesting supper choice too!  They really liked them so it redoubled my resolve to make this recipe...

But, I also learned that the burgers were hard to keep in the pitas, and so modified our meal to be cooked ground beef (like you would for tacos or meat sauce) rather than formed burgers... this also appealed to me because I could better control just how cooked the meat was... and being pregnant, this was important to me!

Here is the original recipe from Heather's site with my modifications in Red:

Gyro Burgers
1 lb ground beef(or ground turkey)
1/2 onion, diced
3/4 tsp oregano
2 cups plain yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt - easy to find these days at most supermarkets)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried chives (I had fresh, so I used fresh instead)
2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground pepper (We like pepper so used 1/2 tsp instead)
1/2 tsp salt (I omitted the salt completely)
1 cucumber, seeded, peeled,chopped (We only needed 1/2 a cucumber)
pita (we used Greek flat bread pita - most authentic...)
mozzerella cheese (we used crumbled Feta instead for a more authentic taste)
tomatoes - for topping
spinach leaves - for topping
Mix one cup of yogurt with seasonings(except oregano). Place half the mixture in with meat, oregano, and onions. Mix meat together and form patties , grill until done to your likeness (As I said, I just pan sautéed the meat rather than make patties. Take the rest of the yogurt and mix it with the cucumber and 1 cup of plain yogurt to make the sauce. Stir and place in fridge. Once burgers are done, place in pitas and top with sauce. I steamed the pitas in the microwave with a damp paper towel for 30 seconds before placing the sauce onto the pita and then scooping meat, tomato, cheese etc onto it.  The nice thing about the ground meat rather than the patty was you could control how much you wanted...


These weren't quite as good as authentic gyros... they lacked the slow cooked meat flavor, but were good none-the-less and we will make them again!  

MMMmonday - Healthy Tuna Salad & WINNER!

I got this recipe once again from one of my favorite sources - Wwrecipes - I subscribe to the daily e-zine paid edition and its one of the few things I don't regret paying for from the internet...I bought a lifetime membership and it has served me very well and made some yummy treats for my family...  There is also a smaller free e-zine and a marvelous website!

"Canned tuna is a healthy, flavorful, and versatile product, but
most recipes for tuna salad use so much mayonnaise that
these natural benefits are lost. Here is a low-fat, no fuss version
that lets the tuna stand out." Chef Joe

Healthy Tuna Sandwiches

2 cans (6 oz, 170 g) tuna packed in water, drained
Juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon
2-3 scallions (spring onions), green and white parts,
finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped fresh cilantro (coriander
leaves) or parsley
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped walnuts or pecans
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste (optional)
8 slices whole wheat bread, toasted if desired
Or 4 whole wheat flour tortillas or pita breads
Romaine lettuce leaves
Slices of ripe tomato

Combine the tuna, lime juice, scallions, cilantro, walnuts, salt,
pepper, and optional hot sauce in a bowl and stir to combine.
Make sandwiches using the tuna mixture, your bread of choice,
lettuce leaves, and tomato slices. Makes 4 sandwiches.

My notes: You can also just skip the bread and scoop onto the lettuce leaves and surround with grape tomatoes or tomato wedges if you are carb conscious... I used parsley since I had some growing in my window and it was yummy!  We had to sprinkle the nuts on afterwards since Wayne can't eat them.... but I don't think it made too big a difference...

**** I can also finally announce a winner to my first contest - There were only three people who guessed "D", so I put their names in a hat and drew MONICA!  Monica, you have an email with instructions on its way, please get back to me within 48 hours so I can get your prize ordered!

Watch this space tomorrow for a special POST IT NOTE TUESDAY with a PRODUCT REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!

MMMmonday - Yummy Recipes from friends...

Today I thought I'd do something a little different... instead of one recipe, I'm going to share four that I have found on various blog friends sites and have put together for a yummy meal for my family!

The first inspiration came from Hallee the Homemaker's Scrumptious Sweet Potato Sticks, which are quick and easy and healthy to make.

My variation to her recipe is to add some fresh ground black pepper with the sea salt at the end for just a little more kick!

I'm planning to pair it with:
Italian Mama Chef's Baked Italian Lemon Chicken, which I made the other day and we loved!  It has all the lovely breading without the frying and a fabulous tart lemony flavor, which I think will go well with the sweet potato! (This one isn't gluten free unless you use GF flour, which I haven't done, because Liam is pretty  much a vegetarian and won't eat chicken)

for our veggies:
Roasted Tomatoes from Out of the Box and Into the Kitchen.. cause I have a hankering to make these again.... they were just yummy!  I will also have salad greens and cucumber spears on the side

and for dessert:
More lemon with Pear Crisp with Lemon Sauce... from the Sporadic cook... cause Pears were on sale last week at Publix and this recipe was easily adapted to gluten free, with the use of GF all purpose flour, 1/2 a teaspoon of xanthum gum and GF oats!  I served the lemon sauce on the side, because the pear crisp alone was great... but I love me some lemon :)

I hope you enjoy this week's MMMonday post - I would love your feedback about whether you prefer this style or my one recipe a week format... or if you'd like to see a combination of both - maybe recipes most Mondays with a featured MMenu once a month...  Please check out these fabulous blogs which are full of other great recipes, tips and more...