Calzones

These are super filling and vegetarian.  Of course you could always add regular cheese and any of your favorite meat toppings as well but we like to keep them vegetarian.  I like to lightly saute my veggies before adding them.  You can use your favorite pizza crust recipe for the dough.  I usually just use a quick whole wheat breadstick recipe (see below).  Don't skimp on the sauce and the cheese sauce or the calzone could end up a little dry.  The Mozzerella "Cheese" Sauce just makes them!  This is a favorite dinner for our family and one I feel good serving.  Load up the veggies and you have a great healthy and homemade dinner!  I usually serve this with a salad.

Calzones

Pizza dough recipe (see below)
Pizza sauce, your favorite homemade or jarred sauce
Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce recipe

Toppings:  onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

Make pizza dough.  While it is rising prepare the filling.  For the filling saute the veggies for a couple minutes.  Make sure they're still tender-crisp.  You definitely don't want soggy veggies!  After the dough has risen, roll it out onto an oiled cookie sheet.  Spread your sauce legthwise on half of the dough.  Layer with veggies.  Top with Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce.  Flip over the empty half of the crust and press down around the edges to seal in filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Slice and serve!

Whole Wheat Breadstick Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. honey

2 tsp. salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast and honey.  Let sit for about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt to mixture.  Mix until smooth and elastic.  Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour.  Knead for 3-5 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl and let is rise for 10 minutes (can skip this step if in a hurry). 

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

This is super delicious cheese alternative that doesn't have any dairy or soy in it.  You cook it to the consistency you want.  It will thicken up to the consistency of a spread if you let it.  If it's going to sit while you assemble the rest of your dinner then make sure you stop cooking it when it's a little on the "thin" side and cover the pot.  It thickens as it cools.  I don't always roast the garlic for this.  Just use a little less because roasted garlic is more mild.  If you are going to be making many vegan sauces or "cheese" you should go ahead an get a supply of tahini (sesame seed paste) and nutritional yeast (NOT brewer's yeast).  These two items are used a lot.  This cheese sauce is great on pizza, calzones, tacos, or anything else you would enjoy melted cheese.  Great as a dip for veggies or on pitas as well.  To make smoked mozzarella just add 1/8 tsp. liquid hickory smoke.
*Sorry about the picture quality.  I took it as a last minute thought after I made calzones.  The lighting was bad so it looks yellow but it's really white.  You can check out the calzones picture to see it a little better.  I'll try to get a better picture in the future.

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

1 cup water
2 small cloves of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.

Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls are quick and easy with only 30 minutes needed for rising.  If you are careful not to add too much flour and leave the dough nice and sticky, then you will have perfect rolls every time.  These are perfectly soft and very ooey-gooey.  Also great because they only make one pan of rolls.

Quick & Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter
3 1/2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (or 1 pkg. instant yeast)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg

Filling:

1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, melted

Place milk and 4 Tbs. butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for a minute and a half.  Butter should be mostly melted.  Stir and set aside to cool.  (Can also heat on stove top for this step.  Heat just until milk is scalded.)

In mixer bowl combine 2 cups flour, yeast, white sugar, and salt.  When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot) add it to the flour mixture while mixer is going.  Whisk egg and add to mixture.  Beat for about 1 minute or until ingredients are well combined.

Switch to dough hook on mixer and add remaining flour until dough just starts to leave the sides of the bowl.  It will be very soft and a little sticky.  Continue to knead for 5 minutes.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Roll dough into a rectangle about 12x14 inches.  Spread melted butter over dough.  Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over butter.  Be sure to go all the way to the ends.  Roll up from the longer side and pinch edges closed.  Cut into about 12 rolls using dental floss.  Place in a greased baking pan.  Cover pan with a clean towel and place in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown.  Spread with icing while still warm.

Makes about 12 rolls.

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2-1 tsp. almond extract

2-3 Tbsp. milk

Cream powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and 2 Tbsp. milk.  Mix until smooth and creamy.  If too thick, add more milk half a tablespoon at a time until desired thickness.  Spread on warm cinnamon rolls.

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

This is a yummy salad I found on Pioneer Woman last summer.  That's when I made it, too, and I'm just getting around to posting it.  It was really good!  Since it's now summer again and salads are always welcome, I decided I better get it posted.  One change I made was to use regular black olives instead of the Kalamata olives (which I love but are a little too strong for the other 5 people eating in this house.)  You can go to her site for her great step-by-step directions. 

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Dressing Ingredients:

1 (7 oz.) jar Sundried Tomatoes, packed in oil

4 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & pepper to taste

Salad Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) corkscrew pasta

1 jar Kalamata or assorted olives

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

10 basil leaves, chopped or julienne

1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Dressing:

In a blender combine sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped.  Continue blending while drizzling in olive oil until mixed together.

