Spinach Pizza

I recently played around with creating a healthy pizza, and absolutely loved the results... so much so that I made the dish again less than a week later.  This is almost like a salad which has been served on a pizza crust.  You can recreate the pizza I made, or just have fun making one of your own.  

Ingredients:

~prepared pizza crust (I used Meijer Organics)

~olive oil

~garlic powder

~organic spinach 

~feta cheese

~organic mild cheddar cheese (shredded, again Meijer Organics brand)

~chopped walnuts

~organic cranberries (love that Meijer Organics brand!)

~grilled chicken (lightly seasoned with pepper and seasoned salt)

Method:

I started with a prepared pizza crust... how easy is that!  I mixed a bit of olive oil (maybe 1-2 tablespoons) with garlic powder and brushed the mixture all over the crust.  Bake the crust for 4 minutes at 450 degrees.  During this time, I grilled my seasoned chicken pieces using my George Foreman grill.  Layer the toppings on the crust however you please, or as mentioned above, use toppings of your choosing.  Bake for an additional 7-8 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.

The pizza was served hot from the oven, and it was delicious!  I also enjoyed the leftovers cold.  I'm happy to report that even my kiddos enjoyed this meal.  Even though my son felt it necessary to tell me he would prefer pepperoni... he still ate this version!

I plan to keep experimenting with new and healthy ways to prepare pizza.  How 'bout you?  Do you have a favorite way to change up pizza in your kitchen?

~nikki

Crockpot Pork Chops

So happy together... my two crockpots.

Crockpot on the right has our roasted new potatoes and carrots, which are just delicious.  On the left was a new recipe for pork chops I was trying for the first time today.  I found this recipe on Pinterest, and you can view the original at Kristi's Recipe Box.  I made a couple of minor adjustments, and here's my result.

Crockpot Pork Chops

Ingredients:

~4-6 thin boneless pork chops
~1/4 cup olive oil
~1 cup chicken broth
~2 cloves garlic, minced
~1 tablespoon paprika
~1 tablespoon seasoned salt
~1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place pork chops in crockpot.  Mix together chicken broth and olive oil; add garlic and other spices and stir well.  Pour mixture over chops.  Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.

Between the pork chops and the potatoes & carrots cooking this afternoon, the house smelled really good!  All of us enjoyed this meal, most especially my husband!  It is actually quite easy to make, and the spices could be varied depending on what you have on hand or what you're in the mood for.

~nikki

Browned Butter Gnocchi

Yum!

I shared a recipe on Pinterest a while back which I found in my February issue of Cooking Light magazine.  You can view the original recipe here.

I was excited to try something new, as we have never eaten gnocchi before.  I'm happy to say that we all really enjoyed this dish.  It was simple enough to make, too.  The husband went back for a big plate of seconds, and even the kids seemed to like it.  My daughter called it "Gnocchi, gnocchi!"

I made a couple of minor adjustments to the recipe, and here's what I did:

Browned Butter Gnocchi

Ingredients:

~2 (16 ounce) packages gnocchi
~12 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
~4 tablespoons butter
~2 tablespoons olive oil (don't know for sure that that's the amount I used...I didn't measure)
~black pepper
~pine nuts (about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon per serving)
~shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (a sprinkling to taste on each serving)

Directions:

Cook gnocchi in a large Dutch oven according to package directions (mine needed to boil only for about 3-4 minutes).  Add broccoli during last minute of cooking; cook 1 minute and drain.  (Since I was using frozen broccoli, I did partially cook it in the microwave first for 3 minutes.)  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add butter and oil; cook until butter browns.  (The original recipe said to cook for 7 minutes or until butter browns... well, my butter browned very quickly!  I definitely didn't come anywhere near 7 minutes.)  Add pepper to taste; add gnocchi mixture to pan and stir to coat.  Sprinkle each serving with pine nuts and cheese.

From skillet...

...to plate.  Enjoy!

This recipe will definitely be featured in my monthly meal plan next month.  Success!

~nikki

Crockpot Potato Soup

A couple of months ago, I was on the hunt for a crockpot recipe for potato soup.  I certainly found a lot of versions of this dish, but my husband was pretty particular about what he did and did not want with this soup.  Any recipes that were overly cheesy were out, as were recipes that included broccoli (how dare we include broccoli!?!).  I found a simple enough recipe that I thought he (and the rest of us) would enjoy, via Pinterest.  (Here's my pin)  The original recipe comes from Life on Mars and can be found here.

This is how my hubby wanted his...
with cheese and crumbled bacon pieces
(Cute that he didn't want a recipe that
was too cheesy, but then he covered
his soup with chesse...)

