January 10-Pizza, Chicken, and Other Tried-and-True Suppers

Happy 2014! This new year has already been quite the whirlwind. The past few weeks have been full of blessings, surprises, and plenty to do. Although I've been enjoying the whirlwind, I must admit it's left less time to cook and even less time to write about it. As busy as it's been, I can't stay away from the kitchen. Here are a few tried-and-true favorites we've enjoyed this week.

Homemade Pizza

This is one of our favorites. My husband loves it even more than delivery. Win! 

One of the best parts about our recent move is the proximity to my parents. We hosted them at our place last week for a movie night, complete with homemade pizza.

Original recipe from May 28: Kristin's Homemade Pizza

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Another family favorite. Original recipe from February 12: Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Enjoy! And may your new year be full of blessings, growth, and good food.

Make-Ahead Meal #2: Turkey Burgers

For my husband's birthday, I bought him a grill as a gift. He was thrilled! (Let's be honest; I was pretty excited myself! Hooray for barbecue!) He was dying to fire up the grill this week, so I gladly whipped up some of my famous (at least in our family) turkey burgers! These little guys work great as a make-ahead option. The recipe can be found in one of my previous posts: Savory Turkey Burgers.

Make-Ahead Meal #2

Sunday Night: Prepare patties as directed. We were planning to grill the burgers on Monday, so I did not bother freezing them. I simply covered them tightly and placed them in the refrigerator. If eating at a later date, you could seal the patties tightly and freeze them. 

Monday Night: Grill up the burgers and toast your buns! 

While hubby was grilling, I whipped up a small batch of Homemade French Fries and Zucchini Fries. 

August 12-Pizza Bites & Zucchini Fries

I have a love-hate relationship with the month of August. It's always a crazy, busy, roller-coaster of a month for me, yet at the same time it's a beautiful, warm, fantastic farewell to summer. While planning this week's menu, I wanted something simple that both my husband and I would enjoy. I came up with these tasty pizza bites, drawing inspiration off my mom's delicious recipe for Chicken Crescent Rolls. 

My husband loved them, which for me is the best gage of success. I made two varieties to satisfy each of our palettes. Delicious!

For a side, I made Zucchini Fries. These were the highlight for me! I ate about half the batch and would have been happy just eating these. So yummy.

Kristin's Pizza Bites

1 8 oz can crescent rolls

2-3 tbsp melted margarine

1/3 cup bread crumbs

pasta sauce

pizza fillings (see below for suggestions)

His: Shredded Italian cheese blend, black olives, pepperoni

Hers: Veggie cheese, diced chicken, black olives, and diced red onions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Separate crescent rolls on a baking sheet, coated with nonstick spray. 

3. Place desired fillings (cheese, toppings, etc) in a bowl. Add enough pasta sauce to coat ingredients and stir through. I recommend starting with small dollop of sauce and add more as needed. You do not want the filling to be too saucy, or the liquid will seep through the rolls. 

4. Place a small amount of mixture into the center of each triangle. Starting at the small end of the triangle, roll to the opposite point. Tuck in the sides to seal completely.

5. Dip each roll in melted margarine and roll in bread crumbs. If the rolls are flimsy and you are afraid of them falling apart, you can also spread butter on top and sprinkle with bread crumbs. 

6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. 

7. In a small sauce pan, heat the extra pasta sauce. 

8. Enjoy the rolls, dipped in pasta sauce. 

Zucchini Fries by Health Magazine

2-3 zucchini

1 egg white

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (I only used 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Cut zucchini into 3-inch strips.

3. In one bowl, whisk egg whites and add milk. In another bowl, combine parmesan and bread crumbs.

4. Dip each zucchini stick into the egg mixture and roll in the crumb/parmesan mixture.

5. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay zucchini on sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.

6. Serve with ranch dressing and/or marinara for dipping. 

August 3- Fiesta Chicken Flatbread

One of the reasons I love cooking so much is because it allows me to be creative and to tweak recipes to meet my tastes, cravings, and even my dietary restrictions. A few days ago, this lactose-intolerant gal was craving pizza. I looked through my refrigerator, collected ingredients I already had on hand, and whipped up this delicious lunch. 

I've eaten this four times this week, including today. So yummy!

Kristin's Fiesta Chicken Flatbread
1 Flatout Flatbread (flavor of your choice)
1 slice Go Veggie! Alternative Slices Pepper Jack Flavor, broken into pieces
1/2 cup cooked chicken, cut into chunks
1/4 avocado, cut into small pieces
salsa (about 4 tbsp)
Optional veggies (any odds and end you may have in your kitchen- minced garlic, chopped onion, chopped zucchini, chopped snap peas, chopped broccoli...they're all great additions!)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lay flatbread on a baking sheet and top with salsa. Spread salsa evenly so that entire surface is covered.
3. Sprinkle remaining ingredients evenly over the surface.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes.

May 28- Homemade Pizza

Happy Memorial Day! Today is a special day for several reasons. Reason number one, it is a great opportunity to give thanks for the men and women who have fought to defend our country. Reason number two, I spent a relaxing day off grocery shopping, hitting the gym, organizing the home, watching morning television, cooking...ahhhh. Reason numero tres, pizza success. 

Chris had been craving pizza and suggested that we have homemade pizza for dinner. Immediately I was inspired to go all out and make this thing from scratch. I feel that today marked a momentous occasion as I rose from Hopeless Rookie to Novice Chef. After looking through countless pizza dough recipes I decided to be brave and try my own. As long as I followed the measurements for the water, yeast, and flour, what could go wrong? Call it a minuscule achievement, but I am proud to have mastered my own little pizza crust.

Of course, the real test would come when my husband and I took the first bite.
"Any suggestions or constructive feedback?" I asked, after he took the first bite.
He swallowed, smiled, and said, "Nope. It's good!" and took another bite.
We will definitely be having this again. 

Kristin's Pizza w/Homemade Crust

One 1/4 oz package of yeast
1 cup hot water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp parsley flakes

1. Combine yeast and water. Stir until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
2. Let sit at least 5 minutes. I used this time to prep my toppings.
3. Ross out to desired size and shape.
4. Add tomato sauce. Sprinkle dried onion and crushed red pepper flakes as desired.
5. Top with cheese and favorite toppings.
6. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza Toppings as Shown

Spinach

Olives

Pineapple

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Pepperoni

Other Suggestions:

Bell Pepper

Chicken

Onion

Sausage

Bon appétit!

May 7-Turkey Burgers II w/Steamed Corn

To me, steamed corn on the cob and turkey burgers scream SUMMER. Inspired by 90 degree temps and a 4 for $1 sale on fresh corn, I decided to make this easy summertime meal. All you really need for turkey burgers is ground turkey, 1 egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, 1 tbsp milk, and whatever spices you like. I threw in garlic, onion, salt, and pepper for these little guys.

March 28- English Muffin Pizza Pies

These are a great option for a weeknight dinner. They are easy, cute, and everyone gets to choose their own toppings- The makings for a sure crowd-pleaser. 

English Muffin Pizza Pies

English Muffins

Tomato Sauce

Assorted seasonings (red pepper, basil, garlic, oregano)

Mozzarella Cheese

Assorted toppings (olives, onions, pepperoni, tomatoes, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Split muffins into halves and top with tomato sauce and seasoning.

Sprinkle with cheese and add toppings.

Bake 10 minutes.

For easy garlic bread, spread butter over muffin halves. Top with garlic powder, parmesan, and a light layer of cheese. 

March 3- Spinach "Burgers"

I came across this recipe from "The Village Cook" on Pinterest and was immediately intrigued. I love spinach and eat it with just about anything...eggs, sandwiches, tacos, pizza...but as a burger? The idea seemed strange, but I really wanted to try it. I was cooking for myself tonight and already had all of the ingredients, minus the spinach, and I figured it was worth a shot. Worse case scenario, I'd be short $2 from the spinach and I'd heat up a can of soup instead.

I am SO glad that I took a risk! These were soooooo good. The seasoning, the texture, the health benefits...I'm speechless. I will be making these again.

Spinach "Burgers"

1 bag of thawed and well drained chopped spinach

2 egg whites

1 whole egg

1/4 cup diced onion (I used 3 tbsp dried onion)

1/2 c shredded cheese (I went with 1/3 cup skim mozzarella)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Separate into patties. (I separated my mixture into about 8 patties...they were large and I probably could've gotten away with 10 smaller ones). Spray skillet with cooking spray. Cook each patty approx. 4-6 minutes each. 

As the original recipe promises, they are incredibly delicious without any fixings! 

(Although pita sounded like a great suggestion too).

February 25-Zesty Pita Pizzas

I know I've already made pita pizzas, so this may be somewhat of a repeat. It's a lazy Saturday night fix...delicious result without any thought or prep. 

Zesty Pita Pizzas

1 Whole Wheat Pita

Tomato Sauce

A sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

Spinach, red pepper, oregano, dried onion, and parsley to taste.

Preheat oven to 350. Spread tomato sauce over pita and top with remaining ingredients. Bake 10 minutes. 

February 18-Savory Turkey Burgers

Today I decided to stray from the prepackaged variety and make my own turkey burgers. I'm glad I decided to be bold because these came out moist and delicious! My brother came over for dinner, complimented their taste, and finished three on his own. I'm never going back to frozen patties (Sorry, Jennie O!)

Savory Turkey Burgers

(Measurements based on estimations. Add as much or as little as you like for taste, texture, etc. I improvised as I went along.)

1.5 lb ground turkey

2-3 tbsp bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1-2 tbsp dried onion

2 egg whites

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Separate into approx. 8 patties. Grill until cooked through (About 8-10 minutes on the George Foreman).

February 10-Chicken Pesto Flatbread

Yum. Sometimes words just don't cut it, so that is all I have to say tonight. Yum. 

I was inspired by two recipes-One for pasta and a Kraft recipe for flatbread...I slightly wandered away from the directions to make my own twist of this gooey masterpiece. 

Chicken Pesto Flatbread with Sundried Tomatoes

Whole Wheat Pitas

Philadelphia Savory Garlic Cooking Cream

Basil

Grilled Chicken Breast (leftovers worked well!)

Sun-dried tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spread Philadelphia cooking cream onto pita bread and lay on a baking sheet. Top with pesto. Next, layer chicken and sun-dried tomatoes (amount as desired). Lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Top with mozzarella. 

Bake 10 minutes and enjoy. 

January 28-Zucchini Mushroom Pita Pizza

Pita Pizzas

 So tasty! These pizzas are fast, simple, and really easy to customize. I liked that I could create my own flavor and could control the amount of cheese (lactose-intolerant friendly!).

There really is no right or wrong way to make these. I didn't use a recipe-Just follow your craving to choose sauce, seasonings, toppings, and cheese.

 My Whole Wheat Zucchini and Mushroom Pizza
1 Whole-wheat Pita
Tomato and Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Skim Mozzarella Cheese
Crushed red pepper
Oregano
Parsley
Zucchini
Mushrooms

 Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, spread pasta sauce over 1 pita. Top with seasonings, cheese, and toppings. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crispy.

Source: Uploaded by user via Kristin on Pinterest