Giada's Pizza Pot Pie

A couple of weeks ago, my kids helped me make a variation of these Mini Chicken Pot Pies.
I don't think they have ever really had chicken pot pie or any kind of pot pie that they could remember, so it got them interested in the whole idea of a pot pie.

When I was asking my family members for suggestions for the weekly menu, someone of course wanted pizza, so I found this recipe and thought it would be a fun twist. The sauce starts out with some pancetta and fresh rosemary and the filling contains cubes of mozzarella cheese, chicken, and broccoli. It was fun for us to eat these for dinner because everyone had their own individual little ramekin to enjoy. The one pictured above was the one that we made for Dad, so it was bigger than the others.




Here is the recipe for Pizza Pot Pies

Roasted Veggie Pizza

I saw a recipe for Grilled Veggie Pizza in Cooking Light and really thought it looked delicious. I decided to roast some veggies and make my own version of the pizza.

I roasted 2 huge half-sheets of veggies w/ olive oil, salt & pepper in the oven for 10-15 minutes @ 425 degrees F- which gave me enough leftover veggies for a quinoa/veggie dish and quesadillas later in the week.
The veggies I roasted were:
1 lb asparagus- cut in 2-inch pieces
1 eggplant-chopped
1 red pepper-chopped
1 green pepper-chopped
2 yellow/summer squash-chopped
2 zucchini-chopped

I used a whole wheat pizza dough from my local grocery store to make the crust.
I used my basic pizza sauce


The original recipe- Veggie Grilled Pizza
*I used fontina cheese and the fresh thyme/mint herb combination, like the recipe suggested but chopped my herbs before sprinkling them on top.

I really liked this healthy version of pizza and roasting that many vegetables at a time was great, because I had enough extra to last for a couple other meals during the week.

What is your favorite way to top your pizza?

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Spinach

Once upon a time there was the most gigantic butternut squash in the whole entire world.
I happened to find this huge squash and I bought it. It was 18 inches tall.
I was able to make this Bundt cake that had a couple cups of shredded butternut squash, these roasted veggies,
both of these stuffings/dressings, a soup (which I haven't posted yet) and I STILL had some squash left.
I roasted the rest of the squash cubes, along with a large chopped onion, in the oven with fresh oregano, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary.
Then I remembered Maria's post about Pizza that was topped with butternut squash and I decided that sounded really good. I didn't follow her recipe, but I used her idea.

I used a pre-made whole wheat crust, just because I had one that needed to be used. I also had some arugula and spinach that I thought would be great under the squash.
I drizzled my crust with a little bit of olive oil, heaped on tons of arugula and spinach and then topped the greens with my roasted butternut squash/onion mixture.
I sprinkled feta cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese on top and put it in the oven for a few minutes.
Ok, people. This was the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted. Ever. So good.
I can't tell you how great the flavors went with each other.
Unbelievable.

I know there are people out there that believe the simplier the better when it comes to pizza. I agree-sometimes.
This is a topping heavy pizza, but it is so good. And pretty too. And it just seems like it has to be good for you because of all the veggies.
That probably only applies if you don't eat the entire pizza yourself. Good luck with that.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza with Arugula and Spinach
pre-made whole wheat or regular pizza crust (Here is my fave quick crust)
3-4 cups butternut squash cubes
1 onion, chopped
fresh thyme
fresh oregano
fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil
spinach
arugula
feta cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

Spread your butternut squash cubes and chopped onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.
Roast at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until squash is tender.

Make your crust and prebake if necessary.
Drizzle crust with a little bit of olive oil.
Spread arugula and spinach over crust.
Top greens with roasted butternut squash/onion mixture.
Sprinkle cheeses over squash mixture.
Bake in oven, until cheese is melted and crust is done.

