Thin Crust Personal Pizza

This delight is so tasty that I make it the exact same way each time. Of course, you can vary toppings to your liking, I just happen to have this combination on hand often enough.



Ingredients (per pizza)
1 8" flour tortilla
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. marinara sauce
1/2 tomato, seeded & diced
1/2 an Italian sausage, cooked (I used MorningStar's Pre-cooked Italian Sausage)
36 grams (2% milk) shredded mozzarella cheese (err, a heaping 1/4 cup)
salt (optional)

Method
This recipe requires either an oven baking stone or a pan on bottom of oven that can withstand 500 degree F temperatures (such as a broiling pan).

Start pre-heating the oven to 500 degrees F.

Spread a very thin layer of sauce over the tortilla, leaving 1/2" dry around the circumference.

Using a brush, apply olive oil to the uncovered 1/2" tortilla lightly. Optionally salt to the crust. Kosher salt seems to have the best consistency.

Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella over the sauce, then add the tomatoes and sausage. If desired, shred a small amount of cheddar for marbled presentation.

At 500 degrees F, cook the pizza for 2 minutes 15 seconds or until desired done-ness. Watch the pizza, it cooks quickly.

Notes
This pizza goes really well with a salad to round off the meal.

Taco Seasoning

You know what grinds my gears? Buying pre-made seasoning. Sure, it's usually decent, but I'd rather know which spices create known flavors (General Tso's, taco seasoning, cajun seasoning, etc). Here's a taco / Mexican seasoning mix that I like better than the packets at the store (and is made from spices I keep on hand). Also, no es caliente (it's not spicy).

Mix the following:
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t black pepper
1/2 t salt (sea salt preferred)
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t oregano

We use this in the following:
Taco meat (beef or turkey or tvp)
Chicken or Chick'n

Hawaiian Delight Smoothie

This delight is inspired by Walh's Dairy Port, the happenin place in b-town during the occasionally warm coastal summer.




Ingredients
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup pineapple (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup water or milk (it's all about consistency, baby!)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp. chocolate fudge fat-free, sugar-free instant pudding mix.
1 tbsp. chopped walnuts (optional)
1 tbsp. flaked coconut (optional)

It appears to be a lot of stuff to be jamming into a smoothie, but honestly, the first 5/6 things are put into pretty much every smoothie I make, so no special grocery trips necessary. Mixing is done in a personal-sized Magic Bullet blender. Super quick and easy cleanup. This just happens to be the first of many recipes we plan to add that use infotastic devices first featured on tv. You can definitely use a regular blender, but like the GTXpress, the Magic Bullet has proven to be one of the most useful kitchen time-savers for around $50.

Method

• Add the following to your blending container
• banana
• pineapple
• ice
• water
• protein powder
• puddin mix
• Blend, 30 - 60 seconds until well mixed
• Give a quick rinse to the blender blade for next use
• Stir in coconut and walnuts
• Depending on consistency (more/less ice, milk), you can either eat this with a spoon or sip it. Despite the stirring spoon in the photo above, I sipped this and crunched up the coconut and walnuts during the process.

Nacho Mac & Cheese

I'm having a blast with the 300 calorie meals lately. My energy levels are back up, and I can wake up ready to rock n roll in the mornings and still have energy to do cardio and some horsing around in the evenings. Among other things, I've become more adventurous in cooking creations. This meal may take some tweaking in the future, but it served its purpose tonight.. a healthier version of mac n cheese.

[I'll inject a photo the next time I prepare this meal.]

Ingredients
63 grams Ronzoni Smart Pasta - Elbow Macaroni
1/2 cup milk (I use 1% organic)
1 tbsp. Wondra
1 tbsp. nacho cheese popcorn seasoning
Pepper
Paprika (optional)

Method

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil
• Toss in the macaroni, then move on to the sauce
• In a saucepan, mix milk and Wondra
• Heat saucepan on medium setting, stirring sauce very frequently
• After a few minutes, sauce will show thickening, add a few shakes of pepper
• Super optional - add a few shakes of paprika (this actually makes it a little spicy in the end)
• Continue stirring sauce and preparing macaroni
• Once sauce reaches the consistency of thick ketchup, mix in the cheese seasoning
• Drain finished macaroni, stir in sauce

A few notes

1. Smart pasta rocks. I personally like the taste as much as traditional pasta and it has a good amount of calcium and a bit of fiber as well. I recommend replacing any current pasta dishes with Smart Pasta for the nutritious benefit.
   
