Unbelievable BBQ Chicken Pizza

I made this recipe a few weeks ago when we were in a hurry and didn't have a lot of time for preparation. I told Lucas that this recipe was just too easy to make and didn't require a whole lot of creativity so I didn't feel that I should post it. He told me that that is exactly WHY I needed to post it - this was delicious - and it was really quick and really easy to make. 

In the recipe, it requires you to mix barbeque sauce and marinara sauce. I was confused by this because neither of them are pizza sauce. While, yes, you can use pizza sauce and mix that with the barbeque sauce in the place or the marinara, I highly suggest you try it first before you knock it. Barbeque sauce alone is a bit overwhelming, but with the marinara sauce to balance it out, it is the perfect blend to really make this recipe amazing.

Unbelievable Barbeque Chicken Pizza

What you will need:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided (I used Kraft and we loved it, but you can use your favorite bbq sauce)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 package pre-baked pizza crust (14-16 inch) (you can use homemade dough here instead, I just didn't because we didn't have time to wait for it to rise and then cook).
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (or to taste - I usually don't measure these things out)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion 
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• ** feel free to add ingredients here. I added red bell pepper. 

What you will do:

1. Heat sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook for 10 minutes then turn and top the other side with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook 10 minutes, until juices run clear. Cool slightly and cut into chunk.
2. Preheat oven to 425.
3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining barbeque sauce and marinara. Spread evenly over pizza crust (make sure to leave about 1/2 inch - 1 inch around the rim for the crust). Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top of sauce. Arrange cooked chicken chunks and red onion slices over the top.
4. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle with additional barbeque sauce (if desired). (I would recommend letting this sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing). 

Enjoy!

Chicken Fingers and un-Fried French Fries

This is an oldie but a goodie. I mean, who does NOT like Chicken Fingers and French Fries? Okay, so these are un-fried french fries and oven-fried chicken but they JUST as good if not better than deep fried foods, and are a lot healthier.

 I found the oven-fried Chicken Finger recipe from Food & Wine magazine and it just looked to delicious and easy NOT to try. I was also excited to try the un-fried french fries (which I got from my mom. I believe it's a kraft recipe). After hearing my mom and sister, Ashley, talk about these fries, I had to try them as well. What better to try them with than chicken fingers?

Oven-Fried Chicken Fingers

(from Food & Wine magazine)

What you will Need:

•  2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 boneless chicken thighs, lightly pounded (I used boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenderloins because they are more chicken-finger"ish" to me!)
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 lemon cut into wedges (if desired for serving)

What to Do:

1. Place a rimmed, non-stick baking sheet on the lower rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 450.
2. Place the 2 beaten eggs, panko, and flour into 3 separate shallow dishes. Season the flour with the celery salt, garlic salt and cayenne papper (mix). Dust the chicken on both sides with the flour, then dip it into the egg (making sure egg is on both sides) and then press chicken into the panko (making sure both sides are covered - press to help the panko adhere).
3. Pour canola oil onto the baking sheet. Carefully place chicken in oil, making sure that both sides are coated in oil. Bake for 25 minutes (until golden and crispy), turning halfway through cooking time.
4. Drain on paper towels and serve with lemon wedges.

** I served this with a side of barbeque sauce, a side of ranch and a size of Ketchup - typical dipping sauces for our house!

 - Food & Wine magazine suggested that this be paired with a Pinot Nior wine. We enjoyed a glass of Toasted Head Untamed White Wine (it's a blend of a Viognier, Chardonnay and a Moscato).

Un-Fried French Fries

What you will Need:

•  3 baking potatoes
• 1/4 cup of Kraft Light House Italian dressing
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Style Grated Cheese (can use reduced fat if desired

What to Do:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425. Wash and dry potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch-thick sticks and place them in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat.
2. Spread the potatoes into a single layer on a large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray potatoes with additional cooking spray.
3. Bake 22-24 minutes or until they are crisyp and golden brown (turning half way through baking).

** I baked mine 5-10 minutes longer because I wanted them extra crispy. If you wash the potatoes really well in cold water beforehand, this removes some of the starch which results in crispier fries.

Enjoy!



Spicy Crab Cakes with Sweet Red Pepper Aioli

I came across a recipe for Crab Cakes while shopping in Harris Teeter last week. I have never made crab cakes before, and thought that it may be something fun to try! This recipe also came with a home-made aioli recipe, which was easy to make and really added flavor to the crab cake.
It actually didn't take as long as I expected. Dinner was ready to eat in about 30 minutes from preparation to cooking.

Spicy Crab Cakes with Sweet Red Pepper Aioli

What you will need:

 For the aioli:

•  2/3 cup mayo (I used light mayo)
• 1/4 cup red jalapeno jelly (2 tbsp in Aioli and 2 tbsp in the crab cake) (okay I didn't know they made jelly out of jalapenos until I saw this recipe. Surprisingly enough, I did find it in the jelly aisle of the grocery store)
• 1 tablesppon lemon juice
• Salt and ground pepper to taste

For the Crab Cake:

• 1 tablespoon Nakano Roasted Garlic Seasoned Rice Vinegar (you can use regular seasoned rice vinegar here, the roasted garlic vinegar adds additional flavor)
• 1/4 cup red pepper, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, for cooking (I used the Olive Oil instead of butter)

What to Do:

1.  In a small bowl, combine the mayo, 2 tablespoons jalapeno pepper jelly, and lemon juice and mix well. Add salt and pepper (to taste). Set aside (I made this a few hours ahead and refrigerated).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons jalapeno pepper jelly, rice vinegar, red pepper, onion, egg (beaten), black pepper and bread crumbs. Mix together well.
3. Add Crab meat to mixture and mix well. Season with salt to taste, if desired. Form mixture into crab cakes (4-8 depending on how large or small you wish to make them).
4. Dip each crab cake into additional bread crumbs before cooking, if desired.
5. In a large skillet, melt butter (pr oil) over medium-low heat. Cook crab cakes in batches if necessary. Cook 3-5 minutes per cake per side or until slightly browned on the top and bottom.
6. Serve alone or with bread. Serve with Red Pepper Aioli sauce.

Enjoy!







Simple Sauteed Tilapia Tacos with grilled Peppers and Onions

It had come to my attention earlier last week that Lucas has never had a fish taco before (and I am a huge fan of fish tacos). Needless to say when I picked up the August issue of Cooking Light magazine and saw a fish taco recipe, I was eager to try it. I was even MORE excited to try it when I found out that it was under the "5-ingredient cooking" section (with the exception of cooking spray, salt and pepper...they consider those "freebies"). I added a little Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning (Salt-Free) to my fish before cooking them too, just to add a little bit of spicy flavor. 

Sauteed Tilapia Tacos (Serves 4...2 tacos per serving)

What you will need:

• 2 (1/2 inch) slices of white onion
• 1 (8 or so ounce) package of mini-sweet bell peppers
• Cooking Spray
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt (divided) **I just sprinkled as I went (I don't use a lot of salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 4 (5-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
• Lime wedges (optional...but really add flavor)
• I also used extra spicy seasoning on my fish before cooking.

What to do:

1. Preheat Grill to high heat (I used the george foreman, which worked great)
2. Arrange onion slices and bell peppers on grill (or grill rack) that has been coated with cooking spray. Grill onions for 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Grill bell peppers (turning occasionally if on a regular grill...not needed if on the foreman grill.)
3. Remove onions and peppers from grill and let stand to cool. Slice the onion rings in half and thinly slice the bell peppers (removing stems and seeds). Combine onion and pepper in small bowl and season with salt and pepper. (approx 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper).
4. Sprinkle fish evenly with the remaining teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray.
5. Add fish to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side (or until the fish flakes really easily with tested with a fork.)
6. Warm tortillas in microwave (I use two damp paper towels and heat the tortillas in between them for 25-30 seconds). Divide fish, onion mixture, and thinly sliced jalapeno slices evenly among the tortillas. 

Serve with lemon wedges if desired. I also made a side of whole-grain rice with corn on the side. 

I also paired this with a Chardonnay from Hartwood Winery (Fredericksburg, VA). It is a dry wine (oaked 8 months in American and French barrels) with a light fruitiness. The pear notes are prevalent and is also reminiscent of ripe apples. We had the a vintage year (2006) which paired very nicely with this receipe.

Enjoy!

Nutrition: Calories: 292| Fat: 4.4g| Protein: 32.6g| Carb: 32g 

Pizzadillas

I am one of those people who has a guilty pleasure of buying cooking magazines. A lot of times I will buy the magazine and not try out the recipes, but this week I saw a Pizzadilla recipe that was so interesting that I had to try it. It's the perfect match between pizza and a quesadilla.

The thing I like most about this recipe is that it's easy to make and the ingredients are really low cost (approx. $2.00 a serving). It's also SO delicious and healthy if you use the right ingredients. This took a total of about 20 minutes, so I was really happy with the outcome.

What you will Need:

• approx. 1 tablespoon canola oil (for cooking)
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I usually don't measure this out. I just use what I want)
• 1 ounce Turkey Pepperoni (it tastes the same as normal pepperoni and it's 70% less fat!)
• 1 cup Pizza Sauce or Marinara of choice
• ** I added additional pizza ingredients even though the recipe didn't call for them. I'm sure you can add whatever you want. We wanted to add some green pepper for flavor.

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brush the canola oil over a jelly-roll pan and top it with the tortillas (I used two pans)
3. Sprinkle cheese over each tortilla (about 3 tablespoons per tortilla) and divide pepperoni among tortillas. (Here's also where I added the green pepper). Top with more cheese (another 3 tablespoons or so).
4. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully fold each tortilla in half. Put this back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes (5 minutes per side. Flip it half way through). (they should be really crispy and toasted brown by this point).
5. Heat sauce in a microwave safe bowl and serve along side for dipping.

Enjoy! (this can be served alone or with steamed broccoli or a small salad on the side).

Turkey Lasagna to-die-for

During my Senior year in college, I bought a healthy cooking cookbook with the idea that I would attempt to make at least 3-4 meals a week to avoid going out so much and spending so much money. I am embarrassed to say while I did cook in college, I never used that cookbook. Instead, I was a big fan of "calling mom for recipes" and using google.

A few weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to make lasagna. I wanted it to be delicious and everything that I knew Lasagna could be, but also wanted to make sure it was a healthy meal. I googled (as usual) a few recipes, but ended up resorting to pulling out that Healthy Cooking cookbook that I had never used 3-4 years back. I ended up finding a recipe for a Turkey Lasagna that was delicious and did not have too many steps/ingredients. The left-overs were just as good as when I first made it (maybe even better!)

Turkey Lasagna (serves 9)

What you will need:

• 9 lasagna noodles (I used the Barilla Lasagne noodles - uncooked. you can also use pre-cooked noodles with this recipe.)
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 cups tomato sauce (or a 15 ounce can) 
• One 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes (with juice)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 pound low-fat ricotta (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat (or part skim) mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese 

** I love a lot of sauce and wanted more than this recipe called for so after I used what the recipe called for above, I added some more tomato sauce, basil and oregano. You do not need to do this - I just didn't want it to be too dry.

What to do:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles until pliable but not soft. Drain and lay out on clean kitchen towels (the thought of "fuzzy noodles" made me sick, so I used paper towels...they didn't really stick, but still be careful as they may fall apart a little).
2. Meanwhile, cook the turkey in a large non-stick skillet until white throughout. As it cooks, break it apart. Pour off any fat or liquid (this is important). Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juice, oregano and basil. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Measure out 1 cup of the sauce and set aside.
3. Preheat your oven to 350. Coat a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
4. Place 3 noodles on the bottom of the pan (be careful, as they may break). Spread half of the turkey sauce over the noodles, then dot with half the ricotta (don't try to spread it smooth - it will do this as it cooks). Layer another 3 noodles. Repeat with the rest of the sauce and ricotta. Place the last 3 noodles on the top. Spread the reserved cup of sauce on the noodles (I added more than a cup of sauce here...as I mentioned, I like sauce). Finish by distributing the mozzerella and parmesean accross the top.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes (it will fall apart if you try to serve it too quickly). 

Enjoy!!! 

I also made a side of spaghetti with a traditional marinara sauce, and a Mixed Salad with an olive oil dressing on the side. 

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving: Calories 236 | Protein: 23g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 23g | Sodium: 533mg

Easy and Delicious Chicken

Living in the DC area, after working a full day and fighting traffic home, there is nothing I want to do more than just relax. I am always looking for a good recipe that is also a quick recipe. Eating out is not always the best option if you are on a budget or trying to eat healthy. This is one of those recipes that I found that is absolutely delicious, and doesn't hurt the belt OR the bank.  I modified it a bit to my own liking, as the original recipe did not create enough sauce. 

What you will need:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive oil
• 1 - 1 1/2 onion, chopped 
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (I use low-sodium soy sauce, but either one works)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• Ground black pepper (recipe calls for 1 tsp, but I just ground the pepper over the sauce)

What to do:

1. Saute onions in olive oil until they become translucent
2. Add the chicken and brown lightly
3. Combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice and pepper and mix together really well. Pour this over your chicken and bring the sauce to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow chicken to simmer for 25-30 minutes (make sure chicken is done, but not over done).
4. Slice chicken - serve over rice (I used brown rice and would have added cooked broccoli but I didn't have any in the house). Pour remainder of the sauce over the chicken/rice for a juicy flavor.

Enjoy :)

For those of you wondering: Amount Per Serving  Calories: 255 | Total Fat: 8.3g | Cholesterol: 68mg