So, why not make Baby Burgers with Blue cheese and pear topping! Its elegant enough for the Oscars, and you can always go for the ketchup and mustard if you make extra burgers

Blue Baby Burgers

1 package dinner rolls

1lb ground beef

1TBSP Soya sauce, and Worchesisire  sauce each

1TBSP garlic Powder

3TBSP Parmasan cheese (from the can people)

1/4cup breadcrumbs

3 ripe pears, cut into slices

blue cheese

Mix together meat, spices, breadcrumbs and parmasan, and form small 1inch thick, 2inches wide burgers. Grill or fry burgers, and 5 minutes before they are finished add blue cheese to the top and let melt. Add pears and then serve everything neatly tucked into a dinner roll!

… I have no quote because the blue people scare me a little. I appreciate its cinamatic genius though.

liss

**Quick thought for you all: Would anyone be interested in custom made aprons via Chef Liss?**

Pesto Shrimp Pizza

1 jar alfredo sauce

1 jar pesto (**make your own! 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups Basil, 1 cup Olive oil S&P, Blend Well**)

1tube pre-made pizzadough

1cup pre-cooked shrimp

1cup mozzerella

1jar Artichokes in brine, chopped

1/2jar capers, drained and rinsed

ALSO!

1TBSP garlic powder

1TBSP Parmesan cheese *cheap from the shaker can people, lets be honest its FEB and we’re runnin out of funds!*

1TBSP Oregano

1TBSP Butter

Roll out the dough, and mix roughly 1/2 Jar Pesto with 1/5th of a jar of  alfredo (You want it to be a thick sauce, not runny, and with more pesto than alfredo). Spread pesto/alfredo mix onto dough, add shrimp, artichokes and capers, then top with cheese. On the crust, spread thin layer of butter, then mix together the oregano, garlic powder and cheese, and top the buttered crust with it. Bake at 350 for 15-20minutes or until crust is browned.

Yummmmmmmmm looks sooooo good… trying this one soon for suree

liss

As a side note, there is canola oil used for frying in this recipe, but olive oil can be substituted. Although this takes away from the “health aspect”, the baking process helps get rid of a lot of the excess oil leaving a crispy and semi-healthy crust. Hey, we cant win them all!

Liss’s Delish Eggplant Parm

STEP ONE:

Eggplant

1cup milk

1cup breadcrumbs

1 TBSP Oregano, 1TSP salt, 1/2TSP Rosemary, 1TSP Pepper (mix together with breadcrumbs in a lrg bowl)

1 cups Oil for Frying (keep more on hand, as eggplant likes to absorb)

1 Eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Mix together all spices with breadcrumbs, set aside. Dip eggplant slices into milk, and then cover completely in breadcrumbs and shake excess off. In a Large Pan, heat oil to med high, and fry both sides of egg plant until crispy. Place on baking sheet, and set aside.

STEP 2

Sauce

this sauce can be substituted for jarred sauce if need be. I recommend making it though, especially since it takes less than 5 minutes.

1/2 Lrg can tomato paste (mix together with 1/2 cup water *or more* to get it to a sauce-like state)

1/2cup Olive oil

1TBSP each: Oregano, salt and pepper

3 Cloves garlic, chopped

1TSP Pizza Spice ( if you have it, if not add a few of your favorites in)

In a Pot, begin by browning garlic. Add tomato paste, water and spices and bring to a low simmer until heated.

GRATE CHEESE

STEP 3

Assemble

On the baking sheet, lay down all slices, and top with sauce and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 15. Serve hot.

I suggest peeling the eggplant, I didnt and the skin was very tough.

Enjoy! I sure did!

liss

Welcome back everyone!

Liss’s French Onion Soup

2 large sweet onions, sliced into rings

2 cloves garlic

2TBSP butter

1TSP oil

4cups Beef Broth

1/2cup Red Wine

1 Baugette (Instruction: Thinly slice (1/2inch slices) bread diagonally. Brush with oil, Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy).

