Chicken Garlic Pizza....a new{ish} recipe

Before Cooper was born, I had really figured out how to meal plan and grocery shop according to that meal plan.  I would do it weekly and make my grocery run on Mondays.  It had become a routine for Braden and I, and it was working out great.  We were doing much better on our finances since I was only buying items needed to make the meals.  Well, Cooper came and it all went out the window!  Finally, 6 months later, I'm getting back into the meal planning groove.  It doesn't always work out like I plan it but I'm at least starting to get a little more organized!

As I was planning our meals for the week on Sunday, I came across a recipe that my boss at my previous job gave me a long, long time ago.  It was Chicken Garlic Pizza.  I remember making it a couple of times and really liking it.  We are huge pizza lovers in my house and usually have it once a week.  This is not helping me lose those pesky last 10 pounds of baby weight!  So when I saw it, I decided we would try it again.  It seemed way more healthy than Little Caesar's!  It was delicious!  I really loved it, just how I remembered, and didn't feel quite so guilty after eating. 

So I thought I would share the recipe:

Chicken Garlic Pizza

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup sliced green onions (use slender white parts)

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp white vinegar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 shredded Mozzarella cheese

Boboli pizza shell - I used the 100% whole wheat thin shell

Cut raw chicken into cubes.  Combine onion, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, and both peppers.  Mix together and add chicken.  Marinate for about 10-15 minutes.  Take chicken out and save marinade.  Cook chicken in a second tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes.  Add the cornstarch to the marinade and pour into the pan with the chicken.  Allow the sauce to thicken (about 1-2 minutes).  Spoon marinade and chicken on shell.  Put both cheeses on top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, with the shell directly on the rack to make it crispy.  Sprinkly additional sliced green onions on top of pizza and back for another 2 minutes.  Let it set for about 5 minutes before slicing.  Makes 6-8 slices.

DELICIOUS!!

For all you Weight Watchers peeps out there, I used their recipe builder to find out how many points each slice is and it came up with 7 per slice if you cut 8 slices.  So maybe not as healthy as I thought.  Bummer.  But still yummy!

Let me know if you try it and what you think!

Stuffed Peppers...a new recipe

I think I could eat Mexican food everyday.  I love a little bit of spice.  One of my favorite meals is stuffed peppers.  It's one of those all in one meals.  I don't feel like I have to make a side to go with it because it as everything you need:  meat, veggies, grain, dairy.  I love those kind of meals, makes my life so much easier!

I have been trying to find that perfect stuffed peppers recipe.  I had used one that I liked for awhile from my grandma's church cookbook.  It is really good, but not a ton of flavor.  I had tried a couple that I found on Pinterest, but there was always something missing.  Then, I saw this picture:

YUM!  At first glance, of course, I pinned it to my 'Favorite Recipes' board, but couldn't stop thinking about how yummy they must taste.  Tonight, I made these peppers and they were SO good!  I think my favorite thing about them is that the peppers are roasted first, then filled and baked.  They were the perfect texture.  And had just the right amount of spice.  But best of all, the hubs approved and Braden, my 3 year old, loved them!

Here is the link for the recipe.  I actually looked around at the blog and many of her other recipes looked really yummy too. 

Another thing I discovered with this recipe is Homemade Taco Seasoning.  I usually have 2-3 packets of taco seasoning in my pantry, but when I went to get it tonight, they were gone.  So I googled "homemade taco seasoning" and found several recipes.  Here is the one I ended up using - tastes EXACTLY like store bought. 

2 Tbsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp cumin
2 1/2 tsp salt (could probably reduce this amount a little)
2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Mix well.  Store in a tightly closed container.

I don't think I will ever buy the packets again.  It's just too easy and made up of spices I always have in my pantry and use on a regular basis.

Let me know if you try the peppers - I promise you won't regret it!