Hey fellow bloggers, how has your month been going? January has been a pretty awesome month for me so far- but it's going by faster than I expected! It started with an truly awesome New Year's Day, which I spent relaxing and writing Christmas thank you cards to my grandparents. For New Year's Eve, I made "Sausage' stuffed mushrooms( made with fake turkey sausage) and lemon ricotta cookies both of which were divine. My mom had made this delicious" Bubble Pizza", with Pillsbury crescent rolls, cheese, and turkey pepperoni. I had already planned my New Year's Eve dinner, and so I didn't have that much of it that night- but the next day I tried more of it- it was so yummy! Anyway, I had Mrs. T's potato & cheese stuffed pierogies- my favorite as mentioned in previous blog posts. There just so great though- I could talk about them for hours- lol! they're low fat, low calorie, and so creamy and satisfying! I eat them a variety of ways when I decide to treat myself to them( usually about once every 2 or 3 months). sometimes I like to take some salad greens, place them on a large plate, then bake the frozen pierogies for 18- 20 minutes. I like to drizzle 1 tsp- 1 tbsp or more of extra virgin olive oil over them to make them golden and puffy. Or, if I feel I want a lower fat option, I'll spray some fat- free olive oil cooking spray on the bottoms and tops of them and then stick them in the oven. After they're done cooking, I layer 3- 5 of them over the salad greens. Next, I top them with a small amount of light sour cream and some organic, all-natural salsa. It's a light, satisfying lunch or dinner + it's naughty food made healthy( well- slightly anyway) I got the idea of making " naughty" food ( or unhealthy ones basically) healthier from Carrie Underwood( another great thing about her!). And I really just love it- when I'm having a day where I'm really craving something that isn't exactly that good for me, but don't want to end up being really bad, I take her tip and make it as healthy as possible. For example, I found out she loves cheese pizza and quesidillas. But like me, she feels there not the healthiest thing to eat( even though there not as bad as soda or donuts) all the time. So, she cooks some spinach, onions, and tomatoes and then tops her quesadilla with this, + 1 slice of fat-free cheese + 1 slice full fat cheese( for added creamyness). It's a excellent solution for her- she gets to indulge in her favorite meal & know it's good for her at the same time! Let's just say I've taken this idea and run with it- now I make quesidillas at least once a week, if not more- and I don't have to feel like I'm being bad anymore! It's the same with these two recipes I'm about to share- long story short, I've always loved pizza( who doesn't) but again, when I eat it too much ( which is common for me since I don't eat much meat or seafood) I feel like I'm totally butchering my diet. So, I make it as healthy as it can get. ( Whole wheat dough and I also add some mushrooms, tomatoes, or spinach). I used to not enjoy topping one of my favorite foods with vegetables, but not I love it! I've truly come to love these so- called," super" foods, just because I know they're good for me. I'm not kidding though that I actually love the way they taste- I don't just scarf them down in order to eat a slice of pie afterward. I season some cooked spinach with salt and pepper, place it on the side with my quesadillas or on my pizza and it really helps to fill me up!
Tonight I made cheese-stuffed pizza- it was so scrumptious & easy- I ate like two slices + a little sliver on the side( It was that good). It's one of those meals that is just so unbelievably divine that you can't believe it's healthy, low fat, and light as can be!
So, finally here's the recipe:
Cheese-Stuffed Pizza
( Note: You have to own a bread machine to make this pizza) It makes two round medium pizzas and serves like 15- 16 people!)
Pizza dough :
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour + 2 cups all- purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. organic cane sugar
3 tsp. regular active dry yeast
Pizza toppings:
pizza sauce- 1/4- 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup mozzarella( reduced fat)
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tsp. Italian pizza seasoning
about 1 cup of low fat mozzarella string cheese( 7 cheese sticks basically = 7 oz.)
2 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup turkey pepperoni & sausage(optional)
Place all dough ingredients in bread machine( inside the bread pan) and select cycle 9- press start( It takes about an hour and a half for mine to knead the dough properly.)
Next, grease two round cookie sheets & preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Divide the dough( once it's done) into two even- sized balls. Let them sit for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets. Then, with oiled fingers roll them each out into round circles ( size varies). Spoon 1/4- 1/2 cup tomato sauce on each- sprinkle with some sweet basil if desired.
For the cheese- stuffed pizza, place seven cheese sticks around the outer portion( edge) of your crust, leaving a little room for the dough to fold over then. Then fold a good amount of dough over each stick, pinching the ends firmly( you really want to make sure you completely cover each stick with enough dough or the cheese will leak out too much & make a mess). Then top with desired toppings( I used 1/2 cup mozzarella and a little bit of parmesan cheese for this one).
Finally, sprinkle some italian pizza seasoning on the edge of the pizza, if you want to.
cook for 18- 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
For the regular pizza: spoon pizza sauce onto the dough & top with 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Place this pizza on the middle rack of your oven & the cheese-stuffed one on the bottom rack of your oven( or vise versa) switch halfway through the 18- 20 minutes they take to cook.
Serve with additional pizza sauce, if desired.
Doesn't it just make your mouth water?!