1cup shredded cheese (whatever’s in your fridge is fine)

In a large pot, melt butter and oil together and add sliced garlic and onions. These bad boys need to cook down for 10-15 minutes, or until they are a caramel brown colour. A trick here is to add a small amount (3TBSP water each time) to the pot while the onions and garlic are cooking down.The steam forces them to cook faster! Add salt and Pepper to taste, as salt also draws water out of the onions. Continue cooking for 15 minutes, and then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Let the red wine cook down until all the alcohol is out of it, then add the beef broth and simmer for 10 minutes. If you have one on hand, add a bay leaf here while simmering. Ladel into bowls, and add hot baugette slices to the top, top with cheese and microwave for 15 seconds until the cheese melts!

I know what Im having for supper tonight. You should too now

Liss

One of the simplest and most delicious breakfasts around…

Fruit Yogurt Parfait

1cup Yogurt, desired taste

1/2cup frozen mixed berries

1/4cup sweetened Granola, or 1crushed Almond Nature Valley bar

In a travel container, layer ingredients Berries, Yogurt, Berries,Yogurt, Granola.

A homemade, frozen breakfast sandwich, just heat and go! Initial preparation may take some time.

Sausage and Cheese English Muffins

1/2cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/2lb ground pork

1tsp each of Garlic Powder, Crushed Fennel, Rosemary, Thyme, Pepper, Salt

1bag English Muffins, toasted

Optional Oeuf: Scrambled eggs or sunny side up, but not runny yolk.

Olive oil for cooking

In a bowl, mix together the pork with the seasonings. Use a few tablespoons worth of the pork to form a ball, and flattening the ball into a patty about  1/2inch bigger around than the english muffins, repeat this until the pork is gone. In a heated and oiled frying pan, fry the patties until they are cooked all the way through. Set aside. Toast the English muffins and then assemble the sandwiches with 1 or 2 sausage patties (depending on the amount you end up with), cheese, mustard and mayo, and optional eggs. Let cook completely, then put in individual bags and freeze. Use toaster oven, microwave or oven if you like your english muffin crispy.

Quick and Easy PB and J on the go! Last for a few days in the fridge.

Peanut Butter Pinwheels

Flour Tortillas

1/2cup rasins

1/2cup Peanut Butter

1/2cup Jam

Honey

2 bananas, cut into small cubes *optional*

Spread peanut butter and jam on flour tortillas, drizzle with honey and add raisins (and bananas if you choose to add them). Starting at one side, roll the tortilla up into a log, and slice the log into 1/2 inch thick rounds or ‘Pinwheels’

grab and go breakfast Burritos

Liss’s Buenos Dias Burritos

1can Baked Beans

1/2lb ground pork

1/2cup cheese

garlic

1/2cup Salsa

Flour Tortillas

1TSP each Fennell, red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic powder salt and pepper

In a frying pan, cook pork with fennell, red pepper flakes and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Set aside. For the beans, in a bowl, mush up the beans into a paste, and mix in chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fry the beans until heated through, then Mix the pork into the bean mush and spread on a flour tortilla. Add cheese and salsa, then wrap and broil 5 minutes on both sides. Let cool completely and store in single plastic baggies and freeze. To re heat, microwave for 3 minutes, or until hot to the touch.

A simple make ahead Breakfast Sandwich with 2 variations.

Pancake sandwiches with Bacon and Cheese; Healthy Option: Strawberry Cream cheese, Blueberries and Sliced Strawberries.

1/2cup Maple Syrup

10 4inch Pancakes (standard pancake mix, follow directions on box.)

20 strips Bacon, cooked to preference

10 slices of Cheddar Cheese (please use REAL cheddar slices, Cheese Slices just dont cut it here!)

OR

1/2cup Blueberries

1/2cup Sliced Strawberries

Strawberry Cream Cheese

10 Pancakes, cooked (follow box directions, 4 inches)

Bacon Cheese: On one pancake, lightly coat with maple syrup, and then layer them with bacon and cheese. The recipe calls for 2 slices per pancake sandwich but with bacon, more is better! Top with another pancake, wrap and freeze. Reheat in microwave for 2 minutes or until hot.

