Meat & Potatoes - Man Style

Who puts potatoes on a pizza? ... This girl! 

My husband, Jon, would probably eat anything that included bacon or potato.  If your man is anything like my husband, I suggest giving this recipe a try.

If you've ever ordered from Toppers Pizza, then maybe you have seen a Potato Pizza on their menu.  The concept of putting potatoes on a pizza does seem strange at first.  After the first bite of my recipe... you will completely change your mind. 

Get ready to send your man's taste buds on a trip.  Guaranteed to please the male tummy!

Prep time:  15 to 20 minutes
Cook time:  10 to 12 minutes

Mara's Bacon & Potato Pizza
- 1 roll of store bought pizza dough (I used thin crust)
- 8 slices of bacon, diced (Healthy Option: Use turkey bacon)
- 2 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- 1/2 a medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 TBSP of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1/2 TBSP of dried Rosemary
- 1/2 TBSP of dried Parsley
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup of Colby Jack or Cheddar Cheese, shredded (Healthy Option: reduced fat cheese)
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: Sour cream or BBQ for a topping or dip (per the suggestion of the husband)

We'll break the pizza down by layers. 

Step 1:  After you have very thinly sliced the potatoes... add them to a non-stick saute pan and cook until fork tender or golden brown.  Make sure that the potatoes are separated and each one has been browned.  In the mean time, slice the onion and dice the tomato. 

Step 2:  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Roll the pizza dough onto the baking sheet.  Add the EVOO, rosemary, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper directly to the pizza dough.

Step 3:  After the potatoes are done cooking, add them to the pizza crust.

Step 4:  Add the bacon, onion and tomato over the potatoes.

Step 5:  Add the cheese.  Bake at 425 for 10 - 12 minutes.

Step 6:  Serve and enjoy.  The optional toppings or dips are suggested above.

This is obviously not the healthiest choice for a meal but it's something that my husband enjoyed very much.  I hope that you man enjoys this recipe just as much as mine did. 

The best part of this recipe is that it didn't take much time.  I served it with a salad on the side.  After all, we could all use a hint of more time.  :)


Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Product Love: 4-in-1 Grill Station by Food Network

Image taken from FoodNetwork.com Product Manual

Kitchen tested.  Bragging rights reserved.  This 4-in-1 grill station is a product of the Food Network.  This product features a grill, griddle, panini press and waffle maker.   Learn more about the grill station on their website.

This product is absolutely perfect in my kitchen!  I received this helpful grill station as a Christmas gift from my parents.  I've put it to good use in the winter months; since we aren't able to use our outdoor grill in the snow.  I am excited to try some summer panini's using the press soon.

Buying this product for a friends bridal shower or as a wedding does not make you cheap.. it makes you smart.  As a cook with a smaller kitchen, I can definitely appreciate the extra storage space that this 4-in-1 station offers.  No need for an electric skillet or heavy grill pan.

Product Plus:  Food cooks very fast on this contraption!  I grilled steak, pork and chicken on this speedster and it was cooked through within 10 minutes. 

I am showing this product some blog love because it has saved me a lot of time!  We all love more time. 

Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.

Cinco de Mayo Entrees - Meaty and Meatless

When you think of Mexican food do you instantly think of fajitas or tacos?  Well these recipes are putting an American spin on some of our favorite dishes.  I hope that you love them as much as we did. 

I am also striving to push myself to try something new.  As always the goal of these recipes are to be quick and easy... but FULL of flavor.  I received a couple requests for something meatless and possibly kid-friendly.  Give these recipes a try and let me know how you liked them.

Guacamole Turkey Burger
- 2 lbs of ground turkey meat
- 4 oz can of green chili's (mild or hot depending on your preference)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced or grated
- 1 TBSP of cumin
- (Optional) 1 tsp of chipotle pepper
- Seasoning salt and pepper
- Recipe from Mara's 10-Minute Guacamole

In a large bowl combine the turkey meat, chili's, garlic and seasoning.  Take your rings off and get your hands in the bowl to thoroughly combine the meat and ingredients.   Fire up the grill to medium-high heat.  Grill for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Add the guacamole to your hamburger.  Serve and enjoy.  This would be great for kids, especially if you made the burgers into sliders.

Ranchero Bean Tostada

- 2 cans of ranchero beans (with or without the sauce is fine)

- 1/2 of medium red onion, diced

- 1 TBSP of cumin

- 5 or 6 red radishes, sliced

- 1 package of plain feta cheese

- 3 "hand fulls" of cilantro (leave them whole without the stem, no need to chop)

- 1/2 of a large tomato, diced

- White corn tortillas (2 or 3 per person - these are SMALL tortillas.. not fajita size)

- Salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pan combine the beans, onion and seasoning.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 425 and add the tortillas to a baking sheet.  (You could also toss these on the grill for a minute per side.)  Bake in the oven until golden brown and crispy - approximately 5 to 8 minutes. 

