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

MMMmonday - Avocado, Carrot, and Orange Salad

This is one of those salads that impresses everyone... it's got great color, crunch and taste... plus, anything with avocado has to be good right?

Avocado, Carrot, and Orange Salad

2 Tbs (30 ml) seedless raisins
1/4 cup (60 ml) warm water
1 cup (250 ml) fresh orange juice
1/4 tsp (1 ml) crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/4 tsp (1 ml) freshly grated ginger root
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups (500 ml) coarsely grated carrots
2 large ripe avocados, chilled
3 Tbs (45 ml) fresh lemon juice

Soak the raisins in the warm water for 30 minutes, then drain.
In a small mixing bowl combine the orange juice, red pepper, ginger, salt, pepper, and carrots and stir to combine thoroughly.
Chill for at least one hour. Just before serving, slice the avocados in half and remove the pits. Leave the skin on, as the diners
will eat the salad out of it like a bowl. Sprinkle the exposed avocado flesh with the lemon juice. Using a spoon, mound the
carrot mixture on the avocado halves. Scatter the raisins on top.
Moisten with a little of the orange juice left in the bowl and serve immediately. Serves 4.

MMMmonday - Honey Carrot Soup

Sometimes you want to begin your meal with something just a little sweet and this soup fits the bill perfectly... Although it is a chilled soup it is one that you can eat year round.  This is yet another fabulous recipe that I got from The Chef at WWRecipes.com

Honey Carrot Soup

MMMmonday - Chickpea Salad

I tried this recipe after seeing it in the Post and Courier, our local Charleston newspaper a few weeks ago and knew that I and to share it with you too!  This makes a wonderful warm salad appetizer or can be used as a side dish too!  I've included the recipe as it was originally printed and my substitutions (in red)

Chickpea Salad

MMMmonday - Curried Lentil Stew

This is one of those fabulous crock pot recipes that makes your house smell fabulous and warms your insides on a cold winter's night.  

Curried Lentil Stew

MMMmonday - Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary

Having moved to the US fairly recently, I have never really gotten the concept of candied sweet potatoes for holiday meals.  I much prefer this version that blends sweet with savory.  Because of Wayne's nut allergies, I omit the pine nuts from his portion.


Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary (6 servings)

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in 1 & 1/2" pieces
3 lg. garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 C toasted pine nuts
2 Tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

In roasting pan, combine sweet potatoes, garlic, rosemary and oil.  Toss to blend well.  Roast at 375 for 50 min., or until tender,
turning occasionally.  Just before serving, season with pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper.


Do you have a favorite Holiday Recipe to link up?  Or any other yummy recipe to share?

MMMmonday - Mushroom Stew

Even though it's still pretty darn warm here in Charleston, I've been craving comfort food and for me - that's stew, so I made up a big pot of this yummy vegetarian stew and pretended it was chilly outside...


Mushroom Stew

1/2 oz (14 g) dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup (250 ml) hot water
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter or olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 lbs (900-1350 g) assorted fresh mushrooms such as crimini, portobello, oyster, shiitake, or white button, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh sage
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry sherry, Marsala, or Madeira (optional) and I usually omit
1 can (14 1/2 oz, 411 g) chopped tomatoes, drained
1 tsp (5 ml) balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. 
Drain and strain the liquid through a paper towel or coffee filter and set aside. 
Chop the mushrooms and set aside. 
Heat the butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat and saute the onion and garlic until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. 
Add the mushrooms and saute until most of the liquid they release has evaporated, about 10 minutes. 
Add the remaining ingredients and the reserved soaking liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

MMMmonday - Spinoches Yfryed (Fried Spinach) w/ Linky

In high school and college, I belonged to an organization called the Society for Creative Anachronism and spent my weekends as Lady Alexandrina, watching brave knights battle, dressing in period clothing and learning to cook yummy recipes of olde... but with fresh spinach starting to come into season here in the south, I thought I would share it with you:

MMMmonday - Detox Green Vegetable Soup from GF Goddess and a linky!

Who says that good for you can't taste fabulous?  I was looking for a yummy, easy soup recipe for those cold winter days - I know I live in SC, but it's been unusually cold here and it makes me think of home and yummy soup in a cup!


I found the perfect 'sipping soup' at The Gluten Free Goddess and had to share - plus click through to see a fabulous picture of what the soup will be!

Detox Green Soup Recipe with Broccoli, Spinach and Ginger

This easy detox soup can be thin or thick, depending upon the amount of water you add. I love that it cooks up quickly and comes together beautifully - this is one of those taste with a spoon soups that you can putter around with to get just right!  The Gluten Free Goddess makes it dairy free, gluten free and completely VEGAN, and just chock full of anti-oxidants and vitamins!  My only changes to the original recipe was to use roasted garlic, since I had some...

You'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons diced onion
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cups fresh broccoli, cut up
1/2 pound of fresh spinach leaves
3 parsnips, peeled, cored, chopped
2 ribs of celery, trimmed, chopped
A handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Fresh water, as needed
Sea salt and ground pepper, to tatse
Lemon or lime juice


Using a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and stir in the garlic, onion, and ginger to season the oil. Add the broccoli, spinach, parsnips, celery and parsley, and stir a bit until the spinach wilts and collapses. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Remember the spinach will cook down quite a bit, so don't add too much water at first. You can always thin the soup later, if you need to.

Bring to a high simmer, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a medium simmer. Cook for fifteen minutes or so until the veggies are softened.

Use an immersion blender, or other blender or food processor to puree the soup.

Taste test. Does it need brightening? Add a squeeze of citrus.

Options:

To make this a creamy soup add a dash of So Delicious Coconut Milk.

Serve with a spoonful of hot cooked rice in the center of the bowl.


Mix it up a little and add some curry paste or Tabasco sauce for something with a little more bite!

And don't forget to add your favorite recipes to this month's Linky: