Go Greek

I love Greek salads and the simpler the better as far as I'm concerned.  Fresh romaine lettuce, a few cherry tomatoes, a couple of kalamata olives, a sprinkling of salty feta cheese and a great Greek dressing = salad perfection. 

I've tasted a lot of the Greek dressings that are on the market today they've all come up a little short of my expectations.  A couple of years ago I decided to try and create my own dressing.  It took a couple of tries but I finally found the right combination of ingredients and I've been making it ever since.  It's a great way to use the basil from my garden too.  

Greek Dressing
1/2 cup red wine vinegar          
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups fresh basil               
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley    
1 teaspoon oregano             
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup oil

I simply put all of my ingredients in my blender and process them until it's nice and smooth.

When I make a salad, I put the lettuce in my salad spinner to wash it and then dry it.  If you don't have a salad spinner - I highly recommend investing in one.   When I buy a head of lettuce I wash and spin it and then put it in a produce container in my refrigerator until I'm ready to use it.  Your lettuce will last a whole lot longer when you remove excess water. 

 I also used my salad spinner to wash and dry my basil for the Greek dressing.

My Greek dressing comes out very green and it really doesn't make the prettiest picture.  You're going to have to take my word for it that it really is good.  I added some sliced avocado to my salad too because as you know - I think avocado makes everything taste better.  I so enjoyed my Greek salad for lunch today and I think that my dressing is way better than any Greek dressing on the market.
 

Yesterday I had a Greek salad for lunch along with a roasted stuffed pepper from my friend Tracy.  It was delicious.  She grew the peppers in her garden and stuffed them with all sorts of yummy goodness.  (wild rice, ground beef and vegetables)  It was a perfect lunch.

Bon Appetit!

Brunch Lunch

I would label my daughter a "cereal fanatic."  She loves cereal and she eats a lot of it.  (I have to buy it in bulk now.)  She eats at least one bowl of cereal when she comes home from school and another  before she goes to bed at night - a habit that she started when she was a toddler.  When she was barely old enough to put words together - she started asking for "cereal milk."  I think that she would eat it for breakfast everyday without complaint if I let her.  Most mornings, I make a hot breakfast for Ben and the kids before they head off to school and work.  On the mornings that I do allow my daughter to eat cereal for breakfast, I make sure that she also gets some protein to balance out the carbohydrates.  (peanut butter toast, hard boiled egg, yogurt, etc.) I never have to worry about her getting enough whole grains or calcium in her diet. 

It really isn't a bad snack choice as long as she continues to eat cereals that are relatively low in sugar.
She eats a variety of cereals and generally she chooses healthy cereals.  She likes Life, Cheerios, Shredded Mini Wheats, Oh's and Kix.  A couple of summers ago she even sent a letter to General Mills letting them know just how much she loved Cheerios.  Several months later, she received a package of goodies in the mail from the company in response to her letter.  (t-shirt, puppet, boxes of cereal, etc.)

Since she loves cereal so much, several years ago I decided to start incorporate it into her lunches as well.  Today I send her to school with a "Brunch Lunch".

Bagel, cream cheese, yogurt, cereal, milk, strawberries and a granola bar. (And a bottle of juice)

This is how I packaged it up to fit into her lunchbox. 

 And off she goes.  It's going to be a great day at school - and even it it isn't - at least I know lunch will be great. 

Bon Appetit!

Lunch in a hurry

There is nothing like starting my day with a walk through the park.  Mia and I walked about 10 1/2 miles this morning.  She was such a good walker that I rewarded her with a quick swim in the lake before leaving the park. 

It was such a beautiful day that I couldn't help but take a few quick pictures before heading home.  

Mia found a "treasure" along the trail and carried it for 3 miles back to the car.

When we got home, Mia went right to sleep and I got to work on lunch because I was STARVING.  I made this tuna tuna melt on a whole wheat bagel.  It was exactly what I needed to refuel my body after a nice long walk.

To make this tuna melt, I combined a packet of low sodium tuna, a Tablespoon of low fat mayonnaise and a few caraway seeds.  I sliced a whole wheat bagel in half and sliced some avocado.  I arranged the avocado slices on the bagel, spooned the tuna on top and then sprinkled it with low fat, sharp cheddar cheese.  Lastly, I set the bagel under the broiler for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese. 

This was a really good lunch and it only took about 5 minutes to make.  Give it a try.

Bon Appetit!

Break out of the can

For the past several summers our family has participated in a friendly family fishing contest" in Lake Erie.  It seems to get more competitive every year - this year we even gave ourselves fishing nicknames.  This is my niece with her first big catch.

This is my son, wearing his fishing hat and posing with the smallest fish of the day.

These were just a few of the coveted prizes for the winners of this year's contest.

Since we don't live near the Great Lakes, when we come home we have to go to the next best place to get great fish - Trader Joes.  If you are lucky enough to live by a Trader Joes - be sure to check out their frozen fish.  You won't be disappointed.  I picked up a couple of Ahi Tuna steaks yesterday morning and grilled them up for dinner last night. 

Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks
3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme (or rosemary)
3/4 cup olive oil
6 tuna steaks

Whisk together vinegar, 1/2 t. salt, mustard, honey and thyme.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil.   Reserve 1/4 cup vinaigrette for serving with fish.  Brush both sides of tuna with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.  Grill for 2 minutes and carefully flip.  Cook about 3 more minutes.  (Center should be red to slightly pink depending on your personal preference.)

This recipe came from the 2011 May/June Issue of Cooks Illustrated.  It was absolutely delicious.  I served it with a green salad and baked sweet potato fries.  (also from Trader Joes)  My kids are both big fans of the tuna that comes in a can but they generally don't care for tuna steaks.  My son ended up eating quite a bit and my daughter thought it wasn't quite as good as canned tuna.  Her loss - more for me.   

Bon Appetit!

Peach Season

A couple of weeks when I walked into the grocery store I was greeted by the sweet aroma of fresh peaches.  I carefully selected the very best peaches out of the bin as I day dreamed about how delicious they would taste in my juicy peach pie.  I brought my peaches home and started on my pie that same afternoon.  I finished putting the lattice crust on the top just as my husband walked in the door from work and he was equally excited about the pie.  Unfortunately, I had run out of time and I didn't have time to bake my pie before we had to head out the door again.

With much reluctance, I wrapped the pie in plastic wrap and then in foil before putting it in my freezer.  (That was torture to my poor husband, by the way.)  We have both been thinking about that pie ever since it went into the freezer.  I am happy to report that this was the weekend that we finally baked the pie.  We invited some friends to come over and share it with us which made the pie even that much sweeter.

Peach Pie
basic pie pastry for a double crust
6 cups fresh peaches
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 425.  Roll out bottom crust and lay it in a 9” pie pan.  Roll out pastry for the top crust and cut into 3/4” strips.  Place the peaches in a large bowl.  Stir together flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg.  Add to the peaches and toss to coat.  Pile fruit into pie dish.   Top with bits of butter.  Use the pastry strips to  make a lattice top.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 and bake another 25 minutes.  Let cool and cut into wedges before serving. 

Pies are the perfect make ahead dessert because they freeze really well.  When I make fruit pies, I wrap and freeze them before they're baked.  I defrost them in the refrigerator for 24 hours before I put them in the oven.  This is my peach pie as soon as I took it out of the freezer.

This is what my pie looked like when it came out of the oven.

The pie lived up to all of my expectations.  After weeks of dreaming about this frozen pie, I am pleased to tell you that it was just as good as I had imagined.   Georgia peaches at their finest. 

Bon Appetit!

Will Workout for Muffins

 

This weekend marks the end of my 5 week workout rotation.  That means that I get to start it all over again on Monday morning.  I start every new rotation with a fitness test just to make sure that I'm at least maintaining my current level of fitness.  I use the Fit Test that came with the Insanity workout.  It is pretty basic really - doing specific exercises for 1 minute and counting the number of reps that I complete.  I have a chart posted on the wall in my workout room and I can keep track of how my reps and how my fitness improves over time.  When I finish with my Fit Test, I'm dripping in sweat and ready for some nourishment.

I baked a batch of cinnamon buttermilk muffins last night so that I can sit down and enjoy one with a cup of tea after my Fit Test.  I will also have
a small dish of Trader Joes vanilla yogurt to add some protein to my snack. 

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins
7 Tablespoons butter                                                                 Topping
2/3 cup sugar                                                                             1/3 cup sugar
1 egg                                                                                           1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour                                                                          3 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Prepare 10 muffin cups with paper liners and preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and sugar in mixer until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Add to butter in 2 additions, alternating with buttermilk and vanilla.  Stir until just moistened.  Scoop batter into muffin liners and bake 20 minutes at 350. 

It is going to be really hard to eat just one muffin.   I had my doubts when I was making the recipe because there isn't any cinnamon in the batter.  The muffins are nicely spiced with nutmeg and a sweet cinnamon sugar topping is added to the top after the muffins are baked.   These muffins baked up with nice rounded tops - beautiful.

Bon Appetit!

Snacking Situation

I try to serve nutritious meals to my family on most nights but my kids still consume about 50% of their daily calories through snacks.  During the week, I pack snacks for the bus ride, they eat a snack as soon as they walk in the door from school, and they eat continue to snack throughout the evening.  On the weekends, they seem wander through the kitchen on an hourly basis to grab a snack.  I do my best to keep the house stocked with healthy snacks - which seems like a never ending task these days.

Several months ago, I reorganized the snack shelf in my panty and invested in some new plastic containers to store snacks.  My goal was to make healthy snacks more accessible.  These are the things that I keep stocked on my snack shelf: nuts, whole wheat crackers, trail mix, dried fruit, granola bars, cereal bars, cliff bars, peanut butter crackers, goldfish crackers, oatmeal, cereal, popcorn, and peanut butter.  I also keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. 

When my kids were younger, I was in control of everything they ate and it was easier to ensure that they were eating nutritious snacks.  Now that they're teenagers, I am trying to teach them to make their own healthy snack choices.  Hopefully the good habits that they start now will carry over into adulthood. 

I was looking through my recipes this afternoon in search of a new snack.  I wanted to find something with fruit, nuts and oats.  I came across this recipe for Chocolate, Cranberry and Oat Bars from a 2007 Food and Family magazine and decided to give it a try.

Chocolate, Cranberry and Oat Bars
1 cup dried cranberries                1/4 teaspoon salt   
1/4 cup orange juice                    3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour                           1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups oats                            2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder          1 cup chocolate chunks
                                                    1/2 cup pecan pieces

Combine orange juice and cranberries.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Let stand 10 min.  Combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt.  Cream butter and sugar in standing mixer.  Beat in eggs.  Add flour mixture.  Stir in nuts, chocolate and cranberries.  Spread into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake 25 min. at 350.

The bars were so soooo good.  The kids each gobbled one up when they got home from school and another one after dinner.  I packed one in each of their lunch boxes for tomorrow too.  These bars would make a great snack after a mountain bike ride or soccer practice too.  They're easy to pack and I am guessing that they would freeze really well too.  (I didn't get a chance to put one in the freezer because they were gone to quickly.)  If your kids don't like dried cranberries - try swapping them with raisins.  I added this recipe to my collection of snacks - I hope that you will too.   

Bon Appetit!

Paninis (without a panini maker)

I decided to attempt to make home made paninis tonight even though I don't own a panini press.  I started with the very best ingredients that I could find - vine ripened tomatoes, crusty Italian bread, fresh basil, creamy avocado and fresh mozzarella cheese.  What could go wrong? 

Since I didn't have a panini press at my disposal, I armed myself with a cast iron skillet and I fired up the Big Green Egg.  I didn't have a recipe to follow so I decided to "wing it".  I sliced the bread into nice thick slices and buttered one side of each piece with melted butter.  I layered fresh mozzarella, tomato, avocado and basil leaves on the bread and topped it with another slice.  I put the sandwich on the grill and put my cast iron skillet on top.  It worked beautifully - the paninis were perfectly toasted and pressed.

The next time that I make these, I am going to add a little pesto to the unbuttered side of the bread to bring out the flavor of the basil even more. 

I made a couple of paninis with just fresh mozzarella cheese.  The kids were thrilled with their grilled cheese paninis. 

If you don't have a Big Green Egg - use a charcoal grill or even a gas grill.  I am ready to try some new paninis now - send me your panini ideas.  I'm ready for a challenge.

Bon Appetit!

You are invited to join my blog

I've received quite a bit of feedback that people are having trouble joining my blog.  First of all, thank you for reading my blog - I am overwhelmed by all of the attention that it has gotten.  I am grateful for all of the faithful followers and I wish I could thank each of you personally.  

I love being able to share my recipes with all of you on the blog and I would love for you to send me your recipe ideas as well.   Several of you have already commented on recipes that I posted on blog.  I am inspired by your ideas and your creativity to adapt my recipes and make them your own.  My followers have even started sharing their recipe ideas with me and they just might turn up in my blog one day.  I am currently working on making the comments on the blog public so that everyone can read the comments that are posted by followers.

The only way that you can post a comment on my blog is to become a "follower."  (You will not be added to an email list or receive any solicitation.)   The best way to communicate with me about my recipes is to post a comment on my blog.  Several of you have already posted questions about last minute substitutions and even brand names of products that I use in my recipes.  (Another reason to make the comments available for everyone to read.)  I read all of the comments and I will answer all of your questions as quickly as I possibly can. 

I will do my best to walk you through the process of joining my blog so that if you haven't already done so, you can become a "follower." 

You can get to my blog by typing in the address (www.mealsforbusyfamilies.blogspot.com) or you can link to it from my facebook account.  (Amy Mazzeo Davis)

When the website appears, it should have a box in the upper right corner that is titled "Followers".  Just under the word followers is a blue box with the words "join this site."  Below the blue box are pictures of my blog followers.  If this box does not appear on your screen, click the refresh button.  If it still does not appear, click on the words "sign in" in the blue bar at the top of the screen and then the back button. 

A separate window will appear and ask you to sign in with a Google, Twitter or a Yahoo account.  (This includes gmail accounts.)  If you don't already have one of these accounts, you can click "create a new Google Account" under the window.

After you enter your email and your password, you will be asked if you want to follow publicly or privately.

I talk to people every single day that tell me they read my blog.  It is reaching places and people that I never imagined it could reach.  I am truly thankful for all of your support and I am honored that you would take time to read my recipes.  The blog has been a great way for me to stay connected to friends and family members and for me to meet new "foodies" with whom I can share recipes.  I look forward to having all of you as followers and reading your comments on my blog.

Bon Appetit!

Turkey Burgers

I don't know how many of my followers are familiar with P90X, but I pulled this recipe straight out of the P90X Nutrition Plan.  I started P90X in July of 2009 and I will admit that I didn't follow the Nutrition Guide in the way that was recommended by the program.  I did however, pull a few recipes out of the nutrition guide that have become personal favorites.  (I love the chicken salad recipe and the honey chile sauce too.)

I work out faithfully 6 days a week.  It starts my day off right and it gives me the energy that I need to get through the rest of my day.  For me, working out also means burning
some extra calories that I can replace later in my day with a sweet reward.  I love to bake - and I am a big believer in the fact that we can eat anything in moderation.   My workout shirts should say "Will Workout for Brownies." 

Of the four people in my family, three of us are working out regularly so lean protein is very important in our diet.  These turkey burgers are one of my favorite ways to feed my family the protein that they need.   I usually make extra burgers and keep some in the freezer so they're ready to defrost and grill at a moments notice.  

Turkey Burgers
16 ounces ground turkey breast
4 Tablespoon bread crumbs
8 Tablespoons buttermilk, low fat or non-fat
6 teaspoons green onions, minced
6 teaspoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes black pepper


Combine all ingredients and form into 4 large patties.  Grill on the Big Green Egg.

This is how I like to eat my turkey burger - bunless and layered with slices of creamy avocado.  

Every cook needs someone that they can depend on to give them honest feedback on their food.  My husband weren't married for very long before we figured out that he shouldn't be my food critic.  Ben and Tracy are both great cooks and they give me great advice about my food. 

