Pizza pizza!

My husband is Italian and the best chef I know. His food is incredible. He doesn't ever need a recipe, and he's one of those self-assured cooks who can absolutely wing it, and whatever "it" is, will be the best you've ever had. My favorite has to be his pizza. His dough is perfect, sauce delicious and toppings always come out just right!

Baking with Fall Flavors!

Fall is my favorite season - a sentiment that is very much trending across the blogosphere, at the moment. The rich smell of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, the crisp bite of apples, the smooth taste of pumpkin, and the lovely browns, oranges, and reds that bedazzle many a fall-themed table setting. In spite of all my fall lovin', the reality check is this: I live in South Florida, land of perpetual sunshine and heat and humidity. Of course, one can love fall without the changing of the leaves, cooler temperatures, and apple picking, but it sure is lovely when those traditions are in play. And since yesterday marks the official beginning to the fall season, I would like to share some of my recent recipes inspired by the warm flavors of autumn.

Apple Cinnamon Cookies, recipe from Joy the Baker!

Strawberry lemonade cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese icing, recipe from Annie's Eats! I made these for a friend's pool party last weekend and they were a big hit! My serving suggestion? A bottle of the world's best Pinot Grigio - Santa Margherita! ;)

When I was in college in Lugano, Switzerland, one of my favorite things to eat was pizza. Pizza made in Italy and "Switaly", as we called small Italian-speaking region of Switzerland where we lived, is nothing like pizza made here in the U.S. The size is smaller, generally one pizza for one to two people, the list of possible toppings are endless and all fresh, and the crust tends to be thinner. In short, pizza in Europe is fabulous. My favorite pizza was called the "Bismarck" and I recently found two great Italian places here in South Florida that serve a version of it. One is my favorite local Italian cafe/bakery, Cosi Duci, and the other, a relatively new find for me, Panaretto Pizzeria, both locations run by true Italian owners/servers/etc.

Next is a simple dinner meal I made last week. Instead of the traditional egg wash and then flour/breadcrumb mixture dredging for fish - I chose to make something different. I took several different types of nuts, pulverized them in my Magic Bullet, and then dipped tilapia filets in beaten egg, before covering them in the nut mixture. I put the filets to bake with a bit of olive oil and they came out great! Yummy nutty flavor and nice texture. The nuts I used were a combination of: almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and pine nuts! I served roasted veggies alongside the fish, a mix of butternut squash, yellow squash, and zucchini.

Another night, I made a simple rice salad with shrimp, avocado, small pieces of fresh mozzarella and cannellini beans (they are my go-to beans!). This is a delicious, simple meal that could be lunch or dinner.

Last but not least, my final dinner meal made last week was chicken cutlets marinated in freshly minced garlic, dried oregano, and pomegranate-infused balsamic vinegar! It was tart, flavorful, and delicious! I highly recommend investing in different fruit flavored balsamics! I served the chicken with roasted broccoli florets.

Another favorite fall cookie flavor is pumpkin! You can't go wrong with this tasty classic orange ingredient. I used a recipe from My Baking Addiction, and added butterscotch chips and walnuts to the delicious scents of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. These cookies were the perfect size, about two bites, and a wonderful chewy texture. They were a big hit at work!

Pizza, Chili and Chocolate Cupcakes!

I LOVE making pizza. Once you have a staple pizza crust recipe, making pizza inevitably becomes one of the easiest and most versatile dishes to whip up in very little time. I'm going to Spain and Portugal at the end of this week so I was on a mission to cook and bake with the intention of using up plenty of my fridge/freezer items. With an abundance of cheeses (ricotta, mascarpone, parmiggiano, mozzarella) and some leftover pesto, I made a simple and satisfying lunch. My favorite go-to recipe is definitely Katie's pizza crust!

Pizza con Pesto e Quattro Formaggi! I think naming it in Italian sounds so much better, don't you? ;) I was very happy to successfully use my new clay pizza stone too!

Made on 02/12/12.

Here it is, in all it's four cheese bubbly goodness.

Next up I decided to attempt chili from AmyBites which never lets me down with her awesome and healthy recipe recommendations!

Variations: I used ground beef instead of turkey, and made the dish on the stove instead of in the slow-cooker, letting it cook at low-heat for a total of 2 1/2 hours. I didn't add any chili powder or cayenne since the flavor from the stewed tomatoes (which already had spices) was delicious enough on it's own!

Chili!
Made on 02/12/12.

Top with a scoop of low-fat sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Last but not least, double chocolate cupcakes with mascarpone and cream cheese frosting! These were made for a special friend of mine's birthday and since her birthday is also on Valentine's Day, I topped them with some little cinnamon candy hearts! :)

Chocolate and Mascarpone Cupcakes!

Made on 02/12/12.

Chocolatey deliciousness!

Thanks to Kirbie's Cravings!

What I Have Made Thus Far .... Yes I Want Cake Edition!

Three Chip Oatmeal Cookies!
Made on 01/21/12

Spinach, Zucchini, and Eggplant Pesto Pizza!  
Using this Pizza Crust recipe! It's a "Green Pizza" :)
Made on 01/21/12

Thanks to Yes I Want Cake! :)

It's Pizza Time!

Mascarpone Zucchini Pizza!
Made on 09/20/11.

Four Cheese Basil Pizza!
Made on 12/24/11.