mini pizza

Tomato and Basil Pizza (fresh torn basil after cooking may have gone a little better but it was still yummy)

I'm always down for quick and easy meals that are relatively healthy for you. This is one that I've been doing for quite some time now that never seems to get old because you can change it up so many ways.

All you do is split a 100 calorie sandwich thin in half, spread some seasoned tomato sauce or pizza sauce on there, and put cheese and any other toppings that you want on there. Throw it in the oven at 375 for about 10 minutes or until the cheese browns and you're good to go. Consider it the adult form of those pizza lunchables. Enjoy!

Pizza Stuffed Peppers

If you took a look at my garden post you may have seen that banana peppers are one of the many fruits and vegetables that we are growing. As of recently, these plants have been fruiting faster than possible to eat to the point where we are giving them away to anyone that asks. Pickled banana peppers go great with pizza so I decided to stuff these with ingredients that mimic the flavors of pizza. It turned out great, and even my grandma who loves Filipino food was asking for more.

Recipe:
6 banana peppers, cut in half and seeded
1 can tomato sauce
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
black pepper to taste
1 medium tomato, cubed
4 slices mozzarella cheese

- Mix together tomato sauce and spices and set aside
- Align the banana peppers on a baking sheet with the sliced side facing up
- Spoon about a teaspoon of the sauce inside each pepper
- Spread the tomato evenly into the inside of the peppers
- Top each pepper with 1/3 slice of cheese
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden

they're like little Filipino hot pockets

Empandas are not only something quick and convenient to eat but are also something that reminds me of my childhood. My dad used to make a baked version of the traditional filipino empanada which was so good that his friends would place orders for them. They were convenient to have in the dorms and my friends would refer to them as the Filipino hot pocket that I kept in my freezer. I realize now that you can fill them with whatever you like, for the most part, so I decided to make one lump of dough with two different fillings. Here are just some ideas to get your started.

I used THIS recipe for the dough and I brushed a little egg yolk on the top before baking so it comes out golden.

I serve everything with a side of hot sauce

chicken and cheese:
3 cubed and deboned chicken legs
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
2 T oil
1/4 c american cheese
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

chorizo and cheese:
2 chorizo sausages, casing removed
1 seeded jalapeno
1/2 medium onion
2T oil
1/4 c mexican crumbling cheese
salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper to taste

I pretty much just sauteed all ingredients together then added the cheese in before folding and baking. I can't wait to be more creative and see what recipes I come up with.

cookie dough cupcakes

I made a bet with my boyfriend for a dozen cookie dough cupcakes which I ended up losing. Although, it wasn't too much of a loss for me because baking is something that I enjoy but don't get a chance to do too often in order to save my thighs from a few extra pounds. I decided to go semi-homemade and used boxed chocolate cake mix but made my own filling, frosting, and garnish.

I used this egg-less cookie dough recipe for the filling because salmonella is no fun, right? I thought freezing and baking it inside the cupcake would keep it a doughy consistency, but it turned out kind of cakey. I think next time I will just core and fill the cupcakes with the cookie dough. I also used the leftover dough for the garnish which I baked at 350 and broke into pieces after it was cooled.

The frosting is THIS amazing buttercream recipe which I learned from my sister. Her blog is amazing so if you have the chance you should check it out. Anyways, I tripled it and made a third of the sugar brown sugar to mimic the cookies.

My boyfriend ended up loving them and this is something I definitely end up making again. However, losing is not something that I like doing so hopefully he'll be the one baking next time. 

Fresh Salsa

Chips and salsa has got to be one of my all time favorite snacks.  Fresh salsa is so simple to make, tastes much better, and is healthier than the kind in the jar.

what you need:
1/2 medium onion
1 large tomato
1 jalapeno (seeded if you cant handle the heat)
juice from 1 lime
1 T cilantro leaves
salt to taste
cumin to taste

Throw everything into a food processor and blend until consistency desired.

That's it! If you are feeling really adventurous you can bake your own tortilla chips.  Just take some corn totillas, cut them in eights, toss in some olive oil, and bake at 375 until crispy.  Feel free to throw some salt on there after baking.  You could also add some variety like grilled corn, grilled tomatillo, mango, or anything else you can think of.

Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes

I eat rice with almost every meal, but I will jump at any chance I get to eat potatoes.  This has got to be one of my favorite ways to cook them as a side dish.  I always end up eating more than I should.  It's easy to prepare, and the potatoes come out packed with flavor and crispy on the outside but tender on the inside.

One thing about how I cook.  I eyeball most everything.  

red potatoes

5-6 cloves of garlic

olive oil

parsley 

sage

oregano

salt

pepper

garlic powder

1. preheat the oven to 425

2. finely mince the parsley, sage, and oregano

3. wash and quarter the potatoes

4. drizzle olive oil on the potatoes

5. mix in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the minced herbs

6. mix well and place on a baking sheet

7. bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and tender