They make a version of these turkey burgers that are quite tasty as well.  They add chopped green onion, bell pepper and mushrooms to the burgers before they grill them.  I love the idea of adding more vegetables to a burger.  I have had the privilege of  tasting their turkey burgers and they are delicious.

Bon Appetit!

Afternoon Tea Cookies

I am a sucker for cookie recipes with molasses and ginger.  I love the sugary spice of a crunchy gingersnap cookie.  I found this recipe for "molasses cookies with a kick" in a Taste of Home magazine.  The combination of peppers, coriander, cinnamon, fresh ginger and cloves peaked my interest so I decided to bake up a batch of these cookies and to take on our weekend getaway.

Molasses Cookies with a Kick
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh gingerroot, minced
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (I used even less)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon coriander
3/4 cup turbinado sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Beat in molasses, egg and ginger.  Combine flour, baking soda, cloves, cayenne, salt, nutmeg, pepper and coriander.  Add to creamed mixture.  Cover and refrigerate 1 1/2 hours.  Scoop into small balls and roll in turbinado sugar.  Place 3" apart on a silpat lined baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes at 350.

I am on a constant quest to bake great cookies and I like to "tweak" recipes to make them even better.  These cookies were soft and chewy but they didn't bake up nice and crispy like I had anticipated.   What these cookies lacked in texture, they made up for in peppery spiciness and sweet sugary goodness.  I am going back to the kitchen to rework this recipe into a crunchy, spicy molasses cookie that will please the most critical cookie eater that I know - ME.

Despite my criticism and my harsh analysis of these molasses cookies, by the end of the weekend they had all been eaten.  In the end, that's really the best indicator of a good cookie. 

Bon Appetit!

Simply Shrimp

Monday night is fish night at my house.  I like to start the week off with a healthy meal, especially if we've overindulged a little over the weekend.  It wasn't always easy to get my kids to eat or even taste some of the fish that I cooked but lately they really seem to be developing a taste for it.  Some of their favorite fish meals? - salmon burgers,  fish sandwiches, fish tacos, tuna and shrimp.  (They also love lobster and crab legs but that's usually beyond the budget.)

We all love shrimp and these shrimp skewers are really easy.  I cooked this shrimp on the Big Green Egg and I served it over brown rice with a side of pineapple.  In the past when I have made this shrimp, I've served it over a salad for lunch.  I've also served it over pasta with a white wine sauce.  I've even served it in tortillas.  For lunch today, I put the leftover shrimp from last night's dinner in a wrap with some hummus, sliced avocado and a slice of turkey bacon.  Delicious. 

Lemon Garlic Shrimp
2 Tablespoons salt           
¼ cup parsley
2 Tablespoons sugar           
1 Tablespoon lemon peel
2 – 2 ½ pounds shrimp, deveined with shell on
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil               
½ teaspoon pepper

Mix sugar and salt.  Add shrimp.  Cover and refrigerate 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Rinse shrimp.  Combine parsley, oil. lemon, garlic and pepper and toss with shrimp. Thread onto skewer and grill about 4 minutes on each side. 

Bon Appetit!

To blog or not to blog

When I first tasted this dish, I decided not to post it on my blog because I wasn't particularly impressed with the flavors.  During the course of dinner however, my family just couldn't say enough about how much they enjoyed this chicken.  They each had two helpings and then I watched them mop up the gravy on their plates with slices of bread.  That was precisely the moment when I changed my mind and decided that this recipe deserved to be on the blog.  I didn't change my opinion about the chicken - I still think that it lacks complexity of flavor but despite my personal opinion - my family loved it.  I'll let you be the judge.

I took this recipe out of a "Cuisine at Home" magazine.  I chose this recipe because the chicken really does look beautiful on the plate. Unfortunately, this photograph doesn't really do it any justice.  (I got overly anxious about tasting it and I forgot to garnish it.) 

Greek Chicken Roulades
12 pitted kalamata olives
6 Tablespoons bread crumbs
3 Tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup white wine(dry)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine olives, bread crumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, zest, garlic and oregano in a food processor.  Pulse until coarse.  Pound chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness and spread olive filling on top.  Roll chicken and secure with toothpicks.  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Brown chicken breasts about 4 minutes.  Remove chicken and add onion to skillet.  Saute 2 minutes.  Add wine and cook until reduced to half.  Add broth and bring mixture to a boil.  Return chicken to pan, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook 10 minutes.  Remove chicken.  Whisk together lemon juice and cornstarch.  Stir into sauce in skillet and simmer one minute.  Slice roulades and serve with sauce.

