Bacon, Mushroom and Onion Pizza Filed under ( bacon, cheese, light recipes, main dishes, mushrooms, pizza )

One of the things I love about my family is that they are just as food loving as I am. My mom especially. We have had countless conversations about food, and have even gone as far as to call each other, just to talk about what we just made. I love it!

A few months ago when we were on family vacation, we asked each other, if we had to eat one thing, everyday, for the rest of our lives, what would it be? There were answers from Fettuccine Alfredo, to salmon, to avocado sandwich (huh?). When it got to me, after thinking about it sometime, I had to answer honestly and say pizza. I just loooove pizza, and I have not once in my life gotten sick of it. And how could you not? There are so many ways to make it, that it pleases just about everyone. I love it for it's variety: thin crust, thick crust, cheesy, or light, meat laden, or veggie, red sauce, white sauce, pesto, no sauce. I love pizza!

So naturally when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, I had to make it. The bacon of course is what makes this pie so smoky and wonderful, but don't underestimate the power of those beefy mushrooms and caramelized onions. I couldn't stop eating this thing, good thing it's a Cooking Light recipe!

Bacon, Mushroom and Onion Pizza
By Cooking Light October 2009

Ingredients

1 11oz can refrigerated french bread (I used pizza dough)
2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced onions
1 8oz package cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Find lengthwise seam in dough. Beginning at seam, gently unroll dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Stretch dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; transfer to a round pizza pan or large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.

2. Preheat oven to 425.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add onion; saute 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place chopped onions in a bowl. Add cremini mushrooms to the pan; saute 8 minutes, or until liquid is evaporated. Add mushrooms to onion mixture; toss. Spread onion mixture evenly over prepared dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and bacon. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut into 12 wedges.

Serves 6: a serving size is two wedges

Per Serving: 316cal, 14.9g fat, 15.6g prot, 31.1g carb, o.9g fiber

Points per Serving: 7

I you had to eat the same food everyday for the rest of your life...what would it be?

Pesto Tomato Flatbread Filed under ( cheese, main dishes, pizza, quick and easy, veggies )

A while back, Alissa from Spunky Girl Eats, posted about her grape pesto pizza. I had seen that recipe in Cooking Light, but quickly turned the page, freaked out at the idea of grapes on a pizza. But, after her rave reviews, I knew I had to try it. Holy cow, what an amazing pizza, so many flavors. Go check out her blog for the recipe!

But afterwards, I needed something to do with the leftover pesto and pizza crust. I remembered a flatbread of pesto and tomato that I had at a restaurant not too long ago and decided to duplicate that. I'd like to introduce you to my new favorite lunch! Is there anything not to like? Fresh tomatoes, rich pesto, gooey mozzarella, it's like a party in my mouth! It also takes about three minutes to put together. Go make yourself some, thank me later.

Pesto Tomato Flatbread

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 can flatbread pizza dough
4-5 tablespoons pesto (if you're not using homemade, use the stuff that comes from the refrigerated section, it's just better)
4-5 roma or campari tomatoes, chopped
5-6 basil leaves, torn, or cut into ribbons
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons pecorino romano
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Directions

Sprinkle cornmeal on baking sheet or pizza stone. Lay out pizza crust. Spread an even layer of pesto over crust. Evenly arrange tomatoes, basil, garlic, and cheeses. Bake at temperature given on pizza dough can and bake until cheese is melted and crust is browned, about 10 minutes.

Cobb Salad Pizza Filed under ( bacon, cheese, chicken, light recipes, main dishes, pizza, salad )

You'll have to forgive the pictures on this post. Sometimes pictures are done in haste. Sometimes you're just too hungry to worry about plating, lighting and aesthetics. Sometimes when you have a beautiful warm salad, tossed with chicken, bacon, avocado, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and a homemade vinaigrette, soaking into a freshly baked pizza crust, you don't want to be bothered. You just want to eat it.


I suggest you do the same.