Berry Pancake Sandwich: Slice strawberries, and mix together with blueberries and a TBSP of sugar. On one pancake, liberally spread cream cheese, and press berries into the cream cheese, so that it holds the berries to the pancake. Top with second pancake, wrap in plastic zip bags and reheat for 3 minutes in microwave.

These are easy, inexpensive ways to add breakfast to your disorganized mornings. By adding fruit, protein, and calcium to your daily breakfast diet, you can easily maintain a balanced diet without blowing the bank on fast-food breakfasts.

Try one of them today! You deserve a good breakfast!

Liss

Liss’s Version of  Mac and Cheese Florentine

1 package frozen Spinach, defrosted and wrung out in a towel

1/2cup Milk

1/2cup Chicken Broth (you can substitute broth for stock (the yellow powdery stuff) but just watch the saltiness)

2 TBSP Butter or Margerine

1/4TSP Cinnamon or Nutmeg (omit if you don’t have this, it just warms it up a bit)

1cup Mozzarella (or substitute with any other white cheese you have)

3TBSP flour

3 Garlic cloves, chopped

1 Chicken breast, cubed small.

In a small frying pan, fry chicken cubes with salt and pepper and one garlic clove until cooked through. Set aside and begin cooking pasta. In a pot, warm a small amount of oil (to keep the butter from burning) and 3TBSP of butter. Heat until melted, then add the garlic, and good until lightly browned, 1minute. At this point, add the flour, and make a roux. When this paste-like mixture warms through and becomes a light brown colour, add the milk and chicken broth and let simmer for 5-6 minute or until it thickens. Add Salt and pepper to taste, then melt in the cheese. Make sure the spinach is day and wrung out, because it will make the sauce runny if the spinach is wet.  Chop and add the spinach to the cheese mixture, and then toss in pasta when it is cooked through. Add chicken and mix well.

Another variation, pour mac and cheese into a greased casserole pan and top with more cheese. Bake for 15 minutes.

Im going to start introducing more comforting recipes because the winter is creeping up on us and its time to start fattening up! This means you skinny boyfriend! This recipe is a good one if you need to make food stretch, and tastes good as a cold pasta salad the next day!

Liss

http://fbnr.com/ Favorite Brand Name Recipes, an awesome site, a lot of content, great selection of desserts including Hershey’s Baked Apple Slices with Peanut Butter Crumble, Frenches Mustard Calypso Grilled Pineapple, M&M’s Chocolate Shortcake, Hershey’s Irish Chocolate Mint Desert and Carnation’s Vanilla Flan

http://www.backofthebox.com/ Recipes from the back of the brand name boxes we use every day, check out the Kraft California Baked Potatos, Cream if Rice’s Italian Soup with Dumplings, Land O’ Lakes Alfredo Ravioli Bake (for this one I just sub in whatever Mozzerella cheese I have, because this is an American product unavailable to me), Oscar Mayer and Velveeta Cheese Pasta Italiano, Herbed Clam Linguinie and a varaity of snacks including Sour Cream BLT Tortillas, Flour Cheesey Pretzels, Honey Mustard Pretzel Trio, and Parmasan Bacon Biscuit sticks.

http://www.google.com/Top/Home/Cooking/Brand_Name_Recipes/ This is the google search done for this, and it has a ton of brand name sites to look through. Some of these include CopyKat recipes: Red Lobsters Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops, Starbucks Walnut Banana Bread, Sonic Frito Chili Cheese Wrap (which I am particularly excited to try), Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana, and Johnny Carino’s Artichoke and Angel Hair Pasta

Kraft Recipes: Cassarole recipes Chicken Pot Pie, One Pan Chicken and Potato Bake, Easy Chicken Bake, and A Layered Enchillada bake, and Healthy living recipes such as Tangy Broccoli Salad, Warm and Cozy Apple Crisp, Bruscetta Chicken Skillet, Quick and Creamy Chicken Stew for my friend who doesnt like red meat very much, Rosmary and Dijon Pork chops and Roasted Potato dinner, and Delicious and easy Stuffed Shells

Campbells Kitchen: Check out all this site has to offer. One of the largest soup and stock companies in the world, their brand has recipes anywhere from Chicken Quesadillas to Chicken and garden broccoli Wild rice Bake. Check out some of these for a home cooked dinner once in a while. You’ll love Skillet Sausage and Stuffing, Pork chops and stuffing bake, Roasted Vegetable Tart, and Hearty Lasagnia Soup. You  might also like Slow cooker Chicken and Dumplings and Meat Ball Sandwhiches

There will be more Brand name sites to come, but as of right now I am very tired!