This recipe is definitely worth a try.  If your family is anything like mine - they will love it. 

Bon Appetit!

"Out of the box" lunch box idea

Since I am not impressed with what the school cafeteria has to offer for lunch, I pack lunches at home for my kids to take to school every day.  Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for me to fall into the rut of packing the same old lunch every day.  I am always on the lookout for ways to incorporate new things into their lunch box.

I like to think "out of the box" if you will, when it comes to lunches.  I have been known to pack a breakfast lunch.  (Bagel, cream cheese packet, fruit, baggie of cereal and a thermos full of milk.)  I have also packed my own version of a Lunchable.  (Without all the salt and preservatives)  I cut up small pieces of ham and cheese and pack it with crackers and a fruit cup.  I also tuck a couple of fancy toothpicks into the lunch box to make it more fun to eat. 

Today's lunch menu - meatball subs. I had extra meatballs left over from the batch of spaghetti sauce and meatballs that I cooked earlier in the week.  I figured this would be a great way to use up some of my leftovers.  (By the way, just in case you didn't spend a day making home made sauce and meatballs, this lunch works just as well with store bought meatballs.)  

Since my kids leave so early in the morning, I pack lunches the night before school.  I cut the meatballs in half and put them in the refrigerator overnight.  I also put a small container of shredded mozzarella cheese in the refrigerator.  I happened to have a couple of extra whole wheat hamburger buns leftover so I put one in a baggie for each child.  (Hotdog buns actually work best for meatball subs but I decided to use what I had on hand.)  With a few extra additions (a pear, pretzels and a cookie) I had lunch ready for the morning.  (Don't forget napkins and a plastic fork.)

Before the kids left for school, I warmed the meatballs in the microwave and put them in an insulated Thermos.  I tucked the cheese into the lunch boxes and off they went. 

A healthy lunch that any kid (or adult) would love.

Bon Appetit!

Personal Pizzas

My family loves pizza.  I like to load mine up with fresh vegetables, my husband and my son like meat on their pizza and my daughter keeps it simple - cheese only.  Normally, I am strictly opposed to making a different meal for each member of the family.  I make an exception when it comes to pizza though.  We all like to express our creativity and customize our own pizza. 

Tonight's dinner started out with a trip to the supermarket.  I purchased pizza sauce and pesto sauce to make preparations easier.  I also bought a  zucchini, a Roma tomato and a red bell pepper that looked particularly fresh.   I made a quick stop by the bakery to pick up some flat breads.  I also picked up some shredded mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperoni before checking out and heading home with my bag of goodies.

Grilled Flat Bread Pizzas
Veggie Pizza
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 Tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon prepared pesto
2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced
2 flat breads
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Combine zucchini and pepper in a bowl with 1 Tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt.  Toss until coated.  Add to a grill basket and grill until vegetables are tender.  (I like my veggies slightly crunchy so I don't grill them very long.)

 
Remove from heat and add tomatoes to the vegetables.  Brush each flat bread on one side with 1/2 Tablespoon oil.  Grill breads, oiled side down for 2-3 minutes or until browned on the bottom.

Combine mayonnaise, pesto and basil.  Flip bread and spread with pesto mixture.

Top with vegetables and shredded cheese.  Grill, covered until cheese melts.

 Pizza Flat Breads
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup prepared pizza sauce
1/4 cup mozzarella,  shredded
2 flat breads

Brush 1 side of each flat bread with 1 Tablespoon oil.  Place on grill, oiled side down and grill until lightly browned.  Flip bread and add sauce, cheese and toppings.  Cover grill and cook until cheese melts.

These flat bread pizzas were really good and they were really easy to make.  I let them get a little too brown on the bottom so I recommend watching them really carefully while they are on the grill - they cook quickly.  (I think I got a little carried away with my photography and I left them on the grill a little too long.)  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Bon Appetit!