Barbecue Chicken Pita Pizza

I’m not too proud to buy the reduced price items at the market. In fact, I’m a bit of a proud cheapskate. Why not take advantage of sales like that when they cross my path?

It’s a fun, exhilarating game to me, to scour the market and find amazing deals on things I actually buy. (I don’t coupon because coupons typically are not for things I’d buy. Someone call me if they ever start offering produce coupons, though!)

One thing I’ve been able to find on sale consistently is pita bread. A market that I frequent has had pita on sale the last couple of times I’ve been in the store. Four for a dollar! I bought a couple bags each time.

I had been using the pita for a vegetarian lunch, of pita, hummus, and a salad, but I’ve also made pizza with the pitas as well, like I used to when I started Weight Watchers. But recently I decided to mix things up, with a barbecue chicken pizza. Here’s how:

Your favorite barbecue sauce, 2T

1.5-2 oz. chicken breast, diced or shredded (leftover chicken works perfectly!)

1 pita–whole wheat, plain, or garlic

1 oz. part-skim mozzarella

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the barbecue sauce on the pita. Top with the cheese, and then the chicken. I then spritzed the pizza with a little cooking spray, to keep the chicken from drying out so much, but that’s optional.

Heat the pizza in the oven until the cheese is melted to your liking.

Notes: I first encountered barbecue chicken pizza at an Italian restaurant around my way, and they also put red onion on the pizza. That’s another option for you. In place of the barbecue sauce, you could go with light or fat-free ranch dressing–that’s another tomato sauce alternative I’ve seen for chicken pizza.

These Cooking Rules Are Made to Be Broken

Last night, I was preparing fish to bake. It was a 2-lb bag of tilapia fillets, and I planned on doing half with salt, pepper and garlic, and half with Cajun seasoning. While visions of dusting the fish fillets with their respective spices danced in my head, I noticed a warning on the plastic that wrapped each fish fillet. It said that you should remove the fish from the plastic before thawing.

Too late! I routinely thaw the fish individually wrapped, in the main packaging, in my freezer. And they taste just fine, whether I’m baking them or grilling them. No harm, no foul.

Just like my fish experiences, there are other times when you can break the rules that recipes scream at you. Here are 8:

1. Use your favorite vegetables. When you’re making a casserole or slow cooker dish, go with the vegetables that you like (or the ones that you have on hand), as long as you time their cooking in a way that ensures they get cooked to appropriate doneness.
2. Go with yogurt. Fat-free Greek yogurt can stand in for cream, or for sour cream. Try topping your nachos or baked potatoes with some, mixing some into your chicken pot pie stuffing, in soups–the possibilities are endless!
3. Alternatives for desserts. Diet lemon-lime soda and liquid eggs in yellow and white cakes. Diet cola and liquid eggs in dark cakes and brownies. Pumpkin puree in spice cake. Fat-free Greek yogurt works here, too.
4. Ditch the butter and oil. No, you won’t get the same flavor, but if you want to save on fat and calories, opt for cooking spray or water for sautéing (or nothing at all, if you don’t have your temperature super-high).
5. Tweak the spices. Fresh or dried? Go with what you have, using more dried if the recipe calls for fresh. Leave out the salt if you have high blood pressure, or switch to a low-sodium salt, because if you’re cooking with certain items (like spaghetti sauce, cheese, or broth), you’re still getting sodium in the mix anyway. There’s a reason many bloggers (myself included) don’t give exact measurements for spices–part of the art of cooking is figuring out what works best for your taste. Experiment and go with the proportions that work for you.
6. Switch up the meat. Rather than a pork shoulder, try pork loin. Instead of high-fat ground beef, try lean ground beef (93% lean) or learn ground turkey. Don’t be afraid to make a recipe vegetarian, either–for many dishes, you’ll be safe opting for beans or textured vegetable protein (TVP).
7. Take shortcuts. As a rule, or in a pinch, you can buy rotisserie chicken or rotisserie turkey breast. Or, get the person at the seafood counter to steam the shrimp or crab for you, before tossing with grains, vegetables, or pasta. For vegetables? Buy pre-cut veggies from your produce section, or even frozen peppers and onions from the freezer section.
8. Don’t braise meat for slow cooking. As with using butter or oil for sautéing, braising does add another dimension of flavor, but if you want to cut corners on time, you can get along fine without doing it.

Whether you’re starting to cook more healthy now as part of a resolution, or you’re plugging away at healthy eating as a long-term lifestyle, there are areas where it’s perfectly fine to bend or break the cooking rules to bring your food to the table faster, or more in line with your taste preferences. I wish you hours of happy rabble-rousing in your kitchen!

