Deep Dish Pizza

1 pkg (1/4 oz)active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees-115 degrees)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T. vegetable oil
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz)condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 tsp. each dried basil, oregano, and thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 small green pepper, julienned
1 can (8 oz) mushrooms stems and pieces, drained
1 c. (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Stir in sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Beat vigorously 20 strokes. Cover and rest for 20 minutes. On a floured surface, roll into a 13 in. x 9 in. rectangle. Transfer into a greased 13 in. X 9 in. X 2 in. baking pan. Sprinkle with beef.

Combine soup and seasonings: spoon over beef. Top with green pepper, mushrooms and cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until crust and cheese are lightly browned. 8 servings.

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Family Collection Cookbook. My whole family liked it, although, the kids don't like mushrooms and peppers. On half of the pizza, I left them off. Also, I don't have a kitchen thermometer, so I just guessed. I knew that it couldn't be hot, so I just found a warm temperature and it worked out.

Happy Cooking!

Applesauce Muffins

Here is another recipe from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook written by Jessica Seinfeld. I made these muffins and Kirk, the boys, and I loved them. They were really yummy. It is a great way to get vegetables into my kids (and their parents).

Topping:
2/3 c. old-fashioned oats
1/4 c. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. transfat- free soft tub margarine spread, melted

Batter:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. nonfat (skim) milk
1/2 c. butternut squash or carrot puree (I used carrot)
1/2 c. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 c. vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degree. Coat a 12-c. muffin tin with cooking spray or mine with paper baking cups. To make the topping, stir together the oats, suagr, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in the margarine. To make the batter, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl or zipperlock bag and stir or shake to mix. In a second bowl, mix the applesauce with the milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil and egg with a wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened. Do not overmix - the batter is suppose to be lumpy. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffins, 18-20 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a rack and serve warm or cold.

As I said, all but my daughter liked them. I just saw this cookbook at Walmart for $10. Happy Cooking!

Menu Planner

Hey Friends! With the new year here, I am once again trying to achieve many goals. Some of which have to do with cooking. I would like to say that I plan a menu and then from that write my grocery list for shopping. When my life is zooming out of control, however, I usually find myself in the grocery store making it up as I go. At the moment, I am trying to get back to menu writing and grocery list making and I found a planner at homemadesimple.com I wanted to share with you this planner. If you don't already have a menu planner and you aren't regular at making your grocery lists, I hope that this article and planner will inspire you! I think that you will find that you save money in the process.

Happy cooking in the New Year!

Quesadillas (with butternut squash puree)

This recipe is taken from the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook, written by Jessica Seinfeld. I recommend this cookbook as a jump start to cooking with purees. This recipe is expecting that you already have purees on hand. I confess that I am not an avid puree user in my cooking, but I love the concept. I do use it once in awhile and this recipe is one of my favorites and the kids like it to. I actually have a variation for the recipe, but I won't mention it until the end.

Nonstick cooking spray
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. chicken cutlets or boneless chicken breasts, rinsed and dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. chili pepper, or to taste
1/2 c. canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
1/2c. reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 c. butternut squash puree
1/2 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 (8 inch) whole wheat tortillas
1/2 c. salsa

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil. Sprinkle with chicken with salt, pepper, and chili powder and add it to the pan and cook until no longer pink in the center, 4-5 minutes per side of cutlets. For chicken breast, cook 5 minutes per side, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 9-10 minutes longer. Cut the chicken into thin slices, or puree it, if necessary.

In a small bowl or mini-chopper, mash the beans with the sour cream. In another bowl, stir together the butternut squash puree and the cheese. Spread the bean mixture over the tortillas, then arrange the chicken slices on top. Spread the cheese mixture over the 2 tortillas and press one of each to form sandwiches. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the tortillas are crisp, 5-6 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa.

Rebecca's variation: When I have left over chicken or the grilled chicken goes on sale at the grocery store, I use that chicken in my quesadillas and I like to grill them on a grill pan and flip them like a grilled cheese sandwich. Also, I don't quite add as much puree as Jessica says to add - maybe 1/3 cup. When I don't have puree and the beans - the kids also just like cheese and chicken. It is a great twist to a grilled cheese sandwich!