Coming Back With Some Food Reviews Filed under ( Breakfast, fruit, main dishes, pasta, pizza, review )

Hi everyone! It's so good to be home, although jet lag is a beast! Who would have thought that three measly hours could cause so much damage. Hopefully we'll be back to a more normal schedule soon, but in the meantime, we're enjoying a little vacation after our vacation.


Over the last few months I've been able to sample a few more new products sent to me by Foodbuzz. These are way overdue, but hopefully still useful. The first one was Mushroom Ravioli from Buitoni. I didn't do a whole lot with this ravioli except drizzle a bit of olive oil and Pecorino Romano so that I could really focus on the pasta.

It. Was. So. Good.

My husband and I enjoyed this together, and there was absolutely no dialogue between us because we were too busy stuffing our faces. If you need a quick, inexpensive, and delicious dinner, I highly recommend this stuff. It looks like Buitoni has quite a few types and flavors of pasta that look just as delicious.



The second product I was able to sample were these Eggo Fruit Pizzas. I have to say, I loved the idea. A whole wheat waffle, topped with yogurt, granola and berries, a delicious combination. However, I wasn't crazy about the actual product. The waffle was a bit chewy, the yogurt flavorless, and the berries few and warped by the effects of the microwave. I would love to recreate it, but unfortunately, I don't see myself purchasing it again.

I hope you've all enjoyed your summers so far. I'm going to do my best to catch up with you all in the next few days, I'm excited to see what you've been up to! I've got a nice and healthy line up planned since I've got a few ~ahem~ vacation pounds to get rid of. Can't wait to see how it goes. Enjoy your week everyone, I'll be chatting with you soon!

Nacho Beef Bake Filed under ( Beans, beef, cheese, light recipes, main dishes, pizza )

One of my favorite things about cooking is all the exciting things there are out there to try. New ingredients, new cooking techniques, new experiences. It's so fun, but it's also nice to come back to what's familiar and what you know will be delicious.

That's exactly how I felt when I saw this recipe. With it's flaky crescent roll crust, flavorful taco meat, and melty cheese topping, how could you go wrong? I loved it before I even bought the ingredients for it, and my family loved it too. The best part is that it came from my Healthy edition of Taste of Home, so I didn't have to feel as though this comfort dish was going to make me any less comfortable in the waistline!

Nacho Beef Bake
Slightly Adapted from Taste of Home, Healthy edition May/June edition

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 tubes refrigerated low-fat crescent rolls
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
chopped lettuce
chopped cilantro
chopped tomato
chopped avocado

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the beans, water and taco seasoning; mash slightly. Cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until heated through; set aside.

2. Unroll crescent dough and press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; seal seams and perforations. Spoon beef mixture over dough. Spread sour cream over beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with lettuce, tomato, avocado and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Asparagus Gruyere Tart Filed under ( asparagus, cheese, pizza, puff pastry )

And how was everyone's Memorial Day weekend? We were lucky enough to have good weather and spent our time together eating, playing and spending time with friends. In the short four days that we had together I got very spoiled and had a hard time relinquishing my husband back to school! But luckily I have a nice "food hangover" to distract me!

This beauty was something I found in my Martha Stewart Great Food Fast book. I've been making a ton of things from this cookbook, and so far I've found it to be a little "hit and miss." However, one thing I really love about it is that it's split up into the four seasons, which I think is fun, I love seasonal food. This particular tart was a total hit and something I would definitely make. It's simplicity was probably the best part about it, easier then throwing together a pizza! Puff pastry, cheese and asparagus...do I really need to tell you how good it was?


Asparagus Gruyere Tart
Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Flour, for work surface
1 thawed sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (I probably used half of that)
1 1/2 pound medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
course salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16x10 inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2. Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with the cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Individual Thai Chicken Pizzas Filed under ( chicken, light recipes, main dishes, meat, pizza )

As I've mentioned several times in the past, we love pizza, I never get sick of it. And pizza is so fun because there are so many different ways to make it.

