Broccoli and Chicken Pita Pockets

Microwave your pita pockets for 10 seconds before you fill them -- that will make them pliable and less likely to crack.

Broccoli and Chicken Pita Pockets

1 tsp. Butter
1/4 cup Onion - chopped
2 cans Cream of chicken
2 tbsp. Lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 bunch Broccoli - cut bite-sized and steamed
2 Carrots - shredded
2 cups Chicken pieces
1 package Pita pockets


Sauté onions in butter till tender. Mix in soup, juice, spices, veggies, and chicken and heat through. Spoon into pita pockets.

Broccoli, Artichoke, and Mushroom Pizza

A veggie pizza with a white sauce instead of a tomato-based sauce.

Broccoli, Artichoke, and Mushroom Pizza

1 Broccoli crown -- cut in small florets
4 oz. Sliced baby portabellos
2 Canned artichoke hearts -- separated into leaves
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 Tbsp. Flour
1 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 tsp. Garlic salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Thyme
1/4 tsp. Parsley
1/2 cup Milk
2 tbsp. Parmesan
1 cup Mozzarella
1 Pizza crust

In a small skillet, sauté mushrooms in oil. Set aside. In a steamer basket, steam broccoli for 2 minutes. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Stir in spices and Parmesan. Spread sauce on pizza crust. Top with artichokes, mushrooms, broccoli, and mozzarella. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Broccoli and Squash Medley

A colorful side dish with a nice tang to it.

Broccoli and Squash Medley

1 1/2 lbs. Frozen broccoli
2 cups Butternut squash -- chopped
1/2 cup Orange juice
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup Pecans -- chopped
1 Tbsp. Grated orange peel
1 tsp. Salt

Steam broccoli; set aside. In a large skillet, cook squash in orange juice until tender. Add butter and stir until melted. Add all ingredients and toss to coat.

Broccoli and Mushroom Quesadillas

I'm a huge fan of quesadillas.  A lot of times at a restaurant, I'll get a quesadilla off the appetizer menu as my entree.  I do that a lot at IHOP and Ruby Tuesday.  The first place I ever had one was at the Perkin's near our college.  I've loved them ever since.

Broccoli and Mushroom Quesadillas

3/4  cup Onion -- chopped
8 oz. Sliced mushrooms
2 cloves Garlic -- minced
1/4  Tbsp. Parsley
1/4  tsp. Oregano
1/4  tsp. Basil
1/2  tsp. Salt
2 tbsp. Butter
4 Tortillas
2 cups Frozen broccoli -- steamed
3 cups Shredded Monterey Jack
Sour cream

Saute the onions, mushrooms, garlic, herbs and salt in the butter over medium until lightly browned. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Place 1 tortilla in pan and top with cheese to within half an inch of edge. Top with 1/4 of mushroom mix and broccoli. Heat until cheese melts. Carefully fold tortilla in half and remove from skillet. Repeat, spraying skillet between tortillas.  Serve with sour cream on the side for dipping.

Golden Mushroom Stroganoff

This is my mom's recipe -- I used to do a Dance of Joy when we had it when I was a kid.  Still one of my favorite recipes, and I'm making it for supper tonight, so wanted to share.

Golden Mushroom Stroganoff

1 lb. Steak -- cut in small pieces
1/2  cup Onion -- sliced
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 cans Golden mushroom soup
3 cups Egg noodles – cooked and buttered

In a skillet, brown steak and cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in soups. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Goat Cheese Burgers

We first had these at a steakhouse in Canada.  I was pregnant at the time, which meant I couldn't have steak cooked the way I like it, so I opted for a burger.  It was about as life-changing as a burger can get!  

Goat Cheese Burgers

Hamburger patties
Buns
Goat cheese (crumbled or sliced)
Other condiments -- I like mayo, ketchup, tomato slices, lettuce, and onions.

Make your burgers how you will.  The goat cheese makes everything feel a little dry, so you need to add more moisture in the form of extra mayo and/or ketchup.  I put mayo on the top and bottom buns, and that works fine.  Also, put the goat cheese next to the burger patty so the flavors intensify each other.  I layer them like this, from the bottom up:  bun, mayo, goat cheese, burger patty, onions, tomato, lettuce, ketchup, mayo, bun.  You want the goat cheese to hit your tongue at the same time as the meat, and slightly before if possible, so either put it on the bottom (which keeps the crumble kind of goat cheese from falling off all the time) or eat your burger upside down.

Breakfast Spaghetti

This is a recipe that is just plain fun to make.  Watching the bacon grease cook the eggs is just awesome.  Makes enough for a good number of people, like probably 6 or more, so it's perfect if you have overnight guests.

Breakfast Spaghetti

6 strips Bacon
1 clove Garlic -- minced
1 lb. Spaghetti -- cooked according to package
3 Eggs
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper

 In a medium skillet, fry the bacon with garlic until almost done. Drain half of bacon fat. Remove bacon from skillet, cool, and crumble. Keep remaining bacon fat warm. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Mix in Parmesan, salt and pepper. Return crumbled bacon to skillet and heat until quite hot. As soon as pasta is done, drain it quickly and return to pot. Mix in the egg mixture and pour hot bacon and grease over pasta. The heat from the hot grease will cook the eggs.

Tomato and Zucchini Tart

I made this for supper tonight, and we were reminded of how zestfully tasty it is, so I thought I'd quick share the recipe.  Great for summer produce!

Tomato and Zucchini Tart

1 Frozen pie crust
1 medium Zucchini -- sliced thin
1 tbsp. Oil
3 Roma Tomatoes -- sliced
1 tbsp. Basil
1/3 cup Mayo
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. Milk
1/4 tsp. Pepper

Bake pie crust according to package. Meanwhile, fry zucchini in oil until tender. In a small bowl, mix together mayo, cheese, milk, and basil. When the crust is done, fill with the zucchini and layer the tomatoes on top. Spoon mayo mix on top and spread gently (add more milk if necessary). Sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Double-Cheese Crunchburgers

Cowboy made these yesterday to celebrate our anniversary.  Yes, they're that good.  Inspired by a burger he had at a fancy burger restaurant, but perfected by Cowboy himself.

Double-Cheese Crunchburgers

Hamburger buns
Hamburger patties
2 slices American cheese per burger
Sour cream and onion ripple potato chips
Mayonnaise

Grill like normal cheeseburgers, using two slices of cheese per burger. Spread mayo on the bottoms of the hamburger buns. Top with burgers and a 1" thick layer of chips. No ketchup needed.