Maria's Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Pizza

Pesto Pizza

This is our favorite pizza recipe. We make a yummy homemade pizza crust and cover it with delicious pesto (sometimes we make our own and sometimes we just use a store-bought variety). Then you cook chicken and veggies in Italian seasoning and spread that over the pesto. Cover it with cheese and in a few minutes you have a delicious homemade pizza. I usually double the pizza dough recipe, because we can never have too much pizza and also because my son loves pepperoni pizza too. So we have a couple of varieties and have a good old pizza party!
What is your family's favorite kind of pizza?

Pesto Pizza

1 pound chicken breast tenders

1 Tbls dried Italian seasoning

3 Tbls pesto

1 cup mozzarella cheese

2 medium zucchini, halved twice and thinly slice

yellow, red, orange, and green bell peppers, chopped

mushrooms, thinly sliced

Pizza dough:

3 and a half cups flour (you can use half whole wheat)

1-2 cups warm water

2 tbsp. yeast

2 tbsp. honey

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp of salt

Depending on if you like thick on thin crust, this dough can make 1 or 2 pizzas

For dough- place warm water, yeast, honey, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl or mixer (if you have a dough hook). Add warm water a couple Tbls at a time and mix until you have a nice smooth dough. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Cook chicken for a few minutes, in a little bit of oil over medium high heat, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Before it is cooked through, add zucchini, peppers and mushrooms. Add more Italian seasoning and cook until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray round pizza pan or 12 by 8 baking sheet. Put pizza dough on pan and roll out with a rolling pin to desired thickness. Bake for 7 minutes on 450 degrees. Spread pesto evenly over pizza crust. Top with chicken/zucchini mixture, peppers, and mushrooms. Put cheese on top. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Coming Tomorrow-Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream and Pecan Praline

Mini Calzones and Italian Roasted Green Beans & Yellow Squash

I am assuming that everyone's family loves pizza as much as my family does. It is the one thing my kids are always asking for! I had quite a bit of leftover spinach-ricotta mixture from last weeks Portobello Roll-ups, since I halved the recipe, so I decided that calzones were in our future. Everything mini is easier for kids, so I made 6 mini calzones and 2 large ones. I used 24 oz. of pizza dough to get that many. So if you just use a lb of dough, you might have some leftover filling ingredients.
I cooked up a little bit of turkey sausage, added a bell pepper and onion, and of course Italian seasoning. I also added turkey pepperoni and we dipped ours in pizza sauce. On the side I roasted some veggies, tossed in Italian seasoning again. I have one of those grinders, so I never measure my Italian seasoning, I just churn it on, until it looks like enough. You could really sub any veggies here, this is just what I had. Enjoy- we sure did!

Mini Calzones by Mary Ann

1 lb. pizza dough (your favorite recipe or refrigerated pizza dough)

pizza sauce (your favorite or try out mine-here, also a great dough recipe)

2 links sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (about 8-9 oz)

1 orange (or green) bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

turkey pepperoni

1 15-oz container skim milk ricotta cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 10-oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Italian seasoning

shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In an electric skillet, season the sausage, bell pepper, and onion, with Italian seasoning, and saute until sausage is cooked through and veggies are tender. Set aside.

Combine the ricotta cheese, egg,thawed spinach, and season with Italian seasoning. Set aside.

Roll out your pizza dough and cut it into squares. (I made 6)

Spread about 1 Tbls of pizza sauce on one half of your dough square, leaving room around the edges. Spread 1 Tbls or so of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the pizza sauce. Place 1 piece of turkey pepperoni on top of the ricotta mixture. Next pile some of the sausage, pepper, onion, mixture on top of the pepperoni. Sprinkle with cheese and close the calzone by bringing one half of the dough, up and over, and sealing the sides, by crimping the dough together.

Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients.

You can also make this into larger calzones, just cut the dough into larger pieces and put more of the fillings inside. Also bake time would increase. Little ones are easier for the kids.

Place the calzones on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 13-16 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Serve with warmed pizza sauce, for dipping, if desired.

