BEEsy in the Kitchen: Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, Peppers, & Onions Panini

As Hayden and I prepared for a trip to the zoo this morning, I searched my fridge and pantry for something to pack for our brown bag lunch. Sandwiches sounded good, but I didn't have any deli meats and I wasn't craving PB&J today. I'd just picked up a package of sweet Italian turkey sausage the day before, and I still had some tomato basil bread leftover from a recent visit to Panera. Hmmm . . . Add some sauteed bell pepper and onion slices, a little bit of shredded mozzarella cheese, a few sprinkles of grated Parmesan, and a drizzle of pizza sauce. Voila! A new sandwich favorite. And the best part . . . It's healthier than similar versions I've ordered at sandwich shops. I hope you enjoy this recipe! :0)

A few notes about this recipe: Use your panini press if you have one or toast the sandwiches in a skillet or under the broiler in your oven. You can adjust the amount of olive oil used to saute the veggies and the amount of cheese according to your preferences and dietary needs.

Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, Peppers, & Onions Panini
Serves 4

4 sweet Italian turkey sausage links, cooked
2 tsp olive oil
1 large sweet bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small red or yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cup pizza sauce (to drizzle on sandwich and for dipping)
8 slices of your favorite bread
Butter or margarine to spread on bread or cooking/butter spray for bread

Instructions:

(1) Preheat panini press at medium heat or broiler, if using.

(2) Thinly slice each cooked turkey sausage lengthwise. Set aside.

(3) Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion slices and saute until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

(4) Spread butter or margarine on one side of each bread slice. (As an alternative, you can spray one side of each slice with cooking spray or butter spray).

(5) Stack the following ingredients in the order listed on the unbuttered side of one bread slice: turkey sausage slices from one link, 1/4 of the pepper and onion mixture, 1 TBSP pizza sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1 TBSP grated Parmesan. Place the unbuttered side of another bread slice on top of the sandwich filling. Repeat for 3 more sandwiches.

(6) If using skillet to toast sandwiches, heat skillet on medium-high heat. Depending on your toasting method, place prepared sandwiches on the panini press, in the skillet, or under the broiler. Cook until both sides are toasted and cheese is melted. Serve remaining pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Easy Chicken Chimichangas

Rummaging through my fridge tonight searching for something to make for dinner, I celebrated when I discovered I had all the ingredients needed to make chicken chimichangas--shredded chicken, green onions, salsa, cheese, tortillas, and sour cream. This recipe, given to me by a friend many years ago, is quick, easy, and tasty. If you can, cook and shred the chicken the day before you plan on making the chimichangas.

Easy Chicken Chimichangas

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2/3 cup chunky salsa
1/3 cup green onion slices
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
8 flour tortillas
Melted butter or olive oil, to brush on tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (can substitute with cheddar cheese)
Sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for toppings

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, combine first six ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Brush one side of each tortilla with butter or olive oil. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto center of unbuttered tortilla side. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese. Fold two sides over filling. Fold ends down. Place seam side down in 13" x 9" pan. Repeat for other tortillas.

4. Bake in oven for about 13 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.

5. Top with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa, as desired.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Nut-Filled Pastries

One of my fondest memories from childhood is baking cookies with my mom during the Christmas season. She'd pull out a tattered book filled with handwritten recipes and thumb through it to find our family's favorite cookies. The hours we spent in the kitchen together nurtured a close mother-daughter bond that has grown over the years. And my mom not only taught me how to bake, but she instilled within me a love for baking.

I'd like to share one of my favorites cookies Mom and I made every Christmas together: Nut-Filled Pastries. I hope you enjoy them! :-)

Nut-Filled Pastries

Pastry Dough
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened
2 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream

Nut Filling
2 cups ground walnuts
2/3 cup dark corn syrup

Confectioner's sugar

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

(2) In a large bowl, blend flour and butter together. Stir in egg yolks and sour cream. Knead dough on a floured surface. Chill dough for at least 20 minutes.

(3) In the meantime, stir ground walnuts and dark corn syrup together. Set aside.