This recipe is really yummy, simple, and very family friendly. I loved the individual pizzas, but when I make this again, I will probably just make it into one big pizza with homemade dough. My favorite part was the sauce, and don't be shy with it, I put a lot more on then called for. The recipe for the sauce was so yummy, I could see myself using it for a lot of other things, pasta sauce, lettuce wrap dipping sauce, a sauce to dip my finger into, etc! Enjoy!

Individual Thai Chicken Pizzas

Found in WW 20 minute recipes

Ingredients

1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons peanut sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste
4 (6 inch) pitas
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup matchstick cut carrots (I just grated a carrot)
1 cup fresh beansprouts
1/4 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Combine first three ingredients; stir well with a whisk. Spread 2 tablespoons sauce mixture on each pita. Place pitas on a large baking sheet. Top each pita with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup carrots, 1/4 cup bean sprouts, and 1 tablespoon green onion. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly with cilantro.

Serves 4: 1 pizza

Per Serving: 367 cal, 8g fat, 25.8g prot, 47.9g carb, 2.5g fiber, 42mg chol, 3.7mg iron

Points per Serving: 8

Pizza Dough for Thin Crust Pizza Filed under ( pizza )

Debating recently about what to cook for dinner, I realized I had everything needed to make homemade pizza. I know many of you do this often but we have so many favorite pizza restaurants that very rarely do I make pizza at home. However, I do believe PIZZA is my very favorite food. If I was stranded on a desert island with just one choice of food, I think it would have to be pizza! (almost typed dessert island - that would be nice too)

I found this easy recipe for the crust on www.food.com. This recipe had tons of great reviews and received 5 stars so I gave it a try. It was so easy and perfectly yummy. I think you could top it with whatever your heart desires. I love Pesto Chicken Pizza so I made one with pesto, chicken, garlic and mozzerella cheese. I would love to have added tomato slices and feta cheese and maybe purple onion. The other pizza was just your basic jarred spaghetti sauce, pepperoni and cheese. I cooked one on a stone and the other on a basic pizza pan and both were delightful.

I LOVE PIZZA!

Gorganzola and Tomato Pizza Filed under ( light recipes, main dishes, pizza, veggies )

Hello everyone! I'm sorry to have been out for so long, the winter sicks have gotten the best of my family and I. Fortunately, I think we're on the mend!

Pizza is without a doubt one of my favorite foods, as I have mentioned in the past. I know it's so common to hear, but I'm convinced that if I had to eat pizza everyday for the rest of my life, I'd be one happy camper. The best thing about pizza too is that you could make pizza everyday and not have the same kind for a long time, it's so versatile, there's a million things you could do with it. I found this recipe in Cooking Light (where else) and was surprised to find it a hit among my whole family. I'm a HUGE Gorgonzola fan, but it's a strong flavor, and not exactly kid friendly. Luckily, the tomatoes, mozzarella and nutty crust also add much deliciousness which may keep those afraid of blue cheese around! I can't wait to make this pizza again!

Gorgonzola and Tomato Pizza

Found in Cooking Light August 2008 edition

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (100-110)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (I have no idea what this is, nor could I find it, the crust still turned out great)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cooking Spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 pound tomatoes, sliced (recipe calls for "Mortgage Lifter" tomatoes, you could really use whatever you want, I used Camparini)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I used dried, but fresh is always best!)
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/3 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Add flours, wheat gluten, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; stir until a soft dough forms.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes). Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85), free from drafts, 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough).

3. Preheat oven to 450.

4. Punch dough down. Roll dough into a 10x14-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover ad let rise in a warm place (85), free from drafts, 20 minutes.

5. Sprinkle cheeses evenly over dough. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer over cheese. Combine basil and remaining ingredients in a bowl; sprinkle mixture evenly over tomatoes.

6. Bake at 450 for 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut pizza into 8 rectangles.

Serves 4: One serving is two rectangles

Per Serving: 261 calories, 9.2g fat, 16.3g prot, 29.5g carb, 4.5g fiber, 25mg chol, 680mg sod.