When the beans are done simmering and the tortillas are crisp... add the toppings over the tostada. 

The only "complaint" that I received about the tostada is that it was a little tricky to eat.  Most of us ate it like a taco. 

I also cannot take complete credit for this idea.  Part of the tostada recipe idea did come from Food.com.  Check them out for more Cinco de Mayo ideas. 

Beer Margarita's

- 12 oz of limeade frozen juice

- 12 oz of white soda

- 12 oz of beer

- 12 oz of Tequila

Stir and serve.  You might actually be surprised how refreshing this is.  Cheers!!!

Tip: 

-  If you use MGD 64, you will save yourself some calories too.  :)

 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme. All rights reserved.

Cinco de Mayo Appetizers - Heart Healthy, Kid-Friendly

Frozen burritos and taquitos no more!  Get ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with simple recipes that are also heart-healthy and possibly kid-friendly.
(Note: Look for the entree recipes tomorrow)

The celebration of Cinco de Mayo is primarily celebrated in the United States.  In 1862, the Mexican army was victorious over the French army in the battle over Puebla.  According to Wikipedia, Cinco de Mayo is an American Civil War holiday and not a Mexican holiday.  Learn more about Cinco de Mayo.

I hope that you find these recipes refreshing, quick and worthy of the celebration.

Pineapple & Red Pear Salsa
- 1 whole pineapple, diced (for added flavor.. put it on the grill)
- 2 red pears, diced
- Half of red onion, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- (Optional) 1 jalapeno, minced

The idea for this salsa came from my friend, Danielle, who originally suggested grilling the pineapple.  The flavor from the grill will add depth to the salsa.  We decided to use pineapple to steer away from the typical mango salsa.  If you are do not enjoy pineapple... give the mango a try.

Tips for making this salsa:
1) If you want some heat, be sure to add the jalapeno without the seeds.  Remove the seeds and be careful not to touch your eyes or face.  I know plenty of people that wear gloves when handling hot peppers too.  The jalapeno is entirely optional though.
2) Children would love this because there is sweet fruit in it.  Do not add the jalapeno if you are serving this to kids.
3) If you prefer less "chunky" salsa, then add it to a food processor and blend until the consistency is to your preference.  There is no oil in this salsa so it will not become completely smooth.

Mara's 10 minute Guacamole

- 3 avocado's (look below for instructions on easy cutting)

- 1 cup of fresh tomato, diced

- 1 clove of garlic, finely minced

- 1 lime, juiced

- (Optional) 1 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped

- 2 TBSP red onion, minced

- Salt and pepper

This recipe will serve about 6 people. 

Tips on making the guacamole:

1)  Cut the avocado last because it will start to turn brown right away.  Lime juice prevents the avocado from turning brown.

2)  The cilantro is optional because it tastes just fine without.

3)  This is meant to be a "chunky" guacamole.  You are welcome to use a food processor if you prefer. 

4)  Dicing the avocado - Run your knife the long way against the avocado and slice into halves.  Twist and pull apart.  Remove the pit with the blade of your knife (careful!) or a spoon.  Dice the avocado inside the tough skin.  Run your knife through the halves to create small diced squares - but do not put your knife all the way through the skin.  Scoop out with a spoon into the bowl with other ingredients.  Stir and serve.

There is no oil in the guacamole or the salsa.  Avocado's are very good for you and so that's why I am calling these appetizers "heart healthy".

 

Tomorrow I will post the Cinco de Mayo entrees.  Be sure to come back for that!

Preview of the entree menu.

Big thanks to my ladies for helping cook this menu.  Jo, Molly, Haley, and Danielle... you're the best!

Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme. All rights reserved.

Milwaukee Restaurant - Screaming Chaos

"Screaming Tuna" is a brand new restaurant located next to the river in Milwaukee's historic third ward.  We were invited to a friend's graduation party and were thrilled to try a new sushi restaurant.  The designer did an amazing job of decorating and matching the decor to the food style.  The menu options were outstanding; there were enough options without being too overwhelming.

We were seated in the private party room near the back of the restaurant.  Our party of 22 ordered drinks and waited for the servers to return to take our entree orders.  It became obvious within the first 5 minutes of being seated that there might be some communication problems within the restaurant. 

To put it simply, my husband and I waited 30 minutes for our Edamame appetizer that should have only taken 5 minutes.  I will, however, say that the edamame was steamed perfectly and salted accurately.  There were a few cold pieces near the edge of the dish though.

The rest of our table was served sporadically - no one was ever eating their appetizer or entree at the same time.  This should signal that the servers were either not familiar with serving a large party or they didn't know how to organize the orders. 

We received our 4 sushi rolls after about an hour or so.  We ordered the Champion, Spicy Tuna, Philly and California Roll.  The food was absolutely delicious.  Without a doubt.. some of the best sushi that I've eaten in Milwaukee.  It was fresh and perfectly wrapped. 

