Spinach Alfredo Pizza

One of my favorite types of pizza is spinach alfredo. Even as a kid I loved it! When my family would go out to dinner at a pizza buffet restaurant I would always head for the spinach alfredo. It might sound weird at first, but it is so good! In just one bite you get the creamy, cheesy flavor of the alfredo sauce with baked spinach and even more more cheese on top of a softy and chewy crust. Yum!

To make this pizza you will need:

• PIZZA DOUGH (click here to get the recipe I use!)
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• 2-3 cups of FRESH SPINACH
• 1 & 1/2 cup MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Start off by preparing the dough. If you decide to use the recipe that I use, follow the directions at this link. Once the dough is ready, prepare the sauce. Now, you could just use a jar of store bought alfredo sauce but I like to make my own (It's really easy!). To do this I melt the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the heavy cream, and lastly whisk in the parmesan cheese. Boom! Alfredo Sauce!

Next, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, roll out your dough, and spread the sauce on top!

Then layer on the spinach! Don't be afraid to add a lot (the picture below is not what I would consider "a lot," I just forgot to take a picture after we added more). The spinach will shrink up a lot in the oven!

Lastly, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and pop it in the oven! Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thinly you rolled out the dough.

Mmmmm just look at that cheesy goodness!

Slice up the pizza and dig in!

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Spinach Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients:

• PIZZA DOUGH (click here to get the recipe I use!)
• 2 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• 2-3 cups of FRESH SPINACH
• 1 & 1/2 cup MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Directions:

1. Start off by preparing the dough. If you decide to use the recipe that I use, follow the direction at this link. 
2. Once the dough is ready, prepare the sauce. Now, you could just use a jar of store bought alfredo sauce but I like to make my own (It's really easy!). To do this I melt the butter in a small saucepan, stir in the heavy cream, and lastly whisk in the parmesan cheese. Boom! Alfredo Sauce!
3. Next, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, roll out your dough, and spread the sauce on top!
4. Then layer on the spinach! Don't be afraid to add a lot. The spinach will shrink up a lot in the oven!
5. Lastly, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and pop it in the oven! Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how thinly you rolled out the dough.
6. Slice up the pizza and dig in!

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Butterbeer Cupcakes

A few months ago my husband and I started hosting a dinner and a movie night once a week. We have been working our way through the Harry Potter series and finally finished last weekend (I have mixed emotions anytime Harry Potter comes to an end). In honor of the movies I decided to try my hand at making some butterbeer cupcakes. I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been dying to try them!

If you are like me and haven't been able to make your way down to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter yet you might wonder 'What does butterbeer even taste like???'. After doing some research, I found that most copycat butterbeer recipes contains some combination of melted butter (or imitation butter flavor), cream soda, butterscotch, and sometimes rum. In the case of these cupcake, the 'butterbeer' flavor comes mostly from butterscotch chips, imitation butter flavor, and a little bit of cream soda. Maybe next time I'll experiment and try to work in some rum...

These cupcakes have a butterscotch cake (infused with cream soda and imitation butter flavor) that is filled with a butterscotch ganache, that is then topped with a butterscotch and butter flavored icing. Sound like a lot of flavor doesn't it?

After making them, here are my thought on these cupcakes:

• They are good but not great. Sorry to be a buzz-kill... (Although a few of our dinner guests loved them, so maybe it's just me...)
• The ganache is delicous, but if you make it I would recommend starting off with less heavy cream than the recipe suggests (my ganach was a little too runny).
• The icing was also delicious!
• But the cake...it wasn't bad, but I think it could use some work. There was something about the texture of the cake that I didn't love, but it could possibly be fixed by leaving them in the oven a few minutes longer (The cupcakes were cooked through (a toothpick came out clean!), but they still just seemed almost under cooked in the middle somehow). They were also surprisingly lacking in flavor! In the end, it turned out to be ok because the ganache and icing had so much flavor and sweetness, that it balanced it out.

If you would like to try these butterbeer cupcakes, here is the recipe I used: http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/7/14/butterbeer-cupcakes.html

Happy baking!

 Here are some more pictures of my cupcakes, because I think they're cute!

Zesty Bruschetta Chicken

I love this dish, it combines several of my favorite foods into one meal! A grilled chicken breast is topped with chopped tomato, olive oil, garlic, and basil all over a bed of fettuccine alfredo! Yum! I didn't say it was particularly healthy did I? ...the tomatoes balance out the alfredo sauce though right?? 