Points per serving: 5

I also get to pass on an award today! Donna, at My Tasty Treasures, was nice enough to give me this cool award. She posts the most delicious looking food and has a really fun blog that you should definitely check out! Thanks Donna! I will be passing this one to the following:

Lynette and Nett's Nook
Pam at For the Love of Cooking
Melissa at Schweet n Savory
Maria at Two Peas and Their Pod
Sara at Sara's Kitchen
Priscilla at Priscilla's Baking Adventures
Gianina at Gianina's Kitchen

These are all great blogs that I peek in on once a day and never disappoint! One of the funnest things about food blogging is keeping track of all the other food blogs. There are so many wonderful ideas out there!

Happy March everybody!

HBi5: Southwestern Pizza with Olive Oil Bread Filed under ( bread, cheese, chicken, HBi5, light recipes, main dishes, pizza, veggies )

Do you know what I'm loving right now? Costco's Shrimp Wonton Soup. I know, I'm a cheater and should really be making stuff like this myself, but it sure comes in handy after being body slammed by the stomach flu. Ugh, and I thought I'd escaped it this year. My little girl has it too, and while it's no fun being sick alongside your kids, at least you all get nice long healing naps together, which is what I plan to do right after I'm done posting this! But seriously, try this soup if you need quick meals on the run. The best part is that it's only 2 or three points for the entire bowl, now that's good eatin!


I'm not going to lie, this round of HBi5 was a bit depressing for me. It wasn't the dough, the bread, or even this pizza, but one little ingredient that I just can't seem to conquer, GOAT CHEESE! I've always held a bit of pride in the fact that there is hardly anything out there that I actively don't like, and it's true. Sure, I prefer some foods over others, but to practically gag at the very idea of a certain food is very rare to me, except when it comes to goat cheese. And I really WANT to like goat cheese, but I think I'm about ready to throw in the towel. I tried. I really did. Everything else about the pizza was great. Spicy southwestern flavors, sweet corn, juicy pieces of chicken thigh. But I wish instead of forcing myself to like goat cheese, I had just used mozzerella, or Monterey Jack. Unfortunately every bite that I took (with a forced smile on my face), was accompanied with the need to gag and a sinking feeling of dispair. It just wasn't meant to be Goat Cheese. I hope we can still be friends, or perhaps penpals.

Since I haven't been feeling up to snuff, I have yet to use the rest of the bread. Tonight I'll be making rolls for dinner, assuming anyone wants to eat. And I may just make some buttery cinnamon sugar sticks for my kids. Hey, it's whole-wheat bread, which means it will still be very healthy, right? Check out the rest of the HBi5 gang here and HAPPY MARCH!

Craving Ellie in My Belly: Her Pizza Adapted Filed under ( CEiMB, cheese, feta, light recipes, main dishes, onions, pizza, tortillas, vegetarian, veggies )

Joining the group Craving Ellie in my Belly was my way of killing two birds with one stone. Now I am signed on with two cooking clubs, and they both include eating healthy. Sweet! I'm really excited about cooking Ellie Kreiger recipes. She's always been a favorite of mine on Food Network and I've been happy with a lot of her recipes.

The reason I'm adapting this recipe is because, as of yet, the only food in this world that I just can't get myself to like, is goat cheese. Granted, I've never had it baked in a pizza, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on it with the risk that I wasn't going to like it. So, I used feta instead, it's a cheese made out of sheep's milk, so kind of similar right? And since I was already adapting, I figured I'd use spinach which I already had in the fridge instead of arugula. The result? Fantastic! I plan to have it for lunch again very soon. It's quick, easy and PACKED with flavor, which is good. I read somewhere that if you eat foods that are very flavorful, you'll feel satisfied quicker and eat less. Give this pizza a try, you'll love it!

Feta, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Pizza
Adapted from Ellie Krieger
For One

Ingredients

1 tortilla, (I love the Carb Balance, they are one point each!)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 spinach
2 tablespoons feta
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the oil and onions in a medium skillet and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and top each with some of the spinach/onion mixture. Crumble some feta on top of each, and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes and cut each pizza into 4 triangles.