Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Pizza Recipe-Fettuccini with Zucchini and Mushrooms

Ingredients

1/2 lb. mushrooms
1/4 c. butter
1-1/4 lbs. zucchini, julienned
1 lb. fettuccini
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. butter in pieces
3/4 c. grated Parmesan
2 T. Basil
1/3 c. chopped parsley

Preparation

Boil water with 2 T. salt and 1 T. olive oil. Add
noodles. Sauté thinly sliced mushrooms in skillet over
high heat for 2 minutes in 1/4 cup of butter. Add
cream and remaining butter pieces, bring to a boil and
simmer 3 minutes. Add Basil. Drain noodles and add to
skillet with Parmesan and parsley. Toss and serve.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Healthy Pizza Recipes

Healthy pizza recipes are easily available even if you use the traditional ingredients contained in most recipes. But there is much more to consider. In my view pizza is a complete meal and a great source of healthy nutrition for children and adults alike.

There are no nutrition problems when eating pizza but you must follow some simple guidelines. It is no secret that overeating is the real underlying issue not the pizza itself. In fact most pizza recipes contain great sources of all food groups which nutritionists recommend to us for a healthy diet.

Here are some simple guidelines to follow when choosing your pizza recipe.

  1. Use fresh ingredients especially herbs and spices.
  2. Prepare your own sauces from fresh ingredients especially vegetables and herbs, like tomato, eggplant, basil and onions.
  3. Use the best quality olive oil where it is called for.
  4. Use cheese sparingly. Don’t fall into the trap of using too much cheese as this contributes most to the fat content of your pizza. Be restrained! Let the other ingredients and delicious flavours come through.
  5. Remember to have a balanced approach when constructing your pizza. This means making sure that the cheese doesn’t drown out the other ingredients. There is nothing better than tasting the fresh basil, the sumptuous tomato and the delicious eggplant.
There are a few secrets of the trade in making your own pizza; once you know them, it is not hard to make your own and it takes very little time. In fact, after you make it a few times you'll wonder why you made such a big deal out of it.

I have put together a collection of delicious pizza recipes over the years which have given me great joy. I am not overweight mainly because I eat pizza in moderation and use the best combination of delicious fresh and innovative ingredients.

I have learned that you can use seasonal ingredients of almost any kind to create new pizza recipes every year. Would you believe that my kids enjoy fruit pizza for dessert? Well, it’s true. I have used pizza recipes to introduce new tastes to my children. When they were reluctant to try Lima beans for example, it was a revelation to me that just putting a few on a pizza was a great way to let them taste something new and learn to enjoy it. Naturally I used some complementary ingredients to enhance the flavour but it sure worked.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Italian Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

Ingridients:

2-1/4 cups (8 oz.) uncooked ziti (long tubular pasta)
2 cups Frozen Broccoli Florets
2 cups milk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Provolone cheese
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers (from 7.5 oz. jar),
drained, chopped
2 TB Italian bread crumbs
2 tsp. stick margarine or butter, melted

Preparation:

In large sauce pan, cook ziti to desired doneness as
directed on
package, adding broccoli during last minute of cooking
time. Drain;
return to saucepan.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Spray 2 quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
In medium sauce pan, combine 1/2 cup of the milk,
flour, salt, hot pepper sauce and garlic; stir with
wire whisk until smooth.

Stir in remaining 1-1/2 cups milk. Cook over medium
heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring
frequently. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until
melted.

Add cheese sauce to cooked ziti and broccoli; mix
well. Stir in roasted peppers. Spoon into sprayed
casserole.

In small bowl, combine bread crumbs and melted
margarine; mix well. Sprinkle over top.

Bake at 350° F., for 20 to 25 minutes or until
casserole is bubbly and crumbs are golden brown.

Makes: 4 (1-1/2-cup) servings.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Italian-Recipe ggplant Caponata


Ingridients:

1/4 cup golden raisins
6 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup diced seeded plum tomato
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 teaspoons capers
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

How To Prepare:

Place raisins in a small bowl; cover with hot water.
Let stand 15 minutes; drain. Set aside.
Place eggplant in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss
well. Drain 1 hour. Rinse well; pat dry with paper
towels.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add eggplant; sauté 9 minutes or
until well browned. Spoon eggplant into a large bowl;
set aside.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high
heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until golden. Add
garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato; sauté 2 minutes.
Add tomato mixture to eggplant.

Return pan to heat. Add sugar and vinegar, stirring
until sugar dissolves. Stir in raisins, olives, and
capers. Add eggplant mixture, stirring to combine.
Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Serve warm or at
room temperature.

Note: Caponata will keep in the refrigerator for up to
5 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Yield 12 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 59(31% from fat); FAT 2g (sat 0.3g,mono
1.4g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 0.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg;
CALCIUM 14mg; SODIUM 141mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 0.5mg;
CARBOHYDRATE 10.8g

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Popover Pizza Casserole

Ingridients:

1 pound uncooked ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 of a 3-1/2-ounce package sliced pepperoni
1 15-1/2-ounce jar pizza sauce
1 4-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

How To Prepare:

In a large skillet cook ground turkey, onion, and
sweet pepper until meat is brown and vegetables are
tender. Drain off fat.

Cut pepperoni slices in half. Stir pepperoni, pizza
sauce, mushrooms, fennel seeds, oregano, and basil
into meat mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally.

Meanwhile, grease the sides of a 3-quart rectangular
baking dish; set aside. For topping, in a medium
mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1
minute. Add flour; beat about 1 minute more or until
smooth. Spoon the hot meat mixture into the prepared
baking dish. Arrange mozzarella cheese on top of meat
mixture. Pour topping over mozzarella cheese, covering
completely. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 30 minutes or until
topping is puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Italian-Pizza RECIPE Ricotta Stuffed Canneloni

Ricotta Stuffed Canneloni

1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ricotta
salt to taste
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
9 ounces canneloni noodles, cooked al dente
7 garlic cloves
1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3/4 ounce butter

How To Prepare:

Saute onion and garlic in 1/2 tablespoon hot oil until translucent.
Remove from heat and let cool. Mix with ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon this mixture into the canneloni noodles and place noodles in a buttered casserole dish.
To make sauce, saute garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil until just brown.
Add both cans of tomatoes with liquid and let simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce on filled canneloni. Sprinkle with Parmesan and dot with butter.
Bake in preheated 400 degrees oven for 25 minutes.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.