Question of the day: What rules do you break in the kitchen? What tips do you have for making your life as a cook easier?

Review: Mexican Weeknight Easy

I read. A lot. Whether it’s reading what my digital peeps and Tweeps are up to, reading music blogs, scouring Pinterest for new recipe ideas, or trying to make a dent in my Kindle book pile (I’m currently reading the Sherlock Holmes collection, in hopes of getting ideas in how he survived the fall on the British show), I’ve always got words whizzing by my eyes for some reason.

Sometimes the writing comes from magazines that I’ve picked up at the market. That’s how I got my hands on Mexican Weeknight Easy, a magazine devoted to Mexican cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as information on spices and produce that figure prominently in Mexican cooking.

I probably confess to my Mexican food addiction just about every week, but let me tell you, I still learned a lot from this publication.

Here are the 5 most useful things I got out of parting with $5.99:

One of the five things I learned was how to make this!

1. How to make sophisticated chips. I routinely microwave tortillas into crispy chips, but I typically don’t spruce them up with anything more exciting than salt. I will, however, be trying the smoked paprika, cumin and salt chips, as well as the lime jalapeño ones.
2. How to pickle red onions. There’s a pretty easy recipe for picking red onions in citrus juices and spices that sounded interesting. A little web research told me that picked red onions, aka cebollas encurtidas, pair nicely with a variety of foods. I have a weak spot for onions, so I will definitely be doing this!
3. How nachos (supposedly) got their name, and other tales. I won’t spoil the story for you, but I really enjoyed this, and the other factoids that run throughout the magazine.
4. What to do with a chayote. I’ve seen this puffy pear-looking piece of produce in the market, but I didn’t know it was (technically) a fruit. Or that I could cook it like squash.
5. How to make a delicious, healthy Mexican breakfast. Huevos oxaqueños, eggs poached on a bed of vegetables, will become a staple dish for me, served with corn tortillas and a little cheese.

I’d recommend this magazine to anyone who likes Mexican food like me, or anyone who’s looking for new ways to make flavorful meals with tons of fresh ingredients. I’m looking forward to expanding my Mexican repertoire!

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

I eat a lot of Mexican/Southwestern food somehow. It’s something about the spice combinations, the use of fresh vegetables in salsa, and the unique dimension that a bit of chopped cilantro adds to whatever you throw it on.

I recently found myself with a lot of leftover turkey breast on hand, and my first thought was to turn it into enchiladas. (Apparently my brain is hard-wired with this appreciation of all things Mexican.)

Here’s the road I took to further feed my Mexican food addiction:

• 1 lb. turkey breast, diced or shredded
• 8 small corn tortillas
• 1 jar salsa verde
• 1 to 1 1/2 c cheese (reduced-fat cheddar or a Mexican blend)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the turkey breast with half of the jar of salsa. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to give the meat a chance to get marinated (or leave overnight, if you’d like to prep in advance).

Heat the tortillas a little. I did this in the microwave for about 30 seconds, and then I kept then covered with a damp paper towel as I began to work on the next step.

Take a tortilla and fill it with the turkey mixture. Roll up the tortilla, and place it seam-side down in a square baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas and turkey.

Top the rolled tortillas with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tortillas are heated through and the cheese is melted. Serves 4.

Notes: you could also use a rotisserie chicken as your meat source. Or try using leftover pork loin.

Question of the day: what is your favorite kind of food? What country or ethnicity of coking will always have a place in your stomach?

Keeping the Balls in the Air

I’ve stepped into a very busy work period lately. That’s because I’m trying to juggle 3 projects at the same time. And write this blog. And maybe get some time in with my family, and some time for myself as well. It’s trying, but I’m making the best of it that I can. (One thing I’ve done for myself is to halt the kebab challenge I wanted to embark on this summer, making a kebab recipe a week for this blog. Sorry, maybe I’ll pick it up again next year.)

I found myself finishing up my work yesterday, with no dinner or complete lunch for the next day on deck. I quickly decided on grilled chicken breast and turkey chili.

I bought chicken and ground turkey from the store, and some cheese to go with the chili. (Thankfully I keep beans, crushed tomatoes, spices, onions and garlic handy, so this wasn’t a major shopping expedition.)

At home, I pounded the chicken uniformly flat, then marinated it with spices, a little olive oil, and vinegar. I chopped some onion and smashed and minced garlic. Then, I went to sit in with my husband and son for reading practice. It’s a special treat when I’m home early to get to be part teacher, part cheerleader!

