BBQ Pineapple Luau Pizza

Tonight’s dinner was AMAZING! I will definitely be making this pizza again and again. I had a little fresh pineapple (fresh pineapple… oh, how sweet!) left in the fridge and a hankering for Hawaiian Pizza. The only problem  was that I needed to make more pizza sauce and I wanted dinner to be quick tonight. No pizza sauce? No problem! I decided to use BBQ sauce instead.

I came across a recipe earlier this week that had me thinking. The recipe was for chicken and pineapple quesadillas and it looked divine. I will HAVE to try it soon.

But tonight, I wanted pizza. Fast. So I used this recipe as my inspiration and what I came up with was truly delicious. This is seriously a must try recipe!

Luau Pizza

Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4-6
Level: Easy

Pizza dough/crust
BBQ sauce
Ham, chopped
Pineapple, thinly sliced
Green bell pepper, diced
Onion, cut into thin rings
Jalapeños, diced
Cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven and make/roll out dough according to pizza dough directions.

Pre-bake dough for 5 minutes. Top with BBQ sauce and remaining ingredients, ending with cheese.

Bake pizza for an additional 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown. Yum!

Tips
– Use a pre-made crust for a faster dinner.
– Top with a little crushed red pepper for more of a kick.
– I used a packaged dough mix that mixes with water. For 57¢ you can’t beat it if you like thin crust!
– Use as many or as little of the above ingredients. Tonight, I only put onions on 1/2 of the pizza. Jason LOVES them… Me? Not so much…
– Jason dipped his in a little ranch dressing. He’s obsessed with ranch.
– You can substitute the ham for Canadian bacon, bacon, turkey bacon, or even chicken.

Loaded Hash Browns

We woke up this morning… well, nearly afternoon, and were STARVING! We wanted to go to brunch but had too much to do so I decided to make brunch at home.

Hash Browns are one of my favorites because they are crispy, salty, and compliment just about everything you could ever think of to have for breakfast or brunch. I FINALLY went to the grocery store so I had an abundance of deliciousness to work with.

This recipe is made with homemade hash browns. If you wanted to take some help from the store and buy your own in a bag, go for it! You will seriously cut down on your time in the kitchen and the outcome will be basically the same.

Also, I am not putting measurements next to some ingredients because you can just use what you have. Add more mushrooms if you love them and take off the onions if you don’t. I would also recommend adding diced tomatoes to this dish, but due to the crazy weather we’ve been having, tomatoes aren’t in abundance right now.

Loaded Hash Browns

Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2
Level: Medium

3 small potatoes, washed and peeled
jalapeños, diced
fresh mushrooms, sliced
onions, diced
green bell pepper, diced
ham, cubed or chopped
shredded cheese
2 eggs, fried sunny side up

Preheat oven to400°. Cube, slice, or dice potatoes into small pieces.

I used a mandolin slicer to shred the potatoes. Put potatoes on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, cook jalapeños, mushrooms, onions,  bell peppers, and ham until cooked throughout, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside. When potatoes are done, form loosely into patties and fry in a well oiled skillet over medium-high heat, turning once. Fry until browned on both sides. Top potato patties with veggie and ham mix, cheese, and sunny side up egg. Yum!

Tips
– You can substitute the ham for bacon, turkey, etc.
– This is a great way to use up any leftover veggies or meat you may have in the fridge.

Strawberry Salad

My mom and dad, for their 35th anniversary dinner (congrats to them!), ate at a Zagat top rated restaurant called Beach Bistro on Holmes Beach in Santa Maria, Florida. The tables are on the beach! Can’t you just imagine? How romantic! Your toes in the sand, the sound of gentle crashing waves, and an amazing dinner all in one. Yes, please! This salad isn’t on the menu. You have to ask for it… It just keeps getting more romantic, doesnt it?

My mom liked the salad so much she decided to go home and make it herself. Wonder where I get it? Guess the apple doesn’t fall far… Anyway, you have to try this salad. You won’t regret it. It’s delicious.

Strawberry Salad

Time: 5 minutes
Level: Easy
Servings: 4-6

1-2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. pecans, toasted or glazed
2 oz. bleu cheese
8 oz. fresh spinach leaves

Dressing:
1/4 c. oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. tarragon
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
dash dry mustard

Put all salad ingredients  in a large serving bowl.

 

Whisk all dressing ingredients together. Toss salad with dressing to coat. Serve immediately. Yum!

Tips
– Add grilled chicken or shrimp to make this salad a full meal.
– Use fresh blueberries or canned madarine oranges instead of strawberries for a spin. But try the strawberries first. Soooo good.

Breakfast Sandwich

DELISH! This is a staple at my house for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I make it at least once a week, no joke. The variety is endless and it is relatively good for you, especially if you are on a protein kick.

You don’t have to make your eggs runny, but I would absolutely recommend it, and I don’t even like my eggs over easy! There is just something about that runny yoke that makes the sandwich creamier and meltier (yes, I realize that meltier isn’t a real word, but come on, shouldn’t it be? I mean, I don’t know how else to describe ooey and gooey and straight up awesome)  and it just melds everything together nicely.

Breakfast Sandwich

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Level: Easy-medium
Serving Size: as many as you wanna make but below is how you make 1.

2 slices of whole grain bread
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 tsp. olive oil
1 egg
2 slices turkey bacon, cooked
jam, peanut butter, mayo… just your favorite condiment

Top one slice of bread with cheese and toast both slices.  In a small, non-stick skillet, cook the egg in a touch of olive oil over medium heat, being careful not to break the yolk.

Don’t panic if you do… it’s no big deal. Top the cheesed slice of toasted bread with cooked egg and cooked bacon. Spread your favorite condiment on the other slice. Doing it this way makes everything stick together better. Put together like a sandwich. Yum!

Tips
– I used Ezekiel bread but anything will do. No, I’m not on a health kick. It was just on sale at Kroger for $1.50 so I decided to try it. It is actually really good. It’s a little spongier than the bread I’m used to. You can try this sandwich using a bagel, English muffin, or wrap it all up in a tortilla.

– Use any meat you want. Deli style lunch meat works great, especially ham and turkey.
– Change up your cheese choice. I love making this sandwich with ham and swiss or turkey and provolone. Just choose whatever you have in the fridge.
– Seriously, don’t let me lose you here. Just TRY putting peanut butter on you sandwich if you use bacon as your meat. It is AMAZING and melts beautifully. Ugh… my mouth is watering as I type! Try it and let me know how much you like it. This won’t be a regret.
– My husband likes to use mayo when I make it for lunch or dinner. You can also add a slice of tomato.
– Check out this yummy looking sandwich. She used pesto as her condiment: Breakfast Sandwich with Pesto
– If you wanted to put it all together and grill it like a grilled cheese, that works, too. And it is AMAZING done that way… the only kicker is that buttering the toast on both sides makes it a real artery clogger. And if it’s decent without it…then why even go there?

Fruit Smoothie

When my alarm goes off at 5 in the morning, I start to question my chosen profession. Why have I chosen, yes, actually CHOSEN, to wake up everyday before the sun does? Ugh.

The only thing dragging me out from under my warm and cozy covers is the promise of a good breakfast. I LOVE breakfast. If I am running behind and have to grab a bowl of cereal, I get off on the wrong foot. And no one wants their teacher to start the day off on the wrong foot…

I love making smoothies in the morning because they are quick and easy and seriously only take about 3 minutes more than pouring a bowl of cereal. Plus, you can drink them while blow drying your hair! My students don’t know it, but they should be thanking me for this recipe.

Fruit Smoothie

Cook Time: 5 minutes
Level: Easy
Servings: 2

1/2 c. frozen fruit, any variety
1 banana
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 – 3/4 c. milk
a good squeeze of honey

Pour all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Add a few ice cubes and blend if you want the smoothie to be thicker. Yum!

Tips
-You can use fresh fruit if you want to but make sure to add the ice cubes.
-You can substitute the honey for 1/4c. of either apple or orange juice or a little agave nectar.
-Add protein powder or flax seed oil if you’d like.
-This recipe is so versatile. I always add the banana but I change up the other fruit often. A single fruit is great but here are a few if my fav combos:

1. Blueberries and peaches

2. Strawberries and blackberries

3. Raspberries and blackberries

-This is a great way to use up bananas that are too ripe for anything but banana bread.
-This is also a great way to use up leftover fruit from making a cobbler or something else.
-You can use flavored yogurts but I chose plain because, in my efforts to grocery shop only once a month, plain yogurt can be used in many other recipes.

-Try doubling the recipe and drinking some as a snack when you get home from work or working out. It’ll keep you out of the chip bag when you walk in the door starving and you can’t wait until dinner.