Baked Pepperoni Rolls

As we approach the end of this incredibly hot and humid summer, I am sooo ready for Fall.  Along with the cooler temperatures and shorter days, we can also look forward to something much more important, the start of football season!  So before the season gets into full swing, this is a great snack to serve at your next football party or as a delicious alternative to homemade pizza.

These tasty little Baked Pepperoni Rolls are like tiny finger-food sized pizzas that are as easy to make as they are to serve.  Add a spoonful of seasoned olive oil dipping sauce on the side and these will be an instant favorite, and the most requested item for future parties!

The Dough setting on my bread machine takes 90 minutes which allows the dough to rise twice.  During that time I have time to prepare the dipping sauce and a salad or other dinner items, and assembly of the rolls only takes about 15 minutes.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3 TB Olive Oil
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Dried Oregano
4 1/2 cups Bread Machine Flour
3 tsp  Bread Machine Yeast

Combine ingredients in your bread machine as outlined in your manual, using a french dough or regular dough setting.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

When the dough is finished, place the dough on a lightly floured cutting board.  Sprinkle the dough with a little extra flour and use a pastry cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into about 14 - 16 portions, depending on how large you would like the rolls to be.

For the filling you will need
1 12 oz pkg  Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
1 6 oz pkg  Large 3-inch Pepperoni Slices

Flatten each portion of dough into a 5 inch square.  Place half of a mozzarella cheese stick in the center of a pepperoni slice and wrap the pepperoni around the cheese.  (This will keep the cheese inside of the roll, preventing the cheese from oozing out.)  Place the pepperoni and cheese bundle in the center of a dough square, wrap the edges of the dough inward and roll the dough into a bundle.  Pinch the edges slightly to create a seal and place the roll on a baking sheet, seam side down.  Continue with the remaining rolls.

Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

1/3 cups  Olive Oil
2 TB  Fresh Minced Garlic
1-1/2 tsp  Dried Oregano
1 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Onion Powder
1/2 tsp  Salt
1/4 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp  Cayenne Pepper

In a small glass bowl combine all ingredients, stirring until incorporated.  Let sit for 15 minutes before serving, or this can be prepared an hour in advance.

Brush the rolls generously with the olive oil dipping sauce, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and  bake the rolls for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with extra dipping sauce on the side and Enjoy!!

Spicy Guacamole

Guacamole is a great item to add to your football party or holiday snack table.  Offer this dip along with a variety of white, yellow and blue tortilla chips and even some fresh cut veggies.  Many people who choose to stay away from tortilla chips will have the option of dipping veggies in the dip, and still get to enjoy this Spicy Guacamole.

When you shop for avocados, look for the ones that are dark skinned and just slightly soft to the touch.  You have to be a little careful when selecting avocados. Most grocers tend to throw new avocados in with the older ones, so you have to make sure you are not buying under ripe or over ripe  produce.  One one hand if you get a very soft avocado the flesh will probably be dark and not look very appetizing.  On the other hand, an avocado that is hard as a rock and a light greenish-yellow color inside will look nice but since it's under ripe, you won't get a creamy guacamole no matter how long you blend it.

Another handy tip when choosing an avocado is to look for the piece of stem on top.  If you can push off the stem, and it looks moist and fresh, you've got a fresh avocado.

When preparing the guacamole be sure to taste for the level of spice.  If it is too spicy for your taste, adding 1-2 teaspoons of sour cream will tone down the heat, but keep the guacamole creamy.  For a complete meal serve this Spicy Guacamole with Baked Chicken Chimichangas.

3 Avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 Lime, squeezed and juice reserved
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/2 small  Red Onion, diced (optional)
1/2 small  Tomato, seeded and diced (optional)

Scoop the avocado pulp into a food processor and add the lime juice, tossing to coat.  Add the salt, cumin and cayenne to the avocados and blend until smooth, or process just briefly for a more chunky texture.

Add about 1 TB (or more) of lime juice until the guacamole is the desired consistency. Chill or let sit at room temp for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Butter

A few weeks ago, my family and I stopped by a local farmer's market where we discovered Amish Pumpkin Butter.  We had all tried apple butter before but pumpkin butter is a different thing all together, with a flavor similar to pumpkin pie, with lots of cinnamon and cloves.

This creamy spread is so delicious, we kept thinking of more and more ways to use it.  And as expected, the jar was empty within a few days.  So my mission was clear, I needed to make our own.

