Pizza Rolls

Can you believe October is 3/4 of the way over?  It's like I blinked and the month just flew by!  It's the third Monday in October, and that means it's time for this month's Secret Recipe Club reveal. 

I love participating in the Secret Recipe Club.  It's fun to be introduced to a new blog that I might not have otherwise known about, and then search their blog for "that" recipe! 

This month, I was assigned to From Apples To Zucchini.  Pam has an abundance of delicious looking recipes and you can be sure you'll be seeing more recipes from her blog around here!  One thing I really loved about Pam's blog is that she focuses on recipes that are as nutritious as possible. I bookmarked several of her recipes to make before I narrowed it down to just one. 

It was difficult to choose one recipe to highlight today, but Pam's recipe for Pizza Rolls caught my attention. (Does that surprise anyone?!)  You see,  Mike loves pizza rolls.  I think he'd eat them every day if I'd let him!  However, store-bought pizza rolls are not very healthy and full of empty calories.  When I saw Pam's recipe makeover, I knew this was the perfect way to provide Mike with a healthier version of one of his favorite foods!

Mike and I both thought these were delicious.  I made ours with a blend of Italian cheeses and pepperoni.  This recipe made enough for both of us to enjoy for dinner, as well as 2 lunches for Mike to take to work!  I loved having a healthier alternative to pack for his lunch.

I should add that you're getting lucky today--not only is this a recipe for pizza rolls, but for the wonton wrappers as well!  I don't think I'll ever buy wonton wrappers from the store again!

 

Pizza Rolls (and Wonton Wrappers)

Makes 24 rolls

For the Wonton Wrappers:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup water, plus a little more

Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Whisk together egg, salt and 1/4 cup water. Pour into flour well. Mix together, adding additional water until the mixture will stay together in a ball. (Keep in mind that you do not want it to be sticky.)

Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pliable.

Let rest for 30-60 min. (The longer it sits the easier it will be to roll out)

Divide dough in half. Keep one half covered while you roll out the other one on a surface lightly coated with cornstarch (if you use flour it may toughen it up). Roll out as thin as you possibly can. (Melissa's note:  I rolled my dough out to 21 inches by 7 inches.)

Cut into 3.5 inch squares (You should be able to get approx. 12 wonton wrappers out of each half).

For the Pizza Rolls:
1/2 cup prepared pizza sauce
48 slices of pepperoni
1/2 -3/4 cup shredded reduced fat cheese
wonton wrappers (recipe above)

Place approximately a teaspoon of pizza sauce, 2 slices of pepperoni and a pinch of cheese in the center of each wrapper and fold over, sealing the edge by pressing them together with the tines of a fork.

Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and spray the tops with canola cooking spray

Bake at 400 for 12-17 minutes, or until browned.

Belgian Waffles with Spiced Apples

As you know, I love having breakfast for dinner.  It's so quick and always delicious!  This meal combines the flavors of fall with one of my favorite breakfast items--Belgian Waffles.

One of the tops things on my "want" list when we registered for wedding gifts was a Belgian Waffle maker.  I was thrilled when I received it at a shower!  Our waffle maker has been used many times.  The waffle recipe I use makes 10 waffles, so I typically make a whole batch and freeze what Mike and I don't eat.  It makes for a simple and delicious breakfast on busy mornings!

Since it's fall and I have an abundance of apples, I thought I would make some spiced apples to top our waffles.  These spiced apples tasted so similar to the ones you can get at Cracker Barrel.  My apples were sliced thinly so they would cook quickly, but you can slice yours thicker.  The flavors went so well together and I think I have a new favorite breakfast!

And...you're getting lucky today, 2 recipes in 1 post!

Belgian Waffles (*Note: the waffle batter needs to stand for an hour before being used)

Makes 10 waffles

You will need:
1-1/2 cups water
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 egg white
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups milk
8 Tablespoons margarine, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup lukewarm (105-110 degrees) water, yeast and a pinch of sugar.  Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the yeast begins to foam.

2.  Add the egg yolks, 1 egg white, and the sugar to the yeast mixture.  Stir until combined.

3.  Mix in the remaining 3/4 cup water, milk, melted margarine, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

4.  Add flour and salt to liquid mixture and stir until smooth.

5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the flour batter.