Italian Roasted Green Beans and Yellow Squash by Mary Ann

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 medium yellow squash, cut in quarters and thinly sliced

Italian seasoning

1 Tbls olive oil

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray the sheet with cooking spray. Combine green beans and squash on the foil and season liberally with Italian Seasoning. Drizzle with 1 Tbls of olive oil and mix with your hands. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until veggies are tender.

Tomorrow- Craving Ellie in my Belly- Oven Fried Chicken

Daring Bakers Pizza- Greek, Summer Squash, Hummus, BBQ Chicken, Nutella, Mexican, and Thai

Greek- my pizza sauce, greek-seasoned chicken, baby spinach, red peppers, mozzarella and feta

This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was pizza. The pizza dough used cold fermentation as the method and we were supposed to toss the dough. No pictures of tossing here- by the time I let the dough rest in the fridge over night and sit on the counter for a few hours the next day, it was so elastic, I could barely hold it up. I got it onto my fists and the dough was already streched out to an enormous size. I attempted tossing but couldn't get any pics of it, because it happened too fast. Sorry. This dough came together easily and I went a little crazy with the toppings. I actually made 7 dough balls because I wanted a dessert pizza too. Check out what other DBer's did with this challenge by visiting the Daring Bakers Blogroll!

Summer Squash- my pizza sauce, thinly sliced summer squash and zucchini, fresh basil, garlic sea salt and mozzarella

Hummus- roasted red pepper hummus, spinach, yellow, orange and red bell peppers, feta

BBQ Chicken- BBQ sauce, cooked chicken, pineapple chunks, green bell peppers, cheddar and mozzarella cheese

Nutella- granulated sugar instead of cornmeal on pan, after baking- Nutella, fresh strawberry slices and blueberries

Mexican- refried beans, black beans, red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers, taco cheese blend, added fresh, chopped tomatoes from the garden after it was done baking

Thai- peanut sauce (creamy PB, tamari, and rice wine vinegar), fresh bean sprouts, green onions, matchstick carrots, cilantro,- after done baking- cucumber slices and roasted peanuts

My Pizza sauce: (makes enough for 2 large round pizzas)

1 Tbls olive oil

1 small white onion, chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbls fresh basil, chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme, removed from stems

2-14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes, flavored with olive oil and garlic

1 6-oz can tomato paste

To make sauce- heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onion and saute, until almost tender. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add herbs and saute for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and cook until bubbly. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Scoop mixture into blender and puree, for a few minutes, until completely pureed. Set aside

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart

Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled -

FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum

1 3/4 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Instant yeast - FOR GF use 2 tsp1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)

1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)

1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup

Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting

DAY ONE

Method:

1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).

2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.

NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.

Or

2. FOR GF: Add the oil, sugar or agave syrup and cold water, then mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough.

3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper

.4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).

NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.

5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.

NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.

6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.

7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.

NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.

DAY TWO

8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.

Or

8. FOR GF: On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the number of desired dough balls from the refrigerator. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle with a gluten free flour. Delicately press the dough into disks about ½ inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil. Lightly cover the dough round with a sheet of parchment paper and allow to rest for 2 hours.

9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C). NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.

Or

10. FOR GF: Press the dough into the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough).

NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.

11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.

Or

11. FOR GF: Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.

Or

12. FOR GF: Place the garnished pizza on the parchment paper onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for about 5-8 minutes.

NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.1

3. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.

Or

13. FOR GF: Follow the notes for this step.

NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.

Come back in the morning for Sarah's Pumpkin Pancakes and Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake!

Weekly Lunchbox-Peanut Butter and Jelly Power Muffins, Chicken Burgers, Steak Quesadilla or Chicken Pita with Roasted Veggies, Pepperoni Sandwich

My son has been begging me to make these chicken burgers for at least a week now. I finally got around to it and he wanted another one the next day! The only problem is, we ate them for lunch too, and didn't have any left. I will definitely be making them again, and will probably double the recipe. They were great cold or warmed up and I added extra sprouts on top for mine. The muffins were super moist and a great, healthy treat. The other sandwich-type items add some ideas of how to get extra veggies into the lunchbox and also add a variety of meats, breads, and sandwiches so that kids won't get bored of the same old thing everyday. Who knows, you might just find a new favorite!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Power Muffins from Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children by Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup maple sugar (I used 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/4 cup light brown sugar)

