Calzones

Another one of our family's favorite meals these days is this recipe that I also stole from my friend Emily's family recipe blog (Favorite Family Recipes - currently #314 on blogger's top food and drink blogs!). You should try this!
Ingredients:
1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed (if you make your own dough it is even better.. but we aren't patient enough to make our own dough on a week night)
mozzarella cheese, shredded
"Barilla" brand spaghetti sauce

You can use any toppings you want. Here are the ones we used tonight:
pepperoni
ham
mushrooms
olives

You can also add:
bell peppers
onion
pineapple
hamburger
Italian sausage
fresh tomatoes

Make about 2 equally-sized dough balls (they should each be a little smaller than a softball). Spread each dough ball out on a lightly floured surface as if you were making a pizza (spread it out as much as you can without tearing it). Put as many toppings as you would like in the middle then mix it all together with cheese. Carefully fold the dough over the toppings and pinch the edges together. Make a couple little slits in the top of the dough, spray the top lightly with cooking spray, then bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes (or until golden brown). Heat the spaghetti sauce in a small pot and simmer until calzones are done. You can serve the calzones with the sauce on the side then dip the calzone into it OR you can pour the sauce over the calzones and top with cheese (that's the way we like it!). For all you meat lovers out there, you can brown some hamburger and add it to the spaghetti sauce to make it extra rich and meaty.

Thai Chicken with Pear Salsa

When I made this recipe again the other night, I decided it is definitely on my list of favoritest meals ever! It is so good. I got it from LACY on another recipe blog (Recipe Queens).



CHICKEN:
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chili sauce*
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp. vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
4 frozen boneless chicken breasts


Combine the first 8 ingredients. Put chicken in crock pot and add the sauce. Cook over low heat for 4-5 hours, shredding chicken with a fork when it is tender. Serve over rice or noodles with pear salsa.


PEAR SALSA:
1 cup chopped fresh fruit (pears, peaches or mangos)
1 cup chopped, seeded cucumber
2 TBSP sliced green onion
2 TBSP snipped cilantro
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP salad oil
1 TBSP vinegar


Combine ingredients in a bowl. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving.


*Lacy uses Homade chili sauce. I highly recommend it. I couldn't find it in the store and ended up getting Lee Kum Kee chili garlic sauce this time around. With the Asian sauce, it ended up being too hot for my daughter, borderline too hot for me, and just perfect for my husband. But the fresh fruit salsa takes the edge off the heat and makes it soooo delicious!

Thanks for sharing Lacy!

Orange Julius

1 (6 oz) can frozen orange juice
1 cup milk
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
12 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and serve immediately!

Makes a great Family Home Evening treat.

Shepherd's Pie

My husband kindly refers to shepherd's pie as "shepherd's poop." This is one pie, however, that he loves. It has great flavor and no tomato sauce.

1.5 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup brown gravy
1 TBSP A1 steak sauce
1 TBSP worcestershire sauce

Brown the beef and drain. Add the gravy, steak sauce and worcestershire. Put into greased casserole dish. Layer on top:

1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
3 cups mashed potatoes

Shred cheese on top and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Portobello Roast Beef Hoagies

So fast and delicious (and we're not even mushroom fans)!

4 whole wheat hoagie buns, split

4 tbsp butter, softened, divided

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp garlic salt

3/4 lb sliced deli roast beef, julienned (use more)

1/2 lb sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 lb sliced provolone cheese

1/2 c sour cream

1 tbsp prepared horseradish

Spread cut sides of buns with 2 tbsps butter; sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Set aside.

In a large skillet, saute the beef, mushrooms, rosemary and pepper in remaining butter until the mushrooms are tender. Spoon onto buns; top with cheese.

Place on a baking sheet. Broil 2-3 inches from the heat for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and horseradish; serve with sandwiches. (We skipped the dipping sauce.) Yield: 4 servings. (Recipe from Simple and Delicious magazine.)

Nutella & Fruit Panini

There are a few different ways to try this recipe. This picture is with bananas but you can do it with all kinds of fruit. I have tried raspberry, strawberries (cut thin), blueberries, & blackberries. You can also use different kinds of bread (I use pound cake), whatever you fancy.

1 loaf of pound cake (I buy mine from Safeway, or you can make it)
Any kind of berry (or fruit) rinsed and cut (my favorite was raspberries)
Nutella or any chocolate-hazelnut spread
Powdered sugar

Cut the pound cake into 1/2 inch slices. Place a big blop of Nutella spread in the middle of the slice and add fruit on top. Then if you have a George Foreman Grill (it works the fastest and easiest) place the sandwich in the grill and press for about 45 seconds, or longer depending on how grilled you want it. The Nutella is warm and gooey and just melts into the fruit. Sprinkle with a small amount of powdered sugar and your ready to go. It is amazingly good!

Chunky Beef Stew

A yummy, quick, healthy meal. The whole family enjoys it! :)

1 onion, chopped

4 Portions top round steak, cut into 1 inch chunks (About 1 lb)

2 1/2 cups Beef Broth (I use 2 1/2 cups water w/ 3 bullion cubes)

4 portions potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 lb. Baby carrots (I cut mine in half)

2 celery stalks, sliced

1/4 cup Tomato Paste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup red wine (optional- I opt out.)

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Lightly coat a large pot with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Add beef chunks and saute until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes

3. Add beef broth, potato chunks, carrots, celery, tomato paste, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat.

4. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and discard.

5. Spoon beef stew into bowls, dividing it into 4 portions. Sprinkle with parsley, serve and enjoy!