So far we have used this butter on pancakes and English muffins, and it also makes a great Pumpkin Butter Smoothie for a quick breakfast.  In addition to tasting yummy, it's also good for you! Just 1/4 cup of Pumpkin Butter comes in at about 55 calories and provides 150% of your Vitamin A requirements for the day.

2 15-oz cans  Libby's Pure Pumpkin
1 cup  Apple Juice
1/2 tsp  Allspice
1/4 tsp  Cloves
1 cup  Brown Sugar, packed
1 TB  Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp  Nutmeg
2 tsp  Apple Cider Vinegar

Combine all ingredients, except vinegar, in a large saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring several times.

Remove from heat and stir in the cider vinegar.  Cool to room temperature then transfer to a glass container and store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Nutella Cupcakes

If you are looking for a delicious treat to bring to a holiday get together, this is a great alternative to cookies.  And it contains one of our favorite ingredients, Nutella Spread.

 

Nutella is a hazelnut and chocolate spread that has acquired a huge (and growing) league of fans.  My kids love this stuff!  So today we decided instead of cookies, we would try making a Nutella cupcake, and this recipe turned out great.  The cupcakes are moist and chocolatey, with the familiar hint of Nutella to accompany the chocolate.  The final touch was a drizzle glaze of melted dark chocolate that we made using Hershey's Dark Chocolate Morsels. These cupcakes are so good, but I must warn you, they are a bit addictive!  Enjoy!!

2 cups  Flour
2 1/2 tsp  Baking Powder
1/2 tsp  Salt
1/3 cup  Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups  Brown Sugar
1 tsp  Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup  Nutella Spread
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup  Milk
1/4 cup  Hershey's Dark Chocolate Morsels
1/4 tsp  Shortening (not butter or margarine)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cupcake pans with 21 liners and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream butter with 1 cup of brown sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Add Nutella and mix thoroughly.

Add the eggs and mix until combined, then add the remaining brown sugar and blend well. 

Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating in small amounts, beating well after each addition.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each cupcake liner.  Bake cupcakes 25 - 30 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

To prepare the drizzle - In a microwave safe cup combine the dark chocolate pieces and the shortening and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 10 seconds longer, if needed.  When the chocolate is smooth, drizzle over the cupcakes.

Nutella Bread

My children have developed a serious addiction to Nutella.  Although I had seen this product on the grocery shelf many times, I had never tried it myself.  I picked up a jar last year and it vanished in just a few days. 

So what was this Nutella stuff?  I knew it was a hazelnut and chocolate spread but what was the big deal?  It's delicious, that's the big deal!

I started to hear stories from the kids about how "everyone at school loves Nutella" and I realized we could have some fun cooking with this tasty spread.  Well, today was the day to attempt Nutella Bread and it was a big hit.  The bread was moist with almost a brownie-like texture and full of that familiar Nutella flavor.  The addition of a little smear of peanut butter was suggested by my youngest.  If you are a Nutella fan...you've got to try this bread.  Enjoy!!


2 1/4 cups  Flour
3 tsp  Baking Powder
1 tsp  Salt
1/2 cup  Sugar
1 cup  Milk
2  Eggs
1 cup  Nutella Spread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the milk, eggs and Nutella together until creamy, then add dry ingredients and beat until blended and smooth.

Pour batter into greased 8x4 inch loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.   Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf.  When the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is ready.

Mexican Layer Dip

Different variations of this recipe have been around for years and it is still a favorite for summer get-togethers.  If you like foods on the spicy side, use refried beans with jalapenos or add a layer of sliced jalapenos.  This dish can be made several hours ahead of time and chilled to allow the flavors to blend.  As an added bonus, if you have any leftover (although that doesn't happen very often..lol) a scoop of this next to scrambled eggs is delicious!

1 16 oz can  Fat Free Refried Beans (or the spicy version with jalapenos)
1 TB  Taco Seasoning Mix
2 tsp  Garlic Powder
1 tsp  Garlic Salt
8 oz  Light Sour Cream
12 oz  Spicy Guacamole (or use store bought)
1 cup  Pace Salsa
1 cup  Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1  4 oz can  Sliced Black Olives

Using a 9 X 9 inch pan, combine the refried beans, taco seasoning mix, garlic powder and garlic salt, stirring with a fork and then smooth the mixture into the corners of the pan.

Now you will start to layer the dish.  Smooth the sour cream onto the bean mixture, reaching all the way to the edges of the pan.

Next smooth the guacamole over the sour cream, and follow with the layer of salsa.

Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the dish and top with the sliced black olives.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Banana Bread with Oat Flour

Nothing tastes better than a slice of warm banana bread.  This recipe is very easy to make and makes use of a few bananas that may have been sitting on the counter for a little too long.  Prep time is only 15 minutes, so this recipe is simple to throw together and it can bake while you're having dinner.

This Banana Bread also provides some health benefits.  I am always trying to incorporate oat flour into standard recipes and I love the difference in texture and the added health benefits of the oats.  To add oats to your favorite recipe, try replacing 1/3 of the regular flour with oat flour.  I have found that with most recipes you can replace up to half of the flour with oat flour and not need to change the amount of liquid in the bread.  If the batter does seem a little too thick, just add 1-2 tablespoons additional liquid as called for in the recipe (milk, applesauce, water, etc.).  Enjoy!!

2 1/2 cups  All Purpose Flour
1 cup  Oat Flour (ground Quaker Oats work great)
4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Butter or Margarine, melted
4 Eggs, well beaten
1 cup Sugar or equal amount of Splenda
2 tsp Vanilla
4 medium Bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350. Combine both flours, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. In separate bowl, combine butter, eggs, sugar and vanilla; add to flour mixture and stir only until flour is moistened. Fold in mashed bananas. Pour into 2 well-greased 8" x 4" loaf pans and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

** Time Saver -- For quick and easy clean up, line the loaf pans with foil and do not grease.

Crab Rumaki

As the final appetizer to be showcased before the Super Bowl parties begin, we decided to save the best for last.  This is a tasty twist on the classic Rumaki, which is made with duck or chicken liver that is wrapped in bacon and marinated in a soy and brown sugar sauce.  Back in my restaurant and catering days I do believe the number of chicken liver rumakis I made could easily number into the thousands!  Therefore, I never want to see another chicken liver..lol.  Besides, these are so yummy that we have had relatives who park themselves next to the serving tray until the last rumaki is gone.  Thank you Uncle Bob, that is the ultimate compliment!  If we still lived close by we would deliver this tray to you personally.

   

These do take a little time to bake so the bacon comes out crispy and the crab has a chance to soak up the marinade flavors.  If you cook these before your party guests arrive, keep them warm by pouring the marinade juices into the bottom of a slow cooker, then add the rumakis.  Turn the slow cooker to LOW and these will hold nicely for 2-3 hours, if they last that long.  Enjoy and Happy Super Bowl!!
   

 

3/4 lb  Imitation Crab Leg Sticks, each stick cut into 3 pieces
1 lb  Regular Cut Bacon, slices cut in half
1 can  Pineapple Chunks, drained with juices reserved
1/3 cup  Brown Sugar
1/4 cup  Soy Sauce 
Toothpicks


Preheat oven to 375.  In a small bowl combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar and soy sauce, stirring to fully blend the brown sugar.  Place the pineapple chunks in a bowl and chill.  (The pineapple can be served later with the rumakis.)


Assemble the rumakis by laying the slices of bacon flat on a cutting board.  Place one piece of crab on each piece of bacon, roll them up and skewer with a toothpick.  Place the rumakis in a baking pan and continue making the rest of the rumakis.

Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and drain off the bacon dripping using a baster.  Turn the rumakis over and pour half of the marinade liquid over them.  Return the pan to the oven and bake 10 minutes.

Remove the baking pan from the oven, drain off about half of the marinade mixture, pour the rest of the fresh marinade over the rumakis and return to the oven for 10 - 15 minutes or until the bacon is browned and crispy around the edges.  Serve with the pineapple chunks on the side.

Sausage and Cheese Dip

The Super Bowl is just 9 days away!!  Today we have for you an easy snack to serve in a crock pot when you have guests over for the big football game. With just 3 ingredients, this is a hearty snack that everyone will love.  Just set the crock pot on the lowest setting and stir occasionally.  Any leftovers can be reheated the next day and added to the top of scrambled eggs for a delicious and quick breakfast.


2 lb loaf Velveeta
1 lb Hot or Mild Sausage
1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (Regular or Spicy)

In a large skillet, brown and crumble sausage. Drain sausage on paper towels. Cut cheese into cubes and put in crock pot with the can of tomatoes and crumbled sausage. Turn crock-pot on low and stir occasionally until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Wait! Don't throw away those pumpkin seeds. Here is a delicious and healthy way to prepare a fall snack for your family. One large pumpkin will generally yield 1 cup of pumpkin seeds, and smaller pie pumpkins will yield about the same amount.

Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
2 TB Margarine or Butter
1 1/2 tsp Salt

Remove largest chunks of pulp from the pumpkin seeds but do not wash.

Toss the seeds with margarine and salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 250F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir two or three times through out the roasting. Store at room temperature in a sealed container.

Sweet Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup Pumpkin Seeds
1 TB melted Butter or Vegetable Oil
1 TB Sugar, more or less to taste
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Allspice

Remove largest chunks of pulp from the pumpkin seeds but do not wash.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Toss seeds with butter, sugar and spices. Spread coated seeds on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden brown.

Hot and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups Pumpkin Seeds
2 TB melted Butter
1 TB Frank's Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt

Remove largest chunks of pulp from the pumpkin seeds but do not wash.

Combine seeds with butter, hot sauce and salt. Spread seeds on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 45 - 60 minutes, turn once or twice, until golden brown.

Homemade Trail Mix

Find a few foods that your kids really love (like M&M's or chocolate chips) and you can sneak in a few healthy additions (like nuts, seeds or dried fruit) to this trail mix. They have a healthy, high-energy snack to carry them through the day.

Add in a few things you know they will like:

Raisins
Mini Pretzels
Goldfish Crackers (whole grain would be even better than regular)
Mini Chocolate Chips or Peanut Butter Chips
M&M's candies (use sparingly)

Then add the healthy stuff like:

Kashi's Heart to Heart Toasted Oat Cereal (kids love this cereal as a snack)
Multi-Grain Cheerios
Peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts
Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
Cashews or Almonds
Dried Cherries or Apricots (cut into bite-sized pieces)
Banana Chips or Craisins

In a bowl combine 1/4 cup each of the above ingredients. You can use all or just a few and see which combinations the kids like the best. Put in snack size bags and you have enough for a week of lunches.

How to Cook Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Raw Pumpkin Seeds can be purchased from any health food store. The small green seeds are sold in bulk and usually run about $3 - $4 per pound. These are perfect to use for roasting when you do not want to deal with a messy pumpkin. 

Here is a simple recipe for Hot Sauce Pumpkin Seeds.

2 cups Raw Pumpkin Seeds
2 TB Butter
2 - 3 TB Frank's Hot Sauce
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a heat-proof measuring cup melt the butter in the microwave. Add the pumpkin seeds and stir to coat. Next add the hot sauce and again blend well.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spread the seeds out in a single layer. Lightly sprinkle the seeds with salt.
Bake the seeds about 10 minutes then gently stir and turn them over. Return the seeds to the oven and bake an additional 8 - 12 minutes, until they are a light golden brown and still just a bit green. Do not overbake the seeds or they will be too crunchy and will lose their pumpkin flavor.

Remove from oven, stir gently and let cool slightly before eating.

Lemon & Blueberry Bars

The lemon zest is the secret ingredient in these bars. The creamy citrus flavor of lemon plus the health benefits of blueberries makes these bars a great snack.

1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Fflour
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
12 TB Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups Quick Cooking Oats
2 large Egg Yolks
1 can (14-oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Lemon Zest
2 cups Fresh Blueberries, washed, drained, patted dry
1/2 cup chopped Pecans for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13" x 9" inch baking pan. (Line with foil or parchment if desired)

Combine the flour, both sugars, salt and baking soda in bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Add oats and pulse to mix.

Press about 2/3 of the crumb mixture into the pan and set remainder aside. Bake crust for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare filling.

Whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolks together in a medium bowl and let stand for 5 minutes.

Arrange blueberries evenly over the crust; pour lemon mixture over the blueberries. Spread gently with a spatula to distribute as evenly as possible. Bake until the lemon mixture just begins to form a shiny skin; 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle reserved topping over the lemon layer, then sprinkle pecans over topping. Bake for 25 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack until just warm, about an hour. When cool, transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. The longer the chill time, the better they’ll be.  Makes about 24 bars.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

These bars make a healthy and tasty snack for the whole family. For an added treat, serve warm with a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream.

2 cups Regular Old-Fashioned Oats
1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1 cup packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Light Margarine
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups Apricot Preserves

Preheat oven to 350. Coat 13" x 9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, margarine and vanilla. Cut the margarine into the mixture using a fork or use 2 knives to "crumble" the margarine into the mixture.

Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the baking dish. Then spread the apricot preserves onto the oat mixture, followed by the remaining oat mix on top. Gently press mixture to form a smooth top.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

When cool cut into 36 bars.