Easy Pita Pizzas

I posted this on My 90 Day Plan, but thought I would post it here too.

I made these for lunch the other day and they were delicious!! I made mine veggie, but you could easily do it with the toppings of your choice, pepporoni, cheese, BBQ chicken (just substitute BBQ sauce for tomato sauce), the sky is the limit with these.

1 whole wheat Pita
2 TBS tomato sauce
1/3 cup grated cheese (divided)
Toppings of choice

Spread the tomato sauce over the pita and sprinkle half of the cheese over the sauce. Place toppings of choice, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and pop in the oven until heated (5-10 minutes). I actualy put mine in the microwave and it tasted great, but I'm sure the oven would make it a little more crispy. For the veggie pizza pictured above, I layered spinach, tomato slices, green peppers and onions. YUM!! (and for any of you counting calories, it was only about 320 calories!)

I'd love to hear about some of the creations you might have.

Easy Homemade French Fries

Please excuse any cheesy wording - I wrote this for tutus and turtles, but figured I might as well post it here too!

It's not much a recipe, but we love these, and they are really easy.




Most kids love French fries, and you can easily make a healthier version at home. One twist we love is using sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. You can use both for a colorful combination or to help introduce the new look. Place a large baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Slice a few potatoes and/or sweet potatoes into long fry-shapes and place in a bowl. Toss with approx. 1/2 -1 tsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. salt or seasoned salt for a little kick. When the oven is heated, pull the baking sheet out, spray with a non-stick cooking spray and spread potatoes onto baking tray (Careful, it's hot!). Bake for approx. 45 minutes (This is based on whether you like your fries soft or crispy), flipping fries with a spatula a few times to prevent over-browning in spots. Taste and toss with a little more salt if needed. Serve with your favorite dip!

Abelskivers (Danish Pancakes)

I just posted about these on my blog, but I figured I'd share the recipe. I am in love with them!!

You will need an abelskiver pan to cook them--I recommend going with a cast iron pan. Target sells one for $14.99.

What you'll need:

4 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

4 cups buttermilk

6 eggs, separated (you'll just need the whites)

2 tsp. vanilla

6 tbsp. melted butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Beat egg whites until stiff, then add vanilla, milk & butter. Add dry ingredients.

Oil each well of an abelskiver pan. Pour in batter, filling wells almost level. Cook on stove over medium heat. You'll have to turn them, just like you would flip a pancake. It's a little tricky to get them into the proper shape the first time, but you'll get the hang of it I promise!

Serve hot with your choice of syrup, fruit & whipped cream, or butter & powdered sugar.

Upside-Down Apple Pie

We love this. It gives your apple pie a subtle, caramel-nut topping and it is delicious.

9 inch double pie crust, well-chilled

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup pecan halves or pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch salt

approx.5 large tart apples, peeled ,cored and sliced to equal about 6 cups
1 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tlbs. flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt

Prepare pie crust, and let chill while preparing the following:
Prepare apples, toss with lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. You can make this spicier if you want.

Spread butter evenly on bottom and sides of 9 inch pie tin. I think metal works better than glass with this pie. Press nuts, rounded side down, into butter on bottom of plate, or scatter pieces on butter. You can do this as fancy or as simply as you want. Pat the brown sugar evenly over nuts. Sprinkle with salt. Roll out pie crust. Place bottom crust in pie tin on top of brown sugar, add apples, place top crust, and make slits pie plate over sugar.

Bake on middle rack at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then move to the bottom rack for approx. 25-30 more minutes, tenting pie with foil to prevent over-browning, if necessary. Do not over bake or your apples will be mushy. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Place serving plate on top of pie and invert. Carefully remove pie tin. If you discover that your caramel is still a little grainy, invert it back into pie tin and bake on bottom rack a little longer. I've had to do this, the pie still turns out delicious. You might have to experiment with time and placement with your oven.

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

8 oz. angel hair pasta (capellini, uncooked)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes of the pasta cooking time.

Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into 4 serving bowls; sprinkle with peanuts.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each

* This dish is super easy and delicious! It is also very spicy, so you can omit the crushed red pepper if you don't like spicy foods. ( I copied this picture from the kraft foods website, I don't have Holly's mad photography skills:)

Chicken Tikka Masala

I just copied and pasted this recipe directly from the wonderful Cook's Illustrated. The chicken turned out delicious, even though my picture isn't too appetizing. I wound up making the chicken and sauce the night before and kept them separate in the fridge, combining and reheating just before we ate. We felt like we were eating at Bombay House, it was so good - Thank you CI!

This dish is best when prepared with whole-milk yogurt, but low-fat yogurt can be substituted. For a spicier dish, do not remove the ribs and seeds from the chile. If you prefer, substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper for the garam masala. The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve with basmati rice.

Chicken Tikka
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
1/2	teaspoon ground coriander
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	teaspoon table salt
2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1	cup plain whole-milk yogurt (see note above)
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1	tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Masala Sauce
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2	teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1	fresh serrano chile , ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced (see note above)
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1	tablespoon garam masala (see note above)
1	(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2	teaspoons sugar
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2/3	cup heavy cream
1/4	cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.