(4) Cut dough in half and roll each half into a ball. With each dough ball, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 2 inch squares. Drop 1/2 teaspoon of nut filling in center of each square. Starting at one corner of square, roll to opposite corner. Shape into a crescent. Place each pastry onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until pastries are lightly browned.

(5) Allow pastries to cool for 1 to 2 minutes. Roll warm pastries in confectioner's sugar and allow to cool. When completely cooled, roll pastries in confectioner's sugar for a second time.

Makes approximately 6 dozen pastries.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Greek Layered Dip

Appetizers . . . what a wonderful creation! I've often thought I could live the rest of my life eating only appetizers. If you were to browse my cookbook collection, you'd find many devoted exclusively to appetizers.

Appetizers offer a wide range of culinary options: cold and hot dips, meatballs and wings, cheese and crackers, mini quiches and pizzas, tea sandwiches and quesadillas, satays and kabobs, and the list could go on and on. They're creative, petite, and packed with flavor!

I'd love to share with you one of my favorite dips: Greek Layered Dip. It's scrumptious and easy to make. I hope you enjoy it! :-)

Greek Layered Dip
Adapted from a Betty Crocker Recipe

1 (8 ounce) container of chives & onion cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container of hummus
1 cucumber (peeled, seeded, & chopped)
1 red or orange sweet bell pepper, chopped
3 Italian plum tomatoes (seeded & chopped)
1/3 cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
1 (4 ounce) contained crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
Pita chips

Directions:

1. Spread cream cheese over bottom of 10-inch quiche dish or pie pan. Drop hummus by small spoonfuls over cream cheese and spread evenly. Top with remaining ingredients in order given.

2. Serve with pita chips.

Make Ahead: You can prepare the dip up to four hours before serving. Just cover and refrigerate it until serving.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Homemade Noodles

"For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

For every Thanksgiving, my mom makes her homemade noodles. She usually serves them with mashed potatoes in lieu of gravy. These noodles can also be added to your homemade chicken noodle soup. Delicious! :-)

Homemade Noodles

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
6 cups chicken broth
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Add flour and salt to a large bowl. Cut in butter. Stir in eggs. Mix until dough forms into a ball.

2. On a floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Flour dough well and roll up into a log. Slice dough to desired noodle thickness. Stretch noodles out onto cookie sheet and allow to dry for 2 hours or overnight.

3. In a large stock pot, add chicken broth. Bring broth to a rapid boil. Add noodles. Turn down heat to a gentle boil and cook noodles for 20 to 25 minutes, or until broth thickens and noodles are done (not gummy). Add pepper to taste. Enjoy! :-)

Serves 4.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Winter Fruit Salad

"To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven."

~Johannes A. Gaertner~

I always look forward to this time of the year because pomegranates come into season. A co-worker in my last job made a fruit salad with pomegranates, pineapples, and kiwi for an office potluck several years ago. I love the combination of the different types of winter fruits and make this salad many times each year while pomegranates are in season. I toss in some coconut and nuts for texture and flavor.

This recipe can add a healthy and colorful flair to your holiday meal. Enjoy! :-)

Please stop by tomorrow for a recipe for homemade noodles.

Winter Fruit Salad

1 fresh pineapple
1 large pomegranate
10 kiwis
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Peel and core pineapple. Cut pineapple into small chunks and place in a large bowl.

2. Separate seeds from pomegranate and add seeds to the bowl with pineapple.

3. Remove skin from kiwis. Slice each kiwi and add to bowl.

4. Add shredded coconut and chopped nuts to fruit. Gently toss salad. Refrigerate before serving.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Sweet Potato Casserole

"Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!"

~Henry Ward Beecher~

Several years ago, my grandma shared with us her recipe for sweet potato casserole. With butter, brown sugar, pecans, and coconut, this dish serves more as a dessert than a side. I love anything with coconut, so this was an instant favorite for me. Bon appetit! :-)

Please stop by tomorrow for a healthy recipe to add to your Thanksgiving meal: a winter fruit salad.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Mixture
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp butternut flavoring (optional)
2 eggs, beaten

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup pecans
6 TBSP butter, melted
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.

