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Veggie Pizza Puffs

Garden Pizza Puffs

July 25, 2011 ·

Veggie Pizza Puffs

We eat a lot of muffins in this house.  We also eat a lot of pizza.  So when I stumbled upon a recipe for pizza made in a mini-muffin tin, it was like two worlds colliding into something brilliant!

Garden Pizza Puffs
Garden Pizza Puffs are cheesy, delicious and very easy to make. With only about 35 calories per puff, they are a fun and healthy option to satisfy your pizza cravings.

The original recipe is made with pepperoni, which would be pretty good.  I thought it would be even better with made vegetables and herbs.  The recipe written below reflects the vegetables that I used, though you can experiment with the same amounts of whatever meats and/or vegetables you like.  I have also used whole wheat and all-purpose flours, and either one works great.  The beauty of this recipe is the ability to customize everything to suit your preferences.

Vegetable Pizza Puffs

Served with a side of pizza sauce for dipping or with a dollop of sauce on each puff, these would make for a super cute appetizer at your next dinner party.  Mike and I had 10 puffs each and called it dinner.  These puffs would also be a tasty treat for kids.

Given the unlimited possibilities, I look forward to doing lots of experimenting with this recipe.  In the meantime, we will just have to continue to test several variations of pizza puffs.  Oh the sacrifices we make! 🙂

Garden Pizza Puffs
 
Print
Yields: Yields 24 puffs (see note)
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup skim milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • ½ cup roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
  • pizza sauce, for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Whisk in the milk and egg. Fold in the cheese, garlic, onion, roasted red pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper (if using). Let stand for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir the batter and divide evenly among the mini-muffin cups (fill to about ½ to ⅔ full).
  4. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 mintutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan serve with pizza sauce.
Notes
Yields 12 puffs in a regular-sized muffin pan - adjust baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Filed Under: appetizers, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Kiddie Cheese Square

July 19, 2011 ·
All right folks, here is a tasty treat for your little ones. Now Adam is not a picky eater per se, but he will not eat plain cottage cheese, and he will not eat plain eggs (no matter how much cheese is added).  Put the 2 together, along with some flour and shredded cheese and voila! Kiddie Cheese Square is delicious, protein-packed, and one of Adam’s favorite lunches!


Making Kiddie Cheese Square could not be any easier – just mix everything together and bake. I typically cut the square in quarters and then wrap each quarter in cling wrap to store (and refrigerate after a couple days).  I have also stored cheese square in the pan, but fridge space is a premium in our house, so storing them as quarters is easier. Do what works best for you.


To serve, I cut 1-2 strips from the square and heat in the microwave for about 5 seconds (enough to heat and soften the square).  I then cut the strips into bite-sized pieces for Adam. At 16 months, he averages about 4 strips per sitting, and at 12 months, he ate 1-2 strips.

I think cheese square tastes like a cheesy pie crust.  Others have remarked it is like kiddie pizza without the sauce.  Regardless of what we think, Adam just thinks it’s great!  Who would have thought that 4 simple ingredients mixed together could turn into something so tasty! 

Kiddie Cheese Square
Yields one 9 x 9 square, serving size varies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (see note)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 ounces cheese, shredded (any cheese, such as cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella)
1 cup cottage cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cheese, egg and cottage cheese.  Add flour and mix until combined.  Be careful not to over mix. (Note: mixture will be stiff to stir, yet sticky to the touch).  
  3. Pour mixture in baking pan.  Using waxed paper, press mixture to spread out and fill the pan.  
  4. Bake for about 35-40  minutes, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.   Be careful not to over bake.  Cool and cut into squares. 

Note:  I have tried using whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, and this definitely works best with all-purpose flour.  Whole wheat flours made the square too dense for Adam to “chew” but might work for a child with molars. 

Adapted from The Everything Cooking for Baby and Toddler Book

Filed Under: Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , ,

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

June 10, 2011 ·

It is not very often that a new recipe immediately leaps way to the top of the list.  But when I saw a tasty recipe in Experience Life magazine, I think my heart skipped a beat with excitement.  I got that ‘I just found a recipe that will change your life’ feeling.  Cheese, black beans, green onions, garlic and spices, all nestled in a tasty little jalapeno?  Seriously?  Time to fire up the grill!

In fact, I was tempted to simply grab a spoon and eat the filling straight from the bowl.

I resisted and instead stuffed these beautiful jalapenos.  The result is a delightful, healthy twist on a jalapeno popper.

