BBQ Chicken Pizza

*after eating at a friend's house and asking how she did her pizza crusts, I've changed how I do things. I use a bread stick recipe and roll it out (I like it a little thicker, the hubby likes thinner). Then I cook it as if it were bread sticks. Then I add all my toppings on top and broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Recipe from foodnetwork.com

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb chicken tenders (I cut up breasts)

2/3 Cup bbq sauce

Flour, for dusting surface

1 pkg pizza dough (pillsbury classic), I used this recipe

3/4 Cup shredded Gouda

1 Cup shredded mozzarella

3/4 Cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced (I used much less)

3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I forgot to use)

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat in oil a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and saute until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice chicken to yield a little over a cup. In a small bowl, toss chicken with 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce. Set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out dough and place on a greased sheet pan. Shape to fill the sheet pan (I just made a few circular pizzas with the homemade dough). Spread remaining BBQ sauce evenly over pizza dough. Sprinkle cheeses, onions, and chicken over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and cut into pieces.

Blackberry Sage Lemonade (Melting Pot)

Blackberry Sage Lemonade

Recipe from wineharlots.com

5 Blackberries

4-5 Sage leaves

1 Lemon wedge

1 oz blackberry syrup (we blended blackberries, sugar, and a little water together)

Lemonade

Ice

Muddle blackberries, sage leaves and lemon in mixing glass. Fill mixing glass with ice. Add blackberry syrup. Fill with lemonade. Pour into mixing tin, then back into pint glass and garnish.

Garnish

2 Blackberries speared

2 Sage leaves on top of drink

1 Lemon wedge on top

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara (Olive Garden)

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara

Recipe from food.com

Chicken and Shrimp

1/2 Cup olive oil

1/2 Cup hot water

1/2 Tbsp italian seasoning

1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1 lbs chicken strips

1/2 lb shrimp (or use 1 1/2 lbs chicken)

Whisk olive oil together with hot water, seasoning and chopped garlic. Add the chicken and shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Sauce

1/2 Cup butter

3/4 tsp garlic, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 Cups heavy cream

2 Cups milk

1/8 Cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 tsp black pepper

Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and bacon bits. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, parmesan, heavy cream, milk, bacon, pepper and salt.

Use a whisk to whip all ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.

Noodles

2 (7 oz) boxes pasta (spaghetti, linguine, etc.)

1/8 tsp salt

Cook noodles until al dente.

Topping

1 1/2 Tbsp romano cheese, grated

1 1/2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

1 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup panko

3/4 tsp garlic, chopped

3/4 tsp butter, melted

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

3/4 Cup roated red peppers, cut into small strips

1/8 Cup bacon bits

Set roasted red peppers and bacon bits to the side. Combine romano, parmesan, mozzarella, panko, chopped garlic, melted butter and chopped parsley in a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

Preheat large skillet. Add chicken and shrimp to pan. Add red peppers and bacon bits. Cook for 3 more minutes or until cooked on both sides and internal temperatures reach 165 for chicken and 155 for shrimp.

Stir chicken and shrimp and sauce together until well blended.

Place hot, precooked pasta on a larger serving platter. Top with chicken and shrimp sauce. Evenly distribute topping over top of chicken and shrimp. Place in broiler until top is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

Recipe from Macie

2-4 chicken breasts (cut in half & tenderized) or 4-6 chicken tenders

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1/4 c. capers

1/4 c. black olives, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 small tomatoes, sliced in wedges

1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Saute chicken in oil in a large pan. Remove chicken. In the same pan, saute onions and peppers in the oil. Add chicken, tomatoes, olives, garlic, bouillon, vinegar and capers. Simmer until balsamic vinegar thickens (about 12-15 minutes). Serve over rice.

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi

Recipe from Worldwide Ward Cookbook

1 lb linguini

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Shallots, finely diced

2 Cloves garlic, minced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 Cup chicken broth

Juice of 1 lemon

Parsley, chopped, to taste

Cook pasta al dente. In large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp butter in 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat. Saute shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes 3-4 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and pepper; add to pan and cook until pink, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan, set aside and keep warm. Add broth and lemon juice to skillet and bring to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil. After butter melts, return shrimp to the pan; add parsley and stir in pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Recipe from tastyplanner.com

Adapted by Tyson

Steaks

2-3 Thin cut steaks

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Course ground pepper

Pasta

1 Lb bow tie (or any) pasta

1 box Beef Broth (or use beef bouillon cubes in the water)

Balsamic Sauce

1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (yellow mustard works fine)

1 Tbsp parsley, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

Toppings

1 Sliced green onion

Feta cheese

Sprinkle steaks with salt (liberally) and pepper. Put 2 Tbsp olive oil into a frying pan and heat the pan on high until steaks are hot enough to sear. Place steaks in frying pan until seared on both sides (doesn't take long so be careful) and cook until cooked the way you like. If steaks are a little thicker you could put them in the oven. Slice steaks into thin strips.

Bring beef broth to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Strain.

Add in all sauce ingredients except parsley (if using fresh) into a small sauce pan. Heat sauce up to a very light boil (whisk constantly), turn heat down until everything is mixed and homogenous.

Once noodles are cooked, Place some noodles on a plate/bowl and add steak slices on top. Drizzle sauce on top. Add green onions and feta cheese.

Apple Pie (Two Kinds)

Carol's Apple Pie

Recipe by Britney Graham

(Makes 2 Pies)

2 Quarts apples, appox. 12 apples (Jonathan apples best)

2 1/2 Cups sugar

3 Tbsp corn starch

3 Tbsp instant tapioca pudding

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 Cups water

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

Dough for two pie crusts (recipe below)

Make pie crust dough, put one in greased pie shell (do not poke holes in crust( and set other half aside. Peel, slice and quarter apples. Combine apples, 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in large pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

In separate bowl, mix rest of sugar and water, corn starch, tapioca and salt. Add mixture to apples and return to heat. Bring to a boil and hold 1 minutes. Remove from heat, add nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour filling in uncooked pie shell.

Roll out other 1/2 pie crust dough. Fold into fourths and make 2 slits on both sides. Place on pie, unfold and trim off excess. Fluke sides. Add foil to sides and bake 425 for 40-50 minutes (remove foil for last 10 minutes). remove pie from oven and sprinkle sugar on top while still hot.

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Recipe from allrecipes.com

1 recipe pastry for 9 inch double crust pie (recipe below)

1/2 Cup unsalted butter

3 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon (my addition)

1/2 tsp nutmeg (my addition)

1 Tbsp vanilla (my addition)

6-8 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to 425 (I kept oven at 350 the entire time). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pan. (I mixed half of the sugar and butter liquid with the apples.) Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid (the other half of it if you mixed half with the apples) over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350. Continue baking for 35-45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Flaky Pie Crust

Recipe from Britney Graham

(Makes 2 single pie shells)

2 Cups bread flour

1 Cup butter flavor Crisco

1 tsp salt

1/2 Cup cold water)

Mix flour, crisco and salt with fingers just until mixture consists of little balls. Add cold water and mix all together. Divide into equal halves. Put flour on counter and rolling pin. Roll dough into a 10 inch circle. Fold in half and then in half again. Put in greased pie pan and unfold. Trim off excess from sides and fluke edges. Poke holes bottom and sides of pie crust. Place foil around edges (three 1 inch width pieces to go all around). Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes or until crust is barely golden brown.