6.  Let the batter stand for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

7.  Preheat your waffle maker to the desired heat setting.  (I have a Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker and I've found setting #4 is best).

8.  Pour batter onto preheated waffle iron.  (Follow any other instructions your waffle iron might have.) 

9.  Bake waffle until done, remove from waffle iron, and repeat until all the batter is used. 

Serve with whipped cream, syrup, jam, powdered sugar, or fruit (see recipe below!)

Source:  Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker Recipe Guide

Spiced Apples

You will need:

2 cups apple cider, divided
5 apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tablespoons margarine
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon apple pie spice**

1.  Pour 1-1/2 cups of apple cider in a skillet.

2.  Add apple slices and cook until tender.

3.  Add margarine and heat until melted.

4.  Mix remaining 1/2 cup of apple cider, cornstarch, sugar, and apple pie spice in a small bowl.

5.  Pour into skillet and stir until thick.

6.  Remove from heat and serve warm.

Tastes great served over waffles or pancakes!

Source:  Add A Pinch

**If you don't have apple pie spice, you can make your own.  Just combine: 1/4 cup cinnamon, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 teaspoon allspice, and 1 teaspoon ginger.  Store what you don't use in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Carrot Cake Bread

Let's take a break from apple recipes for a day and focus on pumpkin instead!  When I saw this recipe, I was imediately intrigued.  I was surprised because I am not typically a fan of pumpkin.  However, this recipe just seemed so perfect for fall and now that it's finally feeling like fall up here in Michigan, I thought pumpkin would be perfect!

This bread is very dense--probably more dense than you would expect from a fruit bread.  The slightly sticky and dense texture reminded me of some meal replacement or protein bars I've had in the past.  I think some diced apples or chocolate chips, or maybe even cinnamon chips, would be an excellent addition to this bread!

 Pumpkin Carrot Cake Bread

Makes 1 loaf, about 10 slices

You will need:
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 15oz can pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons applesauce (I substituted applesauce for oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup mix-ins: chocolate chips, diced apples, walnuts, raisins etc.

1.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine egg, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. 

3.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined.

4.  Fold in grated carrots and any other mix-ins.

5.  Pour into a greased bread pan. 

6.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source:  Faith, Fitness, Fun

Ma's Apple Crisp

Have you ever had it that a recipe is requested and when you make the requested recipe, it's not what the person requesting it really wanted?  Apple Crisp was that recipe for Mike and I! For me, an apple crisp has oatmeal in the topping, so I made him an apple crisp the way I knew how.  He didn't want to eat it because it had oatmeal--that's not apple crisp he said!  Now I was confused--what's apple crisp without the oatmeal?  It all comes down to different families having different names for foods...in my family, we'd call this an Apple Crumble.  But whatever you call it, Crisp or Crumble, it's good!

This is my mother-in-law's recipe.  It's one of my husband's favorites.  When we were picking apples, he requested that I make him "Ma's Apple Crisp" and an apple pie.  I haven't gotten to the apple pie yet, but the apple crisp was right on top of my list of things to make!  I hope you will enjoy it as much as Mike and I do!

Ma's Apple Crisp

Serves 12 (makes 1 9x13" pan)

You will need:
1- 3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon tapioca
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
10 medium apples (I only needed 4, since my apples were HUGE!)
1/2 cup margarine
2 cups Bisquick

1.  Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 9x13" pan.

2.  Peel apples and cut into thin slices.

3.  In the greased 9x13 pan, combine apple slices, 3/4 cup sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of your apples), tapioca, and cinnamon.

4.  In a medium bowl, combine margarine, 1 cup sugar, and Bisquick.  It will be really crumbly--don't worry, it's supposed to be that way!

5.  Sprinkle Bisquick mixture over apple slices.

6.  Bake for 30 minutes, until topping is golden brown.

Applesauce

Mike and I went apple picking with some friends for the first time this fall.  We came home with nearly 20 pounds of apples and plenty of ideas for how to use them!  We picked Pioneer McIntosh apples to make into applesauce.  This is a slightly firmer apple than a regular McIntosh, and it was recommended for applesauce. 

