Bleu Cheese Dressing

I don't remember the first time I had Bleu Cheese Salad dressing, but I fell in love that day!  It is my favorite salad dressing---if made correctly.  There are some restaurants that make it wonderfully and some that just stir it into sour cream or something...not so great.  It is very high in fat and I don't eat it too often these days.  My family does not enjoy the flavor of blue cheese and get turned off by the fact that it contains a type of mold.  I however don't let that deter me.  If you are like me and need to have Bleu Cheese dressing in your life, try this recipe that I got from an episode of Elie Krieger's on Food network.

2 T. mayonnaise
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. fat free yogurt
1 T. vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Drain yogurt 20 minutes.  Whisk with rest of ingredients and crumble in blue cheese.  Serve over your favorite salad greens.

Spinach Pesto

Last week I found a recipe for homemade ricotta as I was surfing the net.  I had never heard of making ricotta at home before but I used to make yogurt all the time.  After looking at the recipe I decided it looked easy enough.  I would definitely have to try it.  I used 1% milk as I wanted a lower fat version and it turned out great.  It was delicious!   I had just happened to watch a show on Food Network a day or two before that used ricotta in the recipe and decided to pear up the two and make the dish with the homemade ricotta.  The recipe on Food Network was by Sunny Anderson called Ricotta Ravioli with Spinach Pesto.  You can check it out if you desire.  I made the ricotta one day and the next used it to make the ravioli.  I did make some changes to the ravioli filling that I thought we would like better.  I kept out the lemon zest and added some of the pesto to the filling to add in some flavor.  I thought the ravioli were quite time consuming even though I used wonton wrappers which did save some time. But it was very good.  Like a restaurant meal if I must say so myself.  I was impressed.   I also changed the pesto just a bit, and have decided to post this part of the recipe as it was my favorite part.  It could be used on pasta, fish, chicken as a spread on toasted baguette slices etc.   Here is my version:

Spinach Pesto

·         4 cups spinach, loosely packed

·         1 clove garlic

·         1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

·         1/2 cup olive oil

1     3/4 cup toasted hickory nuts, toasted

1 lime,  juiced

To make the spinach pesto:

In a food processor, combine remaining 3/4 cup hazelnuts, lime juice, spinach, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste and puree until smooth.

The original recipe called for toasted hazelnuts, but I didn't have any in the house so substituted the hickory nuts, didn't have a lemon so used a lime.

Sunday Pizza

When I was growing up, our family had pizza night every Sunday.  Back then it was quite a treat for us kids.  We only had frozen pizza, not homemade, but we loved it.  Sundays were the only time we ever had it.  Sundays were Mom's day off from her work in the kitchen.  All the rest of the week Mom made all our food from scratch.  She made all our breads, dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls,(she had a knack for yeast breads) Every meal was pretty much homemade.  When she and Dad would go to a wedding or just out for the night she would treat us with t.v. dinners or frozen pot pies which we thought were the best.  We looked forward to these rare meals because we didn't get them too often. I have carried the tradition of Sunday "pizza night" down to our family as well.  We make the pizza, put in a movie and eat while watching t.v.  It is the only time we eat in front of the t.v.  All other meals are eaten at the table together as a family.  Here is a recipe I use when I make homemade pizza. The dough for the crust I make in my bread machine.

Pizza Crust:

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. soy flour (optional)
2 T. ground flaxseed
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/4 c. olive oil
2 envelopes active dry yeast

Put in bread machine pan in order given.  Make on dough cycle.  When cycle is done, punch down dough and let rest 10 minutes.  Roll out and place into oiled jelly roll pan, pulling and stretching to edge of pan and up sides.  Let rest in pan 15 minutes, until slightly puffy.  Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Spread sauce onto hot crust; then top with desired pizza toppings.  Bake an additional 12-20 minutes till cheese is bubbly and browned.


Pizza Sauce


1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. oregano
6 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
7 oz. water
2 T. burgundy wine
1 t. salt
1-2 t. sugar

Saute onion 2-3 minutes; add garlic and saute 2 minutes more.  Add remaining ingredients; cook 35 minutes more.  Top pizza with desired amount of sauce and cool and refrigerate or freeze remaining sauce.

Add pizza toppings.  Choose your favorites.  We like diced 99% fat-free ham, fresh mushrooms, red onions, black olives and 2 c. mozzarella cheese.