Dani Wednesdays: Skillet Mini Pizzas

Hey guys and gals, I just wanted to pop in and apologize for not being around much. It's been a crazy couple of days. The hubby got a new job, I've been transitioning into his new schedule, and everything else. I'll be back tomorrow though, I promise! I'm going to pass you all to Dani now. Enjoy!

- Mandie xx

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Skillet Mini Pizza

Hello,  out there. I do not know where you live, but here in California we are still having hot weather. The son wanted pizza last week. Of course,  it was one of our hottest days so turning on the oven was out of the question. This recipe uses a skillet with lid to trap the heat and melt the cheese. Fun way to make pizzas and have each member of the family create their own. 

Ingredients:

• Flatbread or thick tortillas - 1 for each person ( I used flatbread from Trader Joe's)
• 2 tbsp Pasta sauce per pizza (I make my own, but store bought is fine)
• 1/4 c mozzarella
• Your favorite toppings (I used spinach, mushrooms and goat cheese)

1. Heat your skillet on medium High

2. Brown one side of your flatbread, then transfer to a plate with cooked side up

3. Reduce heat to Medium low

4. Make pizza by placing 2 tbsp on sauce on and spreading it all over. (You can use more or less depending on your liking.)

5. Add toppings, saving mozzarella for last. (The cheese serves as a indicator of the pizza being done. When the cheese has fully melted, the spinach is cooked) 

6. Place pizza back into pan (hopefully, you remembered to decorate the cooked side. Since is takes a while for the cheese to melt, it is best to keep the other side uncooked until now to keep it from burning)

7. Cover with lib and cook until cheese is fully melted.

8. Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 - 10 mins so cheese can set and your pizza will hold together better.

9. Enjoy!

The best part about this recipe is the crunchy "crust". Ours were nice and browned with a wonderful crispness. No need for a knife and folk, just use your hands! Until next time ...

Fried Calamari

Hey foodies and friends! Welcome to The Tasteful Texan! I'm back from my usual weekend retreat, and I come bearing a wonderful Italian recipe. Please note that this dish is a seafood dish, so if you have a seafood allergy feel free to check out any of our other recipes.

Now, calamari is in fact squid. I can hear it now: "Eww! Squid? Why would anyone eats that? That's gross!" It's actually delicious when seasoned, battered, and fried. On that note, Japan is the leader in consuming squid, so let's take note from them and try it.

I'm about to head into the kitchen, but I invite you all to join me. I hope to see you all there!

Fried Calamari

Makes 4 Servings

You will need:

• Peanut oil
• 2 pounds fresh squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
• 1 cup self rising flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Ready?

1. In a deep stock pot, add the oil to come 4-inches up the side. 
2. Heat the oil to 375 degrees. 
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper together. 
4. Toss in the calamari, covering well with the flour mixture. 
5. Drop the calamari into the hot oil in small batches, cooking for approximately 1 minute until golden brown. 
6. Drain on paper towels and serve with your favorite dipping sauces.
7. Enjoy!

See? That wasn't totally horrible! Now, I urge you, friends, to take a bite and see just how delightfully yummy this is. I know this probably won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for others, it will be the highlight of their tastebuds. I'll leave you all with this and I'll be back tomorrow. Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Breakfast Saturday: Breakfast Bowls

Welcome foodies, friends, and bloggers! If this is your first time joining us, you came on a great day. We are whipping up breakfast bowls. We've all seen the frozen breakfast bowls in the supermarket, or we've even ordered them from a fast food joint like Jack in the Box. Today, we are making our own.

These awesome breakfast bowls are freezable, and can just be taken out whenever you feel like if they aren't gobbled down immediately. In my house, there would be no time for freezing... Breakfast any time of the day gets eaten really fast here.

Well, I'm off to the kitchen. I invite you and your family to join me. I hope to see you all there!

Breakfast Bowls

Serves 6 

You will need:

• 3 lbs. russet potatoes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 9 large eggs 
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1.5 cups salsa
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Ready?