To make this dish for two people you will need:

• 1 (8-10 oz.) CHICKEN BREAST, sliced long-wise into two thin pieces
• KRAFT ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING (enough to cover the chicken as a marinade)
• 4 ROMA TOMATOES, cubed
• 6 BASIL LEAVES or 1 Tbs DRIED BASIL, chopped
• 2-3 GARLIC CLOVES, minced
• 5-6 Tbs EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
• 4 oz. FETTUCCINE (or your favorite type of pasta)
• PARMESAN or ROMANO CHEESE, shredded (to sprinkle on top of the dish)

For the alfredo sauce you can either buy a jar of sauce OR you could make it using the following ingredients:

• 2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER,
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated (I like to use 1/4 cup GRATED & 1/4 cup SHREDDED because it creates a lighter sauce, but we usually keep both on hand anyway so it isn't a big deal for us.)
• SALT & PEPPER, to taste

Start by putting the split chicken breast into a small container and pour the zesty Italian salad dressing over the top until the chicken is just covered. Allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator. It could be left to marinate over night.

While the chicken is marinating, start heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Mix the tomatoes with the basil, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Once the water in the large pot has come to a boil, cook your pasta according to the label on the box (generally about 10 minutes). When the chicken has marinated for at least 30 minutes, grill it! (You could use a grill pan, a George Foreman grill, or an actual grill if you have one!) 

While the chicken and pasta are cooking, melt the butter in a small pot. Once the butter is melted, add the heavy cream, and then stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. 

When the pasta is fully cooked, drain the water and then pour the cream sauce over the pasta in a medium sized bowl. Toss the pasta in the sauce and then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (either grated or shredded). Continue tossing the pasta until the cheese, sauce, and pasta are well mixed!

Once the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove it from the grill and slice it. 

To assemble the dish, divide the pasta between two bowls. Then divide the sliced chicken and place it on top of the pasta. Spoon the tomato mixture over the top and then sprinkle on a little bit of parmesan or romano cheese!

Delicous!

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Zesty Bruschetta Chicken

Ingredients:

To make this dish for two people you will need:

• 1 (8-10 oz.) CHICKEN BREAST, sliced long-wise into two thin pieces
• KRAFT ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING (enough to cover the chicken as a marinade)
• 4 ROMA TOMATOES, cubed
• 6 BASIL LEAVES or 1 Tbs DRIED BASIL, chopped
• 2-3 GARLIC CLOVES, minced
• 5-6 Tbs EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
• 4 oz. FETTUCCINE (or your favorite type of pasta)
• PARMESAN or ROMANO CHEESE, shredded (to sprinkle on top of the dish)

For the alfredo sauce you can either buy a jar of sauce OR you could make it using the following ingredients:

• 2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER,
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated (I like to use 1/4 cup GRATED & 1/4 cup SHREDDED because it creates a lighter sauce, but we usually keep both on hand anyway so it isn't a big deal for us.)
• SALT & PEPPER, to taste

Directions:

1. Start by putting the split chicken breast into a small container and pour the zesty Italian salad dressing on top until the chicken is just covered. Allow the chicken to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator. It could be left to marinate over night. 
2. While the chicken is marinating, start heating a large pot of water for the pasta. 
3. Chop the tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Mix the tomatoes with the basil, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Once the water in the large pot has come to a boil, cook your pasta according to the label on the box (generally about 10 minutes). 
5. When the chicken has marinated for at least 30 minutes, grill it! (You could use a grill pan, a George Foreman grill, or an actual grill if you have one!) 
6. While the chicken and pasta are cooking, melt the butter in a small pot. Once the butter is melted, add the heavy cream, and then stir in 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. 
7. When the pasta is fully cooked, drain the water and then pour the cream sauce over the pasta in a medium sized bowl. Toss the pasta in the sauce and then sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (either grated or shredded). Continue tossing the pasta until the cheese, sauce, and pasta are well mixed!
8. Once the chicken is cooked all the way through, remove it from the grill and slice it. 
9. To assemble the dish, divide the pasta between two bowls. Then divide the sliced chicken and place it on top of the pasta. Spoon the tomato mixture over the top and then sprinkle on a little bit of parmesan or romano cheese!

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I got this recipe from the following website: http://myprizedrecipes.com/three-cheese-chicken-penne-pasta-applebees-style/

Fettuccine Alfredo with Lump Crab Meat & Brussels Sprouts

We had some jumbo lump crab meat left over after making a crab souffle last week when my mom visited so we decided to try something new and came up with fettuccine alfredo with lump crab meat and Brussels sprouts! It turned out really delicious! 

To make it we used:

• 1/4 box FETTUCCINE NOODLES
• 3 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• 1/2 cup JUMBO LUMP CRAB MEAT
• 8 oz. BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• 2 Tbs PINE NUTS
• SALT & PEPPER to taste

It will take you longer to cook the pasta than it will to make the sauce, so start boiling water! Once the water is boiling, add the fettuccine noodles and cook them until tender.

