Month: June 2021

Try these delicious home-made calzones for an easy dinner, or if you ever want an alternative to pizza! Calzones are a great way to use up any leftover pasta sauce at the back of your fridge. With the no-knead pizza dough you can easily stuff it with pepperoni, creamy ricotta and mozzarella. An egg wash ensures they are sealed and prepared for baking. Prep time: 20 minsCook time: 35 minsInactive time: 3 hrsTotal time: 3 hrs 55 minsServings: 4 to 6 servingsYield: 4 to 6 calzones Ingredients: 2 pounds prepared pizza dough 4-6 tablespoons marinara sauce, plus more for dipping 8 ounces ricotta cheese 4 ounces pepperoni, sliced 8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano For the egg wash: 1 large egg wash 1 tablespoon water Directions: Preheat the oven to 375°F Divide the dough: Using the prepared pizza dough, split the dough into 4 evenly sized balls for large calzones or 6 for smaller ones. Work with one dough ball at a time and keep the remaining dough balls covered so they don’t dry out. Roll out the dough: Transfer dough ball to a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin roll it out until you have a circle that is 6-8 inches in diameter, again depending on size you are looking for. If you are making four larger calzones, I would shoot for around 8 inches in diameter. If making the smaller version go for 6-inches.Roll out all the dough balls, so you can have an assembly line when it comes to time to fill the calzones. In the end you should have what looks like 4 to 6 mini pizza crusts waiting to be filled. Fill the calzones: Leave a 1/2-inch boarder around the edge the dough so you can seal it later. Add about a tablespoon of marinara sauce on one half of the dough circle. Top the sauce with about two tablespoons of ricotta and spread it out over half of the dough, remembering to leave the boarder. Repeat with all remaining dough circles. Divide the diced pepperoni, mozzarella, and fresh oregano evenly among the calzones. Seal the calzones: Once you have added the filling, dip your finger in some water and run it lightly around the edge of the calzone. Then take the unfilled side of the dough and fold it over the filling. Pinch the edges closed. Create steam vents: Use a serrated knife to cut three slits in the top of each calzone to allow for steam to escape as it bakes. Brush with egg wash: Once your calzones are sealed, make the egg wash. Add the egg and 1 tablespoon of water in small bowl and beat with a fork until combined. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash over the top of the calzones.Bake the calzones: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the calzones in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the calzones are a deep golden brown all around. To Serve: Serve the calzones while warm with extra marinara for dipping. Source: Simply Recipes

Bake your own donuts with the help of your air fryer. Try this delicious strawberry cream cheese recipe for tonight’s dessert. You can have these ready quickly without any complicated baking or dough prep. Make these with your family for a fun night in. Ingredients: Pillsbury Biscuits Strawberry Cream Cheese Cream Cheese Frosting Non-stick cooking spray Directions: Use a bottle cap to cut out donut holes into Pillsbury biscuits Spray air fryer pan with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes Cut donuts in half and fill with strawberry cream cheese Frost with cream cheese frosting

Make these for your next breakfast. Chilaquiles are corn tortilla pieces that are fried, cooked in salsa, and sprinkled with cheese. You can serve these along with eggs and a side of beans. There are two ways to prepare these chilaquiles, with red chile sauce or salsa verde. Top the chilaquiles, cilantro and red onion. Cook time: 15 minsTotal time: 15 minsServings: 4 servings Ingredients: 12 corn tortillas, preferably stale, or left out overnight to dry out a bit, quartered or cut into 6 wedges Corn oil Salt 1 1/2 to 2 cups red chile sauce or salsa verde, store-bought or homemade (see end of recipe for homemade versions) A few sprigs of epazote, optional Garnishes Cotija cheese or queso fresco Crema Mexicana or creme fraiche Cilantro, chopped 1 red onion, chopped Avocado, sliced or roughly chopped Directions: Fry the tortillas: In a large sauté pan, coat pan generously with corn oil, (1/8 inch), heat on medium high to high. When the oil is quite hot, add the tortillas, fry until golden brown.Remove tortillas to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Sprinkle a little salt on the tortillas.Wipe pan clean of any browned bits of tortillas. Heat the salsa: Add 2 tablespoons of oil to pan, bring to high heat again. Add the salsa and let salsa cook for several minutes. If you have a few sprigs of epazote, add them to the salsa. Add fried tortillas to the salsa: Add the fried tortilla quarters to the salsa. Gently turn over the pieces of tortilla until they are all well coated with salsa. Let cook for a few minutes more.Remove from heat. Serve chilaquiles with garnishes and fried eggs and beans or nopalitos. Red chile sauce: Take 4 dried ancho chiles, remove seeds, stems, and veins. Heat chiles lightly on a skillet on medium heat to draw out their flavor. Put chilies in a saucepan, pour boiling hot water over to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes. Add chiles, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 1/2 cups of chile soaking liquid to a blender. Hold down lid of blender tightly while blending, blend until completely puréed. Strain through a mesh sieve into a frying pan to make the chilaquiles. Salsa verde: Put 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, into a saucepan, cover with water by an inch. Add 1 jalapeno, stems and seeds removed. Add 2 cloves garlic. Bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes until tomatillos have changed color and are cooked through. Use slotted spoon to remove tomatillos, jalapeno and garlic to a blender. Add a cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until completely puréed. Add salt to taste. Source: Simply Recipes

You can enjoy chocolate covered pretzels year long with this recipe. These are the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Making chocolate covered pretzels is a fun activity the whole family can enjoy, rather than purchasing them from the store. You can use any pretzel shape you’d like, but the mini twists are a great option. Dress them up with drizzled chocolate or even candy sprinkles and cookout flakes. Prep time: 15 minsCook time: 5 minsChill: 60 minsTotal time: 80 minsServings: 72 pretzels Ingredients: 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 12 ounces white chocolate chips (see headnote above) 4 ounces (72 individual) mini pretzel twists Directions: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or onto a silicone baking sheet Melt the semi-sweet chocolate: Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds at 50% power.Stir the chips. Microwave for 30 seconds at 100% power. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.If the chocolate still has lumps, microwave in 15-second intervals at 100% power, stirring between each interval until smooth. Dip half the pretzels in semi-sweet chocolate: Place a mini pretzel in the semi-sweet chocolate and push it below the surface with a fork to coat. Remove the excess chocolate: Use a fork to remove the pretzel from the chocolate. Then tap it gently against the sides of the bowl until most of the chocolate has dripped off.Wipe the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate then slide the pretzel onto the lined baking sheet (use a second fork if needed). Repeat until you have coated half the pretzels. You should still have a little melted chocolate left.Repeat with the white chocolate: Repeat the process for melting the chocolate using the white chocolate chips in a clean bowl. Repeat the coating process with the remaining pretzels in the white chocolate. Drizzle the pretzels using the remaining chocolate: Dip a fork in the remaining semi-sweet chocolate and drizzle it over the white chocolate-coated pretzels; repeat with the remaining white chocolate.If you want more control over the drizzle, scoop the chocolate into a quart size freezer re-sealable bag. Snip a very small corner of the bag (1/16-inch) to make a tiny hole. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate in a more controlled manner. Refrigerate all the pretzels until the chocolate is hard: Then remove from the pan and store in an air-tight container in the fridge. The pretzels will keep for 7 to 10 days. Source: Simply Recipes

Wontons with a strawberry twist. Try out this delicious recipe for tonight’s appetizer. You can have these ready in just 10 minutes with little to no mess thanks to your air fryer. The strawberry cream cheese really makes a statement in these wontons. Ingredients: Wonton Wrappers 1 tbsp. Strawberry Cream Cheese Water Non-stick cooking spray Directions: Add strawberry cream cheese to center of wonton wrapper Wet edges with water and fold closed Spray air fryer pan with cooking spray and load wontons Cook at 300 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes

Preparing a classic Philly cheesesteak can be a daunting task. After all, so many people are opinionated on the correct way to make one! It ultimately consists of thinly shaved steak, cheese, and caramelized onions. This recipe will transport you right to Philadelphia! Feel free to experiment and substitute as desired. Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 20 minsTotal time: 30 minsServings: 2 servings Ingredients: 10-12 ounces ribeye steak 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/2 sweet onion, sliced 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced 2 ounces (3 slices) provolone cheese 2 hoagie rolls, toasted 1/4 cup Cheez Whiz, warmed Fresh thyme, for garnish, optional Directions: Freeze and slice the steak: Place steak in the freezer on a sheet pan for about 10 minutes so it gets very cold but not frozen through.Trim off any large pieces of fat normally around the edges of the steak, but some veins of fat in the middle of the steak are good. Slice the steak as thin as possible with a sharp knife. You won’t be able to get it paper thin without a meat slicer, but think of thick deli cut meat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook the onions and peppers: In a large skillet set over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with sliced onions and peppers. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers have softened and start to caramelize around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Don’t rush them! Cook the steak: Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced steak. Spread out the steak in the skillet in a thin even layer so it covers as much surface area as possible. Cook for a minute or two and then stir to finish cooking the steak. It might need another minute or two, but it will cook very quickly. Finishing the cheesesteak: Turn heat down to low on the steak and add the peppers and onions to the steak mixture and stir to combine. Add the provolone slices to the top of the steak mixture and let the cheese melt. Stir to combine, once the cheese has melted. Assemble the cheesesteaks and serve: Evenly scoop the cheesesteak mixture into the toasted hoagie rolls. The hoagie rolls should be packed! Optionally, drizzle the cheesesteaks with warm Cheez Whiz for maximum cheesiness. Sprinkle fresh thyme over top and serve. Source: Simply Recipes

S’mores but with a twist! You can never go wrong with more. Prepare this delicious double decker s’more right in your air fryer! You can have these ready in no time for a weekend night in! Ingredients: Graham crackers Chocolate Marshmallows Directions: Place 2 Graham crackers in air fryer pan and layer chocolate and marshmallows Air fry at 300 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes Add another graham cracker on top and stack the two Enjoy!

Take a new approach to brunch with this easy and versatile Italian egg dish. The frittata is left simple and allows each ingredient to shine. Highlight the spinach with sweet shallots, sharp cheddar and nutty parmesan. You can serve it at any temperature any time of the day. If you’re serving it for brunch, pair it with a fruit salad and focaccia. Learn how to prepare this dish below. Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 27 minutes to 30 minutesYield: Serves 4 to 6 Ingredients: 1 medium shallot 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese 8 large eggs 1/3 cup whole or 2% milk 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 packed cups) Equipment: Box grater Chef’s knife and cutting board Large mixing bowl Whisk 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet Rubber spatula or wooden spoon Directions: Preheat the oven. Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the shallot and cheeses. Dice 1 medium shallot. Grate 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 3/4 cup). Finely grate 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese on the small holes of a box grater (about 1/4 packed cup). Whisk the eggs and dairy together. Place 8 large eggs in a large bowl and whisk until blended. Add 1/3 cup whole or 2% milk, cheddar cheese, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk to combine. Sauté the shallot and spinach. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 5 ounces baby spinach a handful at a time, and sauté until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Pour in the egg mixture. Spread the vegetables into an even layer, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Tilt the pan to make sure the eggs settle evenly over all the vegetables. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cook undisturbed until the eggs at the edges of the pan begin to set, about 2 minutes. Bake the frittata. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set, 18 to 20 minutes. To check, cut a small slit in the center of the frittata. If raw eggs run into the cut, bake for another minute or two. If not, then the eggs are set. Broil the frittata. Heat the broiler to HIGH. Broil until the top of the frittata is lightly golden-brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Source: the Kitchn