If you or your loved ones are Star Wars fans, you can make this super-dee-duper easy pizza recipe using mini pitas, pizza sauce, and some well placed cut toppings. It’s really that simple! You won’t even need the force to make these, although…that would be pretty awesome.
Ingredients
8 mini pitas
Pizza sauce
Salami slices
Pepperoni
Black & Green olive slices
Mozzarella cheese
Equipment
Baking Sheet
Shaped cookie cutters (don’t have these? find the outline shapes online and use a knife to trace!).
Method
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a parchment lined baking sheet, place your pitas down. Take a tablespoon of pizza sauce to the tops of each one, and spread out to the edges.
Top each pizza with mozzarella cheese.
Then, using cookie cutters or a sharp knife, cut out your characters and place on the center of each.
Use olives for eyes, pepperonis for death stars, etc. GET CREATIVE!
Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
S’mores always remind me of summers spent camping out under the stars, but I could honestly eat that perfect combination of gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate all year! I brought back my homemade porg marshmallows to show you how to turn them into an un-porg-etably delicious treat.
Homemade marshmallows can seem intimidating at first, but the secret to getting them smooth and the right shape is just a little water. Once you get the first few piped the rest of your batch will be a breeze! Add chocolate and your favorite graham crackers, and you’ll definitely want s’more of these cute s’mores!
Ingredients:
Condiments
1 tbsp Corn syrup, light
Baking & Spices
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 Icing fitted with a, Black small
1 Orange and grey/silver sanding sugar
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
1 Pinch Salt
12 Squares of chocolate
1 cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Oils & Vinegars
1 Vegetable oil
Snacks
12 Chocolate graham crackers
Desserts
1/4 cup Candy melts, orange
1 Candy thermometer
1 envelope Gelatin, unflavored
24 Nonpareils, black jumbo
Liquids
1 3 + 1/4 cup cold water
Other
Cardstock
Piping bags
1/2 ” round piping tip
Large, round piping tip
Scissors
Toothpicks
Small zip-top bags
Helpful Tip
All cutting should be done by an adult.
Directions
1. Download, print, and cut out porg template.
2. Melt the orange candy melts by heating in the microwave in 30-second intervals at 50% power until smooth, stirring between each set. You can add a teaspoon of vegetable oil if they are lumpy once completely melted.
3. Place the porg template under a piece of wax paper, and use a toothpick to draw the feet with the orange melts. Set aside to harden.
4. Prep your sanding sugars by placing a little of the orange, and a little of the grey sugars into separate small zip-top bags. Cut a tiny corner off of each and set aside.
5. Prep 2 piping bags by fitting one with a large round tip, and the other with a 1/2″ round tip. Lay a piece of wax paper over a baking sheet. Combine the marshmallow coating ingredients in a bowl, and lightly sift the powder over the wax paper. Set aside.
6. Pour 1/3 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and stir in the gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soften while you make the syrup.
7. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/4 cup water, light corn syrup, and salt. Stir, and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up to high, and continue to cook (without stirring) until the syrup reaches 240° F on a candy thermometer.
8. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the syrup into the softened gelatin. Gradually increase the speed to high, and whip until soft peaks form and hold their shape, about 8-10 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, and whip just until it is incorporated.
9. Transfer the marshmallow to the 2 prepared piping bags. You can place the porg template underneath the wax paper, on your baking sheet that you’ve prepared with coating powder, as a guide.
10. Using the bag with the 1/2″ tip, pipe a large circle for the body, and then a smaller one on top for the head. Use the other piping bag fitted with the smaller round tip to make the wings. If you are left with any lumps or peaks on the marshmallow you can lightly wet a clean finger and smooth out the marshmallow. You want to work quickly before the marshmallow begins to set, so only pipe 2 at a time, and then add the decorations.
11. To decorate, start with the orange sugar, and carefully pour it in a pattern that replicates the look of the porgs. Then pour the grey sugar over the wings, edges of the body, and top of the head of each porg.
12. Add a nonpareil to each side of the face for the eyes, placing them just over the orange sugar, and then place 2 of the candy melt feet at the bottom.
