Pita Sandwiches, Simple Berry Trifle

Served for Staff Luncheon March 2012

Pita Sandwiches
I loved it when my mom would make these when I was a kid.  Simple and oh, so yummy, with that cream cheese/guacamole combo!

whole-grain pita bread
cold cuts (black forest ham and oven roasted turkey)
guacamole*
nuefchatel cheese
alfalfa sprouts
mustard

Cut pita circles in half.  Open the pocket and on the inside, spread guacamole on one side and nuefchatel cheese on the other.  Fill the pocket with a few slices of turkey and or ham, some mustard, and alfalfa sprouts. 

*I whip some up using mashed avocados with a squeeze of lime juice, lemon pepper, lawry's seasoning salt, tomato chunks and salt to taste

Served with kettle cooked potato chips.

Simple Berry Trifle
I did these individually, but you can assemble the whole thing in a trifle bowl.  It can be made ahead of time--just save the whipped cream and kiwi for the last minute.

Strawberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Pound cake, cubed
Vanilla pudding
Whipped cream
Kiwis

Layer in individual dessert dishes:
Pound cake, pudding, berries.  Repeat.  Garnish with whipped cream and kiwi slices.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza, Chocolate Mousse cups with Raspberries and Cream

Served for Staff Luncheon April 2012

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Makes 2 pizzas

One recipe pizza crust (see below)
olive oil
1 recipe Alfredo sauce
Jim's Garlic Seasoning
two grilled chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (more or less to taste)
mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 green onions, tops only, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with baking stone(s) inside.  Let heat for 30 minutes.

Shape pizza crust.  Sprinkle cornmeal on parchment paper and place shaped crust on top.  Brush edges of crust with olive oil.

Spread crust with Alfredo sauce and sprinkle with garlic seasoning.  Lay mushrooms and chicken slices all over pizza, then mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle green onions over all.

Using a pizza peel (or unrimmed cookie sheet, or the bottom of a rimmed sheet) slide pizza with parchment onto hot stone in the oven.  Bake 8-12 minutes, until cheese is bubbly, and edges are golden. The heavier your toppings, the longer it takes to bake. When I cook two pizzas at once, I switch racks half-way through.

Pizza Crust: see this previous post


Alfredo Sauce:
1/2 TBSP butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup Parmesan or other Italian cheeses, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

In small saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat until melted.  Add garlic and stir 30 seconds.  Add cream and bring to a simmer.  Simmer a few minutes over low heat until thickened.  Add cheese and stir until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chocolate Mousse Cups with Raspberries and Cream
serves 8

8 Oreos, pulsed to crumbs in food processor or magic bullet
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 cup high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
Raspberries, rinsed and dried
Ready-whip (for garnish)

In medium saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips with 1/3 cup of the whipping cream.  Stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, whip remaining  cream until stiff peaks form.  Stir 1/2 cup whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture, then stir all the chocolate mixture into the rest of the whipped cream, until thoroughly combined.

Spread 1 TBSP of cookie crumbs in the bottom of each of 8 ramekins.  Top with equal portions of chocolate cream.  Refrigerate until firm.  Just before serving, make a ring of raspberries on the chocolate around the edge of each ramekin.  Spray Ready-whip in the center of the raspberries.

I served this meal with Sarah's Salad from The Lion House Cookbook.