Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs,

Here are some of my favorite recipes this week.

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

c/o Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower pizza crust (see below)
• 1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, torn

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning blend
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix the chicken and barbecue sauce, top the pizza with the chicken, mozzarella and red onion and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Crust: Rice the cauliflower in a food processor, place it in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 8 minutes or until cooked.
3. Place the cauliflower in a tea towel and squeeze as much moisture out as you can.
4. Mix the cauliflower, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper, press the mixture onto a baking mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 450F oven until lightly golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Pepperoni Pizza Polenta Bake

c/o Whole Foods

Ingredients

• 1 (18-ounce) roll precooked polenta, cut into 9 rounds
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
• 9 thin slices (about 1 1/2 ounces) pepperoni
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. 

Arrange polenta rounds in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Spoon marinara sauce over the top, then scatter with oregano. Arrange peppers and pepperoni over the sauce, then top with cheese and parsley and bake until hot throughout and bubbly, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Strawberry Moscow Mule

c/o Family Fresh Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup Frozen Strawberries, thawed
• 4 ounces Vodka
• 2 tablespoons Lime Juice
• 1 bottle Ginger Beer
• Sweeten to taste if needed

Directions

• Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Mash the strawberries with the back of a spoon so the juices drip into the bowl.
• Add ice to a chilled mug or highball glass. Divide strawberry juice, vodka and lime juice between the 2 mugs/glasses. Top off with ginger beer last. Place a lime & strawberry skewer in each cocktail.

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! Here are my favorite recipes for the week!

My Mother's Manhattan

℅ The Kitchn

Ingredients

Ice
2 ounces whiskey
2 ounces sweet vermouth
Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Directions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add whiskey and sweet vermouth.

Stir until well chilled.

Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with one maraschino cherry.

Serve the ice on the side.

Spaghetti Pie

℅ Emily Bites

Ingredients

10 oz dry wheat or high fiber thin spaghetti

¾ lb 95% lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

8 oz can tomato sauce

15 oz can crushed tomatoes

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cut into cubes

1/3 cup fat free cottage cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded 2% Mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400. Lightly mist a deep dish 9” pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. As soon as spaghetti is done cooking (while it’s still hot), start step 4.

3. While the water is boiling for step one, bring a large skillet or saute pan over medium high heat and add the ground beef. Break the beef up with a large spoon or spatula and add the onion, salt and pepper. Cook until beef is browned and onions are cooked (about 5-7 minutes). Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, oregano and Italian Seasoning and reduce the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and add the cream cheese cubes back into the empty pot. Cover the cream cheese cubes with the hot pasta and stir/toss to melt the cheese and coat the pasta. Add the cottage cheese, Parmesan and ¼ cup of the Mozzarella and toss until well combined. Add 2 cups of the meat sauce from step 3 and stir to coat. Continue to warm the additional sauce on low on the stove top.

5. Transfer the spaghetti mixture from the pot into the pie plate and press it down with a spatula and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of Mozzarella over the top of the spaghetti pie and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until cooked through and cheese is bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes after cooking and cut the pie into 6 even wedges. Serve each wedge with ¼ cup of the meat sauce spooned over the top. 

Candy Cane Biscotti

℅ Cookies on Friday

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

Additional crushed peppermint candy canes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture; stirring until combined. Add the crushed peppermints and stir on low until incorporated.

Divide the two in two pieces. Shape each piece into a flat log about 3 inches wide by 14 inches long; your log will be about ½” thick. Place one log on each of the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking time. The logs will be lightly brown on the edges and the top of the log may be cracked.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and allow the biscotti logs to cool for 10 minutes.

Slice the biscotti diagonally into ½” slices and place them standing up on one of the baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until golden and crisp. Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool. Allow the biscotti to cool on a wire rack.

Combine the white chocolate chips and the shortening in small bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each cooking time, until smooth. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cooled biscotti or dip the biscotti in the white chocolate. Sprinkle with additional crushed peppermints.