Pizza: Who Wants Boring Pepperoni?

My daughter had her first slumber party this weekend. She had only one little friend visit, and it wore me out more than I thought it would. I don't think the girls were even bothered by running around all day, watching movies, making dinner, and staying up late. Of course, we made pizza for dinner. It was so much fun letting the girls knead the pizza dough, add the sauces, cheeses, meats, and veggies, and letting the girls compliment each other on a job well done.

Of course, the girls just wanted pepperoni pizza. They're children and kids like to eat things they trust. I, however, am a little more adventurous when it comes to food. As I've said before, we've got a couple of tomato plants at our house, and my in-laws have a gorgeous vegetable garden. I made a "white" pizza with garlic crust, olive oil, and cream cheese in lieu of normal tomato sauce. Topped with fresh onion, bell pepper, tomato, and basil, the girls looked at my pizza with obvious envy and asked if they could try it themselves. The evening ended with all of us complimenting each others' pizza prowess.

Here is what you'll need for the white pizza:

Ingredients

White Sauce:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic

Pizza toppings:
1 package of instant pizza crust (the "just add water" kind)
12 ounces Mozzarella cheese
1/2 medium red onion
1 large green bell pepper
4-6 Roma tomatoes
16 leaves of basil

Directions:

1. Follow instructions to prep pizza crust, and preheat oven to 425-degrees.

2. Prep white sauce:
- Warm up cream cheese in microwave.
- Add, and mix in the garlic and olive oil

3. Spread white sauce on pizza crust.

4. Sprinkle half of Mozzarella cheese on pizza.

5. Put veggies and basil on top, and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake pizza in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Let cool for about five minutes.

As you can see, not only this pizza is so easy to make, it is incredibly healthy, and even two nine-year-olds loved a veggie pizza!

I hope you try this recipe soon, and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family enjoyed it.

Happy eating!
~Summer

Trifecta of Delicious: Cheese, Tomato, & Basil

We started a tomato garden this year. My daughter has been so excited to watch these little seeds sprout, bloom, and grow into full-on tomato plants. Not only do we have tomatoes at our home, but my mother-in-law and father-in-law have a garden at their home. Full of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and several other vegetables, our meals are never without fresh vegetables during the spring and summer seasons.

In my previous post, I spoke about how chicken doesn't have to be boring. There are so many ways to take chicken out of its boring, bland state. With fresh Gouda, from-the-garden tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves, this little dish is so delicious that my daughter asked me to make it AGAIN the next night! It's quick and easy to make, and it make chicken taste so much richer.

Here's what you'll need:

Chicken topped with Gouda, Tomato, and Basil
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
7 oz Gouda cheese
2 medium tomatoes (the fresher, the better)
16 leaves fresh basil
Rosemary, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Spray a oven-safe dish and place chicken in dish.

2. Cut Gouda into small, one-inch squares. Lay on top of chicken.

3. Cut up tomato, and place on top of cheese. Top with two leaves of fresh basil. sprinkle with rosemary and pepper, to taste.

4. Bake chicken at 350-degrees for 30 minutes, or until chicken is completely done.

5. Top each piece of chicken with two more leaves of basil.


I optioned to pair this with a variation of a Greek Salad. I used cucumber, tomato, red onion, and olive oil and vinegar, and topped with the remaining Gouda instead of the normal feta cheese. The meal is quick, fast, and fresh.

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family did.

Happy eating!
~Summer

Taco Tuesday - On a Wednesday

We have tacos weekly in our home. It's one of the easiest meals because I let the meat cook in the crock pot all day, and then make a condiment bar for everyone to choose their favorite toppings. Using corn and flour tortillas, as well as hard and soft shells, it's such a fun dinner to make because everyone gets to help! What's more, I make such a large serving, there is more than enough for lunches and leftovers for the rest of the week.

My recipe today shows you how a lot of good prep-work goes a long way. This is what you'll need:

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
Yields 8 3-taco servings

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1 jar (8-12oz) sala (any kind you like, folks)
2 packages of taco seasoning
24 soft flour tortillas
24 soft corn tortillas
24 hard-shell corn tortillas

1. Put chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning into crock pot
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours
3. Shred chicken when complete

For your fixings, use what you like! This is what I like putting out:

-Spanish rice
-Black beans
-Shredded lettuce
-Diced tomatoes
-Diced onions
-Sliced avocado
-Shredded cheese
-Sour cream
-Hot sauce
-Salsa
-Pico de Gallo

I've got all of this prepped this morning since placing the chicken, salsa, and taco seasoning in the crock pot took (maybe) two minutes. I've got them in storage containers ready for tonight. All I'll have to do is sit back, relax, and let dinner make itself.

Fast, easy, and, above all, interesting.

Happy eating!
~Summer