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Wash and cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes. 
3. Place the potato cubes in a large bowl and add the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and seasoning.
4. Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a light spritz of non-stick spray. 
5. Spread the potatoes out over the baking sheet so they are in a single layer. 
6. If they don’t fit, prepare a second baking sheet and divide the potatoes between the two. 
7. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender and golden brown. 
8. Stir the potatoes once, about half way through.
9. When the potatoes are close to being finished, crack the eggs into a large bowl and gently whisk them. 
10. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. 
11. When the butter is melted, pour in the eggs. 
12. Gently move the eggs around the skillet until they are mostly solid, but still moist in appearance. 
13. Be careful not to over cook the eggs at this point because they will cook further upon reheating the breakfast bowls.
14. To prepare the bowls, divide the roasted potatoes between six freezer safe containers. 
15. Add ¼ cup of salsa to each container. 
16. Divide the scrambled eggs among the six containers and then top with about ¼ cup of shredded cheese.
17. Enjoy!

Okay gals and guys, I hope everything is back to normal next week. It's been a wild and crazy week for us here at The Tasteful Texan. Stay tuned and we hope to see our awesome Dani next week as well. Enjoy your weekend and your breakfasts, and I will catch you all on the flip side. Happy blogging to all!

Baked Chili Cheese Dogs

Hey foodies and friends! Tonight I spent a long time chatting with my mom and baby sister. That means that I have less time to dedicate towards dinner, but I'm okay with that. It's not often that I chat for 2.5 hours, but it's worth it because my sister is turning 16. Yes, sweet 16! Oh how the years fly by...

She was actually the inspiration for tonight's recipe. I've had plenty of years with children, babysitting, and what not. One thing I've learned over the years is that kids LOVE hot dogs. Kids LOVE chili dogs. Normally I would stand over the hot stove, boil the hot dogs, heat up some chili on the stovetop as well, and throw everything together. I don't want to stand over a hot stove tonight! We're going to go an easier route instead.

We'll assemble the dogs in a pan, and let them do their thing while we anxiously wait. It won't take any more than maybe 20 minutes to make this meal. Let's gather all our necessary cooking utensils (pan, foil, plates, and food) and meet back in the kitchen? I'll see you there!

Baked Chili Cheese Dogs

Makes 8 Chili Dogs

You will need:

• 8 hots dogs
• 8 hot dog buns
• diced onions
• 1 can chili
• 2 cups shredded cheese

Ready?

1. Assemble hot dogs in buns and place in a 13x9 baking dish. 
2. Spoon chili and dices onions evenly over hot dogs then top with cheese.
3. Cover dish with aluminum foil (tenting if necessary to keep the foil from touching the hot dogs) and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted. 
4. Uncover and enjoy!

Okay ladies and gents, I'll be back soon. Enjoy these easy chili dogs! Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Cool Drinks For a Hot Day

Hey foodies and friends! Today, I decided to step away from actual food recipes in order to whip up some chilly drinks for a hot Summer's day. As you all know, I live in Texas. It's like, the hottest state EVER. Even during Winter, it's still like, 70 degrees. Haha, okay, maybe not THAT hot, but still...

Anyway, today we have a drink that'll please any coffee lover, as well as a kid-approved gummy shark drink that would be a hit at birthday parties or social gatherings. These drinks are relatively simple, so let's strap on those silly aprons, grab those glasses, and let's meet in the kitchen. I'll see you there!

Nutella Blended Ice Coffee

Makes 1 cup 

You will need:

• 1 cup milk (soy, rice, whole, etc)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 teaspoons instant coffee
• 4 teaspoons Nutella
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup ice
• garnish: whipped cream, chocolate syrup, cocoa powder

1. Add all ingredients in the blender, except the garnishes.  
2. Blend until smooth.  
3. Finish by swirling a little chocolate syrup in your cup. 
4. Pour in your drink, top with whipped cream, and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.
5. Enjoy!

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Blue Raspberry Punch Shark Glaciers

For the Glaciers, you will need:

• Small cup containers 
• Water or blue drink of choice (such as Gatorade, etc.)
• Gummy Sharks 

For the Punch, you will need:

• 1 package blue, berry flavored unsweetened drink mix, like Kool-aid
• 1 bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage (2 liter)
• 1 bottle white cranberry juice (64 fluid ounce)
• 1 cup white sugar or to taste

1. For the small mini glaciers, place one gummy shark in each container, then fill them nearly to the top with water or your favorite blue drink. 
2. Let little pieces of the shark peek over the edge.  
3. For the larger container(s) use several gummy sharks.
4. Place containers in freezer.
5. Meanwhile, in a large punch bowl, stir together the drink mix, lemon-lime soda and white cranberry juice. 
6. Taste, and stir in sugar to your liking. 
7. Once the glaciers are frozen solid, pop the glaciers out of the containers.
8. Add shark glaciers into the punch bowl, and voila!
9. Enjoy!

