14
Oct 2011

BBQ Chicken Pizza With Jalapenos and Red Onion–Yummm!

October 14, 2011 By 4 Comments
My favorite BBQ chicken pizza, strangely enough, is from Schlotzky’s. (You know-the sandwich place). I think it is the addition of the red onion and jalapeno that really does it for me, so I came up with my own BBQ Chicken Pizza With Jalapenos and Red Onion. Andy was out of town so I needed a quick weeknight dinner for the boys and this was my solution. The BBQ sauce is tangy, the jalapenos spicy and the red onions sweet–the perfect trio!
Here’s What You Need:
10oz Boboli wheat crust
Organic BBQ Sauce
Low fat shredded mozzarella
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
1 Jalapeno, sliced (Sub in pickled jalapenos to make it less spicy)
1 cooked chicken breast (seasoned with s + p) , chopped
Seasoning (I used Southwestern seasoning)
Handful of cilantro, chopped
Here’s What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 450. Spread BBQ sauce all over the crust. Top with the cheese, onions, chicken, and jalapenos. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Bake for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro over the top.
*If using flatbread cook at 400 for about 8 minutes!
Kid Tip:I simply left off the jalapenos on one side of the pizza for the boys. I also recommend using less BBQ sauce on your kids side of the pizza–otherwise you will have a big mess on your hands. My three year old declared this a “little spicy”, but he still really liked it.
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Stay healthy, stay skinny, and never forget..me time!
Filed Under: BBQ Chicken Pizza with jalapenos, easy weeknight dinner, skinny dinner, skinny lunch, skinny pizza bread
10
Oct 2011

EASY Weeknight Dinner-Farfalle With Smoked Salmon Lemon "Cream" Sauce

October 10, 2011 By 1 Comment
Do any of you ladies have husbands who hunt? I have been with my husband for nine years and I still don’t “get it”. Last week Andy got up at 3:45AM dressed in head to toe camo to go sit in a marsh to wait for birds to fly over head–for three days. Yep-don’t get it. Anyway, he LOVES hunting, so I try and be understanding and supportive. (I will say that I can have a relatively educated discussion on various hunting and fishing methods, which is pretty crazy coming from a suburban Chicago born girl like me. I remember the first time I identified a large mouth bass and my best friend asked, “Who are you?!” I guess a true Wisconsin wife these days ;) !)
The other thing that hunting  means is holding down the fort, which is especially insane this time of year with my work at its height of craziness. That’s why this recipe was perfect for one of my “hunter’s widow nights”. I came  up with Farfalle with Smoked Salmon Lemon Cream Sauce a few years ago and have made it several times since, because it is healthy, fresh, and super easy. Suprisingly? The boys loved it!
Here’s What You Need:
1/4-1/2lb smoked salmon*, chopped
60z farfalle
Zest of 1 lemon (plus juice of 1/2)
1 cup ff half and half
3-4 cups baby spinach (plus extra)
1/4 cup Parmesan
Seasoning (I used 1/4 tsp Country French Vinagarette by Penzey’s)
Salt and pepper

Here’s What You Do:
Make pasta according to box instructions al dente and set aside. Warm the salmon over medium along with the lemon zest, and seasoning. Add the cream and warm through (about 5 minutes, being careful that it doesn’t boil). Stir in the spinach, and the parmesan and heat until the sauce is reduced a bit. Add in the lemon juice and the pasta and toss together. Add salt and pepper to taste.Be sure to add enough salt since you didn’t it during cooking and it will really bring out the flavors. I added extra spinach and a squeeze of lemon to the top of mine as well.
* The smoked salmon is typically refrigerated next to the fresh seafood. I used cracked pepper, but cajun or any other flavors would work too.


Kid Tip:
Because the salmon was a bit spicy, I picked  out most of it  for the portions I made for my kids. I also cut their spinach into little pieces and tossed theirs with an extra “shot” of parmesan. My three year old said, “Thanks mom, this is really good!” Music to my ears….
www.skinnymommy.com
Stay healthy, stay skinny, and never forget..me time!
Filed Under: easy weeknight dinner, lemon cream sauce, skinny dinner, smoked salmon recipe
07
Oct 2011

Greek Shrimp

October 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There is this recipe in Bon Apetit from many moons ago that has shrimp, feta, and kalamatas. It is amazing! It also requires several steps including flaming ouzo. As much as I love it and adore cooking, my working mother lifestyle just doesn’t allow for several step meals on a weekday night. (Can you imagine the trouble the boys would be getting in if I lingered too long in the kitchen?!)
So…I came up with my own Greek Shrimp recipe this week. It turned out great and was super easy to make too. I also really liked the taste of the fresh tomatoes over the canned diced ones. And…What’s not to love about a dinner that you can throw in the oven?  

