Sweet Potato, Roasted Tomatoes & Pesto Pizza

I was inspired to make this pizza after seeing a similar one on a favorite blog of mine- that recipe involved bacon and I won't lie, adding bacon to this would be delicious! But no surprise, I omitted the bacon and added roasted cherry tomatoes, arugula and balsamic glaze to finish it off. I have to say this pizza was AMAZING!!!! I can't wait to make it again.

I absolutely LOVE salad with my pizza - in fact, I usually put the whole salad on top of my pizza. Arugula is my favorite pizza topper and I went crazy with this one. I took a pretty picture for the blog with a tiny bit of arugula just to give you an idea.  Many times the pictures that I post do not look anything like what I actually serve. I mean, do you really think I sprinkle five shreds of Parmesan cheese on my pasta dishes? But dinner realities aren't as pretty and so I take a quick pic for my readers and then I load up my plates with all the extra goodies I want to inhale.  I thought you would get a kick out of the way my pizza really looked, LOADED with arugula, before I ate it! It was so yummy!!
Here is a beautiful piece of pizza with a bit of arugula and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

And here is what my pizza actually looked like,
loaded down with arugula and drenched in
balsamic glaze!

 Now on to the recipe.......

*One pizza was enough for my husband and myself. The kids got a boring ol' cheese pizza upon request (too bad for them).

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin circles
20ish cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Tbl dried oregano or basil
1/3 cup pecans
Pesto sauce, homemade or store bought (I used store bought)
2 cups mozzarella, shredded (you know I used the bagged stuff)
pizza dough, homemade or store bought (I used store bought)
olive oil
arugula
balsamic glaze
salt & pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400F

Toss the sliced sweet potatoes in 1 or 2 Tbl olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes and then flip. Roast for another 5 to 10 minutes or until nearly done (they cook a bit more when you bake the pizza).  Set aside.

Toss the sliced cherry tomatoes in 1 Tbl olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with oregano/basil. Toss to coat. Spread on a lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes. Set aside.

After the veggies have been roasted you may need to adjust the temperature on your oven. Many crusts bake on 425F or 450F. Just check the label on the dough you are using. If your dough doesn't give a temperature, go with 450F.

Roll out the pizza dough in the shape that you like and place it on a greased baking sheet or pizza tray.  I generally use store bought pizza dough because it's just easier for a weeknight dinner. I like to par-bake dough so that the bottom is cooked through by the time I'm ready to take it out of the oven. I find if I don't par-bake, the center isn't as crisp as I like it. I usually poke a few holes in the dough (if you don't poke some holes huge dough bubbles will form while par-baking) with the tip of my knife and then bake for about 5 minutes.

After your dough is par-baked spread on the pesto sauce. Spread the mozzarella cheese on top of the pesto.  Layer evenly with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted tomatoes and pecans (don't skip the pecans, they are unusual I know - but they are super yummy). 

Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes. Just keep checking to make sure the crust doesn't burn. Let sit for a couple minutes and then slice. Top each slice with arugula and drizzle with balsamic glaze. ENJOY!

Spiced Applesauce Muffins

 

Another snow day, another reason for me to try a new muffin recipe! I found these on the blog A Homemade Living. They are light and airy and super yummy! The perfect muffin for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Hope you enjoy!

Here is the recipe word for word from A Homemade Living:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) + 3 tbs unsalted butter, melted <I only used one sick of butter>
1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Topping:
1 tbs granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon


Directions:

1. First, preheat your oven to 400 deg F, and line a standard sized muffin pan with 12 paper liners. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground allspice and nutmeg. Set aside.