1 tsp cinnamon

6 Tbls rolled oats

3 Tbls raisins

1/4 chopped raw peanuts (I used dry roasted)

1/2 cup soy milk (I used skim milk)

4 Tbls canola oil
6 Tbls pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 Tbls cider vinegar

2 medium bananas, mashed

4 Tbls strawberry jam (I used blackberry and red raspberry)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a mini-muffin pan

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, maple sugar, and cinnamon. Add the oats, raisins, and peanuts.

In another bowl, combine the soy milk, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, peanut butter, vinegar, and bananas and mash until the ingredients are well blended, then pour into the dry ingredients, stirring just until all ingredients are incorporated. Take care not to overmix.

Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with batter, then drop a little jam onto the top of each muffin. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining peanuts and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken Burgers slightly adapted from The Top 100 Recipes for a healthy Lunchbox by Nicola Graimes

1 small onion, diced

2 Tbls chopped alfalfa sprouts

1 small carrot, finely shredded

1 apple, cored and grated, skin and all

1 lb ground chicken

1 small egg, lightly beaten

all-purpose flour, for dusting

salt

pepper

olive oil, for brushing

Put the onion, sprouts, carrot, apple and ground chicken in a bowl. Stir to break it up or use your hands and mix everything together.

Add the egg and seasoning and mix again by hand

Lightly cover a plate and your hands with flour. Divide the mixture into 6 portions and shape into a circular, flat burger. Place the burgers on a plate, cover with plastice wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Heat the broiler and line a broiler pan with foil. Brush the foil lightly with olive oil and place the burgers on top. Brush the tops of the burgers with oil, lightly and broil about 8 minutes on each side until golden. Chill until ready to serve.

I toasted a hamburger bun under the broiler, added some lettuce and put the chicken burger in the middle.

Steak Quesadilla or Chicken Pita with Roasted Veggies by Mary Ann

whole wheat pita of flour tortilla

cooked chicken, shredded or leftoevet steak, sliced

leftover roasted veggies (from last week)

shredded cheese

You can make a steak quesadilla or a chicken quesadilla. I make them in the George Foreman grill because then you get a crispy quesadilla without using any butter or grease. Just get your tortilla, layer the cheese, meat and veggies, and cook until cheese is melted and everything is warmed. For the pita, which you could also make with steak, I just put shredded cheese, veggies, and chicken in the pita and kept all of them cold.

Pepperoni Pizza Sandwich by Mary Ann
I take two slices of bread and spread soft butter on the outer sides.Then I spread pizza sauce on the inside of one piece and put in on the hot griddle. Next comes a layer of mozzarella cheese, a layer of turkey pepperoni (a healthier option, not as greasy), and another layer of cheese. I spread pizza sauce on the inside of the other piece of bread and place that slice of bread, sauce side down on top of the layer of cheese. From there on out it is treated as a grilled cheese sandwich. You can also make these with just cheese, or any other veggies. My son likes them with pepperoni best.

What's in Your Lunchbox?Rice Cube and Tofu, Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs, Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies, Marinated Vegetables, and English Muffin Pizzas

At least I know the limit for the title up there- It is really Rice Cube and Tofu Salad, but it wouldn't fit. ha So, I decided that I am going to do a "What's in Your Lunchbox?" post every wednesday to highlight some of the tasty lunch snacks I make every week. I bought too much tofu for our Kung Pao Tofu the other night so I decided to make a yummy salad with it. Both my son and brother love tofu (yippee!).My son loves meatballs, so when he saw these Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs in the lastest issue of Cooking Light (he likes to look with me and pick out what to make)- he requested them for lunch. (I know that they look very similar to the chicken balls I made last week, but they actually had a completely different flavor). They were great- very moist and flavorful, mostly due to the ricotta and fresh basil, and tasted great cold. They also doubled as a after-school snack the next day. The Zucchini cookies I had seen on another blog and everyone wants a sweet treat in their lunch right? The spices reminded me of a pumpkin cookie and these were cakelike, but still enjoyed. The Marinated Vegetables are great as a side dish as an alternative to carrot sticks, also served cold- my son loved it. And of course, everyone loves individual pizzas!