13. Allow the marshmallows to set, uncovered, for at least 7 hours, or overnight before adding the decorating icing.
14. Use decorating icing to pipe the mouths and nostrils onto the porgs. Carefully unpeel the marshmallows from your baking sheet. You can lightly coat any sticky areas with the marshmallow coating mixture.
15. When you are ready to turn them into s’mores, break your graham crackers in half. Place 1 half on a plate and top it with a porg. Heat in the microwave for 5-7 seconds, then add the chocolate square and the other half of your graham cracker. (Extra marshmallows can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month.)
Minimise your washing-up with this delicious one-pan chicken pie with spinach and herbs and topped with crispy filo pastry. It’s ideal for busy weeknights.
Nutrition: Per serving
kcal 526 fat 22g saturates 8g carbs 47g sugars 7g fibre 7g protein 32g salt 1.3g
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil , plus a little extra for brushing over the pastry
bunch spring onions , sliced into 3cm pieces
250g frozen spinach
6 ready-cooked chicken thighs (or see tip, below)
350ml hot chicken stock
½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
200g frozen peas
200ml half-fat crème fraîche
½ small bunch tarragon , leaves finely chopped
small bunch parsley , finely chopped
270g pack filo pastry
Method
STEP 1
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large, shallow casserole dish on a medium heat. Add the spring onions and fry for 3 mins, then stir through the frozen spinach and cook for 2 mins or until it’s starting to wilt. Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Shred the chicken off the bone and into the pan, and discard the bones. Stir through the stock and mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5-10 mins.
STEP 2
Stir in the peas, crème fraîche and herbs, then remove from the heat. Scrunch the filo pastry sheets over the mixture, brush with a little oil and bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.
RECIPE TIPS
USE SHREDDED CHICKEN
Use 400g shredded roast chicken if you have leftovers from Sunday lunch.
A splash of red wine vinegar balances the richness of this cheesy pasta and magnifies the pink color of the onions and radicchio. Omit the prosciutto to make this a vegetarian main dish.
Active: 25 mins Total: 1 hr Yield: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-size red onions, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick ribbons
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
6 ounces softened goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 quarts water
1 pound uncooked short pasta (such as gemelli, casarecce, or strozzapreti)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces fontina cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups), divided
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 1-inch pieces
Unsalted butter, softened, for greasing baking dish
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Directions:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a 12-inch, high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in radicchio, garlic, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring often, until radicchio is just wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in goat cheese and cream; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Step 2
Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over high. Stir in 3 tablespoons salt. Add pasta, and cook until just shy of al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain; reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Stir pasta, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt into radicchio mixture. Fold in 11/2 cups fontina cheese and prosciutto; toss well.
Step 3
Transfer pasta mixture to a 3-quart baking dish lightly greased with butter. Dot with remaining 1/2 cup fontina cheese; sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top and bubbling around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Make Ahead
Pasta can be assembled through step 2 one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Cacio e pepe is a great way to eat pasta, but have you tried cheese and black pepper on your peas? If not, we recommend doing so immediately.
Inspired by cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper), the classic Italian pasta sauce, this salad features spring greens and fava beans topped with a delicious buttermilk dressing.
Total: 45 mins Yield: 4
Ingredients:
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for garnish
3/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
Kosher salt
2 pounds fava beans, shelled (2 cups)
2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed
4 cups spring greens, such as pea tendrils or baby arugula (2 ounces)
1 Hass avocado, peeled and cut into thin wedges
Directions:
Step 1
In a food processor, pulse the egg yolk with the buttermilk and garlic. With the machine on, drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated. Add the 3 tablespoons of cheese and the peppercorns and puree until smooth. Season the dressing with salt.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Boil the favas until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to the ice bath. Add the peas to the pot and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes for fresh and 1 minute for frozen. Drain and transfer to the ice bath. Drain the favas and peas. Pinch the fava beans out of their skins.
Step 3
In a bowl, toss the favas, peas and greens. Add some dressing, season with salt and toss. Arrange the avocado on plates and top with the salad. Garnish with grated cheese and serve.