Put the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast them for a few minutes. They will start to turn light brown. 

After toasting the pine nuts, clean the Brussels sprouts and chop off the bottoms. Then, depending on how big they are, either cut them in half or in quarters to make them bite sized.

After the Brussels sprouts are all cleaned up, melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet and then throw the Brussels sprouts in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute them in the butter for about 7-10 minutes or until they are tender. Then set aside.

In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Then mix in 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

 

Once the sauce is hot and all of the ingredients are well mixed add 1/2 cup crab meat and cook for several minutes.

Hopefully by now your fettuccine is cooked because now you should add it into the pan with the sauce and crab. Then add the Brussels sprouts. Toss the pasta, crab meat, and Brussels sprouts in the alfredo sauce.

Top with the toasted pine nuts and then serve!

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Lump Crab Meat & Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1/4 box FETTUCCINE NOODLES
• 3 Tbs BUTTER
• 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/2 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• 1/2 cup JUMBO LUMP CRAB MEAT
• 8 oz. BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• 2 Tbs PINE NUTS
• SALT & PEPPER to taste

Directions:

1. It will take you longer to cook the pasta than it will to make the sauce, so start boiling water! Once the water is boiling, add the fettuccine noodles and cook them until tender.
2. Put the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast them for a few minutes. They will start to turn light brown. 
3. Clean the Brussels sprouts and chop off the bottoms. Then, depending on how big they are, either cut them in half or in quarters to make them bite sized.
4. Melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet and then throw the Brussels sprouts in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute them in the butter for about 7-10 minutes or until they are tender. Then set aside.
5. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Then mix in 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
6. Once the sauce is hot and all of the ingredients are well mixed add 1/2 cup crab meat and cook for several minutes.
7. Hopefully by now your fettuccine is cooked because now you should add it into the pan with the sauce and crab. Then add the Brussels sprouts. Toss the pasta, crab meat, and Brussels sprouts in the alfredo sauce.
8. Top with the toasted pine nuts and then serve!

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Tiramisu Cupcakes

If you like tiramisu and you like cupcakes then you will definitely LOVE these tiramisu cupcakes! The cakes are vanilla and are brushed with a coffee liquor syrup and topped with a delicious mascarpone frosting! This recipe will make about 18 cupcakes. 

Tip: Be sure to make these cupcakes on the day you plan to serve them. You could make the components ahead of time, but don't assemble them until the day of! Due to the coffee syrup being brushed onto the cupcakes, they they start to taste a little soggy after a day or two. 

Vanilla Cupcakes:

• 1 & 1/4 cups CAKE FLOUR
• 3/4 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 cup MILK
• 2 tsp VANILLA 
• 2 Tbs BUTTER, unsalted
• 3 EGGS & 3 EGG YOLKS
• 1 cups SUGAR

Coffee Syrup:

• 1/4 cup STRONG COFFEE
• 1/4 cup KAHLUA
• 1/4 cup SUGAR

Mascarpone Frosting:

• 1 cups HEAVY CREAM
• 8 oz. MASCARPONE CHEESE
• 1/4 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• COCOA POWDER, for dusting 

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl sift together the 1 & 1/4 cups cake flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt, then set aside. 

Put the 2 Tbs of butter in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until the butter has melted. Then mix in the 1/4 cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla and set aside.

Add the 3 eggs, 3 egg yolk, and 1 cup sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until the contents have almost tripled in volume. The egg mixture should be thick enough that when drizzled over itself, it will stay on the surface for a few seconds.

Before whisking:

After whisking:

Once the egg mixture has tripled, switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment and mix in the dry mixture and milk mixture. 

After all of the ingredients are well mixed, line a cupcake tray with paper liners and fill each liner 3/4 full. Then bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Coffee Syrup:

While the cupcakes are baking, make the coffee syrup by whisking together the 1/4 cup coffee, 1/4 cup Kahlua, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl, then set aside. 

Mascarpone Frosting:

To make the frosting, start by whisking 1 cup of heavy cream in an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks.

Then mix in 8 oz. of mascarpone and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. It should look something like the picture below!

Cupcake Assembly:

Once you have all of your components you can either assemble everything right away or else wait and store the components separately until you are ready to eat them! Remember, only prepare them the day that you plan to eat them!

Ok, once you are ready to assemble the cupcakes poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes either with a toothpick or a small knife. Then, use a pastry brush to brush the coffee syrup onto the top of the cupcakes (about 5-7 coats per cupcake). Make sure to use all of the syrup! It might seem like a lot, but won't be too much!

