Jalapeno Popper Pizza

This recipe is definitely one of my husband's favorite dinners.  It's a perfect snack for guys night.  It has three of his requirements for a well balanced meal: bacon, jalapeno and cheese.  It also has a good does of veggies from the jalapeno peppers and the red peppers.  You can use a homemade pizza crust if you would like, but since this is usually one of our quick dinners with just use premade.  You can also adjust how hot it is by adding the jalapeno seeds.  I usually add one or two jalapenos worth of seeds and it's a good compromise between what my husband likes (mouth on fire heat) and what I like (being able to taste my food).  You could adjust how much cheese there is if someone in your house likes super cheesy, just put extra cheddar on part of the pizza.

Ingredients

1 12" premade pizza crust
9 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup chopped red peppers
4 jalapenos, seeded and diced (save the seeds if you like your food little hotter)
1 8 oz package fat free cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a large pan, cook the bacon until almost crispy. Add the red and jalapeno peppers the pan (add the seeds too if you like), cook until the peppers have softened. Stir the bacon and pepper mixture into the cream cheese. Spread over the pizza crust and sprinkle with cream cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheddar cheese has melted.
 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 294.5

• Total Fat: 5.4 g
• Cholesterol: 20.0 mg
• Sodium: 930.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 38.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g
• Protein: 20.2 g

Mediterranean Pizza

Most of the time, what ingredients you chose to use in your recipes really makes a difference when it comes to the nutritional values.  When you buy canned foods try to makes sure that it's packed in water or juice, not oil or syrup.  It can really rack up the calories and fat.  It might take a little extra time when you're out shopping, but compare the labels and make sure that you are getting the most nutritional ingredients you can.

 

This is a simple little recipe, it doesn't really require much prep work.  It's a delicious twist on a regular pizza.  The trick to keeping it lower in calories and fat is to really pay attention to what you are using to make it.  I made notes in the ingredients so you know what I used, but of course you're welcomed to make it your own!

 

Ingredients

1 mini flat bread (I used Flat Out Mini with Whole Grains)
2 tablespoons hummus (I used my homemade hummus)
1/4 cup chopped red peppers
2 tablespoons sliced black olives
4 pieces of canned artichoke hearts packed in water
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spread the hummus over the flat bread, then top with the peppers, olives, artichoke hearts and cheese. Bake for about ten minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 241.6

• Total Fat: 6.5 g
• Cholesterol: 5.0 mg
• Sodium: 889.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 19.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
• Protein: 11.8 g

 

 

 

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I love this recipe!  You can really alter to your taste, use spicier barbecue sauce if you like more of a bite (like my husband) or you can use a sweeter sauce if you prefer (like me).  Plus you can use whatever marinade you like, or none at all.  You can even grill it if you'd like a smokier flavor.  This recipe makes two servings, you can share the pizza or save some for later.  It's a really quick recipe, so it would be good for those nights when you don't know what else to make.  If you forget to pull out the chicken ahead of time, just microwave it for a few minutes to defrost it and use some barbecue rub instead of marinade.

 

Ingredients

1 small pizza crust (I used Mama Mia's Thin and Crispy 8")
4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, marinaded in your favorite flavor and diced
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425.
Cook the diced chicken breasts until no longer pink.
Spread the barbecue sauce over the pizza crust, then layer on the chicken and cheese.
Bake or grill it over indirect medium heat for 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 2
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 241.4

• Total Fat: 4.8 g
• Cholesterol: 29.4 mg
• Sodium: 856.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 31.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
• Protein: 17.0 g

Red and Yellow Italian Pizza

During my first trip to Italy I discovered Margerita Pizza, a simple pizza with just a little sauce, fresh basil and fresh buffalo mozzarella.  The freshness of the ingredients really stands out.  This is a little twist on that pizza.  Pizza is one of those things that just about everyone loves, and with all the variations on it, you could have it a couple times a week without anyone getting tired of it.

Although I normally just buy pizza crust because it's convient, this crust is tastier than most you could buy because of the herbs in it.  Plus, it's really not the difficult.  If you don't want to waste the other half packet of yeast, double the recipe and bake two crusts.  Let one cool competely, then freeze it in a air tight bag. 

Ingredients

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 package dry yeast (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoon dry basil

For the toppings:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes (red and yellow)
3 cloves minced garlic
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
10-15 large leaves of fresh basil

Directions

For the pizza crust:
If you have a stand mixer (like a KitchenAid), use the dough hook. Place the water in the bottom of the bowl. Layer the flour on top, letting it mound up in the middle. Using the back of a spoon, create a small indentation in the flour and pour the yeast in the dent. Add in the basil, garlic and onion powders. For the first few seconds, run the mixer on lower then increase the speed. Mix it until the dough forms a ball and all of the flour has been mixed in.
If you don't have a mixer, mix the herbs, yeast and half the flour. Add the flour mixture to the water with a spoon. Continue adding the flour and mixing with a spoon until no more will mix in. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead in the remaining flour a little at a time.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the dough on a plate and loosely cover with a cloth towel. Place it on the stove for about ten minutes (the heat from the preheating oven will help the dough rise). After the dough has rest, flatten the dough into a 1/4-1/2 inch thick circle. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it starts to brown.

While the crust is rising, cut the tomatoes in half. Pat the mozzarella with paper towel to remove the extra moisture and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Snip the basil leaves in small pieces (I use herb scissors, they cut the herbs into 1/8-1/4 inch pieces).
After the crust is done baking, lightly brush the pizza crust with the olive oil. Layer the mozzarella slices over the crust and evenly top with tomato halves and garlic. Bake at 400 degrees for another 5-7 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the basil.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 385.5

• Total Fat: 13.1 g
• Cholesterol: 32.9 mg
• Sodium: 267.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 45.5 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
• Protein: 20.7 g

Steak, Potato and Asparagus Pizza

Well here it is, the steak, potato and asparagus pizza.  The picture doesn't really do it justice, but I had a hungry husband to feed and only got a quick shot of it.  I really like to cook it on the grill because it gives a nice smoky flavor to it.  Unfortunately we don't have a grill yet, so this one was done in the oven.  The main thing to watch for when you make this is to check that the potatoes are pretty tender, about the consistancy of a baked potato.  Otherwise it can be a little difficult to take a bite.

Ingredients

12" premade pizza crust
1/2 pound chopped steak, fat trimmed off
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium potato thinly sliced
2 cups steamed/chopped asparagus
1/2 cup A1 sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Saute the steak and onion together in a pan. Add potatoes and cook until they are tender (time will depend on how thick they are).
Meanwhile, steam the asparagus until tender then chop into bite sized pieces.
Spread the A1 sauce evenly over the crust, cover with the asparagus, onions, potatoes and steak and top with the cheese.
Etiher cook in a 425 oven for about 15 minutes or cook on the grill until cheese is golden.

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 337.1

• Total Fat: 10.0 g
• Cholesterol: 65.0 mg
• Sodium: 877.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 28.8 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 31.1 g