Pizza Turnovers

Im a sucker for pizza. Aside from Chinese food, it's probably my favourite take out item. Obviously, it's not very healthy but, there are definitely variations of it that Ive found are acceptable within the terms of my dietary intake. This recipe is no exception.

Recipe from Betty Crocker.
Yields 4 turnovers.
300 calories per turnover.

INGREDIENTS
1 can refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 c pizza sauce
24 turkey pepperoni slices
1/4 c part-skim mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400.

Roll crust over a lightly floured surface into a 12 inch square.
Cut dough into 4 even pieces.

Spread 1 tbsp of pizza sauce onto each square within 1/2 of the edge.
Top with pepperoni & cheese.
Fold each square in half over filling & press edges to seal.

Place each square on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Salsa Chicken Fiesta

This was a very fast weeknight dinner. I keep finding that the more meals I cook for two, the more I need a smaller pan to cook things in. After dinner tonight, we alleviated the problem. I will say that for such low calorie count, you really get a large portion. The portion that is pictured below was the whole portion, as in 1 serving. Pretty awesome. Thank you, Betty Crocker.

Yields 2 servings.
220 calories per serving.
Recipe from Betty Crocker.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 c Bisquick Heart Smart mix
1 tbsp water
1 egg white
1/4 c plus 2 tbsp reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lg boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 in pieces
1/2 c salsa

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400.
Spray baking dish with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together Bisquick, water, & egg white.
Spread in pan & sprinkle with 1/4 c of cheese.

In a non stick skillet, cook chicken over medium-high heat stirring frequently until cooked through.
Stir in salsa & heat until hot, about 3 minutes.
Poor salsa mixture over batter in pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese & bake for 2 more minutes, until cheese is melted.

Chicken Pizza with a Kick

This was an interesting combination and I actually did half of the pizza according to this recipe. The other side, I did to my boyfriend's liking. He isnt crazy about onions & prefers pepperoni on pizza, instead of chicken. It's good because you can change up the toppings to those who dont necessary pay attention to their eating habits. Im going to edit the ingredients list based on what I did. (Really, the only change is the amount of chicken.) The other great thing about this is that the portions are HUGE.

Recipe from BHG dot com.
Yields 6 servings.
305 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 tsp cooking oil
1/2 small onion, diced
non - stick cooking spray
10 oz pkg refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 c mild taco sauce
1/2 reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
In a skillet, heat oil over medium high heat, about 1 minute.
Place chicken & skillet & cook for about 5 minutes, until no longer pink & set aside.
Add onions to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, until tender.
Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400.

Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.
Unroll pizza dough onto pan & pinch border to form a crust.
(Im really retarded at this, which is why my crust is SUPER uneven!)

Spread taco sauce across the dough.
Top with chicken, onions, & cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden & cheese has melted.

Sloppy Joe Supreme

This was another fast weeknight dinner. I actually meant to make this for dinner last night but, Im brilliant and forgot to defrost the meat. This was pretty delicious but, on the higher end of the calorie spectrum. It ended up being okay though because I didnt serve anything along side of it.

Recipe from Betty Crocker via Recipe dot com email.
Yields 3 servings.
270 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c Bisquick Heart Smart mix
3/4 c reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 c water
1 egg white
1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef
1/2 c tomato sauce
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400.

In a bowl stir together Bisquick, 1/2 c cheese, water, & egg white & set aside.

In a skillet cook beef over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until brown.
Drain & place back into skillet.
Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup, & salt.
Heat over medium high heat, stirring occasionally until hot.
Transfer into baking pan.
Pour Bisquick mixture over top.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c cheese.

Mexican Skillet

Another fast weeknight dinner!

Yields 8 servings.
277 calories per serving.
Recipe from Spark People.

INGREDIENTS
12 oz 93% lean ground beef
1 c canned black beans, rinsed
1 c canned corn, drained
2 c water
1 c picante sauce
2 c minute brown rice, uncooked
1 c reduced fat mexican cheese, shredded
1 c low fat sour cream
1 tbsp chili powder

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, brown ground beef.
Stir in beans, corn, water, chili powder, & picante sauce.
Bring to a boil & then stir in rice.
Turn heat down to low and cover until rice is cooked, about 5 minutes.

Turn off heat & sprinkle with cheese.
Cover until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.

Top with sour cream & serve.

Potato Pizza

Technically this recipe is an appetizer but, I served it for dinner last night along with some broccoli & it was incredibly filling, not to mention delicious. Also very fast & easy. My only real suggestion is that if you're mincing your own cloves, dont keep the larger chunks that you accumulate.

Yields 10 servings.
206 calories per serving.
Recipe from BHG dot com.

INGREDIENTS
10 oz pkg refrigerated pizza dough
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 medium red potatoes, cooked & cut into 1/4 in slices
2 tsp rosemary

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425.
Lightly grease baking pan.
Unroll pizza dough onto pan & slightly build edges.
Bake for 7 minutes & remove from oven.

Combine olive oil & garlic in a small bowl.
Brush over hot crust.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese & arrange potatoes on top.
Sprinkle remaining cheese and rosemary over potatoes.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Chicken Taco Pizza

Tonight was the first night that I made a meal on the weeknight that wasnt Nutrisystem. For me, this is a HUGE deal. It's kind of hard to explain. Regardless, big step. And I ate about 45 minutes ago & Im still, which is another huge step for me.

These were so fast to make, ideal for a weeknight when you're exhausted from the day's work and/or lack of sleep.

Yields 4 pizzas.
248 calories per pizza.
Recipe from Better Homes Test Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS
2 pita rounds, split horizontally
1 tsp olive oil
10 oz canned chicken, drained
1/4 c salsa
1 c shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat
lettuce, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425.

Place pita bread pieces, cut side up, on baking sheet.
Lightly brush with olive oil.
Bake for 4 minutes until crisp.

In a small bowl, mix chicken & salsa.
Spoon evenly over pita pieces.
Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes & remove from oven.
Top with lettuce & a small dollop of low fat sour cream.



Cutting the pita rounds was a bit of a challenge because they're so thin to begin with. Really, it just takes patience.

These are so filling. I had dinner about an hour ago & Im still full, which is pretty unheard of for me. ANOTHER MILESTONE.

Basil-Tomato Chicken

My darling friend Sarah was on leave from the Navy. Our original plan was to have some drinks & watch a movie; just have a mellow night. Unfortunately, time became rather limited so I decided that Id make her some dinner instead.

This is a recipe that Id meant to make earlier in the week but, didnt have the time for. So, in a way, the time constraint was a blessing in disguise.

Yields 4 servings.
170 calories per serving.
Recipe from daily emails.

INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs chicken breast
Non-stick cooking spray
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 c basil
14.5 oz can no-salt added diced tomatoes
10 oz spinach, washed
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cut chicken into strips.
Coat an unheated skillet with cooking spray.

Cook and stir chicken in skillet for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Add tomatoes and basil; heat through (about 5 minutes).
Remove from heat.

Add spinach; toss until wilted.
Sprinkle with cheese.



This was a fast dish, ideal for a weeknight.