homemade pizza with Naan

the other night i was scrounging to figure out what to make The Mr for dinner. we'd been having leftovers for the past few nights and it was beginning to be a bit much. as i was searching through the refrigerator to find something that we hadn't already eaten this week i stumbled upon a package of Naan bread i had recently purchased on a whim. the Naan came in a 2-pack and resulted in perfectly proportioned homemade pizzas. just call me Martha Stewart.

three simple ingredients :

- mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded, whatever you have on hand)

- pasta or pizza sauce (i always use pasta sauce when making homemade pizzas. A) we never have pizza sauce in the house B) it's more flavorful when making a plain cheese pizza)

- Naan bread (or pre-made pizza dough - whatever you've got. the beauty of this recipe was i just improvised and didn't have to run to the store)

creamy alfredo

is there anything more delicious than alfredo sauce? 

the best part about this recipe is that you can put the noodles in the pot dry, they cook in the cream and come out tender and delicious!

tomato basil soup

growing up, i was never a fan of tomato soup. it reminded me of being sick & staying in bed. it was always too thin. too ketchup-tasting. last week i discovered i actually love, love, LOVE tomato soup,when it doesn’t come out of a tin can. in a big family with two working parents, we ate a lot of boxed, microwaved, & pre packed meals. it’s no one’s fault, it was the 90′s.

fresh tomato soup is my new favorite. & you can freeze the extra – win/win!

1. heat oil in pot, add onions. cook until tender.

2. add tomatoes & chicken stock – simmer 15 min

3. pour into blender, blend until smooth & return soup to pot

4. add cream & basil – simmer 20 min

5. serve w parmesan cheese on top !

perfect with grilled cheese on a chilly day : )

homemade chicken tortilla soup

cloudy with a chance of (turkey) meatballs

on monday it was cloudy.
and we ate meatballs for dinner.

and kale
and salad
and quinoa (despite someone's protest)

the end result looked somethiiiiiing like this::
(pardon my iphone4 photography skillz)

10 turkey meatballs (roughly 2-3 per person)
1 jar red pasta sauce (any flavor)
1 large bunch of fresh kale
3 cups cooked quinoa
shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt
parmesan cheese
non-stick cooking spray
spinach
feta
cranberries / walnuts
vinaigrette dressing

a few things :

 - - i've made it a habit on sunday nights to cook up a big ol' batch of quinoa for the week. this takes about 20 minutes and saves me time later in the week. (again with the always planning ahead thing)

 - - i'm not on here to promote brands or whatever. and we aren't too particular about the brand of turkey meatballs we eat anyway. so any brand of frozen turkey meatballs will work just deliciously. 

- - when i plan meals for the week, i determine which ones will make good leftovers. this meal does in fact, make good leftovers, which means i'll typically cook up a few extra meatballs and save them for later.

Preheat oven :: 425 degrees

1. mix meatballs & red sauce in medium pot with lid. set timer 20 min. stir every 2 min.

2. while the meatballs are cooking, wash kale and tear off large chunks from the stalky part. put them in a bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. toss with spoons or tongs.

3. coat the bottom of a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray or additional olive oil. spread out kale chunks onto tray.

4. because i only have one kitchen timer (annoying! i know), I wait until it reaches 10 minutes left on the meatballs, then I throw the kale in the oven. two birds, one kitchen timer. (brilliant! i know)

5. cook the quinoa according to package. (pasta is also ok! but with the gluten-free dealio i'm switching my carbs to quinoa)

6. on plate scoop quinoa. sprinkle mozzarella on top. cover in red sauce. top with meatballs & parm. 

7. toss salad in a huge bowl (or the same one you used for the kale). sprinkle olive oil & vinaigrette, & cranberries, feta, walnuts, whatever you do to dress up your greens. 

just as a note: we have almost entirely switched over from beef products to turkey products. if you haven't made the leap yet - fear not! turkey products are just as tasty, but with less fat than beef. even The Mr. (who is resistant to food changes) has adapted nicely to the switch. I have a history of heart conditions in my family and I am being proactive (even in my young age!) to make health conscious choices.

ta - da! a simple meal in under 30 minutes. 

you're welcome, all you busy soccer moms out there!