Super Easy Potato Wedges

This recipe is oh so simple to throw together. Everyone that has come over and tried them absolutely loves them. Crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside. And what could be easier than just a few ingredients and a few steps?
These potato wedges can be seasoned with whatever flavors you like. It's really fun to make each potato a different flavor.
If you are only using a couple potatos, then the toaster oven makes the job even easier. I haven't tried putting any more than 2 potatoes worth of wedges in the toaster oven because you don't want the wedges to touch while baking, and my toaster oven baking pan isn't big enough for any more.
There is no frying involved, and no par-boiling the potatoes or what-have-you. Just wash, slice, mix and bake. Easy cheesy! (You could top them with some shredded cheese fresh out of the oven if you like!)

Super Easy Potato Wedges (1 potato per person)
recipe inspired by and adapted from Ina Garten

1 medium to large Russet potato per person serving
about 1 tbl. olive oil (or veggie oil) per potato
1-2 tsp desired seasonings per potato(rosemary & garlic is our favorite, but cajun is also good. It's really whatever flavors you like)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thoroughly wash your potatoes- they do grow in dirt after all. Slice them in half lengthwise and then slice each half lengthwise again into either thirds or quarters depending on how big the potato is. I like them to be about 3/4 inch thick. Thinner will cook faster and be crispier, while thicker will be more moist in the middle.
Put the potatoes in a bowl and drizzle over the oil and seasonings. Move everything around with your hands to ensure that every part of every wedge is covered. The oil you put in here is going to be what's keeping them from sticking to the pan. If you don't think there is enough oil or seasoning, just add more at this point.
Lay the wedges out on a baking sheet with cut sides down and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip each of them to their other cut side and bake another 10 t0 15 minutes or until they are as cooked as you prefer.
 Serve warm with something to dip them in. Ranch would be good, but I like plain old ketchup. Yum!

I have linked up with:

• Recpe Swap Sunday at Remodelaholic
• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff
• Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Hearth & Soul Blog Hop vol. 15 at Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy

Mozzarella Stuffed Jalapenos

Hubby and I decided this year to try growing a variety of hot pepper plants. Instead of just the usual bell peppers and jalapeno. The pepper plants were actually part of the reason I started this blog. I wanted to document my pepper creations. And with 6 different peppers, I was hoping for some fun creations!
Well, 2 of the plants aren't producing quite like I had hoped for. Never the less, our jalapeno plant is packed full of peppers. That's where this oh so simple idea came from!!
Be careful when slicing the peppers in half and scooping ou the seeds and membrane. I used to not think much of it- not with jalapenos, then I reiceved all of the warning I will ever need. A small squirt from the pepper got into my eye. I know what pepper spray must feel like, ladies and gentleman, and it is NO GOOD! ( I plan to use gloves and safety glasses when all of my cayenne peppers are ready!)
Since this recipe is really more of a guideline, I don't have any specific measurements. Fell free to doll it up as you wish.

Mozzarella Stuffed Jalapenos

fresh jalapenos
mozzarella cheese sticks (or a small block of mozzarella)
bread crumbs (I used plain, but seasoned would be tasty)

Wash the jalapenos and slice them in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out all of the insides- its those seeds and membrane that make the pepper hot! Be careful not to flatten out the jalapeno, we need it's shape to stuff it. You can cut the top part off if you want, just to make sure all of the hot part is gone (I didn't cut the top off, so mine were pretty hot).
Take your chees stick and slice it into small strips that will fit into the jalapeno. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over the top- as much as you like. Put the peppers on a foil lined baking sheet (easy clean up!) and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes or so, until the cheese has begun melting and the bread crumbs are sufficiently browned. Keep an eye on these, they will go quickly! Enjoy!
Note: I used my toaster oven for this and it worked PERFECTLY for something so small!

Linky parties!!!:

• Made By You Monday at Skip To My Lou
• Mouthwatering Monday at A Southern Fairytale
• Sunday Recipe Swap at Remodelaholic
• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff
• Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday featured @ At the Well
• Topsy Turvy Tuesday at I'm Topsy Turvy
• Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
• Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party
• Hearth and Soul Blog Hop # 14 at Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy

Pizza Pinwheels

This is based on a recipe that I found from multiplydelicious while searching Tasty Kitchen for a recipe to use up some buttermilk we had in the fridge. The original recipe, Cheesy Pizza Scrolls looked absolutely delicious!
So I decided to make it, and change it up a bit to fit the ingredients I had, because quite frankly, I didn't feel like taking off my cozy slippers and going to the store, and because I prefer mozarella to cheddar. The two biggest appeals to this recipe was that first, it used more than a couple tablespoons of buttermilk (great since we had a bunch left), AND, the dough wasn't a yeast dough. I tried making a loaf of honey wheat bread the night before, and something didn't work out right. The finished product was quite dense to say the least. So I definitely didn't want to mess with yeast breads for a little while.
So the cooking began with the prepping of all the ingredients. (I didn't take pictures because I wasn't planning on writing about it. But the tasty smell while it was baking sure did change my mind!) I started making a simple pizza sauce with things usually in the cupboard- tomato sauce, tomato puree and a variety of seasonings that I thought would go well together.
I decided that since this was going to be my dinner, that I would add some more toppings to it- shredded chicken and chopped yellow onion (one of my favorite pizza toppings).
For the chicken, I drizzled some olice oil on it, sprinkled some salt and pepper, then baked it in the toaster oven for 25 minutes on 350 degrees. Let it cool, then shredded it up.
I shredded a bunch of mozarella. I like the way it looks and spreads better shredded than blitzed in the food processor.
Finally, time to make the dough. I get all of the dry ingredients mixed, and go to get my buttermilk that I had been searching and searching for recipes that called for it. And guess what...it was no good. It smelled kind of the same, but it was chunky. So, I used some regular milk spiked with about a tsp. of lemon juice.
Mixed, kneaded and rolled the dough out. Then covered it with some of the sauce, (saving the rest for dipping, or some spaghetti later) onion, chicken and cheese. Then the whole thing is rolled up like a cinnamon roll, and cut into 9 pieces. They are set, cut side up, in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan, and topped with even more mozarella.
They are then baked at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. I really like baked dishes in part because it gives me time to clean up all the mess from preparing the dish. Unlike most stove top prepared food where it usually needs some consistent attention, and there are lots of dishes left for after dinner- the time I like to just relax with my hubby.
Twenty-five minutes later, dinner was served...

(Best food picture of mine yet? I think so)

This recipe makes for a great appetizer, or even a dinner if served with a size salad. Yum!
Check out the original recipe, especially if you like cheddar! Cheesy Pizza Scrolls

Pizza Pinwheels

Dough:
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
sprinkle of salt
1 c. buttermilk (or regular milk spiked with a tsp of lemon juice)

Sauce:
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato puree
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but I like the little kick of heat)
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 cups shredded mozarella cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on top
Shredded chicken (I used almost a whole breast's worth)
Chopped onion (about 1/4 of a normal sized onion)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Shred the cheese into another bowl, if not already shredded.
To make the dough, combine all of the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in your buttermilk. Mix it all together until it's one glob of dough. Turn it out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it's smooth. Roll out the dough into a 12x12in square.
Spread some of your suace onto the square, leaving about 1/2 inch on the side farthest from you sauce-less. Add your chicken and onion- or whatever toppings you want- just not too much, remember, we have to roll this up on top of the sauce. Then top with your cheese.
Start rolling the dough up like you would when making cinnamon rolls, starting with the side closest to you. Keep rolling until its all done- notice that some of the filling spreads when it's rolled? That's why we left the very end empty.
Cut your roll into 9 as-close-to-equal portions as you can and place in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan with the cut side up. Top with some more cheese if you so desire and bake for 25-30 minutes.


This recipe is linked to Foodie Friday!