2. In a large bowl, combine ingredients for sweet potato mixture. Blend well. Place in a casserole dish.

3. In a separate bowl, combine ingredients for topping. Blend well. Spread topping over sweet potato mixture in casserole.

4. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Fiesta Dip

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.

~Erma Bombeck~

Twelve years ago, my husband and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. And as an initiation into domestic life, we hosted our first holiday together. Both my parents and his joined us at our house for the gathering. Quite honestly, I don't remember much about the food prepared that day. I can't recall if we served a turkey or a ham. I'm not sure what type of stuffing or cranberry sauce we made. But I recollect one item on the menu--Fiesta Dip. Days before the holiday, I perused my small collection of cookbooks and discovered this recipe. The recipe looked easy and tasty, so I decided to add it to the menu. All of my family loved it, especially the men.

So for every Thanksgiving and Christmas, my dad, brother, or husband make a special request for this dip. I hope this becomes a favorite for your family, too!

Stop by tomorrow for a favorite sweet potato casserole recipe.

Fiesta Dip
From Betty Crocker's New Choices Cookbook

2 cups chopped tomato (about 2 large tomatoes)
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 (8 oz) package of light cream cheese
8 oz. Muenster cheese, cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Cook all ingredients except cilantro in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cheese melts and mixture is creamy. Stir in cilantro. Serve warm or cold with tortilla chips. Makes 4 cups.

Note: The original recipe called for low-fat Muenster cheese, but I usually cannot locate the low-fat version in my grocery stores. So I use the full-fat version. More fat and calories, but oh-so-delicious! :-)

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Grandma's Cranberry Sauce

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."

~Edward Sandford Martin~

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought I'd share some of my family's favorite recipes for this holiday. I'll post a new recipe each day this week.

The first recipe I'd like to share is for my Grandma's cranberry sauce. It's easy and delicious! I hope you enjoy. I'd love to hear your comments. :-)

Stop by tomorrow for one of my family's favorite appetizers: Fiesta Dip.

Grandma's Cranberry Sauce

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 package of fresh cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
3/4 cup apple, chopped
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp orange peel

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, water, and cranberries in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Pizza Chefs!

"When the moon
hits your eye
Like a big pizza pie
That's amore."

~Lyrics from Dean Martin's That's Amore~

This evening Hayden and I became pizza chefs. We both slipped on our aprons--Hayden in his monkey one and me in my floral one. Hayden jumped right in, rolling out the balls of dough into individual-sized pies and piling one with his favorite toppings. It's the first time he's helped me make pizza.

A couple of years ago, I began making my own homemade pizza. I studied different techniques in my collection of cookbooks and experimented with them. I enjoy the art of creating pizza--kneading the dough, rolling it out, and loading it up with a variety of toppings. And I've discovered making delicious and even healthy pizza in your home kitchen is not too difficult. But it helps to know a few tips before your begin, including:

• One of the best places I've found for placing the dough to rise is in my microwave oven. Before placing the bowl in there, I usually run the microwave on high for about 1 minute with a cup of water. I then remove the water and place the bowl of the dough in the warm microwave (do not run microwave while dough is in there).

• For pizza with a thin, crisp crust, either use a large rectangular pizza stone or line the bottom rack of your oven with unglazed quarry tiles made of terra cotta (you can usually purchase these at a tile store).

• Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Place the pizza stone or tiles in the oven before beginning the preheat. If possible, preheat the oven for one hour.

• For pizza that is crisp and chewy, use bread flour.

• When making whole-wheat dough, your flour should be one-half whole wheat and one-half either unbleached all-purpose or bread flour. Using only whole-wheat flour results in a very dense pizza crust.

• Pizza peels are handy tools for sliding uncooked pizzas onto stones or tiles. Coat the pizza peel either with semolina (preferred) or corn meal to prevent the dough from sticking to the peel.

• Keep an eye on the pizza because it tends to cook fast with the oven's high temperature. I usually check it every five minutes.

• Experiment with toppings. You may be surprised which combinations you like best.