2. The nacho cheese popcorn seasoning I have is very low sodium and 1 tbsp. has 24 calories. I picked it up at wally world.
   
3. If you're used to adding salt or just have an average American salt diet (i.e. high sodium diet), this meal will not provide you with that salty taste each bite. I've put a decent amount of effort in reducing my personal sodium intake, and after a while, adding additional salt is rarely part of my culinary ways. If you're not concerned, add a few shakes of kosher salt to the sauce and you'll likely have a greater appreciation for this meal.
4. I have no idea what 63 grams of pasta comes out to in cup fractions, but I'll take a measurement next time. The amount was chosen since it comes out to about 200 calories of pasta. You can wing it pretty easily since a serving is 180 cals and tossing in a few more elbows. If you have a small food scale, that serves this purpose.
   

Grilled Cheese (nutrition-remix)

Grilled cheese is grilled cheese. No matter how you approach it – there's bread and there's cheese. The thing that makes this version unique is that health+nutrition are high and it dishes out 2 sandwiches (8 squares) per person. I started making this when I was eating 6 meals a day (~300 cal/meal) and wanted to mix in an old favorite. Full nutrition info is located at the end of the post, but it's good to know that each sandwich has 110 cals (10g protein, 1g fat). Make one for a snack, 2 for a meal, or 3 for a craving!



Ingredients
4 slices 40 calorie bread by Franz
2 slices fat-free cheese
non-stick spray or 1 tbsp. light butter

Method

• Prepare your non-stick skillet on medium heat
• Spray or lightly butter one side of each bread slice
• Assemble each sandwich on the skillet
  
• bread slice, butter-side down
• slice of cheese
• bread slice, butter-side up
• Cook each side until golden-brown, about 1-2 minutes
• Remove cooked sandwich, cut as desired

Nutrition info
4 slices bread = 160 cal, 12g protein, 2g fat
2 slices fat-free cheese = 60 cal, 8g protein, 0g fat

Total nutrition
220 cal, 20g protein, 2g fat

I took in a glass of milk to crank it up to 310 cals and 29g protein, but using double-cheese works just as well.

Cincinnati Chili

I hadn't heard of "Cincinnati Chili" until visiting my mom in Cinci for Christmas in 2001, but it was clear that I had to try this local favorite while there. It's nothing like Texas chili, but I recommend you try it at least once because it is pretty unique. This is great as a crock pot recipe. I haven't tried it with vegetarian ground "beef," but I'd expect it to be pretty good (as I've been using more vegetarian meats in my cooking and many are the same or better than real meats).

Ingredients
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) peeled whole tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 clove garlic (whole)
3 bay leaves
Prepared spaghetti
A heap of small shredded mild cheddar cheese (mild is important, as is small)

Method

• Brown beef, cook onions with it and drain
• Add beef & onions to crock pot
• Add rest of ingredients to crock pot (this recipe is so easy!)
• Cook on low, 4-5 hours
• Remove bay leaves and garlic
• Serve on a bed of spaghetti

Options - 3-way, 4-way, 5-way

• 3-way
• Add a heap of shredded mild cheddar on top of chili
• 4-way
• Add a heap of shredded mild cheddar on top of chili
• Add fresh chopped onion on top of cheese
• 5-way
• Add a heap of shredded mild cheddar on top of chili
• Add fresh chopped onion on top of cheese
• Add kidney beans on top
• Coneys (little hot dogs)
• Place a prepared hot dog in a bun, top with chili, serve as is or 3- 4- or 5-way
• If desired add mustard to hot dog before topping

Quesadilla

Quesadillas are quick and easy to make, but I've seen many people mess up the process. Too much cheese, folding too early, using a tortilla for both top and bottom... these are just some of the more common mistakes. Quesadillas were the most popular appetizer at the restaurant I worked at, so making the perfect one had to be a seamless series of steps, executed at just the right times. The following steps are quite verbose, but for no extra charge you get my memory's step-by-step process of making a great quesadilla.

With that said, the process of making a quesadilla fantástica is as follows:

Ingredients
1 flour tortilla
Soft or melted butter, enough to lightly coat one side of the tortilla
Colby-Jack cheese, shredded
Seasoned chicken (optional)

Method

• Preheat a skillet on the range at medium setting.
  