Crockpot Potato Soup

Ingredients:

~5 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
~4-5 cups of chicken broth
~1 stick of melted butter
~1 cup of half-and-half
~salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

For toppings:

~shredded cheese and crumbled bacon pieces (that's what we use, but you could certainly add other toppings to suit your tastes)

Directions:

Place the chopped potatoes in the slow cooker.  Pour in the chicken broth until the potatoes are just covered.  I cook this on high for about 4 hours (you want the potatoes to be really soft).  Since I don't have an immersion blender, I use a potato masher to blend the potatoes to the consistency that we like (really smooth...but you could leave it chunkier if that's what you like).  Add in the half-and-half, melted butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir until combined.  Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes to let it thicken up.  Serve with toppings of your choice.

~nikki

Crockpot Mac & Cheese

One of the meals my family seems to really love in particular is my variation on mac & cheese, of course, prepared in my crockpot.  I looked for a crockpot mac & cheese recipe for a bit (there are lots) and tried one that turned out kind of pasty.  I've played around a bit and have found what works for me that we all enjoy eating.

Crockpot Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

~2 cups milk
~1/2 stick melted butter or margarine
~1 can evaporated milk
~2 eggs
~salt & pepper
~3 cups shredded cheese (I use cheddar blends like cheddar jack, or one called gourmet blend)
~1/2 box elbow macaroni
~1/2 cup to 1 cup grated Parmesan
~1 additional cup of shredded cheddar blend cheese

Directions:

Grease crockpot with cooking spray.  Combine milk, melted butter, evaporated milk, eggs, and salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.  Add 3 cups shredded cheese and the macaroni.  Stir gently to coat evenly.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and add 1 cup shredded cheddar blend cheese.  Do not stir.  Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.

You can see in the above photo (which was taken after dishing up my kids' portions) what might happen along the edges.  Even though I cook this on low and only for about 3 hours, the edges can really brown.  What I try to do is sort of scrape away the macaroni from this almost-burned edge while the dish is cooking. I haven't really figured out any way around this happening, and what is left in the middle is plenty for us, believe me!  So I don't worry about it...

With all that cheese, it's also not the most healthy dish I make...and that's okay, too.  I use skim milk, low fat evaporated milk, and sometimes the reduced fat cheeses (made from 2% milk).  So, while it is a bit calorie-high I'm okay with that.

~nikki

Two Crockpot Meals: Fruit-Stuffed Pork Chops and Roasted New Potatoes and Carrots

Well, it's another two crockpot day here at my house.  All afternoon, my husband has been happily basking in the scents coming out of my kitchen.  I'm pleased to say that he thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the meal as well!  (The kids even liked it, too.)

Fruit-Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:
~1 boneless pork loin roast
~1 cup dried fruits (I used cranberries and cherries)
~1 tablespoon minced onion
~1 teaspoon salt
~1 teaspoon thyme
~1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
~1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~2 tablespoons olive oil
~1 cup apple cider

Directions:

Cut pork horizontally (think hot dog bun).

Layer dried fruit and minced onion in opening.

Bring halves of pork together and tie at 1-inch intervals with kitchen twine.  In a small bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients and rub into roast.

Place roast in skillet with oil and brown roast on all sides.  Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and add the roast.  Pour in the apple cider.  Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Roasted New Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients:
~1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, unpeeled
~1/2 pound carrots (I took the very-easy route and used bagged carrot chips)
~1/2 cup butter, melted
~1 tablespoon dried parsley
~1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray.  Add potatoes and carrots.  Mix melted butter and spices.  Pour mixture over potatoes and carrots and stir.  Cover and cook on high for about 3-4 hours.

~nikki

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

A while back, I found an interesting recipe by way of Pinterest.  I printed out the recipe and didn't really look too closely at it until today when I was getting ready to prepare the meal.  I was pretty surprised to read directions instructing me to cook the chicken at 500 degrees!  After checking the original source (here) I confirmed that the recipe did indeed say 500 degrees.

I was also surprised to read in the comments section the number of people who actually followed that instruction, though they seemed to know it wasn't a good idea going in.  I think there's a larger lesson here that has little to do with cooking, and more to do with life.  Listen to your own instincts.  You don't have to be a Follower.

I'm happy to say that my version turned out perfectly.  Everyone in the family enjoyed it, and that is always a plus for me.  The original recipe called for boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I preferred to use boneless skinless chicken tenderloins.

