KALE AND GOAT CHEESE FLATBREAD

april 4, 2016 by celebrating sweets 11 comments

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Naan flatbread covered with creamy kale and goat cheese and topped with fresh tomatoes. This easy main dish or side dish is ready in under 30 minutes.

Hey hey! It’s Monday again. Let’s eat all the cheese to make ourselves feel better, ok? Today I’m sharing Kale and Goat Cheese Flatbread! This recipe came about because I wanted an excuse to eat dip as a meal (tell me I’m not alone?).

Dip = snack or appetizer

Dip spread on flatbread = meal

Last year my husband and I spent a long weekend in Napa Valley. We had several delicious meals and I came home extremely inspired. During one of our meals we had kale and goat cheese dip as an appetizer. It was creamy and flavorful and filled with the subtle tang of goat cheese (← my fave). It was so good that I knew I had to recreate it at home. I realized that if I turned the dip into meal, we could eat it any night of the week. Yessss!

What we have here is a thick and creamy mixture of sauteed kale, garlic, cream cheese, and goat cheese. This mixture gets spread on flatbread (I used naan) then topped with mozzarella cheese and a little more goat cheese. The flatbreads bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and the crust crisps slightly.  After baking I top these with chopped tomatoes for a fresh pop of flavor and color.

This flatbread comes together in under 30 minutes! You can serve it on its own or with soup or salad. Bonus points if you have a glass of wine too.

This meal has made its way into our dinner rotation; even my kids eat it! All that kale makes me feel like I’m (sorta) eating something healthy.

Kale cancels out cheese, right? Please say yes. 

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5 from 1 vote

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KALE AND GOAT CHEESE FLATBREAD

Naan flatbread covered with creamy kale and goat cheese and topped with fresh tomatoes. This easy main or side dish is ready in under 30 minutes.

 Course Appetizer, Main dish, side

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Cook Time 15 minutes

 Total Time 30 minutes

 Servings 3 -4

 Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

INGREDIENTS

FLATBREAD:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups finely chopped kale loosely packed
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• pinch black pepper
• 3 ounces cream cheese cut into pieces
• 4 tablespoons goat cheese divided
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella or monterey jack cheese divided
• 2 pieces naan flatbread approximately 8in x 6in ovals

TOMATO TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely minced or finely grated garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add kale, garlic, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons water. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale has softened. Add cream cheese, 2 tablespoons goat cheese and milk, stirring until the cream cheese and goat cheese have melted and the mixture is creamy. Divide the kale between the two pieces of naan. Top each piece of naan with 1/4 cup grated mozzarella and 1 tablespoon goat cheese. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until the bottom of the naan is slightly crisp and the cheese is completely melted. While baking, combine all ingredients for the tomato topping.
3. Cut each piece of naan into pieces and top with tomatoes. Serve immediately.

ONE-POT PASTA WITH PESTO AND PEAS

april 11, 2016 by celebrating sweets 29 comments

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A fast and easy one-pot dinner of pasta with store bought basil pesto and peas. Ready in under 30 minutes with 4 basic ingredients.

Hello there! How was your weekend? I was lucky enough to spend my weekend 
eating my way through visiting Portland. I attended my first food bloggers conference. It was inspiring, fun, and delicious. I stepped out of my comfort zone (card carrying introvert here), and I’m so glad I did. I felt honored to be in the same room with people whose work I’ve admired for years.

Now I’m back home and looking towards the week ahead. This will definitely be a week that I rely on fast and easy meals (hello, cereal for dinner). I’m playing catch-up after being out of town, plus, my husband is wrapping up tax season, which is a super busy time at work for him. It will just be the kids and I for dinner this week, and that means easy, easy, easy! Right, mamas?

This here is a fast and easy meal made in one pot, in under  30 minutes, using only 4 ingredients. This is an ideal meal for nights when you want something hearty and comforting with minimal dishes and no prep!

This meal is made up of pasta, store-bought basil pesto, and frozen peas. Here’s how to make it:

• Cook pasta in boiling water. During the last 5 minutes of cooking time, add a bag of frozen peas to the cooking water.
• Drain
• Return pasta and peas to the pot and stir in pesto and parmesan cheese

That’s it! Easy peasy! Get it pea-sy?! Ha! Ok, I’ll stop. 😉

Another fantastic thing about this recipe is how adaptable it is. You can make it with just the 4 basic ingredients, or you can add other veggies or meat. I occasionally add asparagus, broccoli, or cherry tomatoes. I also serve it topped with sliced sausage or rotisserie chicken. You can serve this dish hot or cold. Leftovers make for a great chilled pasta salad.

Lastly, I’d like to quickly address the parmesan cheese that you see below. I am a huge fan of Whole Foods, and one of my favorite items is their parmesan cheese. My family goes through nearly a tub a week (and by “my family” I’m mostly referring to myself). Whole Foods is notpaying me say this,* nor is this post sponsored by them. I just really, really love this stuff and I want you to go get some, or come over to my place and we’ll eat pasta with pesto and loads of parm.