I typically use one of two recipes when making pizza dough--one with white flour only and the other with a combination of whole-wheat and white flour. The recipe I'd like to share today is the whole-wheat recipe. In the weeks to come, I'll share the other one when I post one of my family's favorite calzone recipes, which uses white flour dough.

I'd love to hear about any tips you have for making delicious pizza!


Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

Adapted from a recipe in Everyday Food

1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) water
2 packets (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
2 cups whole-wheat flour

1. Place water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes

2. Add sugar, oil, and salt to the yeast mixture and whisk together. With a wooden spoon, stir in flours until mixed together. Knead on a floured surface for 3 to 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer to an oiled bowl and brush top of dough with olive oil. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm area in kitchen (I recommend the microwave--see my tip above). Let dough stand until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

3. Place dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide into two balls for two large pizzas or eight small balls for individual-sized pizzas. (Note: I only used half of the dough tonight, making four individual pizzas. I froze the other ball, which I can take out a day before I plan to use it and make either one large pizza or four individual-sized pizzas.)

4. Roll dough out into desirable size and thickness. Pile on your favorite toppings. For the pizzas we made tonight, we added tomato sauce, pepperoni, pineapples, and a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses to two pizza pies and barbecue sauce, crisp cooked bacon, sliced sweet bell peppers, sliced onions, and feta cheese to the other two pies.

5. Using a pizza peel, slide the prepared pizzas onto a stone or tiles in the preheated oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

6. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Enjoy! :-)

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Soup Celebration

I love soup!

I love the savory aromas from a pot of soup simmering in my kitchen.

I love the creativity involved in making a batch of soup. Add a little of this and pinch of that, and oh, what about trying something new!

I love the warmth I feel inside as I sip on a spoonful of steaming soup on a chilly day.

I love the assortment of foods available to accessorize soup: a baguette of french bread, a handful of crackers, a dollop of sour cream, or a wedge of homemade cornbread with honey.

I even love the dishes designed just for soup.

After three days of cold, cloudy, and rainy weather, I am craving a good bowl of soup. One of my favorite soups is White Chicken Chili. It's a simple recipe. I usually have the ingredients on hand so I can make it whenever I crave it. Enjoy! :-)

Juliet's White Chicken Chili

2 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in small pieces
1 (7-8 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 jalapeno, roasted, seeded, & chopped (optional, spicy!)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp cumin
1 TBSP flour
3 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
Green Pepper Tabasco Sauce (several drops, to taste)
2 (15 oz) cans great northern white beans (drained)

Suggested toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, chopped onion, and/or tortilla chips

Instructions:

(1) Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in large stockpot over medium high heat until hot. Add onions, garlic, and chicken. Cook until chicken is done.

(2) Add 1/2 TBPS olive oil, green chiles, jalapeno, thyme, cumin, and flour. Cook for about 1 minute until mixture is thick. Add chicken broth, Tabasco sauce, and beans.

(3) Bring to a boil then simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes.

(4) Serve with suggested toppings and tortillas or cornbread.

BEEsy in the Kitchen: Grandma Jobes' Apple Crisp

I love autumn!

The flickering of yellow leaves as a brisk breeze sweeps through a grove of aspens.

The thrills of listening to elk in the rut bugle in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The kaleidoscope of crimson, chartreuse, gold, and orange peppering parks and neighborhoods throughout my town.

The giggles of young children as they zigzag through a pumpkin patch, stopping occasionally to try to push or lift a pumpkin bigger than they are.

The ambrosial scent of apples just picked from a local orchard.

And sweet flavors bursting in my mouth as I indulge in a bite of freshly baked apple crisp.

With the start of autumn just around the corner, I'd like to share an heirloom recipe from my Great-Grandma Jobes. As a child, I always looked forward to my mom baking my Grandma Jobes' Apple Crisp in the autumn. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!

Grandma Jobes' Apple Crisp

6 juicy apples, peeled and cored
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(2) Cut apples into quarters and arrange in greased pie plate or shallow baking dish. Pour lemon juice over apples.

(3) Blend butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon as for pie crust. Press mixture over the apples.

(4) Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with milk and/or vanilla ice cream.