Rice Cube and Tofu Salad slightly adapted from kids healthy lunchbox by cara hobday

2 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup basmati rice, unrinsed

1 Tbls cornstarch

2 Tbls sesame seeds, toasted

1 1/2 cups firm tofu, cut into bite-size pieces

2 scallions, sliced

3/4 cup snow peas, finely sliced

1 cup bean sprouts

salt and pepper

For the dressing:

3 Tbls canola oil

1 Tbls sesame oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 Tbls honey

1 Tbls light soy sauce

Take a plastic container measuring 6 by8 by 1-inch and line with parchment paper.

Boil the water and add the rice. Boil for 12 minutes until very soft. Drain well. Puree 5 Tbls of the rice using a food processor. Stir into the rest of the rice and spoon into prepared container. Cover and weigh down with cans. Refrigerate

Mix together the cornstarch and sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper. Coat the diced tofu in the cornstarch mix. Fry the tofu in a little bit of canola oil over medium heat. Drain on paper towels. Refrigerate the tofu cubes in airtight containers overnight.

To assemble, mix together the scallions, snow peas, and bean sprouts. Cut the rice into cubes and add these and the tofu. Mix the dressing ingredients and add. Refrigerate. Separate a portion for the lunchbox and pack.

Turkey-Ricotta Meatballs from Cooking Light Magazine

1 pd ground turkey breast

1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl with hands. Shape into 18 meatballs. Heat skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Add meatballs and brown on all sides. Transfer to broiler pan coated with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes or until done.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies From "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c honey

1 T vanilla extract

Combine in large bowl.

1 c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture.

1 c finely shredded zucchini

12 oz chocolate chips

Stir these ingredients into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes

Marinated Fresh Vegetables

2 tomatoes

2 ribs celery

1 small unpeeled zucchini

1 carrot

1 onion

1 green pepper

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Peel tomatoes, scrape out seeds, and dice in 1/2-inch squares. Clean and dice remaining vegetables; toss together. Combine sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir into vegetables. Refrigerate several hours. Drain with slotted spoon and serve.

English Muffin Pizzas by Mary Ann

6 english muffins

pizza sauce

turkey pepperoni

1 small zucchini, very thinly sliced

shredded cheese

Preheat the broiler. Split each english muffin in half. Spread desired amount of pizza sauce on each half of muffin. Layer zucchini on top of sauce and pepperoni on top of zucchini. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil, until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes.

Greek Chicken Pizza

My sister wanted Greek Salad for her birthday, but also wanted pizza, so I came up with this Greek Chicken Pizza. We doubled the pizza dough, because some people just have to have pepperoni! (I only use turkey pepperoni and we threw on some mushrooms so there would be at least 1 veggie!) This is a hearty pizza, with the toppings piled on high. Spinach, artichoke hearts, red peppers, greek seasoned chicken, feta and mozzarella. It was delish! Don't mind the little pool of liquid on the pizza, just a little moisture from the veggies- it didn't affect the taste at all!