Okay peeps, I'll leave you with your icy drinks. I'll be back soon, but who knows with what! Stay tuned this week for Dani Wednesday as well. She always brings something tasty to the blog. I'll see you all around. Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

One Pot Italian Pasta

Hey friends and foodies! I'm back from a one day reprieve. It was much needed. I come baring an awesome one pot dinner (or lunch) recipe that's so simple, even a younger kid can make it. I wouldn't suggest that unless there's adult supervision, of course.

This recipe is called the Italian Wonderpot. It has a ton of flavor, cooks in the broth and herbs, and really stands apart from regular pasta dishes. I think the best thing about this dish is the fact that everything is in the pot and the noodles take the flavor of everything else. The starch from the noodles helps give a thickness to the sauce. Anyway, it's definitely a lazy night, so I'm going to make my way into the kitchen, toss everything into the pot, and wait for the magic to happen. I invite you all to join me! See you there!

Italian Wonderpot

Yields 6 Servings

You will need:

• 4 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 12 oz. fettuccine 
• 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach 
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes 
• 1 medium onion 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• ½ Tbsp dried basil 
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano 
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• freshly cracked pepper to taste 
• 2 oz. feta cheese 

Ready?

1. Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. 
2. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. 
3. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion (thinly sliced), garlic (thinly sliced), basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
4. Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high.
5. Allow the pot to come up to a full, rolling boil over high heat then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
6. Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. 
7. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. 
8. The pot must be boiling the entire time.
9. After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.
10. Enjoy!

See how easy that was? I say that this is definitely a recipe to be saved for a later date. I hope you all enjoy it and I'll be back again tomorrow. Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!

Breakfast Saturday: Chicken, Apple, and Sausage Burritos

Good morning friends and foodies! Welcome to our Breakfast Saturday edition of The Tasteful Texan. Today we will be making hearty breakfast burritos. Our combination of choice? Chicken, apples, sausage, and eggs. You'll get a great selection of meats, crunchy green apples, and eggs. I don't think breakfast could get any better than that.

This recipe yields roughly 3 burritos, so feel free to double or triple the recipe depending on how many people you are feeding. For me, I would have to triple it at least. There are 5 grown adults here, and trust me when I say that we can scarf down enough food for an entire army. Okay, I'm making my way into the kitchen. Grab those coffee mugs, and I'll meet you all there!

Chicken, Apple, and Sausage Burritos

Yields 3 burritos

You will need:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 chicken & apple sausage link, sliced
• 1/4 of a large, sweet red pepper, diced
• 1/2 of a Granny Smith apple, diced
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Apple Smoked Cheddar Cheese
• 3 whole wheat tortilla shells

Ready?

1. Slice chicken and apple sausage link into 1/2" slices.  
2. Dice both the pepper and half the apple.  
3. Set aside. 
4. Place the egg in a small bowl and add about a teaspoon of water and whisk with a fork until well-mixed.  
5. Also set aside.
6. Heat the oil in a 10" non-stick skillet on medium low heat.  
7. Add the diced red pepper and saute for 2 minutes or until slightly tender.
8. Push the pepper over to one side of the skillet and add the chicken slices.  
9. Brown for 1-2 minutes, then flip and brown the other side.  
10. Continue to cook until golden brown.  Be sure to keep the heat on medium low.  
11. Once the sausage is browned, stir the peppers back in and transfer mixture to a bowl.
12. Add diced apple to skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the apple begins to soften.  
13. Don't cook too long, you don't want your diced apple to become mushy! 
14. Once the apple is cooked, return the sausage and red pepper back to the skillet and push to one side.
15. Stir the egg a little before adding to the other side of the skillet.  
16. Scrape the egg around to scramble and continue to cook until it no longer looks wet.
17. After egg is completely cooked, stir all ingredients together and turn off burner.  
18. Heat tortilla shells for easier folding.
19. Add about 1/3 of the mixture to the tortilla shell and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  
20. Fold tortillas and enjoy!

Okay gals and guys. I'll be back tomorrow. Have a great weekend, and happy blogging to all!