Bacon, Tomato, and Arugula Pizza

So D made this.  It wasn't as crispy as we would have thought but it was still good. The only thing missing was mayonaise to make it a BLT pizza from California Pizza Kitchen.

Would have again.

Bacon, Tomato, and Arugula Pizza

YIELD: Serves 6 (serving size: 1 slice)
TOTAL:40 Minutes
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough (used Pillsbury Pizza Dough)

Cooking spray
5 applewood-smoked bacon slices
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (used Roma)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's) (used whatever Basil and Garlic Tomato Sauce was in the fridge)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup baby arugula
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray; let dough stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
3. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; crumble. Add tomatoes and pepper to drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal; roll dough into a 12-inch circle (kept a rectangle) on prepared baking sheet. Spread sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with tomatoes and bacon. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake at 450° on bottom oven rack for 17 minutes or until crust is golden. Combine arugula and remaining ingredients; top pizza with arugula mixture.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 314; Fat: 9.1g; Saturated fat: 4.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 2.1g; Polyunsaturated fat: 2.1g; Protein: 13.5g; Carbohydrate: 50.2g; Fiber: 2.1g; Cholesterol: 17mg; Iron: 2.5mg; Sodium: 770mg; Calcium: 124mg

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2011

Tri-tip Roast with Chimichurri Sauce

I think this was last night's dinner. If not, it is close.

Basically you need to run out and make this now. Of course, it is from Weber's Real Grilling, so of course, it is excellent.

Neither D and I were familiar with Tri-Tip but he got some for free, so we decided to try it. It was very good. Add the herbful chimichurri with it. Yum. A good tang. I can't wait to have it again. We had with elote.

Tri-tip Roast with Chimichurri Sauce 

Photo by ALB

From Weber's Real Grilling (Weber-Stephen Products, 2005, $33.95) by Jamie Purviance. For indirect heat, light one side of grill and place food on unlit side.

INGREDIENTS
4 large cloves garlic
1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley leaves
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 tri-tip roast, about 2-1/2 lb (1-1/4 kg) and 1-1/2 inches thick

DIRECTIONS
For marinade/sauce, in food processor, mince garlic. Add parsley, cilantro and basil. Pulse to finely chop. With motor running, slowly add oil in thin stream, then add vinegar, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Reserve half marinade/sauce.

Pour remaining half in large, resealable plastic bag. Add roast. Press our air; seal. Turn bag to distribute marinade. Place bag in bowl; refrigerate 4 to 6 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Remove roast from bag; discard marinade in bag. Let roast stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Grill roast over direct medium heat (350F to 450F) 5 minutes per side, or until well marked on each side. Move roast over indirect medium heat. Cook with lid closed to desired doneness, about 20 to 30 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare. Remove roast from grill to cutting board. Let rest, loosely covered with foil, 5 to 10 minutes. Cut across grain into thin slices. Serve warm with reserved sauce.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

No NI because again, I don't know how to account for a marinade.

Chicken Pasanda

So I found this recipe when looking for an untried recipe using yogurt.

Both D and I were wary of the pineapple but decided to try it anyway.  Turns out it was a good call. We both enjoyed the flavors of this dish. A lot of spiciness, but not "hot." Well not to me. We had with rice. We will definitely have again.

We made it into 4 servings because we made the pitas as sandwiches not as scoops.

Chicken Pasanda

Yogurt combines with cashew cream to replace heavy cream in this fragrant and traditional Pakistani main dish recipe. The spicy chicken is accompanied by refreshing fresh pineapple and the mellow cashew-yogurt sauce. Use the pita wedges to scoop up the remaining sauce.

YIELD: 6 servings
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients 
1/2 cup roasted cashews
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt (used Greek Yogurt)

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded
2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt, divided
6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into thirds (cut into pieces)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons chopped cashews, roasted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-inch) pitas, each cut into 6 wedges (left as 4 pitas, and made a sandwich)

Preparation 
Place 1/2 cup cashews in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once. Add yogurt; process until well blended. Remove from processor; set aside.

Combine onion, juice, ginger, and jalapeño in a blender or food processor; process until finely chopped.

Combine coriander and next 4 ingredients (coriander through cloves) in a large zip-top plastic bag; add 1/2 teaspoon salt and chicken. Seal bag and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add onion mixture to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and yogurt mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until heated, stirring frequently.

Spoon 1/2 cup yogurt mixture onto each of 6 plates. Top each serving with 3 chicken pieces. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 1/2 tablespoons pineapple, 1 teaspoon chopped cashews, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Arrange 4 pita wedges on each plate.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 368; Fat: 11g; Saturated fat: 2.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.5g; Polyunsaturated fat: 2.5g; Protein: 27.7g; Carbohydrate: 40.3g; Fiber: 2.9g; Cholesterol: 51mg; Iron: 3.2mg; Sodium: 708mg; Calcium: 206mg

Cooking Light OCTOBER 2002

Manchego and Chorizo Pizza

So D and I need to find cheaper pizza. We had Spanish Chorizo in the freezer, so all we had to splurge on was manchego, right? Except I forgot it at the grocery. Then Broccoli Rabe isn't sold at Kroghetto on Sundays at 8AM (don't get me started on why they don't pack out shelves over night, but choose to do it between 8 and 12 on Sunday morning). So on Tuesday we went back to Kroghetto to get pesto (I forgot that too) and got the manchego. Still no broccoli rabe. So Wednesday off to PetSmart and a quick trip to Whole Foods to get the rabe. Finally Wednesday night, I was done my Sunday grocery shopping!