Next is my mushroom and veggie calzones, which are officially one of my favorite things to eat once or twice throughout a month. They're easy, simple, low- fat and truly good!
To be honest, I like calzones better than regular pizza( because I find them to be a little more filling than eating 2 or 3 slices of thin pizza to get satisfied)
My love of them really started when I first had one about 10 months ago, back in the summer of 2013. I was traveling home from Missouri with my friend, Michelle- and we stopped at a local pizza place so Michelle could get some gluten- free pizza( she found out she's allergic to gluten and has to follow a special meal plan. Back then, I was a hard- core vegetarian and so the only thing I could really find to eat was a calzone( because, obviously, getting a whole pizza for myself was out of the question= lol!). I was totally unprepared for what awaited me( getting a little dramatic here- drum roll please :)
When I finally tasted dinner, I couldn't get enough of it. Soft, white, golden dough with creamy mozzarella cheese filling the insides of it and spilling off the sides. ( sounds a little nuts- right!)
I knew I had to find out how to make a healthier version of this amazing concoction- but it didn't actually happen till a few weeks ago. I wanted to make a special, quick Friday night dinner for my family. I finally found a calzone recipe in our bread machine cook-book and went for it. I made six individual calzones for each member of my family. Noah's & Dad's were of course dairy-free( they're not fond of cheese), so there's were topped with some pizza sauce, and a little turkey pepperoni and sausage. For me and mom, I filled the calzone with chopped mushrooms( about 1/4 cup) and two of my favorite cheeses, 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 ricotta + pizza sauce of course. After making them, I brushed them with a little bit of a low- fat egg( whisked up first to give them that golden, crusty look I loved at the restaurant without packing on unnecessary pounds when I eat them( what I mean by this is that pizza places usually use a ton of butter or olive oil to get this look).
Then I simply cooked them for about 20 minutes & tada- a easy and healthy meal that's satisfying but keeps me light on my feet( as Giada says:) )
Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
4 1/2 cups bread flour( I used half whole wheat)
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. regular active dry yeast
Remove bread pan: attack kneading blade.Place all dough ingredients in bread pan in order listed. Insert bread pan, close lid and plug in. Press select until setting number 9 is displayed. Press start. Heat oven to 375. Grease two cookie sheets. Divide dough into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into 7- in circle on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. Spread 1/4- to 1/2 cup sauce on each calzone( as much as you want). Layer 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup chopped cremini mushrooms, and 1/4 cup full fat ricotta cheese on the calzone( If you're making the vegetarian version:). Be careful not to put the sauce too close to the edge, or it leaks out and makes a big mess. If making the meat- eater version, spoon desired sauce over the dough and layer 10 slices of low fat turkey pepperoni on top, along with sliced links of turkey sausage( if desired. Fold dough over filling: fold edge up and pinch very securely to seal. Place on cookie sheets. Brush with 1 organic egg, beaten ahead of time.
Bake 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown.
For dessert, I made Giada's Avocado- Chocolate Mouse with Raspberries( at first glance it sounds & looks kinda've weird, right). It really isn't- my family all loved it & it was a great way to start the weekend & end our Friday night meal. ( And nobody knew there was avocados in it but me & mom- hehe) It's a lot like chocolate pudding, but it's more natural and healthy + it's so simple and fast. You could whip it together in a matter of 15- 20 minutes. Leftovers can be refrigerated and indulged in at a later time:)
Giada's Avocado- Chocolate Mousse: ( copied from Giada's Feel Good Food Cookbook, Copyright 2013)
Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips( I used semi- sweet but you could do either)
4 very ripe large avocados, chopped( It's very important that there as ripe as possible
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. seas salt
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
fresh raspberries, for garnish
Put the chocolate chips in a heat- proof medium bowl. Set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a food processor, combine the melted chocolate, the avocados, cocoa powder, agave, vanilla, salt, and almond milk. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon into glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours( or less) or up to 1 day. Garnish with raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries before serving( optional)
this was my brother's face when he was finished.
I think he liked it- lol!:)
Tonight I made cheese-stuffed pizza- it was so scrumptious & easy- I ate like two slices + a little sliver on the side( It was that good). It's one of those meals that is just so unbelievably divine that you can't believe it's healthy, low fat, and light as can be!
So, finally here's the recipe:
Cheese-Stuffed Pizza
( Note: You have to own a bread machine to make this pizza) It makes two round medium pizzas and serves like 15- 16 people!)
Pizza dough :
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
2 cups whole wheat flour + 2 cups all- purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. organic cane sugar
3 tsp. regular active dry yeast
Pizza toppings:
pizza sauce- 1/4- 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup mozzarella( reduced fat)
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tsp. Italian pizza seasoning
about 1 cup of low fat mozzarella string cheese( 7 cheese sticks basically = 7 oz.)
2 tbsp. shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup turkey pepperoni & sausage(optional)
Place all dough ingredients in bread machine( inside the bread pan) and select cycle 9- press start( It takes about an hour and a half for mine to knead the dough properly.)