Here’s What You Need: (About 3/4 servings)

1/2 lb medium shrimp, peeled
1 tsp minced garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced
4 TBS kalamatas, diced
2 TBS chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp Greek seasoning
2/3 cup of flavored feta

Here’s What You Do:Preheat the oven to 400. Mix the tomatoes, olives, Greek seasoning and parsley together. In a separate bowl mix the shrimp and about a capful of olive oil along with the garlic. Spray a baking dish with organic non-stick spray and then layer it with the shrimp, followed by the “Greek salsa”. Top with the feta Bake for about 17 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through. I then broiled it for about a minute to melt the cheese a bit more.I served it with orzo made with chicken broth, spices and garbanazos. It was even better the next day!

Kid Tip:
Depending on the age of your kids you may want to cut everything into tiny pieces and toss with the orzo. You could also thread the shrimp onto skewers or toothpicks to make them more fun to eat, leaving just the “salsa” to mix with the orzo.

www.skinnymommy.com

Stay healthy, stay skinny, and never forget..me time!
Filed Under: easy weeknight dinner, Greek Shrimp, skinny dinner
06
Oct 2011

Asian BBQ Chicken

October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last week it was in the 40′s here and this week it is close to 80. I am in heaven! (Except for the fact that I spend 90% of my day inside working…) Anyway, It was wonderful to be able to grill out, sit on the porch for dinner and even talk a walk with the kids. We were all excited about this Asian BBQ Chicken which I dreamed up. For some reason I have been dying to make something that combined siracha and honey and this was it!

Take some time to sit outside and enjoy the fresh fall breezes while enjoying Asian BBQ Chicken.

Here’s What You Need:

1/4 cup of honey (plus more to taste)
1/8 cup sesame oil
1/8 siracha
1/4 cup low sodium soy
1/8 cup organic ketchup
1tsp minced garlic
1.5-2.0 lbs chicken (I used thighs)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt + pepper

Here’s What You Do:
Preheat the grill to medium. Whisk all of the ingredients through garlic to make the sauce. Add more honey or siracha based on your preference for sweet or spicy. Brush the chicken with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning frequently for about 15 minutes. Start brushing the chicken with the glaze and continue to, adding more sauce as needed for about 5 minutes, turning the chicken often. Grab a big stack of napkins and enjoy!

Kid Tip:
My three year old was literally fighting my husband for the last piece of chicken so that was a good sign that this is kid friendly! I gave the chicken to him whole to eat with  his hands (more fun that way). However, for my 18 month old, I cut the chicken into little pieces. He pretty much throws everything back at me. One of these days that boy will eat!!!

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www.skinnymommy.com

Stay healthy, stay skinny, and never forget..me time!
Filed Under: Asian BBQ chicken, easy weeknight dinner, skinny dinner
04
Aug 2011

Especially for your Kids! Summer Squash Stuffed Pizza Bread

August 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I adore a farmer’s market and there’s nothing I like more than coming home and making dinner with my great finds. This Summer Squash Stuffed Pizza Bread was a quick recipe I came up with using the squash and bread I picked up with my boys last week.  When my husband is out of town (which is a lot!) the quicker the better…

Here’s What You Need:Whole wheat baguette, halved
Marinara
Shredded Italian cheese (I used a mix of low-fat mozzarella and Italian 5 cheese)
Italian seasoning
1 large yellow summer squash (or zucchini)-diced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Here’s What You Do:Preheat oven to 400. Hallow out both sides of the baguette and heat olive oil over medium. Add diced squash with salt and pepper and saute until softened. Fill baguette with squash. Top with marinara, cheese, and Italian seasoning. Bake for approximately 12 minutes. I broiled it for an additional two minutes, turning once, since I like my cheese bubbly and golden.
Kid Tip:Get your kids involved in shopping and cooking whether its at the farmers market or the grocery store. I think it really helps establish an interest in food. Many nights my kids see what we are having and ask for hot dogs, but I try! :) With this one, I cut the bread into small bites for my 1 year old and for my 3 year old I made a “handle” out of tin-foil so he could easily pick it up. What they didn’t eat, I devoured myself…

Stay healthy, stay skinny, and never forget..me time!
Filed Under: easy weeknight dinner, skinny pizza bread, summer squash recipe