Pizza with Tomato Based Pizza Sauce

     With the Super Bowl coming up I wanted to provide another snack food for people like me.  It is official snack food day and if you have food restrictions you can walk down a whole buffet table and not see a single thing on it to eat except maybe a carrot stick.  This is why I always volunteer to bring something I can eat.  I hope you enjoy this pizza.

                                             Pizza with Tomato Based Pizza Sauce
                                                        

1 ea. 14 oz. frozen pizza crust, defrosted
1 tblsp. corn meal
1 box of mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 tblsp. stick margarine
3 tblsp. Marsala
8 oz. mild turkey breakfast sausage
1/3 cup tomato soup
14/tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. herbes de Provence,
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 2.5 oz. can sliced black olives, well drained
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, cut in half
2 slices lactose free muenster cheese slices, torn
2 slices lactose free gouda cheese slices, torn

     Heat oven to 450F with pizza stone in it or just preheat the oven if using a pizza pan.
     Cook mushrooms in margarine until browned.  Turn off flame and add Marsala.  Turn flame back on and cook until Marsala has been absorbed by mushrooms.  Set mushrooms aside in a separate bowl.
     Spray the same pan with vegetable spray.  Brown the sausage until no longer pink.  Drain on a paper towel.
     Make a pizza sauce in a bowl of the tomato soup, basil, herbes de Provence and oregano.
     Once the oven has preheated to 450F, spread the corn meal on the pan and spread the crust all the way to the sides.  Brown the crust with nothing on it for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from oven and pop any bubbles that have appeared.  Spread the sauce, then sausage, then other ingredients ending with the cheese over the crust.  Return to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes until heated through and the cheese melts making sure the edges of the crust don't brown too much.  Depending on how you cut it you can have six to eight slices.
     Next week I will share my recipe for potato leek soup.  I thought the leek was a relative of the onion and I might have trouble digesting it, but it turns out the leek is a member of the lily family and I had no trouble at all so I plan to use them more in the future.  See you next time. 

 

 

 

Pasta with Eggplant, Sausage and Goat Cheese

     I have been missing Italian food.  One of my favorite dishes used to be eggplant Pamesan.  After some thought I came up with an idea of how I could make it for myself.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband and I did.

                                             Pasta with Eggplant, Sausage and Goat Cheese

     Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Wash a small eggplant and cut off both ends.  Slice the eggplant in thin slices (1/8 to 1/4 in thick).  Dip each slice into a bowl with 2 eggs that have been whipped and then dip onto a plate with 1 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs or seasoned bread crumbs.  Bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable spray for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven, turn the slices over and return to the oven bake for 5 minutes longer.  Remove from the oven.  Stack on a plate and place foil over the top so they will stay warm while you prepare the remainder of the dinner.
     Sauce:
8 oz. turkey sausage
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 box of fresh mushrooms
1 tblsp. stick margarine
3 tblsp. Marsala wine
2 ea. 11 oz. cans of tomato soup plus one can of water
4 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh basil of 2 tsp dried basil
2 cloves garlic
1 tblsp. dried onion
1 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup goat cheese

     In a frying pan that has been sprayed with vegetable spray, add the olive oil and turkey sausage.  Break up the sausage and cook until no longer pink.  Drain on a plate with a paper towel and set aside.
     In the same frying pan, add the washed and sliced mushrooms and the stick margarine.  Stir the mushrooms periodically until they are browned.  Turn off the flame.  Add the wine and turn the flame back on and stir periodically until the wine is gone.
     In a separate bowl mix the soup, water, fresh basil, sausage, garlic, dried onion, oregano, salt and pepper.  Pour this into the frying pan with the mushrooms and mix.  Allow to simmer about 10 minutes for the flavors to come together.

Pasta
     Cook 6 oz. of angel hair pasta according to package directions.  You can change this to whatever type of pasta you prefer.

     To serve:  On four dinner plates or pasta bowls divide the pasta, spoon the sauce over or mix the sauce in, whichever you prefer, arrange the eggplant slices arround the top and sprinkle with goat cheese.
     Next week in honor of the Super Bowl coming up, I wanted to make another pizza.  This time I figured out how to make tomato based pizza sauce and I'm anxious to share the recipe.  Till next time.

Chicken and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes in Red Wine Sauce

     This isn't a very original idea for a recipe.  I saw it on a menu at a restaurant, but of course I couldn't order it there, I had to go home and make it for myself.  The result was improved by the fact that I was able to use fresh rosemary.  I grow my own but if you can't find fresh rosemary at the grocery store, you can use dried.

                            Chicken and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes in Red Wine Sauce
                          

                                                                                        
Potatoes:
1 potato washed and cut in bite size wedges
1 tblsp. olive oil
1/4  tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 sprig fresh rosemary, washed and leaves removed from stem or
    1 tsp. dried rosemary
     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put all ingredients in a plastic bag.  Seal the bag and shake until the potatoes are covered with the oil and spices.  Empty the bag on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable spray and bake for 20-25 min.  Check to make sure potatoes to not overbake.

Chicken:
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup red wine of choice
salt and pepper to taste
     Flour, salt and  pepper chicken and brown on both sides.  Add wine and simmer until chicken is cooked through.  When the potatoes are done, add them to the pan and continue to cook until the wine reduces by half.  Add more wine if necessary.
     This recipe serves one.  Multiply quantities by the number of people being served.
     Next weeks recipe is a version of eggplant parmesan.  I've been hungry for this for a long time but couldn't figure out how make it so I could eat it.  I made some adjustments and next week I'll share the result.  Until next time.

Split Pea Soup with Rosemary

     I'll have to admit that when my husband pointed out a recipe for split pea soup I was less than enthusiastic.  I didn't mind making it for him, but I didn't want any.  Once I looked this recipe over and saw that if I made the necessary changes, I might have a good tasting soup, I decided to give it a try.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised and look forward to making this soup again on a cold night.

                                                          Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
                                                        

2 tsp. olive oil
1 celery rib, strings removed, chopped (removing the strings makes the celery easier to digest)
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 minced garlic clove
3 slices Canadian bacon, edges trimmed, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dried onion
1 cup dry split peas
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper

     Heat oil in a large pan and add celery and carrots.  Cook long enough until crisp tender.  Add Canadian bacon and garlic and stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.  Cook about one minute.  Add broth, dried onion, peas, bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Bring all ingredients to a boil over med-high heat.  Reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking until the soup has thickened. 
     Depending on how high your heat is, the soup can thickened in 30 to 60 minutes.  Also, if you don't want to use Canadian bacon, you can substitute turkey bacon.  This recipe can serve 2-4 people depending on serving size.
     Next week I'll share my recipe for Rosemary Chicken and Roasted Potatoes in Red Wine Sauce.  This is very simple to make, doesn't take a lot of time and can even be served for company.  See you next time.