Next, grease two round cookie sheets & preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Divide the dough( once it's done) into two even- sized balls. Let them sit for 10 minutes on the cookie sheets. Then, with oiled fingers roll them each out into round circles ( size varies). Spoon 1/4- 1/2 cup tomato sauce on each- sprinkle with some sweet basil if desired.
For the cheese- stuffed pizza, place seven cheese sticks around the outer portion( edge) of your crust, leaving a little room for the dough to fold over then. Then fold a good amount of dough over each stick, pinching the ends firmly( you really want to make sure you completely cover each stick with enough dough or the cheese will leak out too much & make a mess). Then top with desired toppings( I used 1/2 cup mozzarella and a little bit of parmesan cheese for this one).
Finally, sprinkle some italian pizza seasoning on the edge of the pizza, if you want to.
cook for 18- 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
For the regular pizza: spoon pizza sauce onto the dough & top with 1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Place this pizza on the middle rack of your oven & the cheese-stuffed one on the bottom rack of your oven( or vise versa) switch halfway through the 18- 20 minutes they take to cook.
Serve with additional pizza sauce, if desired.
Doesn't it just make your mouth water?!
Next is my mushroom and veggie calzones, which are officially one of my favorite things to eat once or twice throughout a month. They're easy, simple, low- fat and truly good!
To be honest, I like calzones better than regular pizza( because I find them to be a little more filling than eating 2 or 3 slices of thin pizza to get satisfied)
My love of them really started when I first had one about 10 months ago, back in the summer of 2013. I was traveling home from Missouri with my friend, Michelle- and we stopped at a local pizza place so Michelle could get some gluten- free pizza( she found out she's allergic to gluten and has to follow a special meal plan. Back then, I was a hard- core vegetarian and so the only thing I could really find to eat was a calzone( because, obviously, getting a whole pizza for myself was out of the question= lol!). I was totally unprepared for what awaited me( getting a little dramatic here- drum roll please :)
When I finally tasted dinner, I couldn't get enough of it. Soft, white, golden dough with creamy mozzarella cheese filling the insides of it and spilling off the sides. ( sounds a little nuts- right!)
I knew I had to find out how to make a healthier version of this amazing concoction- but it didn't actually happen till a few weeks ago. I wanted to make a special, quick Friday night dinner for my family. I finally found a calzone recipe in our bread machine cook-book and went for it. I made six individual calzones for each member of my family. Noah's & Dad's were of course dairy-free( they're not fond of cheese), so there's were topped with some pizza sauce, and a little turkey pepperoni and sausage. For me and mom, I filled the calzone with chopped mushrooms( about 1/4 cup) and two of my favorite cheeses, 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 ricotta + pizza sauce of course. After making them, I brushed them with a little bit of a low- fat egg( whisked up first to give them that golden, crusty look I loved at the restaurant without packing on unnecessary pounds when I eat them( what I mean by this is that pizza places usually use a ton of butter or olive oil to get this look).
Then I simply cooked them for about 20 minutes & tada- a easy and healthy meal that's satisfying but keeps me light on my feet( as Giada says:) )
Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
4 1/2 cups bread flour( I used half whole wheat)
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. regular active dry yeast
Remove bread pan: attack kneading blade.Place all dough ingredients in bread pan in order listed. Insert bread pan, close lid and plug in. Press select until setting number 9 is displayed. Press start. Heat oven to 375. Grease two cookie sheets. Divide dough into 6 equal parts. Roll each part into 7- in circle on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin. Spread 1/4- to 1/2 cup sauce on each calzone( as much as you want). Layer 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup chopped cremini mushrooms, and 1/4 cup full fat ricotta cheese on the calzone( If you're making the vegetarian version:). Be careful not to put the sauce too close to the edge, or it leaks out and makes a big mess. If making the meat- eater version, spoon desired sauce over the dough and layer 10 slices of low fat turkey pepperoni on top, along with sliced links of turkey sausage( if desired. Fold dough over filling: fold edge up and pinch very securely to seal. Place on cookie sheets. Brush with 1 organic egg, beaten ahead of time.
Bake 25- 30 minutes or until golden brown.
For dessert, I made Giada's Avocado- Chocolate Mouse with Raspberries( at first glance it sounds & looks kinda've weird, right). It really isn't- my family all loved it & it was a great way to start the weekend & end our Friday night meal. ( And nobody knew there was avocados in it but me & mom- hehe) It's a lot like chocolate pudding, but it's more natural and healthy + it's so simple and fast. You could whip it together in a matter of 15- 20 minutes. Leftovers can be refrigerated and indulged in at a later time:)
Giada's Avocado- Chocolate Mousse: ( copied from Giada's Feel Good Food Cookbook, Copyright 2013)
Here's the recipe:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips( I used semi- sweet but you could do either)
4 very ripe large avocados, chopped( It's very important that there as ripe as possible
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. seas salt
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
fresh raspberries, for garnish
Put the chocolate chips in a heat- proof medium bowl. Set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a food processor, combine the melted chocolate, the avocados, cocoa powder, agave, vanilla, salt, and almond milk. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon into glasses and refrigerate for at least 3 hours( or less) or up to 1 day. Garnish with raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries before serving( optional)
this was my brother's face when he was finished.
I think he liked it- lol!:)
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