2. In your electric mixer bowl, whisk together the eggs and the brown sugar, then slowly begin pouring in the melted butter, and mix until you have a smooth mixture. Add in the vanilla extract and applesauce, then begin adding in the dry ingredient mixture. Gently fold in the chopped nuts (you could substitute raisins for chopped nuts, those would work well too!) and then divide the batter equally between the 12 muffin cups (you want them to be about 3/4 full). Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar topping mixture (this will form a thin “crust” on top of the muffins as they bake), then bake the muffins for 18 – 20 minutes <I only baked mine for 16 minutes>, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Once baked, let the muffins cool for a couple minutes before eating.

Pesto Potato & Burrata Pizza

 

 This pizza was downright delicious! The little seed/spice/zest mix that is added to the dough is completely delicious and I wonder if I can ever make a pizza now without sprinkling lemon zest all over it!!!  The recipe comes from the blog Half Baked Harvest and the blogger instructs using thinly sliced potatoes (which look so pretty). We actually had some fried potatoes left over from our Sunday morning breakfast so I used those instead and really the whole thing was so amazingly good. Please try this recipe!!! Here it is from Half Baked Harvest word for word (and also check out her blog because her pictures are so much prettier than mine!):

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 pound homemade or store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/3 cup basil pesto
• 1 medium potato, very thinly sliced
• 8 ounces burrata cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon micro basil or basil leaves
• crushed red pepper flakes

 Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil.
In a small bowl, combine the oregano, sesame seeds, lemon zest, cumin, an a generous pinch of both salt and pepper.

On a lightly floured surface, push/roll the dough out until it is pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle). Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Rub the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the seed mix, using as little or as much as you'd like. Dollop the dough with pesto and layer on the sliced potatoes, drizzling them lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.

 Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the potatoes are crisp. Remove from the oven and top with burrata. Allow the burrata to sit on the pizza and warm through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. Slice and enjoy!

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Chocolate Banana Milkshake

Smoothie or healthy milkshake!? You decide! I drank this for dessert tonight and it was just delicious!!! I absolutely LOVE cacao nibs- they are a superfood full of antioxidants. I sprinkled them on top of the milkshake (to me this is definitely a milkshake) and it was super yum.

You can also put your shake in the freezer for a few hours and let it freeze a bit. You can then eat it with a spoon and it'll be more like an ice cream-ish slushy.

This makes one smoothie:

1 ripe banana
2 dates, pitted
1 heaping Tbl of nut butter (I used almond)
1 Tbl hemp seeds
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup of milk (I used almond milk)
3 - 4 ice cubes
1 tsp raw cacao nibs, optional

Put all the ingredients, except the cacao nibs, into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle with cacao nibs if you like.

You can also put it in the freezer for 3 - 4 hours and turn it into a pseudo ice cream - YUM-O!! Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Cashew Bars

Oh my goodness, these cashew bars are so delicious! They are no-bake, healthy and make a yummy chocolatey dessert.  My kids and I couldn't get enough of them.  Plus, they are raw, vegan (as long as you don't use honey) and gluten free.

I found the recipe on the blog Dishing Out Health. Here it is word for word:

Ingredients:

**Base**

• 1½ cups raw unsalted cashews
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ¼ cup + 2-3 tsp liquid sweetener (honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup)
• Pinch of sea salt

**Chocolate Coconut Topping**

• ¼ cup liquid sweetener (honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup)
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes
• <2 tbsp hemp seeds, optional - this was my addition>
• A few pinches of sea salt

Instructions:

1. Add cashews to food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes, stopping to scrap down the sides every 30 seconds or so. You want to process the nuts until they start to form somewhat of a paste.
2. Add oats, coconut oil, liquid sweetener and sea salt and blend for another 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until ingredients form a dough (refer to picture).
3. Line a loaf pan or 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with non-stick spray. Empty dough into pan and press down firmly, spreading evenly to all edges. It's helpful to use the bottom of a measuring cup to really compact dough.
4. Chocolate topping: In a large glass measuring cup or bowl, whisk together liquid sweetener, melted coconut oil and cocoa powder until smooth and well-combined. Pour over dough, spreading evenly with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and sea salt.
5. Freeze for 1 hour or refrigerate for 3 hours before slicing. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Fajita Pasta with Verde Cream Sauce and Roasted Chickpeas

I saw a similar recipe to this on Pinterest and was inspired to give it a try with my own spin. I loved the idea of combining pasta with fajita veggies. And it worked! My husband, especially, loved it.  He added a ton of hot sauce to his bowl! My son did, too.

