Pizza #1

Why not pizza?  Why not pizza at home with fresh veggies and hand made dough?  It's simple, tasty, easy, and quick to pull together in a short amount of time.  Family's with children this is a great dish to do and pull the little ones into to help in the kitchen along with you.  Perfect to have them get involved and learn about veggies, meats, and what they think tasty good together.  No need to fallow any rules when it comes to pizza, that is half the fun when having a pizza for dinner, or any meal.  Full of colors and flavors you love all together for a great way to use up things in the frig too.  Got left over chicken, bacon, sausage, shrimp, steak, or even random veggies?  Then pizza is perfect.  

I'm still trying to find a dough that my boyfriend and I really like.  I tend to cheat when it comes to dough after failing over and over again on making our own.  When I feel like it I just buy already made fresh dough from the grocery store, or market.  Our favorite is herb dough and second would have to be wheat, they have a lot more flavor than just a plan white dough. We have tried Bisquick mix, boxed just add liquids, frozen Pillsbury ones, already made Boboli pizza dough and to be honest have not loved any of them.  Needless to say we are still on a hunt down to find that perfect pizza dough or recipe.  I'm hoping that soon I'll be able top share a good recipe with you all.  This is kind of a big deal to us do to the fact that we really don't eat out and we make whatever we eat at home mostly from scratch.  Who doesn't love pizza?  With that said we love pizza and I just wish we could really love the pizza we make more!

The pizza I have here is a really good mix of fresh bell peppers, yellow and orange sweet bell peppers and ham onion cheese and pepperoncini some left over roasted garlic tomato sauce and I put some Italian seasonings on top with a dash of pepper.  We very much enjoyed this pizza and it really cleaned up the frig of a few things that otherwise might have gone bad.

Like I was saying though, you can totally do up or down whatever you want on your pizza.  Make it your own creation and enjoy.  One pizza pan, maybe a plate or two, meal in one!  I'm sharing this because I wanted to help others with good healthy ideas that can be put together in a quick fashion and totally enjoyable too.  Being a working girl and trying to be healthy eating at home and keeping things different fun and tasty can be a lot of work at times, but very worth while.  I find cooking to be very rewarding, relaxing, and even though it's only for the two of us I'm finding it to be part of a healthy and happy relationship too.  There are a few meals here and there when I'm trying new things that we don't totally love, so I learn from that and do better the next time.  Using fresh veggies, organic meats, cheese, as much as I can really helps too.  Don't forget that we are what we eat, so lets eat only the best that we can and make it enjoyable at the same time.  Food doesn't have to be blah boring and color less.  If you eat full flavored, colorful, fresh foods  you will be more satisfied and your mind body and soul will thank you.  Food should be a way of life, NOT a drive threw hurry rush it kinda thing.

This pizza below in the photo was my take on a pizza margherita.  We loved it!  I will make this again for sure this year when we have fresh tomato's from our garden.  

What is Pizza Margherita?

Simple.... Pizza dough, tomato sauce, tomato's, mazzarella cheese, and basil.

Her is what I did.  Fresh organic tomato's from our garden and fresh basil from my herb garden really made this amazing.  I used fresh organic mozzarella, had left over tomato sauce and this was a fresh ready to back herb pizza dough I picked up from the market.  In just 20 min. from picking the tomato's and basil putting the pizza together we had dinner!!!  The fresh mozzarella, tomato's, and basil also can make a fresh and amazing salad or appetizer too.  No need for salt or pepper, the basil and cheese really do the trick.  

Fresh is always best.

Now go make your self a pizza and have some fun with it, go crazy, get a little nuts, maybe ever sweet.  Whatever you do just remember to enjoy it.

Eat, Love, & Live

Grilled Chicken Corn Chili Salsa

After a busy day sometimes for gets forgot and one or two people become starving people.  This was beyond starving mod.  I knew I had a few veggies that just had to be used up and I needed to fix something that wouldn't take to long before we both fell apart from lake of food.  Tonight I came up with this little number.  

Trying new things can be fun at times.  Note at times! 

Tonight I took a few items I really needed to use up before they went bad and put this together.  It's sweet spicy and crisp and cool at the same time.  If you like corn, sweet corn this corn chili salsa is rather good stuff.  The fresh cilantro adds a nice clean crisp heat to the dish.  I really love cilantro.  The corn chili salsa I fond on my most recent trip to Trader Joe's.  It was a must try. 