I have a few more blogs on the way tonight, keep an eye out!

Liss

Chicken Zucchini Cassarole

1-2 Chicken Breasts

1cup Salsa

1/2cup Cheese

1green pepper, cut into large pieces

1 zucchini, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan, cook chicken, peppers and zucchini until almost cooked through, and then lay the chicken breasts over the veggies. Top with salsa and cheese and bake for 15 minutes on 400 degrees f, and then 5 minutes on your ovens broiler setting.

This meal is extremely cheap and easy. Chances are you already have two of the ingredients right in your fridge! If you are not a big salsa fan as one of my friends is, simply omit the salsa, and add 1cup of cheese and 1/4 cup milk for a creamier, cheese veggie cassarole!

See you soon!

liss

Adding chopped peppers, onions, olives, chicken, or difference sauces such as barbecue sauce, or Alfredo sauce can change the dynamic completely. Another option is to add 2 kraft caramels, brown sugar, a few diced apple peices and cinnamon to the pizza dough and making mini apple pie rolls!

Garlic Herb Pizza rolls

http://tastefullydone.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/pizza-bites/

Ingredients

1 bag of prepared pizza dough (from Trader Joe’s)
1 cup of mozzarella (shredded or cut into cubes)
1/2 cup of thin pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce, for dipping

Pizza Bites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare pizza dough according to directions. Lightly coat a baking or casserole dish with olive oil.

2. Pinch off about 1-inch balls of dough and flatten slightly, filling the middle with desired amount of mozzarella and pepperoni. Wrap dough around filling and roll into a ball, placing in baking dish seam-side down. Repeat with remaining dough.

3. Combine garlic, parsley, oregano, and red chile flakes in olive oil and brush or drizzle over the pizza bites in the baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

4. Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until top is nicely browned. Makes about 16 pizza bites. Serve with warm marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

You can, of course, substitute in any type of “toppings” you want instead of mozzarella and pepperoni. Sausages might be a good idea, and if using vegetables like onions, green peppers or mushrooms, it might be a good idea to sauté them a little before using as the filling.

This recipe smells great while baking and the sizzling of the dough as it comes out of the oven in the olive oil is wonderful. Be careful to keep a good ratio of filling to dough as you don’t want the bites to be too doughy. You want pizza bites, not pizza sticks!

Ive marked this in the doing-it-on-the-go category because when frozen, these are the perfect treat, reheated in the oven, or for a lunch to go. It is well worth the work, and incredibly inexpensive for how good they are. I like to brush olive oil and garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper on the tops as an alternative to the ranch.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza bites

This is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie/fauxtisserie chicken. You know when you pick all of the meat off the bones and then the next day your kids won’t eat it because they say it looks icky? Well once it’s slathered in cheese, bread, and ranch dressing, the only thing they’ll be saying is, Mom you’re freakin‘ rad.

Chicken-Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Print Recipe Text Only

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
sharp cheddar cheese (I used 75% sharp cheddar and 25% mozzarella)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesancheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it’s 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it’s about 12″ by 8″. You’re going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.


When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.


I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan-ranch mixture.


Time out for a sec. I tried a few new things this time around. One was to cook some of my rolls in a mini-muffin pan. This might work better for serving depending on the situation. They turned out great. You’re making 24 rolls, so it fills up the pan perfectly. They cook quicker this way than in a pie pan so keep an eye on them. Mine only took about 8 minutes whereas the ones in the pan took about 13-15.


Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Place your rolls in the oven. I’ve noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I’m using. Whether it’s different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they’re lightly golden on top.

Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.



I’m serious when I tell you these are amazing. They were actually way better than I had imagined them. Although how could you possibly go wrong with warm dough, gooey cheese, and crispy bacon, dipped in ranch. You can’t. You just can’t.