After that, it was back to the kitchen. I turned on the grill and heated my skillet. I rinsed and drained my beans while everything was heating. Then I threw the chicken on the (indoor) grill and began on the chili. Fast forward about 30 minutes, and everything was ready. We live to eat again another two or three days, and I also get the satisfaction of knowing that my loved ones are well fed with quality food.

That’s a glimpse into how I pull healthy meals together, how I juggle kitchen duties, how I make room for family time, and what I keep in stock to make life easier for myself. But I know I’m not the only person juggling life needs and a desire to eat healthy. How do you keep all the balls you have to juggle safely in the air? What are your quick, healthy go-to meals?

The Pizza Project

Skinny meatsa meatsa, word to Little Caesar’s.

I’m all about cooking, spending time with my son, and saving money, so whenever those three things can come together, I’m definitely a happy person!

This happened recently on pizza night. My son and I made pizza together, in the comfort of our own home.

I love the dough, more than you know.

It makes me proud to know that he’s interested in cooking, and I appreciate an opportunity to teach him some of what I know. Pizza ended up being the perfect thing for us to make because nothing is really complicated or dangerous in the assembly (until it’s time for me to put the finished work in the oven), and what child doesn’t like pizza? My son was definitely curious to understand how this mealtime treat comes together.

We made a light meat lover’s pizza and talked about ingredients, measurements, and the typical things that inspire a 5-year-old, like friends and superheroes.

Yours for well under a dollar!

Recipe (for 2 pizzas)

• 2 packages of pizza crust (the just add water kind)
• Olive oil
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce (or you could buy the legit pizza sauce from the market)
• 1 package part-skim mozzarella
• 6-8 turkey meatballs, heated and diced
• 4-6 slices of turkey salami, diced

Preheat your oven to package directions. Prepare the dough to package directions, using water and a little olive oil.

I typically make one pizza at a time, because I have one pizza pan. Stretch the dough onto your pan; top with half of the sauce, cheese and meat. Bake in the oven until it’s heated through to your desired doneness. (I like my cheese to be lightly browned, but if you’re in just melted, gooey cheese camp, go for it.) Then cut, serve and make the other pizza.

Notes: Other family-friendly topping ideas? Turkey pepperoni; lean ground beef; chicken, barbecue sauce and red onion; taco-seasoned ground turkey (with or without black olives, peppers and onions).

Kick Up the Flavor to Eat Less?

I read an interesting New York Times article a few weeks back, which said that people may be less likely to overeat if they are eating foods with strong flavors. The theory, posed by food author Peter Kamitmsky, is explored in his new book, Culinary Intelligence: The Art of Eating Healthy (and Really Well). He shares the idea of FPC, or flavor per calorie, encouraging people to eat more foods that have bold flavors in fewer calories (and to avoid high-calorie foods that are more bland).

Foods he likes: anchovies, chickpeas, capers, plain yogurt, olive oil, roasted almonds, bacon, butter, Italian sausage and dark chocolate. The New York Times author points out that Kaminsky is promoting small quantities of some of these foods, like a few crumbles of sausage or bacon in a lentil stew.

I don’t think this concept is suggesting something totally off the wall. I agree that it’s more satisfying to eat foods that richly satisfy the taste buds, and it’s definitely important to find the intersection of flavor and modest nutritional profile to avoid weight gain. Here are a couple of ideas I’ve tried out recently to do just that:

Jalapeno mustard: I found this in the market, and as a lover of spicy foods, I had to give it a whirl. It tastes like regular yellow mustard, but with a lot more attitude. One teaspoon is 0 calories.

Salad rocking the jalapeno mustard vinaigrette, with a lunch of black-eyed peas and ham with rice.

What I’ve done with the mustard so far is to use it in a relatively light vinaigrette: 2T of the mustard, mixed with 1/2 T agave nectar and 1 T apple cider vinegar. It made a slightly sweet, all-bold presence in a salad made of spring greens, grape tomatoes and vidalia onion. I think it would also be good on a turkey hot dog, served on a light hamburger bun. Add pickled jalapenos to give it even more punch. I’d also like to try making a potato salad, with the jalapeno mustard in place of good old yellow, and some southwest spices, to take this picnic classic into a new direction.

Balsamic vinegar: I have had balsamic vinegar in my house for a long time, occasionally using it in sauces for chicken dishes, and making a pretty standard salad vinaigrette out of it. I love the rich, subtly tangy taste of it, but I didn’t know what else to do with it. Then I got a mint plant, and I my brain pulled into focus on a simple dessert idea that many people enjoy: strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

A handful of sliced ripe strawberries; a few leaves of mint, shredded; a packet of Splenda, and a teaspoon of the balsamic vinegar is all you need. Mix the ingredients together, and enjoy the complex richness of this simple meal-ender.