*Dearest Whole Foods: If you would like to pay me, please do. My husband is convinced that we are keeping your stores in business. When I look at our bank account, I kind of have to agree (ouch). But I still heart you. xo

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5 from 5 votes

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ONE-POT PASTA WITH PESTO AND PEAS

A fast and easy one-pot dinner of pasta with store bought basil pesto and peas. Ready in under 30 minutes with 4 basic ingredients.

 Course main

 Prep Time 5 minutes

 Cook Time 20 minutes

 Total Time 25 minutes

 Servings 6

 Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pasta I prefer short pasta like small/medium shells
• 1 pound frozen peas
• 6 ounce container basil pesto
• parmesan cheese salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil Add salt and the pasta. Boil accordingly to pasta package instructions. During the last 4-5 minutes of cooking time add the peas.
2. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in pesto. Add parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste.

RECIPE NOTES

-This pasta can be served warm or chiilled. If serving chilled, I like to add raw cherry tomatoes.
- You can also add asparagus or frozen chopped broccoli to this dish. I usually add them to the boiling pasta water during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- If desired, the pasta can be topped with cooked sausage or rotisserie chicken.

EASY 30 MINUTE CARAMEL PECAN STICKY BUNS

april 14, 2016 by celebrating sweets 22 comments

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Easy 30 Minute Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns ~ Tender and gooey melt-in-your-mouth sticky buns topped with caramel sauce and chopped pecans. This easy recipe uses canned crescent roll dough and prepared caramel sauce.

I have a serious weakness for sticky buns. They are without a doubt my favorite breakfast pastry. There is a restaurant near our house that sells the absolute best sticky buns. They are huge; nearly the size of a dinner plate! The pastry is tender and the caramel topping is ultra gooey and sweet, and it’s just pure perfection. I only allow myself to order one about once a year because I cannot stop myself once I start eating it. It’s unbelievably delicious!

I am never ambitious enough to make “real” sticky buns at home. They require quite a bit of work, time, and planning ahead. Plus, I don’t need a huge pan of sticky buns sitting around my kitchen (see above regarding my lack of self control) ;). So, for those times that I’m craving a sticky bun – stat!- this recipe for Easy Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns comes to the rescue.

This recipe makes 10-12 small sticky buns and I take shortcuts with a couple store bought ingredients. Instead of making a traditional yeast dough, I use store bought crescent roll dough. I also use store bought caramel sauce instead of homemade. I prefer salted caramel sauce because I like the salty/sweet combo. If you prefer regular caramel, feel free to use that.

To prepare: sprinkle chopped pecans in the bottom of a pie dish and top with caramel sauce. Unroll the crescent dough on a flat surface, then fill it with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up the dough, cut into pieces, and place the pieces on top of the caramel and pecans. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, then carefully invert the pan onto a plate. After inverting, the gooey caramel and crunchy pecans smother every surface of each sticky bun. At that point you have a big decision to make – burn the roof of your mouth by diving in immediately, or allow them to cool slightly. You know which option I chose. #WorthIt

Enjoy, friends!

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5 from 4 votes

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EASY CARAMEL PECAN STICKY BUNS

Tender and gooey melt-in-your-mouth sticky buns topped with salted caramel sauce and chopped pecans. This easy recipe uses canned crescent roll dough and prepared caramel sauce.

 Course Breakfast, Dessert

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Cook Time 16 minutes

 Total Time 31 minutes

 Servings 10 -12 small sticky buns

 Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans see note
• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce heated until pourable (see note)
• oz One 8- can refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Sea salt optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9.5 inch pie dish. Scatter the pecans into a single layer in the bottom of the pie dish. Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the top of the pecans. Set aside.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the crescent dough into a 13x9 inch rectangle. Be sure to press together any seams in the dough to form one complete piece. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the crescent roll dough leaving a half inch border around the outside. Starting at one of the shorter sides, tightly roll the crescent rolls into a log. Cut the log into 10-12 rolls. I cut the dough using a piece of unflavored dental floss. Slide the floss under the log of dough where you want to cut, grab both ends of the floss in each hand, crossing them over each other above dough. Pull it taut until the slice is cut. Continue to slide the floss along the length of the log of dough until all pieces are cut. Alternately, you can use a really sharp knife to cut them.
3. Place the sticky buns cut side up on top of the caramel in the pie dish, placing approximately 8 buns around the outside and 3 inside.
4. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the buns are light golden brown and the caramel sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven, and place a large plate on top of the pie dish, then quickly flip the pie dish over to invert the buns onto the plate. Spoon any caramel or pecans left in the pie dish onto the buns. If desired, sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Serve while warm. The caramel will firm up as it cools. These are best served immediately.

RECIPE NOTES

To toast pecans, place nuts in a dry skillet set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted. Watch them closely so that they don't burn.

Make sure you use a fairly thick caramel sauce (not a thin caramel "syrup"). I use Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel caramel sauce and I highly recommend it.