This heavenly dish makes for a perfect appetizer at any summer gathering, yet is easy enough to whip together for a light weeknight dinner.  Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Yields 8 (appetizer) or 4 (dinner) servings

16 jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
4 green onions, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the peppers.
  2. Make a lengthwise slit down each pepper, leaving the stem intact; carefully remove ribs and seeds.  (Tip: a quick rinse helps remove the seeds from the inside, lessening the heat)
  3. Distribute filling evenly among peppers (about 1 tablespoon per pepper).
  4. Heat grill to medium heat.  Place stuffed peppers on a sheet of foil on the grill.  Cover and cook until cheese mixture has melted and peppers are softened, about 10-15 minutes.

Adapted from Experience Life

Filed Under: appetizers, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cheese Enchilada Casserole

June 1, 2011 ·
lighter vegetarian cheese enchilada casserole

Truth be told, after the birth of our son, my husband (Mike) and I fell into what some might affectionately call a “dinner rut.”  Our dinners were something quick and easy for Mike to whip together while I took care of putting the baby to bed.  And the rotation went something like this: pizza (frozen), pasta (fresh ravioli), Pei Wei (sesame chicken!), and eggs (which later morphed into “p’eggs”).  We were tired.  We were hungry.  Sometimes we had pizza 2 nights in a row.  After many many months we were ready for a change.  The baby was older and bedtime a bit more predictable.  It was time to dig into my recipe archives, and the revival of Cheese Enchilada Casserole was born.

Cheese Enchilada Casserole is an easy weeknight meal that’s full of flavor and is healthy too.  With some advance prep work it can easily be assembled and on the table in around 30 minutes.  There are countless variations that can evolve from this basic recipe – add chicken or black beans, vary the cheese or tomatoes or sauce.  Yet it’s just as tasty prepared in the version written below.

Cheese Enchilada Casserole
 
Print
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (8 oz) fat free cottage cheese
  • 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 cup taco sauce
  • ¼ cup (1 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 9 6" corn tortillas
  • Cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Mix first 6 ingredients, through chili powder, in bowl. [This step can be done in advance]
  3. Place 3 corn tortillas in baking dish. Top tortillas with ½ of cheese mixture. Repeat. Top final layer with 3 corn tortillas.
  4. Pour taco sauce over tortillas and top with ¼ cup cheddar cheese.
  5. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Slice into 4 pieces and serve.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , ,

Onion Cheese Quesadilla

May 31, 2011 ·

I discovered this quesadilla recipe while searching for meal ideas for my son, and when I showed it to my husband he said “Yes, please.”  It instantly went on the menu for the week and we’re both very glad it did.

Why have I never made quesadillas before?  Are they difficult?  No.  Time consuming?  Not in the least.  Intimidating?  Maybe a little bit with the whole flipping thing.  Really, these could not be any easier and are so quick to put together. 

There are endless possibilities of fillings, but this time I wanted to keep it simple and stick close to the original recipe.  While my husband and I were eating these wedges of cheesy and onion-y goodness, I could definitely foresee more quesadillas in our future. 

Onion Cheese Quesadilla
Adapted slightly from Weelicious

4 whole wheat tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
cooking spray

  1. Saute red onion in pan sprayed with cooking spray until soft and translucent.  Place in bowl and set aside.
  2. Using another pan (I used nonstick), place tortilla in dry pan over medium heat. Place 3/4 cup cheese and 1/2 the onion on the tortilla and top with another tortilla.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until cheese is melted and tortilla is toasted. 
  3. Repeat with remaining ingredients for second quesadilla.
  4. Slice into wedges and serve with salsa, sour cream, guacamole or any of your favorite fixings.

Serves 2 to 4

Thank you for visiting Alida’s Kitchen!

Filed Under: Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , ,

Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

May 26, 2011 ·

Welcome to Alida’s Kitchen!  For my inaugural post, I am sharing with you a tasty crustless quiche recipe made with a few simple ingredients.  It is so easy to put together!  The cheddar cheese really adds a nice flavor to this egg dish, and broccoli adds great texture.  My husband and I enjoyed this quiche for dinner with a side salad (and leftovers made for great lunches the next day!), although it would be excellent for a brunch or anytime really. 
 

Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Adapted from Everyday Food

10 oz. frozen broccoli florets
6 large eggs
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Ground pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) cheddar cheese
Cooking spray

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 inch pie dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
  2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.  Add broccoli; cook 1 minute.  Drain well; transfer to a cutting board and blot dry with paper towels.  Chop coarsely.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half and nutmeg.  Add ground pepper to taste.  Stir in broccoli and cheese.
  4. Pour broccoli mixture into pie plate and bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Yields 4 servings

Thank you for visiting Alida’s Kitchen.  Have a happy day!

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , ,