Mini Pizza to Order!

Of course my husband and I could agree on a pizza if we had to but we have completely different tastes when it come to a good pizza.  To him, the more meat the better and to me, the less of everything the better.  I came across individual pizza crusts at the store the other day which are just perfect for us. To have with my "New Year, New You" post  I picked up a couple packages, whole wheat for me and regular for him. You can put almost anything on a pizza so it is completely up to your taste.  Here is what I used on ours tonight:

Whole Wheat Crust

Organic Pizza Sauce

Black Olives

Low Fat Mozzarella 

Basil

Regular Crust

Bacon (cooked and chopped)

Pizza Blend Shredded Cheese

Jalapeno Block Cheese

Green Onions

I used the same sauce on both pizza crusts.  I then added cubed mozzarella, black olives and basil to the whole wheat crust.  Mozzarella is a cheese that is high in protein which is why I chose it since I am not easting meat this month.  Now on to Scott's, he wanted me to try two different versions (both of which he loved).  On half we did just the shredded jalapeno cheese with chopped green onion.  On the other side we did a layer of bacon topped with the pizza cheese blend and then topped with more bacon and green onion.  Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on top of both to your liking and pop them in the toaster oven or regular oven.  They will only take about 8 minutes to cook so they are easy to throw together even for a quick lunch! 

The small crust is a perfect serving size which will help you not overeat. Enjoy!

New Year, New You

Things got a little busy these past few months between work and the holiday season.  I am starting off the new year with a health kick, doesn't' everyone??!?!?  The thing is I don't believe in diets, most of them are just a fad and you will go right back to eating normal and gaining every pound you lost right back. You have to look at it more as a lifestyle change and set goals for the year rather than a resolution.  My first goal for the year is to eat more natural foods such as fruits and veggies so for the month of January I decided not to eat meat to focus more on healthy salads and cut out those sandwiches and big lunches!

I love the taste of fruit mixed with veggies and salads do not have to contain lettuce and be covered in fattening dressings.

Take the above for example. I took one large Holland cucumber, 1/2 a can of black olives, 1 gala apple and 1 cup of grapes.  You can cut them to your liking and combine in a bowl.  I then added 2 tablespoons of a red wine vinaigrette.  Lastly add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.  The acid from the lemon juice helps keep yours apples from getting brown so you salad will stay and LOOK fresh for days. Enjoy!

Lingucia with Veggies

Lingucia is a favorite in our house! I mean it is probably a favorite in all households in this area and it should be.  You can grill it, make a sandwich, add cheese, grind it into a sauce, add it to your hamburg for an extra kick, slice it with some veggies over rice (as I did below) and so much more.   I like the following the best as you get everything a meal should have in one quick easy dish, AND it tastes even better left over!

Ingredients:

Lingucia sliced 

1 can Black olives

1 cup red, yellow orange peppers sliced

Olive oil and garlic tomato sauce (I use Bertoli)

2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning

3 cups cooked whole grain brown rice

Start by cooking the lingucia in a large skillet.  Once almost cooked fully ass the sauce, veggies and seasoning.  Cover the pan and simmer for at least 15 minutes.

Check the tenderness of the peppers to determine if it should simmer longer. Serve over the rice and Enjoy!

American Chop Suey

American Chop Suey is made differently in almost every home. I find it to be a recipe that you grew up with that gets passed down with small tweaks.  To be honest it was never one of my favorite meals since I don't eat hamburg so I always would take the noodles plain with some sauce before mixing it together.  On the other hand it is one of my husbands FAVORITE meals and his mothers version is much different than my mothers version so I have learned to make her version over the past year.  The one change that I made is that I add extra hamburg and Italian sausage since that is Scott's favorite part.

I start be removing the sausage from their casings (I use about 3 or 4) and adding them to about 1lb of hamburg in a large skillet.  I combine them and cook until no longer pink.  I then add a tablespoon or so of Basil, Italian Seasoning and garlic powder with salt and pepper to taste.  Once mixed together I add 1/2 of a large sweet onion, 1/2 a green pepper (I used orange this time since that is what I had) and 1/2 a red pepper.  I cover the pan and simmer until the veggies are tender. 

Once they are tender I add in a box of pre-cooked elbows or shells (- the bowl i took out for myself!) and a jar of vidalia onion spaghetti sauce and mix together.  I let this simmer for about 10 minutes and then it is ready to ENJOY!

BLT Pasta Salad

The ""BLT" Bacon Lettuce and tomato turned into a tasty pasta salad side dish!"

Now as you know from the Bacon wrapped corn on the cob post, my husband loves his bacon!  So here I took the classic BLT and turned it into the perfect meal.  Here we both get our favorite things, pasta and bacon!  You will need the ingredients below to get started:

Ingredients:

1 Box Mini Bow Tie Pasta (cooked) 2 Ripe Heirloom Tomato's (chopped) 2 Cups Iceberg Lettuce (chopped) 5 Strips Apple-wood Smoked Bacon (cooked and chopped) 1 Can Medium Black Olives (Sliced) 1 Cup Ken's Light Ranch Dressing 1/2 Cup Ken's Ranch Dressing 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seed Oil 2 TBSP Lemon Juice 1 TBSP Dried Basil 1 TBSP Black Pepper 1 TBSP Salt 5 TBSP Bacon Bits Once you have the above items prepped and ready to go you can follow my easy to follow instructions below:

Combine Ranch dressing, Sunflower Seed Oil and Lemon juice in large bowl. Add Basil, Black Pepper and Salt. Next, Stir in prepared pasta and mix well to coat pasta. Gently Stir in Tomatoes, Lettuce and olives. Lastly stir in the chopped bacon and bacon bits. Refrigerate for 1 hour and ENJOY!

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

I love pasta salads and make them year round.  Most people give them up once fall arrives.  They are easy to throw together and make a great lunch for the week.  This Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad is one of my favorites.  You have your carbs, veggies, dairy and meat all in one, PERFECT meal!   This also only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish and will get you about 8 good servings.  This receipie was passed down from my mother in law and one of my husbands favorites as well! To get started you will need......

* 8 oz. Mini Bow Tie Pasta
* 2 1/4 Cups Diced Plum Tomatoes
* 1/3 Cup Capers (rinsed and drained)
* 1.4 Cup Banana Peppers (sliced)
* 2 TBSP. Cider Vinegar
* 1 TBSP. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1/2 TSP. Dried Oregano
* 1/8 TSP. Salt
* 3 oz.Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded)
* 1 oz. Salami (Chopped)
* 1 Garlic Clove (Minced)


Once you have everything prepped and ready to go it is quite simple, first cook the pasta, drain and set aside. Next combine all other ingredients in a large bowl, add pasta, stir and Enjoy!

Parmasan Pasta Salad

So last night I was starving when I got home from work and wasn't really in the mood for any meat!  My husband cooked himself some delish chicken but while we waited I through together a quick on the spot pasta salad with what we had in the house.  I love using Barilla Veggie Pasta.  You get a full serving of veggies in each serving without having to add in the extra's.

Once this was done cooking I drained the pasta and tossed it with some EVOO.  I added a few shakes of grated parmesan cheese, that melted right into the warm pasta, a little parsley and a little basil.  I finished it up with 1 can of sliced black olives and sea salt.  For throwing something together at the last minuted it was absolutely delish and my husband agreed! Had to write about this one to make sure I never forget how to make it!