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients:
~9-10 boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins (or 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
~4 garlic cloves, minced
~4-6 tablespoons brown sugar
~olive oil (I didn't measure... original calls for 3 teaspoons, but I definitely used more...probably a couple tablespoons)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.  Saute garlic in the olive oil until tender.  Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.  Place chicken the the casserole dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.  Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Recipe Update (Feb. 21)
So, I made this recipe again today, this time using chicken breasts instead of tenderloins.  I also discovered that my garlic was bad, so I substituted minced garlic from my spice collection.  Not only did the recipe taste great (we didn't notice the absence of fresh garlic at all) but it was easier prep for me.  (I may never go back...)

~nikki

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken and Crockpot Cinnamon Carrots

Yes, that's right... It's a 2 crockpot day here in my kitchen.  Because sometimes one just isn't enough!

So, here's what's cooking:

Crockpot Creamy Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

~4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
~1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
~1/2 cup water
~Fat free cream cheese, 1 (8 oz) block, cubed
~1 can cream of chicken soup, 98% fat free

Directions:

Spray crockpot with nonstick spray.  Place chicken in crockpot, mix Italian dressing mix and water, pour over chicken.  Spread cream cheese cubes out over chicken.  Pour can of soup over all.  Cover.  (I cook this on low for about 4 hours.)

(Giving credit where credit is due, I found this recipe on my SparkRecipes free iPhone/iPod app.  You can find the web version here.)

Crockpot Cinnamon Carrots

Ingredients:

~2 (16 oz) pkg carrots (I used the crinkle cut slices, but you could use baby carrots instead)
~3/4 cup packed brown sugar
~1/4 cup honey
~1/2 cup orange juice
~2 1/2 tablespoons (1/3 stick) butter, melted
~3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Spray crockpot with  nonstick spray.  Add carrots.  Combine in a bowl: brown sugar, honey, OJ, butter, and cinnamon.  Pour mixture over carrots.  Cover and cook on low about 3 hours or so.  (Stir twice during cooking.)  About 20 minutes before serving, transfer carrots (with slotted spoon) to serving dish and cover to keep warm.  Pour liquid from crockpot into a saucepan; boil for several minutes until reduced by half.  Spoon over carrots in serving dish.

(Just a note, this recipe makes a lot, so I froze half of it to use again another time.  You also could prepare just half.)

~nikki

Crockpot Pork Chops with Apple-Cranberry Stuffing

I found a recipe a while back using a free app from SparkRecipes.  You can view the original recipe, "Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apple-Cranberry Stuffing," here.  I was intrigued by the recipe, but I was surprised that it called for apples and dried cherries, but no cranberries.  (After all, "cranberry" is in the recipe's title... so I wanted to use cranberries.)  Also, my family does not care for celery and I don't happen to like onion, so those ingredients needed to come out for us.  Here's what I ended up doing with it:

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Apple-Cranberry Stuffing

Ingredients:
~1 package (6 ounces) herb stuffing mix
~1 cup apples, peeled and chopped
~1 cup dried cherries
~1 cup dried cranberries
~minced onion (honestly, I can't remember how much...  maybe a couple teaspoons?)
~1 cup chicken broth
~5-6 boneless pork loin chops (about 1/2 inch thick)

Directions:
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.  Mix all ingredients except pork.  Place half of the stuffing mixture in slow cooker; top with pork.  Spoon remaining stuffing mixture over pork.  Cover and cook on low heat setting until pork is tender (I think I did about 4 hours or so).

p.s.
My family really enjoyed this meal!  My son, Geoffrey, though, didn't know what it was when he found it in the crockpot after school (I was out taking his sister to her dance class, so I wasn't there for him to ask).  Since it didn't look that good to him, he opted to make himself some Easy Mac in the microwave.  When I got home, I told him what was in the crockpot (he loves pork, by the way!)... Boy was he surprised!  Though he was full when we sat down to eat, he did reheat some for himself a little later.

~nikki

Crockpot Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

This is another very easy meal which I prepare for my family using my crockpot (one of my favorite things, for sure).  Seriously, my daughter helps me make it, it's that easy!

Slow Cooker Apple Butter Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

~1 pork tenderloin (about 2 lbs)

~1.5 cups unsweetened applesauce

~1/4 cup butter, melted

~2 tsp minced garlic

~2 tsp worcestershire sauce

~1 tbsp ground ginger

~1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Place the thawed tenderloin in the slow cooker.  Mix the other ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour over tenderloin, rolling meat to ensure all sides are coated.  (As a note, Hope & I did increase the amount of applesauce and melted butter, but we kept the amounts of the other ingredients unchanged.)  I cooked this on low for about 4 hours.  When you serve this, it's nice to ladle some of the applesauce mixture onto the pork slices on everyone's plates.

~nikki