Calzone - Tara Style :)

I started making this on Fridays for a fun little tradition. I don't do it that often now because it does take a bit of time to make and I can't always do that with 2 little boys. But we LOVE this pizza.

The Recipe:

 Calzone - Tara Style :)

I am even going to show you how to "braid" the crust. :)

First you need to make the pizza dough.

I got this recipe from my mom.

Put 1/2 cup Shortening and 2 cups milk into microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave about 4 min (until Shortening is melted and milk scalded).

In a Mixing bowl put 2 eggs and beat well. Then add 2/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons salt and mix well.

In a small bowl add 2 tablespoons yeast to 1/2 cup warm water. Stir. Set aside.

Add about 3 cups Flour to egg/sugar mixture and stir well.

Then SLOWLY add milk/shortening while mixing frequently (at first) so you don't scald the eggs. Mix well.

 Add the yeast/water. Mix well.

A little at a time, add the rest of the flour (about 4 cups). Mix until well incorporated.

Plop the dough onto floured surface and knead for a couple minutes.

Split the dough in half ( or fourths). Form into pretty little ball.

Stop to take care of un-happy nakie, baby...

Roll out dough into a large circle about 1/4 inch thick.

Place onto 9x13 inch pan with the top half (or so) hanging off.

Now for the pizza making part.

Spread a nice thick layer of Ricotta cheese onto the dough on the pan. Leave a small "crust."

Add Pepperoni. Put lots and close together! (there IS 2 layers of crust... )

Add sausage. Pre-cooked or raw. I did raw...saves a step.

Add olives.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Now to make it a calzone!

Carefully stretch the "top" dough out a little. Just enough for it to fit over the bottom part.

Stretch over to cover the bottom part.

  

Now for the "braid."

 Take the top and bottom dough around the edges and gently pull/stretch it out so you have about an inch all around the edge (except on the folded edge).

 stretching

 more stretching.

Once you've done that start on one edge next to the folded edge and gently stretch and fold small parts of it over your finger of the opposite hand.

 then press down. And grab the "loop" that forms and gently stretch /pull that over your finger again.

 Repeat.

 Repeat.

 Repeat.

 Keep doing that until you reach the other side of the folded edge.

 And Ta da! A braided edge. It does take a bit of practice.

Make some holes in the top for even cooking.

You could cook it now...or top it off. We like it topped off.

 Put a layer of pizza sauce om the top going to the crust.

Add mozzarella cheese.

 And a little cheddar cheese.

Ready to bake!

Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Cool slightly....

Then enjoy!!! YUM!!

Mexican Chicken Chowder

1 onion chopped (from bountiful basket)

1-2 green pepper chopped (from bountiful basket)

6 cloves of garlic pressed

1 stick of butter

2 tblsp olive oil (divided)

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

32 oz chicken broth

2 cans green chillies

1 can diced tomatoes with green chillies

3/4 bag of frozen corn (or a can drained)

salt

pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

2 limes juiced

2 tblsp chipolte adobo sauce

2 large chicken breasts

sour cream garnish

Mexican blend cheese garnish

tortilla strips garnish

cilantro leaves garnish

(You could add black beans if you wanted. I just hate beans and don't eat them ha ha!)

Season (with salt pepper and 1 tblsp olive oil) and cook chicken breasts in crock pot on low for about 6 hours(You can cook the chicken any way you want really. Or even get a rotisserie chicken from the store.) When chicken is done, pull them out of crock pot and place on a plate to cool. In a very large pan melt butter and 1 tblsp olive oil add onion, press garlic and green pepper and cook until tender. Stir in flour until all veggies are coated. Then stir in milk. Pour in chicken broth and stir together to combine. Add cream of chicken and stir that to combine. Add green chillies, tomatoes, and corn. Then add chipolte sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Juice 2 limes and stire all together. Bring to a slow boil and then turn burner down. After chicken has cooled, chop/shred the chicken and add to the chowder. Stir to combine. Simmer on low for 15-hour or whenever you are ready to eat :)

Serve in bowls with cheese, sour cream, chips and fresh cilantro leave for garnish.

This soup was DELICIOUS!! Even my kids ate it! I had to hurry and blog it so that I wouldn't forget it! All measurements are estimates because I made this recipe up as I went.

Chicken Breast with Salsa

6 boneless skinless chickien breasts
3 lemons squeezed (just use the juice)
3/4 C olive oil
2 Tbsp crushed Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Salsa

Mix lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a dish large enought to marinate your chicken in.  Marinate for 15 minutes on each side, then grill.  Top with Salsa.

Tonight I got lazy and actually baked the chicken IN the marinade on 350 till the juices ran clear and it was SUPER moist.  I also cut up the chicken breasts into halves or fourths.  They aren't as pretty, but they cook faster.

We served it with Cous cous and green beans.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

We are on a smoothie kick here at our house. Ever since we go our Ninja Master Prep last weekend. We got strawberries and bananas in the Bountiful Basket so my girls asked if we could make a strawberry smoothie. Here is what we came up with.

1 1/2 cups of hulled chopped strawberries (from BB)

1 banana sliced (from BB. You could add more banana but I don't like smoothies where all you can taste is the banana.)

8-10 ice cubes

1/2 a carton (2 lb) of vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp of lemon juice (I personally wanted to add more but my girls insisted that was enough)

Blend all ingiedients together until smooth. Pour in glasses and Enjoy!

Mango Lassi

So I'm thinking mangoes are my new favorite fruit. We are getting them a lot in our Bountiful Baskets. So yes, this is another BBasket recipe post :) But this one is a smoothie. And OMG! It is so yummy! I first had a Mango Lassi when I lived in California. It is an Indian drink (and no, not Native Americans, but people actually from India). So I looked up a recipe for one and came across this one. I altered it a little bit though.

Here is my version of the recipe.

2 mangoes (from BBasket) peeled, flesh removed from the seed thingie in the middle and roughly chopped

1/2 a carton of vanilla yogurt (from the 2lb carton)

about 3/4 cup of milk (I eyeballed it)

a large handful of ice

1/2 cup of sugar (you can add more, but my mangoes were really ripe and very sweet)

Place all ingriedients above in a blender (I just bought the Ninja Master Prep this weekend and it is awesome!) and combine until very smooth and thick. Pour into glasses and enjoy!