Tag Archives: mozzarella cheese

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chili

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Slow cooker tuscan chiliI think winter is actually over. Heat is where it’s at now. I like to use my slow cooker a lot when the temperatures soar, it doesn’t heat up the house as much as having the oven on, plus it is oh so nice to not be cooking over the hot stove top come dinner time. I still like eating hot dinners though, so that leaves slow cooker or BBQ. Another thing that has come back with the heat is swimming lessons, which I booked exactly at supper time. This means that we have to have a really early supper or a really late one. I don’t want to send starving children into the pool so early it is, makes slow cooker even a bit more enticing. And so I made this delicious chili recipe, that actually contains not one speck of chili powder in the whole thing, oh well, it was yummy anyways.

Recipe from What’s Cooking Magazine Festive 2011

  • 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 green and yellow pepper, chopped
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, ( 19 ounce)
  • 1 can tomato paste (5.5 ounce)
  • 1 can white kidney beans ( 19 ounce)
  • 1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In large skillet crumble sausage, add onion and cook until meat is cooked through and onion is tender. Place in slow cooker.

2. Add next 4 ingredients and stir. cook on low for 4 hours. Add spices. cook on high for additional 10 minutes.

3. Serve into bowls and top with cheese.

4. Eat and enjoy!

Cran-Broccoli Salad

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Cranberry Broccoli Saladmm..mm..mm..that is what I think about when I think about this salad. It had so many flavors, and with garlic bread and beef manicotti on the menu, this is what I had seconds of. I wasn’t actually going to have seconds as a banana split station was coming up and I wanted to save lots of room for dessert, but this salad was just that good. And easy too! Okay, I guess salads are pretty much always easy, but I still think you should try this one. Recipe found on an old Ocean Spray flyer.

  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp each, grated lemon peel, salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 bag broccoli slaw (340 g)
  • 1/2 cup ocean spray craisins
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 Tbsp toasted chopped pecans ( I used walnuts)

1. Mix together balsamic, Dijon, maple syrup, garlic and seasonings. Whisk in oil.

2. Mix together broccoli slaw, craisins and onions. Pour dressing over top and mix, let sit for 15 minutes.

3. Top with cheese and nuts. Serve immediately.

4. Eat and enjoy!

Secret Recipe Club

Bruschetta Chicken Skillet

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A meal the whole family enjoyed. After a rather hectic day, I was quite thankful that I hadn’t planned a meal that I would have to sit there and tell my kids to eat. I mean, sometimes their just chatty, and kind of forget their food is there. Sometimes, they are dubious about eating what is on the plate, and sometime they all tell me how much they like dinner and wonder of all they actually sit there and eat. Yes, it is an amazing thing.

Recipe from What’s Cooking Magazine Winter 2008

  • 2 Tbsp Kraft Sun-dried Tomato and Oregano Dressing
  • 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 red peppers-chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can Italian Style stewed tomatoes (19 ounce)
  • 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
  • 1.2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken, peppers and garlic and cook until chicken is cooked through. Flipping chicken half way through. (About 10-15 minutes).

2. Remove chicken to plate and cover to keep warm. Add water, canned tomatoes, 1 cup of the fresh tomatoes, and rice to skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Return chicken to sit on top of mixture. Mix together remaining tomatoes, fresh basil and cheese. Spoon on top of chicken. Cover. Let cook 5 minutes until cheese has melted.

4. Eat and enjoy!

 

Prosciutto Pizza with Balsamic Onions

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PizzaWell today marks a very special day, yes that is right, you guessed it, It’s Secret Recipe Club! This month I was assigned Cookin with Moxie, an Italian food blog filled to the brim with delicious recipes. Jamie (yes another Jamie not me), brings this blog to life and I was so happy to have received it! I decided to make this pizza, yum, good choice! It is a bit different from the normal pizza we have as it did not have tomato sauce,but we didn’t miss it a bit! I loved the saltiness of the prosciutto and the tang from the balsamic. It all made for one tasty meal!

  • 2 tbsp plus 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 12-ounce red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 cup (packed) grated mozzarella cheese
  •  3 tbsp grated Parmesan
  •   4 thin slices prosciutto, sliced crosswise into thin strips
  •  2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (I used dried)
  •  Balsamic vinegar
  • Store bought pizza dough, or use your favorite homemade recipe

1.Char your red bell pepper by placing under the broiler for a bout 8 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Remove skins and slice.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in skillet and add onions, cook over medium heat for 12 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cook additional 4 minutes. Remove to separate bowl. In same skillet heat olive oil and cook garlic until brown and fragrant. Remove garlic from oil using spoon, place oil in small bowl.

3. Roll out your pizza dough into a large rectangle. Place on pizza stone or baking sheet. Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip, and brush with 1 Tbsp of garlic oil.

4. Top with mozzarella, onions, garlic bits, red pepper and parmesan. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Top with prosciutto and thyme, bake an additional 5 minutes. Slice and Serve.

6. Serve with remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

7. Eat and enjoy!

check out what everyone else made by clicking the link below:




Secret Recipe Club