Here is how I did this.

So here is what you will need:

(this is a dinner for two, you can add or cut down if needed)

1 jar of corn chili tomato-less salsa

2 organic boneless skinless chicken breast 

4 thin slices of ready to use polenta

1 teaspoon of menudo mix

1/4 cup of red onion

1/4 of fresh chopped brussels sprouts

1/4 of cherry tomato's

half of an avocado (sliced)

mixed shredded cheese 

fresh cilantro (for garnish)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

sour cream (we only use light)

salt 

pepper

I always when starting to make a meal set every thing out I'll be needed.  Then with this dish I started by putting 2 table spoons of olive oil into a medium frying pan heated up to a medium heat added the two chicken breast.  Once they are in add the menudo mix onto the chicken with some fresh ground pepper and a small amount of salt for taste.  The menudo mix is rather hot and spicy so easy does it if it's your first time using it.  I really enjoy the heat so I tend to over do it most of the time.  Cooking chicken until cooked threw.  While the chicken is cooking cutting up veggies and prepping the polenta. 

Now once all the veggies and polenta are prepped and ready and the chicken is cooked all the way threw, now you add the corn chili salsa to simmer with the chicken.  This can stay on a low simmer while you finish cooking the polenta and getting your plate ready for plating. 

Now you want the heat up a second pan to fry up the 4 polenta rounds in.  If you have never tried polenta before I really think its a must.  I've never bought it ready to use in a roll before tonight.  I always made it from a instant mix.  This is a must when it comes to short cuts.  Saves a lot of time let me tell you!  All I did for us tonight was grilled up a few rounds I cut off the tube of polenta, four total in a bit of extra virgin olive oil with a bit of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Then I put the rest into a zip lock and set into the frig for another night soon to cook up into something else! 

While the polenta is grilling now start getting your plates out and setting up for serving.

Once all of the polenta cakes are heated and grilled nicely on both sides to your liking you can sever all this up, chicken salsa on top of the polenta cakes then adding the fresh veggies to the side with a nice sized soup full of sour cream some cheese and cilantro on top.  I totally forgot while I was enjoying making this to keep track of the time it took to put this all together... I'll just say on the safe side 30 to 40min.   I hope you all give this a go and feel free to change it up and make it your own.  I'd love to hear what you all think so feed back is very welcome on any of my blogs I post.  Now go cook, eat, and enjoy!

Eat, Love, & Live

Chicken Potsticker Soup

Dinner doesn't have to be boring or take over an hour to be amazing!

Soup is a perfect dinner meal all in one.  Simply full of flavor, color, and totally healthy.  

Finding fun and easy quick meals doesn't have to mean you go to a drive threw or pick up pizza on your way home from work.  Fresh veggies and a few healthy short cuts to help whip up something warm filling and tasty is right before your eyes.

I must give credit to Trader Joe's for this idea I took a spin off from them and just ran with it. Giving it my own twist adding and changing a few things along the way.  Hey, that's what great chefs do, get fantastic ideas for others and change it up!  Here is my take on it.

Chicken Potsticker Soup is a perfect meal in one bowl that's full of flavors that pop in your mouth yet delicate with a hint of heat.  Really fresh veggies are the way to go and with your favorite filled potsticker make this meal all yours.  You can use veggie filled, chicken, pork, or shrimp!  I'll totally recommend Trader Joe's frozen potstickers.  Most of the time I tend to shy away from boxed, canned, frozen, anything processed, however with Trader Joe's I have found that I don't have to worried about the frozen products.  They are good and all healthy.  Everything in moderation people.  

I have to cook just for two so most of my meals I create I cook up for two but anyone can double the recipes and a lot of the time we end up with leftover for lunch the next day.  This was perfect for the two of us.  I made just enough for us to both have plenty of soup for dinner.  We both really like trying new fun things when it come to food and I plan on sharing some of our fun with all of you.

In the last year or so I have really started to take a turn to much more healthy food choices than ever before.  Never eating out hardly ever, mostly only when we travel has it's up sides for sure.  I have become very creative and willing to spend the bit of extra time and money to really enjoy what we eat.  I totally believer it's paying off.  Remember key to a long happy healthy life is a healthy you.  Food plays such a large roll in that.  You are what you eat!

