Healthy Canadian Bacon Pizza

I got this recipe from the diet "Live the Life" courtesy of Cozette and Nyra. This is definitely one of my favorite recipes and so easy so I wanted to share!
1 low cal-carb whole grain pita pocket (Kangaroo brand from WinCo is what I used)
2 TB pizza sauce
2 TB onion of choice
8 zucchini slices
3 oz cooked chicken
1 slice deli turkey
2 TB pineapple chunks (No sugar added)
2 TB mozzarella cheese (I used the part skim milk kind)

Cook in oven on pan with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes (I cooked it 20 min then watched until the edges were crispy).

Cal. 272
Car. 28
Fat 4
Pro. 32

Enjoy!! Cody even liked this one!

Fried Rice

This is a great side dish to go along with Asian-style entrees (like this sticky chicken or these sweet and sour meatballs or these bacon-wrapped chicken and pineapple skewers or this orange chicken). It is also the perfect accompaniment for stir-fried vegetables and sweet-and-sour sauce (I know it might be weird, but I just love the sweet-and-sour sauce poured all over the rice). I make this all the time, sometimes with other entrees, sometimes just on it's own as a stand-alone meal. It's very easy to adapt to whatever meat (feel free to use ham instead of bacon or omit the meat entirely) or veggies you might have on hand. Here is my favorite version, but feel free to fiddle with it to make it how you like.

Fried Rice
serves 3-4

4 pieces bacon
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup frozen peas
3 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1-2 Tb. soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, set aside to cool and crumble.
2. Heat same skillet (without draining grease) to medium. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add peas and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until veggies are translucent and peas are thawed.
3. Add rice and stir to break up and heat through.
4. In separate small bowl, beat egg. Pour over top of rice in skillet and continue stirring until egg is completely cooked through. Add soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms

I made this dish three times in less than two weeks...it really was that delicious. Simple ingredients, but together it tastes absolutely delicious. Corey was telling me about a dish his mom used to make with bacon and green beans, and that he really liked it. I took that idea and threw this together based on what we had and what sounded good to me. Corey liked it so much he gave it five stars (out of five. And yes, I really do make my husband rate the food I make every single time I cook. I'm probably crazy, but it lets me know how much he likes or dislikes something and whether I should make it again or not). Yes, Corey actually rated a vegetable five stars, which I didn't know was possible. I have a feeling this is going to be making a very regular appearance on our dinner table.

Green Beans with Bacon and Mushrooms
Serves 4-6 as a side dish...unless your name is Corey...then this will serve two :)

5 oz. bacon (about 5 slices), diced (uncooked)
1 lb. fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and broken into pieces
1/3 cup red onion, thinly sliced
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
garlic salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon until nicely browned but not quite crispy, 5-7 minutes. Add green beans and onions. Cook until green beans are slightly tender, but still crisp (about 10 minutes). Add mushrooms and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Season with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

We had this breakfast casserole at a brunch after a baby blessing a couple of weeks ago. When Corey took his first bite he let out a big, contented sigh and said it was amazing. He then told me another 4+ times in the next 10 minutes how delicious it was. And then he did something totally unexpected. He went up to my friend's mom and asked her for the recipe, then immediately requested that I make it for dinner that night. No, I'm not joking.

This is easy and delicious, although it does take awhile to bake. But it is definitely worth it. This would be a great breakfast on Christmas morning, or any morning when you're going to be hanging around the house for awhile and will have enough time to wait for it to cook. This also makes great leftovers, so you could even bake it the night before and pop it in the oven the next morning for 15-30 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is warm and bubbly.

Breakfast Casserole
recipe from Julie Argyle

1 pkg. (24-26 oz.) frozen hash browns
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. deli ham, cubed (or breakfast sausage or bacon, cooked and crumbled...or a combination of the three)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread frozen hash browns evenly in the pan. Thinly slice butter and place evenly over the hash browns (or melt butter and pour over the top of the hash browns). Bake for 25 minutes.
2. Remove hash browns from oven and turn temperature down to 350 degrees. Top hash browns evenly with ham (or sausage/bacon/or a combo).
3. Mix eggs,milk, and salt until completely combined. Pour over hash browns and meat in prepared pan. Return to oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until set and eggs are completely cooked. Top evenly with cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Monterey Chicken

Not only does this look delicious (it's one of my favorites to make when we have company over) but it is super tasty! Really, how can you go wrong with grilled marinated chicken topped with barbecue sauce, cheese, and bacon? Garnish with some fresh chives or scallions and you've got yourself a showstopper! This is a great recipe to enjoy before the end of summer and the end of grilling season.

Monterey Chicken

Marinade:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 Tb. canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder (I like to use half regular and half chipotle)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
dash onion powder
1/2 of a 12 oz. can Sprite or 7-up

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisply and sliced in half horizontally
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (I prefer bulls-eye)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
sliced chives or scallions and/or diced tomatoes for garnish (optional)

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in gallon-size ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to cover chicken completely. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
2. Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Immediately top each piece with 1 Tb. barbecue sauce, 2 Tb. cheese, and 2 bacon pieces (1 slice, halved). Sprinkled with chives, scallions and/or diced tomatoes to taste. Serve immediately!

This is also my favorite fajitas recipe, see the recipe here, so you can grill up double the amount of chicken you need and make fajitas or quesadillas with the extra chicken the next night!

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

Really, there are no words to describe these. I made them for dinner last night and they were incredible. All day at work today I could not stop thinking about them. The minute I walked in the door my husband had the leftovers warmed up and we devoured them in less than two minutes. This is one of the most delicious dinners I've ever made. And they'll definitely be made again very soon. Like tomorrow.

This recipe combines my two favorite things from the Brazilian restaurant Tucanos: bacon-wrapped turkey (I substituted chicken) and grilled pineapple. The brown sugar glaze caramelizes on the bacon and pineapple and the smoky flavor from the grill puts this over the top. Make this. Soon. You won't regret it.


Bacon-Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 - 2/3 lb. smoked bacon, cut into thirds (I like to use the pre-cooked bacon, 10-12 slices)
1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
bamboo skewers

1. Preheat grill to medium-high. Soak bamboo skewers in water. Arrange work area with chicken, bacon, and pineapple. Mix brown sugar and water in small bowl and set aside.
2. Wrap one slice of bacon around one cube of chicken. Place on bamboo skewer. Alternate with pineapple chunks. Repeat until there are 3 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of pineapple on each skewer. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Baste skewers with brown sugar mixture. Grill skewers for 7 - 10 minutes on each side, until bacon is crispy and chicken is cooked through, basting occasionally.
4. Serve with rice and stir fry veggies or salad.

Barbecue Chicken & Black Bean Pizza

On Saturday I was making lunch for Corey & I and I was craving barbecue chicken pizza. I didn't want to have the same boring pizza, though, so I came up with this. I know it sounds kind of strange, but it was unbelievably delicious. Who would have thought that black beans on a pizza would taste so good?

Barbecue Chicken & Black Bean Pizza

1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough
1 cup barbecue sauce (recommended: Bullseye)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 chipotle bullion cube (I found these at Wal-mart on the Mexican food aisle. If you can't find them, you can substitute a couple of tablespoons of the sauce from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce or a teaspoon of chipotle chile powder)
2 Tb. honey
4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tb. olive oil
1 red pepper, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray pizza pan with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Roll out pizza dough to fit the pan. Spread dough with barbecue sauce.
2. In medium skillet heat vegetable oil. Add onions and cook until caramelized (golden brown), about 7 minutes.
3. In small bowl mix black beans with honey and chipotle seasoning. Microwave for two minutes and stir well.
4. On top of pizza crust evenly layer chicken, black beans, bacon, caramelized onions, and red pepper. Sprinkle with both cheeses.
5. Bake 18 - 25 minutes, or until crust is brown throughout (use a pizza cutter or pizza peel to lift the pizza and look at the bottom crust to ensure it is throughly browned). Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!