After brushing on all of the syrup, put the mascarpone frosting in a piping bag and pipe it onto the cupcake covering all of the holes in the top of the cupcake.

Then dust the top of the cupcakes with cocoa powder!

Vuala! Eat up!

Here you can see how the coffee syrup got down into the cupcake giving it the delicious Kahlua coffee flavor!

Yum!

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Tiramisu Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cupcakes:

• 1 & 1/4 cups CAKE FLOUR
• 3/4 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 1/4 cup MILK
• 2 tsp VANILLA 
• 2 Tbs BUTTER, unsalted
• 3 EGGS & 3 EGG YOLKS
• 1 cups SUGAR

Coffee Syrup:

• 1/4 cup STRONG COFFEE
• 1/4 cup KAHLUA
• 1/4 cup SUGAR

Mascarpone Frosting:

• 1 cups HEAVY CREAM
• 8 oz. MASCARPONE CHEESE
• 1/4 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• COCOA POWDER, for dusting 

Directions:

Vanilla Cupcake:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. 
2. In a medium bowl sift together the 1 & 1/4 cups cake flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt, then set aside. 
3. Put the 2 Tbs of butter in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until the butter has melted. Then mix in the 1/4 cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla and set aside.
4. Add the 3 eggs, 3 egg yolk, and 1 cup sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until the contents have almost tripled in volume. The egg mixture should be thick enough that when drizzled over itself, it will stay on the surface for a few seconds.
5. Once the egg mixture has tripled, switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment and mix in the dry mixture and milk mixture. 
6. After all of the ingredients are well mixed, line a cupcake tray with paper liners and fill each liner 3/4 full. Then bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Coffee Syrup:

1. While the cupcakes are baking, make the coffee syrup by whisking together the 1/4 cup coffee, 1/4 cup Kahlua, and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl, then set aside. 

Mascarpone Frosting:

1. To make the frosting, start by whisking 1 cup of heavy cream in an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks.
2. Mix in 8 oz. of mascarpone and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. It should look something like the picture below!

Cupcake Assembly:

1. Once you have all of your components you can either assemble everything right away or else wait and store the components separately until you are ready to eat them! Remember, only prepare them the day that you plan to eat them!
2. Once you are ready to assemble the cupcakes poke holes in the tops of the cupcakes either with a toothpick or a small knife. Then, use a pastry brush to brush the coffee syrup onto the top of the cupcakes (about 5-7 coats per cupcake). Make sure to use all of the syrup! It might seem like a lot, but won't be too much!
3. Put the mascarpone frosting in a piping bag and pipe it onto the cupcake covering all of the holes in the top of the cupcake.
4. Dust the top of the cupcakes with cocoa powder.

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I found this recipe on this blog: http://alimentageuse.com/2012/11/16/tiramisu-cupcakes/

Alfredo Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts

I know a lot of people don't like Brussels sprouts, but I just don't' get it. I love them! Especially sauteed in some butter and drizzled with Alfredo sauce. Mmm! How could anyone not like that?? 

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 oz. PINE NUTS
• 1 Tbs BUTTER, unsalted
• 8 oz. BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• 1/2 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/4 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• SALT
• PEPPER

Put the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast them for a few minutes. They will start to turn light brown. 

In a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup heavy cream over medium heat for several minutes in order to reduce it by almost half. Make sure to stir constantly! Once the cream has reduced, mix in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and then turn the heat off.

After toasting the pine nuts, clean the Brussels sprouts and chop off the bottoms.

Then, depending on how big they are, either cut them in half or in quarters to make them bite sized.

My mom came for visit and she helped us cook!

After the Brussels sprouts are all cleaned up, melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet and then throw the Brussels sprouts in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute them in the butter for about 7-10 minutes or until they are tender.

Once the Brussels sprouts are cooked, drizzle the Alfredo sauce over the top of them and sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts! Then serve!

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Alfredo Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. PINE NUTS
• 1 Tbs BUTTER, unsalted
• 8 oz. BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• 1/2 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 1/4 cup PARMESAN CHEESE, grated
• SALT
• PEPPER

Directions:

1. Put the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and toast them for a few minutes. They will start to turn light brown. 
2. In a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup heavy cream over medium heat for several minutes in order to reduce it by almost half. Make sure to stir constantly! Once the cream has reduced, mix in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and then turn the heat off.
3. Clean the Brussels sprouts and chop off the bottoms. Then, depending on how big they are, either cut them in half or in quarters to make them bite sized.
4. Melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet and then throw the Brussels sprouts in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute them in the butter for about 7-10 minutes or until they are tender.
5. Once the Brussels sprouts are cooked, drizzle the Alfredo sauce over the top of them and sprinkle on the toasted pine nuts! Then serve!

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