I second Kaminsky’s suggestions for bacon and dark chocolate. I’d also add cheese to that list. A tablespoon of real bacon bits on a salad can be yours for 30 calories. A small piece of dark chocolate, alone or with fruit, is a good dessert or pick-me-up snack. The same goes for an ounce of a flavorful cheese, like a smoked gouda, chipotle cheddar, or havarti with dill. You could eat the cheese with an apple to make this snack a little more substantial.

Chicken Mango Jalapeno Burrito

I keep saying that I need to go to the market and just walk down the aisles and check out everything that’s in there, to find new, interesting items. I got another good reminder of my need to do that this weekend. I knew I wanted to buy some andouille to pair with red beans and rice, but I took a moment to see what other kinds of sausage were available at my local market, and I found this mango jalapeno chicken sausage:

It sounded really interesting and delicious… and the $3 off coupon that was attached to the packaging didn’t hurt, either. So into my shopping cart it went.

I was thinking I’d make burritos with it, because I knew I had a bunch of tortillas and rice at home to use up. And that’s what I did.

Recipe (1 serving)

• 1/2 Aidells Spicy Mango With Jalapeno chicken sausage (I grilled the sausages, but you could heat them on the stove or in the oven instead.)
• 1 burrito-sized tortilla
• 1/3 cup of rice/rice and beans (Use any leftover rice you have–brown rice, white rice. I used some leftover rice and pigeon peas.)
• 1/2 oz. reduced fat cheddar
• Grilled or sautéed peppers and/or onions, optional

Dice your half of sausage. Heat through your rice, if it’s left over from another day. Place the tortilla on a plate and microwave for 25 seconds.

Top the tortilla with the rice, then the sausage, peppers and/or onion if adding, and the cheese. Roll it up!

Here’s the “exciting” pic of the finished burrito:

Notes: I wanted to try the sausage, but you could absolutely adapt this for any meat leftovers you have, in addition to the rice leftovers. I wanted to taste the sausage in this, but you could add a little salsa if you wanted. Peach mango might be nice, to complement the flavors in the sausage.

This recipe is for one burrito, but I made a bunch of these at one time: 2 for my husband’s meal, one for me (with a salad of lettuce, tomato, and light ranch dressing). If you want to make more than one at once, heat a bunch of rice at once. I still chopped the sausages half a sausage at a time, though, to keep tabs on portions. I heated the tortillas one at a time, and measured the cheese for each burrito separately.

Grilled Cheese With Bacon

For some reason, grilled cheese has been on my mind lately. I made some recently in the lightest manner I could think of. But I didn’t skimp on adding bacon to make the sandwich a little more substantial–and tasty. Here’s my recipe:

• 1 light hamburger bun
• 1 T I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light
• 1 or 2 slices of fat-free cheese (I went with the cheddar flavored individually-wrapped slices)
• 2 slices of center-cut bacon or turkey bacon

I used the inside of the bun as the outside of the sandwich, because I thought it would better mimic the texture I’m used to with grilled cheese sandwiches. Butter the insides of the bun.

Preheat a pan on the stove on medium high heat. (I used a nonstick pan.)

Cook your bacon. (I did it in the microwave, between paper towels, but use your favorite method.) While the bacon is cooking, top the unbuttered side of the bun halves with cheese. Top with the bacon slices, broken in half, when they are ready.

The assembled sandwich, before cooking.

Assemble the sandwich with the buttered sides out. Place the sandwich in the preheated pan. Heat on the first side until browned to your liking, then flip over. Press down slightly on the sandwich while it’s heating on the second side. Remove the sandwich from the pan when it has been browned enough for you.

Cut the sandwich in half.

I ate this with tomato soup and had a good meal!

Things I Learned From a Month of Salads

My 2012 started off with me stocking up on lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, red cabbage, peppers, and other kinds of raw vegetables to turn into salads. In the month of January, I embarked on a challenge to eat a salad a day.

I was sick and missed dinner on Day 7, and on Day 26, the realities of salad fatigue had set in. But after those two missed days, I ate two salads on the following days. So I eventually crossed the finish line into February, today, with 31 bowls of veggies and proteins having made their way through my body in the month before. Someone figure out how to turn a radish into a medal for me!

I am happy to have completed my challenge with minor hiccups. I will be glad to get back to not having to limit my food options, but I think I will incorporate more salads into my life in general. I came up with a bunch of tasty ideas that I won’t let go to waste!

Besides filling up my mental recipe box with ideas, I learned a bunch of other things about salads and their place in my life. Here are 10 of those things: