Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my little eye some...

fabulous farmhouse finds!

Clockwise, starting top left:
Vintage Milk Jug
Floating Wall Shelves 
Pedestal Cake Stand
Stonewashed Linen Curtains
Personalized Dish Towel

Wishing you a dreamy weekend!

BBQ Chicken Pizza...

A couple of years ago a favorite food establishment in our hometown closed down. I cried a lot during that time because their BBQ Chicken Pizza had become a stand-alone food group for my husband and me. We loved it. Since that time we've tried many different BBQ Chicken Pizzas in Colorado and even a few in Massachusetts where we live now, but none came close to our favorite.

The other day I decided to try my hand at making a BBQ Chicken Pizza knock-off to the Schlotzsky's version we loved so much. I knocked it out of the park. Seriously. I've never gotten so close to copying a recipe, so I was thrilled. Since I made it I realized that on the Schlotzky's website they basically give you the recipe by listing all the ingredients. Check this out! I'm proud of myself for remembering all those ingredients on my own, but then again I'd eaten it about a billion times so it was clear in my memory and taste buds.

Here's my version. It's so easy to make. I even bought a ready made pizza crust, but I would suggest you buy one with a little added flavor like I did. Also, the jalapeno peppers I suggest give it just the right amount of kick, but it's manageable. These "tamed jalapeno peppers" are a cross between a jalapeno pepper and green pepper. They are the perfect thing when you want the texture and taste of a jalapeno, without the knock-your-socks-off spiciness.  For those who like more heat, add fresh jalapenos. I'm suggesting brands so you know what I used to get the flavor that we loved.

BBQ Chicken Pizza with Jalapenos

12 inch pizza

 Ingredients:
12" Rustic Pizza Crust, Old World Flatbread, Sea Salt and Basil Ciabatta
2 chicken breasts
1/2 red onion
Prego Pizza Sauce
Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet 'n Spicy BBQ Sauce
3 oz. mozzarella cheese
6 oz. cheddar cheese (medium sharpness)
Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Tamed Jalapeno Peppers
Optional:
Bacon
Black olives

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slice chicken against the grain of the meat to make thin slices. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Cut red onion into thin slices. Add a little oil to a frying pan and cook chicken. A couple of minutes before the chicken is cooked add the red onions and cook all till done. Remove from heat.

Spread a  thin layer of Prego pizza sauce on the pizza crust. Place the cooked chicken and onions on the crust. Add cheeses -- a thin layer of mozzarella, followed by a slightly thicker layer of the cheddar. Add jalapenos on top of cheese. (This enables people to pick them off if they don't care for jalapenos. Even if they don't like to eat them, the jalapenos leave a little flavor when removed!)

Put BBQ sauce into a squeeze container like this one...

Drizzle BBQ sauce over the pizza in thin lines. The container enables you to control the amount of BBQ sauce, which is important.

Reduce the heat to 425 degrees in your oven and place the pizza on the center rack.  Bake pizza for 10 - 12 minutes. 

There you have it!

Friday's Fabulous Finds...

I spy with my Etsy eye some...

silvery sage. 

Clockwise, starting top left:
Organic Swaddle
Ribbon
Hedgerow Fabric
Ariel Forest Print
Invitations

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!

Salmon Patties...

I've been in my kitchen a lot lately. The month before we moved I didn't cook much because I had to pack up my kitchen first for the move, so since we've arrived at our new home I've been taking advantage of the cute kitchen I have.

The other day I decided to change up the salmon fillets I had bought. I'd seen a picture of salmon patties somewhere and they looked yummy, so I looked up a recipe and tweaked it a bit, and this is what I came up with...

I absolutely loved this recipe. It's not a healthy as a salmon filet because of the bread crumbs and frying, but it does stretch the salmon, and it was delicious!

Suzanne's Salmon Patties

serves 4 people

Ingredients:

2 salmon fillets

2 eggs

3 green onions. diced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1 lime juiced

olive oil

Wrap salmon fillets in foil and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool. Remove the skin. Crumble salmon fillets and mix in the eggs, green onions, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and lime juice. Form the salmon mixture into four patties. Place the patties in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up the patties so they are less apt to fall apart when you fry them.

Warm skillet and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Fry salmon patties on each side till brown. Serve with a lemon wedge and some tartar sauce. I paired these patties with couscous and a green salad. Best when served immediately!

Avocado Stuffed Taco Salad for Two...

I love Taco Salad, but I haven't made it much since we've been empty nesters. The recipe I used for years makes enough for a crowd, but yesterday I tweaked a recipe I saw on Pinterest and it was perfect for two! (You'll have enough meat mixture left over to put in the freezer to use on another night.) I also like the idea of this recipe having avocado, instead of corn chips. It makes it a little healthier.

Avocado Stuffed Taco Salad

Ingredients:

Start by making this ground beef mixture:

1 pound ground beef
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 ounces tomato sauce

Add the ground beef to a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until browned. Drain grease and add all the seasonings and the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook for about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Other ingredients needed:

mixed greens
avocados cut in half
tomatoes
cilantro

green onions

shredded cheddar cheese

salad dressing

sour cream (optional)
black beans (optional)

Assembly:

I used a mix of romaine and iceburg lettuce...

Then I added some green onions, tomatoes and cilantro...

I cut an avocado in half, peeled it, and nestled it right in the middle of those greens...

Then I topped those avocados with the yummy ground beef mixture...

A bunch more for good measure...

To that cheddar cheese, more tomatoes, and cilantro were added...

Then a little Catalina Dressing and a dollop of sour cream finished it off! Of course by then the avocado was totally buried with a ton of deliciousness, but you get the idea.

There it is.
Taco Salad for two with enough meat mixture to put in the freezer for another night!