• Lightly butter one side of a tortilla.
• Place tortilla, butter-side down on skillet.
  
• Sprinkle shredded Colby-Jack cheese on half the tortilla, but make sure you can still see some white tortilla through the cheese. If you cannot see any tortilla, you've over-cheesed.
• Optional -- add seasoned chicken on top of the cheese. Make sure you use much less chicken than cheese.
• Cook for about 1 minute, then lift the tortilla slightly to check if it is at a nice toasty, light, golden-brown color.
• When tortilla reaches a light-golden color, fold empty half over cheesy half, press down lightly so it stays put.
  
• Allow quesadilla to cook for another 30-45 seconds, the cheese should be melted by now.
• If the cheese is not completely melted, flip tortilla and allow it to cook for another 30-45 seconds. Flipping will assure even toastyness of the outer shell.
• Remove cooked quesadilla and place on a cutting board.

Cutting technique
Quesadillas could be cut any way using any knife, but here's my preferred way with my preferred knife.

Place the tip of your favorite sharp Chef's Knife on the cutting board at the center of the flat side of the quesadilla, so the blade and handle are above the rest of the quesadilla at a 45 degree angle. One hand is holding the handle, and the other is resting on the top, dull side of the blade. In a rocking motion (keeping the front of the blade touching the cutting board), smoothly cut through the center, creating two equal triangles. Reverse the motion you just made until the blade is back at the 45 degree angle position. Push your handle hand forward to cut the far triangle in half, cut, then pull back to cut the final triangle, resulting in 4 total triangles. Four is the ideal count for a 10-inch tortilla, 6- to 8-inch tortillas may only require 3 triangles.

Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of one or more of the following:

• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Salsa (keep in mind that it is difficult to scoop chunky salsa with a quesadilla triangle)
• Pico de Gallo (may be difficult to scoop)
  
• A zesty ranch-based sauce

If you're looking to make a full circle tortilla, it is highly recommended that you make two half-circles, independently. Flipping a quesadilla that uses two tortillas at once (so no folding would be required) can result in cheese falling out the sides and is generally difficult to manage.

Craig Sandwich (veggie)

Only Jessie could enlighten us as to why this is named as such, but don't let the name fool you... this is one of my favorite things. The idea behind this is to get the most flavor out of healthy vegetables as possible. There are countless possible variations, just adapt it to your personal taste.

There is just one basic rule to assembling your own masterpiece: alternate layers of slippery veggies with layers of veggies that have more friction. If you fail, and you will know if you did, you end up with a huge mess during the devouring process. I've failed more than once! Remember, avocado is a slippery mistress, so use extra caution near it (it never hurts to put a few sprouts on that layer for non-slip insurance).

This does not have to be a triple-bread-slice sandwich, but that's Craig's preference. Jessie is more of a double-slice (traditional) girl.



Note on the ingredients: size does matter. It all depends on the size of your bread slice. The list here is for a rather large slice of bread, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients (per sandwich)
2 leaves Romaine lettuce, patted dry
1 mushroom, fresh, sliced
1/2 medium avocado, sliced
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
9 slices cucumber
4 slices tomato
1 slice American or Cheddar cheese
1 thin section of a yellow or white onion
salt (recommended)
pepper (recommended)
mayo

Method

• Toast bread lightly, if you desire or if you have pathetic, weak bread on hand.
• Layer the following
• 1 slice bread
• 1 leaf lettuce
• 1 slice cheese
• mushroom slices
• avocado slices
• 1 slice bread
• cucumber slices
• pepper
• tomato slices
• salt
• sprouts
• onion slices
• 1 leaf lettuce
• layer the bottom of the top bread layer with mayo
• last slice bread
• Holding the sandwich firmly, use a bread knife or other sharp serrated knife to slice in half.

My guess is that this sandwich would be awesome on rye, but we never have rye around. Just food for thought.

Panini

Before traveling to Italy, I never created a panini at home, and that's probably for the best. I'm sure I would have winged it and it wouldn't be nearly as good as this one that my brother introduced to me. These are very rich in taste and salty, which often irritates the top of my mouth, but it is so worth it! We've tried variations using local, inexpensive cured meats (even Carl Buddig's 50 cent packages) and have never been disappointed.