Pasta:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.

Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta.  Add olives and toss together.  Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking.

Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Cheesecake Dip

This is a great dip for fruits, graham crackers, or vanilla wafers.  Great with the graham cracker crumbs but I make it without most of the time.  Can also be used as a delicious filling for crêpes with fresh berries and fruits or as a pancake topping.  We save this recipe for special occasions!

Cheesecake Dip

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

3 Tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. almond extract

2-3 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste)

1 pint fresh strawberries (we also like bananas, pineapple, apples, grapes, berries)

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add sour cream, sugar, milk, and extract; mix until smooth.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Place strawberries and crumbs in separate serving bowls.  Dip strawberries/fruit into cheesecake mixture, then into dry crumbs.  Enjoy!

Garden Muffins

These muffins are lightly sweetened and packed with "good" stuff like whole grains, vegetables, and walnuts.  Great for breakfasts or snacks.  Eat these slightly warm with a pat of butter or your favorite spread and you are set!  There are no eggs or dairy and you'd never even know!  You can make them mini-sized, regular, or jumbo!  I have rectangle muffin tins so that's why mine look like mini-loaves.

Garden Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (white wheat is the best)

1/2 cup oats, slightly ground (I just whirl them through my blender for a few seconds)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (or 1/4 cup sugar if you don't have maple syrup or agave)

1/4 cup oil

1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup grated carrots

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (almond, rice, soy, etc.) or regular milk if you want

1/2 cup raisins, optional

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In another large bowl, combine applesauce, maple syrup/agave and oil.  Add zucchini and carrots and then stir in milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then stir in raisins and walnuts and mix until well-combined.

Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin cups, filling each cup until almost full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes for regular size muffins or 25-30 minutes for jumbo, until muffins are lightly golden and toothpick comes out clean.  Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack.  Store leftover muffins covered at room temperature.  Makes about 12 regular-sized muffins.

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream

This is a great non-dairy/non-soy version of sour cream.  It tastes delicious and is less expensive to make than the cashew version.  It is great served on taco salad, fajitas, or anything else you would put sour cream on. (Or you can eat it by the spoonful, which is how my kids like to eat it!)  This is one time when you can let the kids eat as much sour cream as they want!  It actually makes the meals even more filling I've found.  The leftovers are also great served as a dip for veggies.  Make sure you use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds-not roasted.  I buy mine in the bulk bins at my local health food store.  Keeps for about 2 days in the fridge.

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup water
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 garlic clove pressed (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Easy Breezy Breadsticks

This is a recipe I got from my friend Becca.  I have made them so many times when I'm short on time and want breadsticks with dinner.  They are so quick and easy and best of all...no rising time!  I have recently started making them with half whole wheat flour and they are so good!  One thing Becca suggested was to put the rolled out dough into a jelly roll pan and then cut them in there.  I just use a pizza cutter to cut them.  That helped a lot because this is a very soft and sticky dough!  I use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on top and then sprinkle with garlic salt or any other spices you'd like.

Easy Breezy Breadsticks

1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Mix the rest of the ingredients. Roll the dough out into rectangle and cut 1 in. wide and however long you want your breadsticks to be. (I just put my rolled out dough into a jelly roll pan and cut them in there.) Butter the top, add garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, basil, cinnamon and sugar, etc. Bake at 375* for 20 min. (they rise quite a bit in the oven).

Cooked Frosting

I've been seeing this recipe all over blogland for awhile now and decided to try it out.  It's been awhile since I made it.  My kids and I made some Easter cupcakes and used this frosting.  I have to say it was very delicious and definitely not as sweet as most frostings.  That was a definite plus!  It was smooth and creamy and easy to work with for decorating.  The crazy part is that there is NO powdered sugar but there is FLOUR!  If you're looking for a good frosting recipe that isn't sickly sweet...give this one a try!  I've found the recipe on multiple sites so I'm just going to type the one I have written in my recipe notes.  This recipe can easily be halved.  Just use 3 T. flour and half of everything else.  As good as this recipe was, our family decided we still like our favorite Cool Whip Cream Frosting the best.  But this one is definitely up there! :)  Give it a try!

Cooked Frosting

5 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar (not powdered sugar)

Pour milk into small saucepan.  Whisk flour into the milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thick.  Remove from heat and let it cool completely.  (Very important!)  When cool stir in vanilla.

While the other mixture is cooling...cream butter and sugar together in mixer until light and fluffy.  Use your whisk attachment on your stand mixer.  Add the cooled milk/flour mixture (make sure it isn't warm at all!) and beat on med-high until it all combines and resembles whipped cream, about 7-8 minutes.  It seems like forever but in that amount of time it turns from a lumpy mixture to a fluffy, light frosting.  Spread onto cooled cake.  Store at room temperature in a sealed container.