Here is how I did this.

What you will need:

1 package of Trader Joe's Chicken Potsticker's 

1 large box of veggie broth (I use organic only low sodium)

1 small yellow onion

2 small carrots

2 stalks of celery

1 cup of fresh spinach 

1 cup of bean sprouts

small hand full of fresh cilantro 

small hand full of chopped up fresh green onion

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

sweet chili sauce to taste after serving

You will need about 30 or 40 min. for this meal.

Here is how you put it all together to make a bowl full of yum.  

The first thing I did was set all my items out. Then getting out a large frying pan putting 2 of the 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, setting it at a medium heat.  Once the oil and pan was warm I put 14 of the potstickers into the pan, yes still frozen.  Just having them over the medium heat to lightly brown them. I would keep a close eye on them so that they do not burn, turning them often is what I found worked for best evenly browning. 

I then chopped up my onion, celery, and carrot really quick to put into a large pot that has the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it.  Turning that onto a medium heat as well.  Once that is warmed up put in the mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) to cook until the onion is translucent.  

Now your potstickers should be almost done and if they are all I did was set them off to the side with a cover on them to keep warm.  Then once the mirepoix is ready add in the veggie broth bring up to a gentle boil and also add in the spinach, bean sprouts,  soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Giving that just a moment to combined after coming to a gentle boil.  Then you add in the chicken potstickers.  Quickly chop up your green onion and grab some cilantro for your garnish and your ready to enjoy this fantastic full of flavors soup.

I loved adding the sweet chili sauce to mine after plating, so did my boyfriend.  I think it gave it a nice added bit of sweat and heat.  I sure hope that all of you try this with an open mind and be ready to fall in love with this soup.  We sure did.  

Eat, Love, & Live

Just Starting Out....

This first blog I do will just be a rather short entry, more like an introduction into what will be coming after!  I  tend mostly to focus on dinner meals/menu what it comes right down to it.  Not being home much during the day due to having a full time job like most of us do I am not with much time for cooking breakfast or lunches!  However with that said, yes I still do those meals just not much exiting going on the first half of the day.  When planning out my meals for lets just say a week I try and focus on veggies first then meat.  I then draw out ideas from that.  It can be a challenge to come up with new and fun ideas to keep meal times from becoming the dreaded ho hum boring that can so often take place with busy working home cooks.  

How my cooking obsession really came about was due to my life style change to get fit and be happy and healthy.  I'm a strong believer in you are what you eat!!  Changing portion size to cutting almost everything I had known for 7 years out and starting all over from scratch has not been an easy feat, but I've taken on the challenge facing it head on and not backing down!  This is to the rest of what is going to be a long and healthy happy life!

Lets get right to it....

I happen to be an artist first then a cook!  I love food almost more than anything come to think of it.  With my passion for food and creativity I jump in and take on the kitchen like it's a blank canvas waiting to be painted.  

Color, taste, texture, aroma are so important.  Time is also something to consider when cooking.  Most often I tend to get home late and trying to stay healthy and fit.  It's not a good idea to eat so late or close to bed time.  With that in mind time is of the essence and I feel I'm starting to get a grip on saving time when cooking dinner once I get home.  Trying to keep prep to finish time all together no longer than 45 min. from the time I start is more than a must.  So many times I run into friends, family, strangers that think I've lost it or I'm nuts to cook all my meals at home and never eat out.  Most of them can't believe I can make the meals I do in such a short time too!  Eating healthy and at home doesn't have to mean being stuck in ones kitchen all day or for hours on end.  Now if I could work on keeping my spending down a bit then I feel like I'll have ACED this whole thing.  Still learning and part of that is being lucky enough to have a green house a garden.  However that is only seasonal.  

I invite you all to come along and share with me my goods and bad's, my trails and triumphs in the kitchen.  Food/Cooking is all about enjoyment, healthy living, living a rich and happy life.  Eating right can really set you up for only good, I totally believe moderation and a balance of all fresh, organic, and non-processed foods are a must.  

Looking forward to sharing my creations with you all!

Eat, Love & Live