This dish would taste scrumptious with thinly sliced, marinated flank steak or marinated chicken. You can add this in addition to the roasted chickpeas or sub them out. Enjoy!

Pasta & Fajita Veggies:
8 oz of penne pasta AND
8 oz of spiral pasta (this mixing is just for fun! If you want to use only one type of pasta, that's fine, too. Use 16 oz of one type)

2 Tbl olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 whole large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 whole large green pepper, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional (use more if you like it spicy)

Parmesan, if you like

Simple Verde Sauce:
3/4 cup verde salsa (my favorite brand is Herdez)
1/2 cup sour cream

Roasted Chickpeas:
1 15 oz can of chickpeas
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika

**If you would like to add protein to this meal, shredded chicken or flank steak would taste great!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top to prevent sticking - toss and set aside.

To roast chickpeas:
Rinse and drain canned chickpeas. Spread onto a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle on olive oil and add salt and spices. Toss to coat. Smooth seasoned chickpeas into an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake on 400F for 20 minutes. Stir when you take them out of the oven. Set aside.

Simple Verde Sauce:
Add verde salsa and sour cream to a small saucepan. Heat over medium low until heated through. Set aside until ready.  If this doesn't seem like enough sauce to you, add more of each ingredient until you deem it enough. Can't go wrong......

To cook the veggies, put 2 Tbl of olive oil in a large pan. Saute onions for 5 minutes. Add bell peppers, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes, if using, and saute for another 5-7 minutes until everything is cooked to your desired crispness.

Combine pasta and sauce, toss to coat.  Place saucy noodles in a bowl and top with pepper mix and roasted chickpeas (and meat, if using) and Parmesan, if you like. Enjoy!!

Cold Sesame Noodles with Veggies

These noodles are incredibly yummy, if I must say so myself!! My daughter says this is her most favorite meal that I make - she cannot get enough!  They are vegan (if you use maple syrup instead of honey), gluten free (if you use tamari, instead of soy sauce) and just plain delicious! I served them with marinated, baked tofu. You could also add chicken and throw all this vegan business right out the window.  Do what you like! Just make sure that you make enough because your family will be coming back for seconds.

This recipe made enough for two adults and three children as a main course. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:
16 oz pad thai rice noodles
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 or 2 medium carrots, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shelled edamame

Dressing:
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbl olive oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 Tbl sesame oil
3 to 4 Tbl maple syrup (for vegan) or honey
1/4 cup tamari (for gluten free) or soy sauce
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, plus more for tasting
1 Tbl black or white sesame seeds (I use black bc I like the contrast in color it gives the dish)
pinch of crushed chilies, optional

Protein (optional):
Marinated and baked tofu OR
Chopped cooked marinated chicken
**If you want to add protein to these noodles, make a little extra dressing and marinate the tofu or chicken in it.  Please do not worry about exact measurements - just splash more of this or extra of that in....you can't mess this dressing up - it's just good no matter what - trust me, this is how I cook all the time - these measurements you see, I do them for you, my dear reader, as a guide....when I make this myself I don't measure anything - I just eyeball and taste, eyeball and taste....it always turns out good!

Instructions:

Cook the pad thai noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain well; drizzle with a little bit of sesame oil to prevent them from sticking together, toss and then set aside.

Add all the dressing ingredients to a medium sized bowl and whisk together until completely blended. 

Place all the shredded, chopped and diced veggies on top of the cooked noodles. Pour the dressing on top. Use tongs to toss and coat.  Taste the noodles and add salt until it is just right. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight - they are great the next day!! Enjoy!!