Day #50

 

I was in the mood for pizza last night, but didn't have the ingredients, so today I stopped by the grocery store and picked up everything I would need.   I decided I would give the Crazy Crust Pizza Crust recipe a second chance.   This is the yeast-free crust that I tried last month with mixed results.

I made the crust using half white flour and half whole wheat flour, and spread the dough mixture into my Pampered Chef bar pan.   Instead of laying the toppings directly into the dough, I decided to try pre-baking it first in hopes it would set up better.   I cooked it in a 400-degree oven for approximately 10 minutes.    The edges were hardening, but the middle still looked a little gooey.  But I figured it was good enough, and should cook fully by the end. 

The pizza was a combination of a Hawaiian pizza and a BBQ chicken pizza.   I spread some store-bought BBQ sauce on the crust, then layered it with Canadian Bacon slices, crushed pineapple, chopped red &  green bell peppers, diced chicken breast, and provolone & mozzarella cheeses.   I put the pizza back into the oven and cooked it for another 20 minutes. 

When I cut into the pizza, the edges were cooked well, but the middle section was still a little soft.  Not raw-type of gooey....just not hard and crunchy.    Maybe it will crisp up better when I reheat it using a regular metal pizza pan so the heat can cook the bottom more.

But the edge pieces tasted delicious!   :-)

I might give this crust recipe one more attempt before I throw it away.  I think it needs a few tweaks, and I am determined to figure it out.  I like being able to toss together a pizza from scratch without waiting for yeast.

Day #49

South Asian-Inspired Chicken Noodle Bowl

In a small pot, I brought some water to bowl and cooked 1 cup of orzo pasta.   In a medium skillet, I stir fried together bell peppers, onion, and frozen peas until tender.  Added in some diced chicken breast (pre-cooked), and seasoned with salt, pepper, and garam masala.   A co-worker introduced me to this spice...well, actually blend of spices.   It is popular in Indian and other South Asian cuisine.   I really enjoy the scent of the spices.  Once the pasta was cooked, I drained it, then tossed it into the skillet with the chicken and veggies.  I then mixed in a sauce made from some soy sauce, hummus, and a splash of the pasta cooking water.  Let that all cook together for a couple minutes until the sauce thickened and fully coated the dish.

Day #48

 

I call this Mock Chicken casserole - it's "mock" because the whole dinner came together in 20 minutes without all the long cooking times of a casserole.    More leftovers went into this dinner.

I started by steaming some frozen veggies in the microwave.  When they were thawed, I drained the majority of the water, added some leftover brown rice, and steamed it for a couple more minutes until the rice was refreshed.    While that was steaming, I chopped up the rest of the cooked turkey breast tenderloin from my fridge, and browned it in a saute pan with a little butter.  I added a little milk and grated Parmesan cheese and heated until it formed a thickened sauce with the chicken.  Mixed it all together, and served with some biscuits.

It's fun and challenging to find new ways to mix up my leftovers, so I'm not eating the same thing night after night. 

Day #47

 

On my commute home from work, I decided to stop off at Tommy's Good Eats (a local, small business, sandwich shop) to pick up some dinner.   I haven't been to Tommy's in several months, so I was about due for another visit. 

I ordered the Turkey Club - which is turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and pesto sauce on a hoagie roll.   This is probably my favorite sandwich at Tommy's...or at least that I've tried so far.

I also got a small bag of potato chips made by The Billy Goat Chip Company based here in St. Louis.  I've never heard of Billy Goat, but the chips were delicious!  Very thin and crispy and flavorful, unlike store-bought potato chips.  

Did you know that today, February 18th, is Drink Wine Day?   I think I'll go pour myself a glass and enjoy the rest of my night....

Day #46

Since it was after 6pm before I started preparing for dinner, I wanted something quick and easy, but nutritious.  So I grabbed a frozen dinner from my freezer - a Healthy Choice steam meal - Honey Balsamic Chicken.   I also steamed a little brown rice to accompany it.   The meal was very tasty - chicken red potatoes, asparagus, and tomatoes, with a sweet honey balsamic glaze.   I'll have to replicate it for myself sometime, using fresh ingredients.

Day #45

This was an experiment with leftovers.  A successful experiment, I might add.   I took some of the leftover turkey from last night and a few slices of deli ham, diced them up, and sauteed them in a skillet with a little olive oil, black pepper, garlic, and nutmeg.  I let them cook for about 10 minutes, then added in a little alfredo sauce and a spoonful of Gorgonzola cheese....both of which finished up the little product remaining in their respective containers.  Once the cheese had melted and the sauce was warm, I spooned the whole mixture over a leftover biscuit from last night.

I guess this would be Turkey Cordon Bleu meets Biscuits & Gravy? 

No matter what you want to call it, it was very delicious :)

Day #44

When I was at the grocery store last night, I picked up a package of Jennie-O Boneless Turkey Breast Tenderloins.   I seasoned them with salt & pepper, and placed them in the middle of a Pampered Chef stoneware bar pan.  Surrounding the turkey tenderloins, I added baby carrots, broccoli florets, wedges of onion, & celery sticks....all of which were drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt & pepper.  The turkey and veggies roasted in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, until the turkey reached the interior temperature specified on the package.  While the turkey was cooking, I also made a couple frozen biscuits.   The whole grain egg noodles and cranberry sauce were leftovers from previous nights' dinners.     Once the turkey was cooked, it was moist and juicy, and steaming up my camera lens!   The roasted broccoli and carrots were tender and flavorful.

The rest of the leftover turkey tenderloins will be used for upcoming meals...or they will make delicious sandwiches for lunch!

Who says turkey is only for Thanksgiving??    :-)