Greek Chicken Pizza by Mary Ann
Pizza dough: (double to make 2 large round pizzas)
3 and a half cups flour
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp honey
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp of salt
Pizza sauce: (makes enough for 2 large round pizzas)
1 Tbls olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, removed from stems
2-14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes, flavored with olive oil and garlic
1 6-oz can tomato paste
Greek chicken:
1 Tbls olive oil
16-20 oz. chicken breast or tenders, cut into bite size pieces
2-4 Tbls Greek seasoning
Pizza Toppings:
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1-14 oz can artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
3 oz baby spinach
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix ingredients for pizza dough in a mixer with paddle attachment, until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour in a warm place.
To made sauce- heat oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onion and saute, until almost tender. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add herbs and saute for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and cook until bubbly. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Reduce heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Scoop mixture into blender and puree, for a few minutes, until completely pureed. Set aside.
To cook chicken- Heat oil in electric skillet. Add chicken and season heavily with greek seasoning. Saute for a few minutes, until all sides are cooked. Cover and turn heat to low. Let cook until completely cooked through and then keep covered.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray round pizza pan with cooking spray. Put pizza dough on pan and roll out to edges, leaving enough around the edges to make a nice crust. Prick crust with a fork in a few places. Bake for 6 minutes and remove from oven.
Spread crust evenly with pizza sauce. Layer spinach on top of sauce- it is okay if it overlaps. Place red pepper strips on top of spinach. Place artichoke hearts around peppers. Sprinkle chicken all over the top. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of chicken and top with crumbled feta. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve!

Cheese Pizza Sandwich

My son wanted a Pepperoni Pizza Sandwich but we didn't have any turkey pepperoni, so we went with A Cheese Pizza Sandwich.


I take two slices of bread and spread soft butter on the outsides.Then I spread pizza sauce on the inside of both pieces and put one piece on the hot griddle. Next comes a layer of shredded mozzarella or pizza blend cheese, the other piece of bread sauce side down on top of the layer of cheese. From there on out it is treated as a grilled cheese sandwich.

Pesto Pizza-Very Tasty

This is one of the pizza combinations we made for our recent birthday celebration
Pesto Pizza
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
3 tbsp. pesto
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 medium zucchini, halved twice and thinly slice
yellow, red, orange, and green bell peppers, thinly sliced
mushrooms, thinly sliced

Pizza dough: 3 and a half cups flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp. yeast
2 tbsp. honey
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp of salt

Mix ingredients for pizza dough ahead of time and let rise for 1/2 hours. Cook chicken for a few minutes, in a little bit of oil over medium high heat, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Before it is cooked through, add zucchini. Add more Italian seasoning and cook until chicken is done and zucchini is tender.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray round or 12 by 8 pan. Put pizza dough on pan. Bake for 6 minutes on 450 degrees. Spread pesto evenly over pizza crust. Top with chicken/zucchini mixture, peppers, and mushrooms. Put cheese on top. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until cheese melts.

Pepperoni Pizza Sandwich

How can anyone not like cheese? My son doesn't, unless of course it is melted on pizza. That is the one exception. One day, I was making grilled cheese sandwiches, but he wanted pizza. The PIZZA SANDWICH was born.
I take two slices of bread and spread soft butter on the outsides.
Then I spread pizza sauce on the inside of one piece and put in on the hot griddle.
Next comes a layer of mozzarella cheese, a layer of turkey pepperoni (a healthier option, not as greasy), and another layer of cheese
I spread pizza sauce on the inside of the other piece of bread and place that slice of bread, sauce side down on top of the layer of cheese.
From there on out it is treated as a grilled cheese sandwich.
The taste of pizza, but the ease of a sandwich- could you ask for anything more?

This Week's Menu

In case anyone needs ideas for dinner this week, I thought I would post what we are making at my house.

Sunday- Spinach Pesto Manicotti, steamed broccoli, rolls, apricots dipped in semi-sweet chocolate and chopped pistachios

Monday- Bean Burritos, Romaine Salad with Tomatoes and Green Pepper

Tuesday-Ginger Chicken Soup with Vegetables, Maple-Glazed Walnut Biscuits

Wednesday-Pizza Sandwiches, Edamame, Baby Carrots, Apples

Thursday- Strawberry Mascarpone Crepes, Turkey Bacon

Friday- Lemon-Dill Tilapia, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Red Potatoes

Notes- the manicotti calls for ground beef but I always use ground turkey instead (in almost all recipes). Most of the time I use ground turkey breast ,but this time I used Lean Ground Turkey 93% lean. It was really good.