Dessert Pizza

I just LOVE restaurant "fake" recipes, like the Chili's salsa I posted a while back. I had this enormous craving for Pizza Hut's dessert pizza. I couldn't find any kind of dessert pizzas in the frozen foods section (I went to 3 grocery stores... when I get a craving I keep looking till I find the thing I want... I can't imagine what this is going to be like when I'm pregnant)... anyway, couldn't find one. So I decided to search google for a imitation recipe and make my own! It was delicious!

**Note: If you have a feeling you will be coming to our place for supper in the next few months, don't make this because I'll probably make it for you. Now that everyones had the chocolate eclair dessert!!



INGREDIENTS

1 large can cherry, blueberry or apple pie filling (I used blueberry)
1 recipe pizza dough (I used the Pillsbury one in a can)
1/2 cup flower
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup firm butter
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. (The recipe said 500, but I found that my crust cooked too quickly, so I would take it down a notch).

Combine ingredients for crumb topping: flour, brown sugar, quick oats, 1/2 cup firm butter, cinnamon. Mix well with a pastry cutter or fork.

Combine all ingredients for the glaze: confectioner's sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, vanilla extract.

(This is the nice part about making it for guests - you can do all the combining and just keep it in the fridge and do assembly when its time to eat!)

Roll out the dough onto a pan after using non-stick spray. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Brush with vegetable oil. Bake for 3 minutes.

Remove from oven and cover with the pie filling. Next, add the crumb topping. Return to the oven and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until crust is light golden brown.

Remove and drizzle with vanilla glaze.

Enjoy!!

Pork Chops

We have been eating a LOT of pork lately... maybe its because I'm still catching up for not eating it during lent, maybe its just because its delicious. Either way, its awesome on the grill, and I have a slow cooker recipe we took to our friends' house tonight... I'll post that another day.

This is a two-fer - I've got a really easy and super delish marinade recipe, and I'm also posting a sauce as well. Make your pork chops with either and its a great meal - but together... even better! My mom gave me this marinade - she says it works for any kind of meat. Something about the sweetness and the pork makes it my favorite though. And the chops have been super tender... part Sam's great cooking techniques on the grill, part of the lemon juice breaking down the meat. Can't mess this one up!



MOM'S MARINADE

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Directions
Cover at least 1/2 hour or overnight. Then cook!

BRITT'S SAUCE
Ingredients
2 teaspoons lemon juice
a handful golden raisins
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Directions
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat until sauce forms. Pour over your pork chops and eat!

Directions

Baked Spaghetti

Woo hoo I'm proud of myself! I made another Britt original recipe! :) And no, I didn't measure so I'm going to guess. Please feel free to adjust if you try this too - I'm sure your measurements are much better than mine!!!! I made this up because I was inspired by what we had at my friend Kate's house on Tuesday. She made us some delicious baked spaghetti with veggies, tomatoes and cheese. I decided to use what I had on hand an make a red-sauce version for Sam tonight. Here goes -

Ingredients

1 package spicy Italian sausage
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 cup marsala wine
1 jar crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1/8 -1/4 cup cream cheese (start with a little and taste until its the way you like it)
Salt
Pepper
handful of fresh chopped basil, oregano and thyme (or whatever combination of fresh or dried Italian herbs you have on hand)
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella cheese
1/2 box of spaghetti noodles
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Also, fill a large pot with water and put it over high heat.

In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage. Add the onion about half way through the cooking of the sausage. Add garlic. Saute until tender. Add the marsala wine and cook until it reduces by half. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the cream cheese and break it up as it melts into the sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the fresh herbs.

Meanwhile, break the spaghetti into 3 inch pieces and add to the boiling water. Salt the water heavily. Drain the noodles just before al dente (they will continue to cook in the oven.)

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add the spaghetti noodles in the bottom and pack down. Cover with the mozzerella. Cover with the sauce. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

Cook for about a half hour (or until sauce is bubbling and parmesan is golden brown) at 350 degrees. Enjoy!!! (while watching the Office, if you like your supper Sam-and-Britt style!)

Balsamic Barbeque Steak with Tuna Pasta

Another Monday night classic... I just crave steak on weekdays for some reason. :) We tried out a Giada De Laurentiis recipe - balsamic BBQ steak (or chicken). It was very tasty - Sam grilled it for us and got them rare, just the way I like it!! I also made some delicious tuna pasta (recipe courtesy Paula and Nancy Thiede)... Nancy made this for me once in college - its sooo tasty and sooo simple! I love it!! :)

BALSAMIC BARBEQUE STEAK
Ingredients
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes. (Sam hated the smell of vinegar simmering - I promised him it would taste better than it smelled!! )

Place a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Lightly coat with some of the BBQ sauce using a pastry brush. Place the meat on the grill. Place the remaining BBQ sauce, still in the small saucepan, over low heat or on the edge of a gas or charcoal grill and allow to gently simmer while the meat cooks.

Cook the steaks starting at about 4 minutes per side until a meat thermometer reads the desired temperature, 120 degrees F for medium rare, 135 degrees F for medium (about 6 minutes per side), 155 degrees F for well done (about 9 minutes per side). Continually brush the meat with BBQ sauce every few minutes. Remove the meat from the grill and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with the heated BBQ sauce alongside.

Note: Recipe also works for chicken!



TUNA PASTA
Ingredients
2 cups cooked Ring-shaped pasta (rinse in cold water)
1 small Drained tuna
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
Worcester sauce (a few dashes)
1 Diced celery stalk
2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Mix together all ingredients.

A fun way to serve it: Wash and cut a cantaloupe in half. Remove seeds. Fill with your tuna pasta salad. Ritz crackers go well.

Beer Burgers with Gouda Cheese

These are pretty yummy burgers if I do say so myself. The best part is the creamy yummy smoked Gouda cheese. DELISH! :) I added extra shaved gouda to the top of my burger. :)

Ingredients
1 pounds ground beef
1/3 pound smoked Gouda cheese, diced into cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
handful of finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Worchestire sauce
1/2 (12 oz) bottle of beer
olive oil
rolls or buns

Directions
Preheat grill over medium-high heat, or if cooking inside, preheat skillet with olive oil to medium-high heat.

Place the meat in the bowl and add the cheese, onion, paprika, cumin, grill seasoning, garlic, parsley, Worchstershire sauce, and beer. Form into burgers (4 large, or 8 smaller burgers). Grill them on each side until desired doneness.

Serve with this sauce:
2 tablespoons mayo and sour cream, add 1 teaspoon djion mustard and a few dashes of dill. Mix into a sauce and use to top the burgers.

Enjoy!!