In my opinion, that kind of service is completely unacceptable in the restaurant business.  We did talk to the manager and they did compensate for the extra time that we had spent waiting for our food.  She promised to make improvements where necessary.  It was obvious that they were genuinely sorry for the service we had received.

"Screaming Tuna" is a very classy sushi restaurant and I would gladly visit again.  I hope to see that some improvements were made to the service.  Despite the situation we all managed to have a great time and enjoy the food and drinks. 

If you are interested in checking out this new restaurant, I would recommend giving them a few weeks and allow time to make improvements.  The restaurant business is highly competitive... I hope that this place can turn it around.

I apologize if this review seems harsh at all.  I do not enjoy giving bad reviews.  It's hard to give a good review knowing that I've received better service down the street.  I guess if all fails, at least gather with an entertaining group of people and try to make light of the situation.  :)

Personal note: 

Congratulations to my friend, Amy, on her college graduation! We are so proud of you and all your hard work.

 

Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme. All rights reserved.

What is Your "Go-To" Meal?

Long day at the office or at work?  Kids are hungry, the laundry smells and the dog needs a walk.  Sound familiar?  At that point in time... you have better things to do than peal potatoes or be every ones personal chef in the kitchen.  Am I right?

Have a picky eater in the family?  Have a whole army of picky eaters?  How do you handle dinner for all the kids and the spouse when they don't seem to enjoy the same foods?

In situations like that it's always easy to just throw a frozen pizza in the oven, grab a grease bag of cholesterol from the local fast-food chain or maybe just eat a bag of 100-calorie popcorn.  Well none of those are healthy dinner options, especially for little ones.

My sister, Megan, is the inspiration behind this post and finds herself in that situation frequently.  She has a 6 year-old and 1 year-old son at home.  Her husband is rather particular about food.  On top of having a busy family, Megan is also an RN in the emergency room.  Coming home after working a 12-hour shift on her feet all day can be exhausting. 

Can you relate?  Maybe just like Megan you want some kid-friendly, hubby-particular and super easy dinner options for your diverse family.  Yes?

I recently purchased a few Pillsbury products and have been thinking of ways to get creative with these food products.  In the process, I discovered some kid-friendly recipes.  These are not recipes that I have made but definitely plan to try on a night that I need more relaxation and less time in the kitchen.  So yes, I am endorsing recipes that I haven't tried yet.

Chicken Enchilada Crescent Bake
 - Find the recipe in link above
 - 4 ingredients, 30 minutes until eating time
 - A meal that the kids can help to prepare

Crescent Pizza Pockets
 - Find the recipe in link above
 - 5 ingredients, ready in less than 30 minutes
 - The kids can help!

Here are a few tips:

- Assemble early.  These recipes can be assembled the weekend before or even the night before.  Do not bake, just assemble.  Freeze.  Bake (as instructed) when you get home from work.

- "Staples".  Keep ingredients like these on hand for a quick "go-to" meal: i.e.  Pillsbury crescent rolls or biscuits, shredded cheese, lunch meat, pizza fixings, quick-cut veggies, red sauce.

- Plan ahead.  The reason we end up eating frozen pizza and fast-food is because we do not plan dinners any more.  I am guilty of this too.  Have list of what you would "tentatively" like to make for dinner and try to stick to it.  When we first got married, I actually kept a stick note of the weekly menu on our refrigerator.  That is what I had to do to get in the mindset of planning ahead.

- Healthy substitute.  Choose a lower-fat or lower-calorie option for the bread, meat and cheeses in the recipes.

Find the European Treasure in Your City

Have you found a hidden treasure in your city yet?  We recently discovered a local European grocery and deli in our city.  My husband loves European cooking and has fond memories of eating particular Russian dishes.

Russian Delights, located in Appleton, is a secret of the city.  It is like stepping into Russia, Poland, Ukraine and other surrounding countries (or so I'm told since I have not yet been to Europe). 

This grocery store has imported goods from many of the northwest European countries.  The small grocery area has items such as canned goods, cookies, beer, bread, etc.  The deli has meats, cheeses and even frozen items. 

We absolutely rave about the home-made perogies!  The owner makes about 3 different varieties from what we have seen. There is the typical potato/onion perogie and also a feta/spinach perogie.  She recently introduced me to a new perogie with "cabbage" or sauerkraut.  The German heritage in me just could not pass that up.

I'm sure there is more than one way to make the perogie.  Keep them frozen until ready to cook.  We boil the perogies in water until slightly translucent and they begin to float to the top.  Drain and serve with butter, salt, and pepper.  That's all it needs.  These home-made dumplings will melt in your mouth.

Head over to Russian Delights to enjoy a taste of Russia! 

If you don't live in the Fox Valley, we encourage you to find the European treasure in your city and give it a try!