Ingredients (for each Panini)
1 Ciabatta roll
1 tsp pesto sauce
1 tsp mayo or olive oil
1 slice pancetta
1 slice prosciutto
2-3 slices of tomato
2 oz. fresh Mozarella, peeled (FRESH)

Method

1. Preheat panini griddle to medium heat.
   
2. Slice Ciabatta bread in half
3. Spread pesto on bottom half
4. Lay cheese on the pesto layer
5. Order the meats on the cheese layer
6. Add optional tomato slices above the meat layer
   
7. Spread mayo or olive oil on top half
8. Place uncooked sandwich on griddle, lower griddle top, and press firmly on sandwich for 10 seconds.
9. Allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until desired consistency.

Serve with Panini sliced in half to allow center to cool. Other meats we have tried with success include Armour Dried Beef Slices, cooked bacon, Carl Buddig Meats (Pastrami, Beef).

Chipotle Chicken Breast

I'm a huge fan of the smoked jalapeño flavor, chipotle, and put together this recipe to make some slightly-spicy, seriously flavorful chicken. Locating chipotle seasoning at the grocery can be difficult... We found it at World Market.




Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts, trimmed
1 tsp. chipotle seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced/pressed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl
   
2. Add olive oil and lime juice to dry ingredients to create a marinade
3. Marinate chicken in a sealed container/bag and refrigerate for at least 30 min. (or overnight)
4. Prepare chicken using your preferred method (grilled, oven baked, broiled, griddled)

Easy Beef Wellington

This dish is very simple and very heavy. Experience has shown us that finely chopping the onions is quite important.

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 pint sour cream
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
3 packages crescent rolls

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the onion and the ground beef. Drain.
3. Add the sour cream, mozzarella, and oregano to the beef. Mix together and simmer.
4. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch glass dish.
5. Spread 2 of the packages of the crescent rolls around the base and sides of the dish.
6. Spoon beef mixture into dish.
7. Spread remaining crescent rolls over the top of the beef.
8. Cook 20-25 minutes.
   

Carrot and Feta Risotto

This is a good dish when you're in the mood for a meal that's rich and flavorful.



Ingredients
5 cups vegetable stock
4 carrots, shredded
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 teaspoon dry dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
juice of 1 lemon
200 grams feta chesse
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Bring the stock to a boil.
2. Put the carrots in the stock, lower the heat, and simmer gently.
3. In large wok or saucepan, add the olive oil and onion. Saute the onion until soft but not brown.
4. Carefully add the rice and stir until the grains are coated evenly in oil.
5. Add the dill to the rice mixture.
6. Add 1 cup of the stock to the rice and stir.
7. When the previous cup of stock is absorbed by the rice, add another cup.
8. Continue adding the stock to the rice like this until all of the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but al dente.
9. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, feta cheese, and parsley.
10. Serve immediately.
    

Skillet Lasagna

Meatloaf mix is a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal. If you can't find it, ground beef (or whatever other ground meat you may have on hand) works just fine.

Ingredients
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound meatloaf mix
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus 2 more tablespoons)
ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Method

1. Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.
2. Heat oil in large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
3. Add onion and salt and cook until onion begins to brown (about 5 minutes).
4. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add meat and cook, breaking apart meat until no longer pink (about 4 minutes).
6. Scatter pasta over meat but do not stir.
   
7. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta.
8. Cover and bring to simmer.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low and summer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender (about 20 minutes).
10. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Dot with heaping tablespoons ricotta. Cover and let stand off heat for 5 minutes.
13. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan.
    

Parisian Anniversary Crepes

This tasty crepe recipe is straight from the Paris hotel in Las Vegas! Any non-stick cooking surface should do just fine, but the novelty of a sleek, slim specialty crepe pan for about ten bucks made this pan a good buy.

crepes



finished crepe


Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 eggs
6 tablespoons butter; melted and cooled
2 cups milk
2/3 cup water

Method

1. In a food processor set with a metal blade, place the flour, sugar, and salt.
2. Add the eggs and process with pulsing action.
3. Add the butter, milk and water.
4. Pulse to combine.
5. Pour batter into container and refridgerate for 1 hour
6. Spray frying pan or crepe pan with a non-stick spray. Heat pan.
7. When hot, ladle enough batter to thinly coat the surface of the pan.
8. Cook on 1 side and flip. Cook on the other side.
9. Remove from pan and let cool.
10. Continue making crepes, spraying pan prior to making each one.