I prefer my applesauce to be a little bit chunky, while Mike prefers his to be completely smooth.  You can easily modify this recipe to meet your preference, just puree the cooked apples in a food processor after cooking to make them smooth. 

This is the easiest recipe ever--seriously, just 1 ingredient!  Can it get any more simple?  Please note that I just shared the number of apples I used to give you an idea of how much applesauce it made.  I really don't even consider this a recipe as you can use any amount of apples to make yours.  Yesterday, I used 40 small McIntosh apples, and it made 22 cups of applesauce.   This recipe is just meant as a guide!

The apples we picked were huge!

Applesauce

Makes 2 quarts

15 large apples (I used Pioneer McIntosh, you can use any combination of baking apples)

1.  Peel and core apples. 

2.  Cut into bite size pieces and place into a large saucepan.

15 apples filled up my saucepan

3.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples are soft.

The apples cook down quite a bit though

4.  Using a potato masher, mash apples down to your desired chunkiness.  (If you prefer a smooth applesauce, let apples cool and then puree in a food processor or blender.)

5.  Allow applesauce to cool before placing in storage containers.  I used an old glass applesauce jar to store my applesauce in the fridge and then I put the rest into freezer containers.  Applesauce keeps well in the freezer up to a year, just thaw in the fridge before serving.

Churros

When I was in high school, every fall our youth group would go on a mission trip to Chicago.  One of our traditions was to visit a Mexican store so we could enjoy foods we typically couldn't get up here. One of the foods I fell in love with is churros.  If you've never enjoyed a churro before, you're certainly missing out! 

A churro is basically a crispy fried donut, sprinkled with sugar.  Some people dip theirs in a thick hot chocolate, while others fill their churros with chocolate, caramel, or fruit fillings.  Me? I prefer to leave them plain and enjoy them in their fried deliciousness.

This is one of the recipes I made for our Fiesta party.  They were a huge hit!  In fact, I contributed the recipe to a recipe box for one of my friends who is getting married in May.  Give them a try--I know you'll love them too!

As a side note--I'm working on making my blog more user-friendly...in the next few weeks look for an easier to navigate label area, better recipe categories, and a whole new blog look!  If anything isn't working, or you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Churros

Makes 25

You will need:

1 cup water

2-1/2 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 cup flour

Canola oil for frying

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1.  In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and 2 T. oil.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

2.  Stir in flour until the mixture forms a ball.

3.  Remove dough from pan and allow it to cool so you can comfortably handle it.

4.  Heat oil for frying in a deep fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees.

5.  Roll dough into 2 inch strips about 1/2 inch thick.  Fry until golden brown, mine took about 4-5 minutes.*

6.  Set on paper towels to drain. 

7.  Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Roll drained churros in cinnamon sugar mixture.

*I worked in batches for steps 5-7.  While a batch of churros was frying, I would roll the previously fried batch in the cinnamon sugar mixture.  I find that it sticks better when the churros are still warm.

Chocolate Banana Bites

These delicious and healthy-ish treats just couldn't be easier! Did you know that when you freeze bananas they take on a creamy texture? It's quite similar to ice-cream...In fact, one treat I enjoy is to freeze a banana and then put it in my blender to make a tasty soft-serve style treat! These treats also have that creamy texture, but with a crunch coating of chocolate and peanuts on the outside. They are a delicious bite-sized snack that satisfies my chocolate cravings while eating some fruit!

Chocolate Banana Bites

Makes 8 bites (recipe can easily be multiplied to create more!)

You will need:
1 banana
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (you could also try dark chocolate for added health benefits)
1 Tablespoon peanuts, chopped

1.  Peel banana and cut into 8 pieces (more or less depending on the size of your banana).

2.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and freeze until frozen through, about 1 hour.

3.  Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl in your microwave.  It took me about 1-1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

4.  Dip banana pieces into melted chocolate.  Place on wax paper.

5.  Sprinkle chocolate coated bites with chopped peanuts.

6.  Return to freezer until chocolate is set.  Store in an airtight container.