Even with all that, yes, I would have this pizza again. It was so flavorful and good. And perfect for a 12 mile run the next day.

Definitely a must have!

Manchego and Chorizo Pizza

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)
TOTAL:30 Minutes
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
1/2 pound broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) prebaked pizza crust (such as Mama Mary's)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Manchego cheese
1 link Spanish chorizo sausage (about 2 ounces), thinly sliced
2/3 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup vertically sliced red onion

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 4 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain; squeeze excess moisture from broccoli rabe, and pat dry with paper towels. Coarsely chop, and sprinkle with salt.

3. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with Manchego cheese. Top with broccoli rabe, chorizo, plum tomato, and red onion. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until crust browns. Cut pizza into 8 wedges.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 382; Fat: 15.4g; Saturated fat: 4.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.7g; Polyunsaturated fat: 5.6g; Protein: 15.1g; Carbohydrate: 46.1g; Fiber: 5.1g; Cholesterol: 23mg; Iron: 3.6mg; Sodium: 624mg; Calcium: 175mg

Cooking Light MARCH 2010

Farfalle, Zucchini, and Bell Peppers in Pesto

So this was just an sort of there dish. D and I ate it about 20 minutes after getting home (which was nice).

D looked at the recipe and decided he wasn't going to make it the way they suggested, because it seemed weird. So, he sauteed all the vegetables and added some chicken. Over all there was so much food. It wasn't spectacular (to me) but it wasn't horrible. Just kind of one of those quick and easy dishes that there was no thought to.

Farfalle, Zucchini, and Bell Peppers in Pesto

Shredded zucchini contributes both moisture and texture to this pesto-based sauce.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups pasta mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta; about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons commercial pesto
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
added some chicken

Preparation
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; return to pan. Add pesto; stir well. Add (cooked) zucchini and next 6 ingredients (zucchini through black pepper); toss well. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 346; Fat: 10.2g; Saturated fat: 4.1g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.4g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g; Protein: 15.6g; Carbohydrate: 14.5g; Fiber: 4g; Cholesterol: 19mg; Iron: 2.9mg; Sodium: 705mg; Calcium: 261mg

Cooking Light MAY 2003

Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

So I really want to like this salad. But it is missing something. I think a vinegar of some sort. I want that "tang" in the back of my throat. Instead, I get zilch, nothing, nada.

D made it. I guess it was easy. Even with the habenero it wasn't that spicy (deseeded and deribbed). We ate around 6. By 8, I was gnawing on my arm, I was so hungry, so think againg about "salads are filling."

For lunch (leftovers), this was mushy. Overall, I feel a good piece of meat was ruined with salad. Will not have again.

Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad

Think salads aren't filling? Then you haven't tried this one packed with rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and tender steak.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups salad and about 1 tablespoon basil)
COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients
2 ounces uncooked rice stick noodles
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/2 habanero pepper, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
12 basil leaves, torn

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Coarsely chop noodles.

2. While noodles cook, freeze steak 5 minutes. Remove from freezer; cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add beef; sauté 4 minutes.

4. Combine steak, noodles, lettuce, onion, cucumber, and habanero. Combine juice, sugar, and fish sauce; pour over noodle mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle with basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 197; Fat: 4.3g; Saturated fat: 1.7g; Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.2g; Protein: 20g; Carbohydrate: 20.2g; Fiber: 1.3g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Iron: 1.8mg; Sodium: 545mg; Calcium: 35mg

Cooking Light MARCH 2010

Spicy Chicken Shawarma

So whenever I have something in pita with Greek Yogurt, I automatically think gyro. This is not a gyro. However, I have had Shawarma at the Jerusalem Bakery, and this is closer to that (hence the name).

For some reason, I didn't taste any heat in the spiciness of the title. However it was flavorful and good. We had with Cumin Potatoes. Would definitely have again.

Spicy Chicken Shawarma

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed pita halves)
PREP TIME:20 Minutes
COURSE: Sandwiches

Ingredients
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
5 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup prechopped red onion

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.

2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 tablespoon cucumber, 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 402; Fat: 10.7g; Saturated fat: 1.9g; Monounsaturated fat: 6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 2g; Protein: 36.4g; Carbohydrate: 40g; Fiber: 2.1g; Cholesterol: 67mg; Iron: 4.1mg; Sodium: 541mg; Calcium: 93mg

Cooking Light APRIL 2010