Caprese Pizza with Bacon

Evening all,

Who doesn't love a good pizza? Probably everyone reading this has their hands high up in the air like Ma and I do. What's even better than pizza? Pizza on the grill! We've been struggling with the weather to pull the grill out and bring you a fantastic recipe. This evening seems like the perfect time (finally!). The sun is winding down and there's a light breeze. Let's not waste anymore time. So night's dish comes from the lovely canadian cook Karie Osmond's show Best Recipes Ever. She decided to take pizza with fresh ingredients (alright, minus the bacon cause bacon isn't considered healthy) and slap it on the grill. This screamed my kind of recipe so I couldn't pass it up.

Here's what you'll need:

Caprese Pizza with Bacon
Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients:
*6 slices bacon
*4 oz (113 g) fresh mozzarella or bocconcini cheese
*1 lb (454 g) white pizza dough
*2 tsp (10 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
*1/2 cup (125 mL) Basil Pesto for Pizza
*1 tomato, sliced into 1/4-inch (5mm) thick rounds
*2 tbsp (25 mL) sliced fresh basil

Directions:
*Cut bacon slices in half. In skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until still slightly chewy, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate; set aside.

*Drain and pat mozzarella dry; cut into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick rounds. Arrange on separate paper towel–lined tray; pat dry.

*On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 16-inch x 12-inch (40 x 30 cm) rectangle; transfer to lightly floured pizza peel or inverted baking sheet.

*Brush with oil. Place, oiled side down, directly on greased grill over medium heat. Grill, uncovered and watching carefully to avoid burning, until bubbles form on top and grill marked underneath, 3 to 6 minutes.

*Slide pizza peel, 2 wide spatulas or inverted baking sheet under pizza. Flip pizza; close lid and cook just until set, about 1 minute. Transfer to lightly floured pizza peel or inverted baking sheet. Reduce heat to medium-low.

*Spread with pesto; top with tomato, bacon nd cheese.

*Slide back onto grill. Close lid and grill until bubbly and underside is browned, 3 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

WW Points: *8 per slice

This was amazing, I really liked the grilled pizza dough. It had this nice crisp taste to it which can be a nice change to the doughy greasiness that normal pizza can take on. Give this one a shot, it may surprise you in the flavor department.


Tid Bits:
*For our vegetarian readers, you can do this recipe just omit the bacon.
*Not a fan of real bacon? Try out turkey bacon.
*Please use the sliced mozerella. The shredded wouldn't work right with this recipe.



Ma's Spot: When Dinah picked this one I was really nervous all day long. I didn't know if I could grill pizza dough. I have to say it turned out fantastic and I think I did a pretty good job. It turns out I didn't need to worry at all. This recipe was fantastic. The grilled pizza dough was the best part of this recipe. I only put a little bit of the fresh tomato on my pizza since tomato on pizza's don't really do it for me. I loved the taste of the fresh mozzarella. I think it really adds to the overall taste of the pizza compared to shredded. So if you're an expert griller you'll know how to do it. If you're not an expert griller don't be afraid you'll be able to do it with ease. So please try this pizza. It's a must!





*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *4 points for 6 chips



Dinah: So tonight we have the DORITOS® JACKED Enchilada Supreme chips. I'm not actually supposed to have Doritos. They affect my GERD but I couldn't pass these up. Luckily they didn't bother me. Huzzah for that! These are pretty yum. I will say they are bigger than normal Doritos (Ha, hence the Jacked. Good one Dinah) and they are quite heavy handed on the spice. I didn't really get the enchilada taste. It came off more of a bolder nacho flavor. I'm kinda on the fence with this one. I wouldn't buy these again. They're not horrible but they're not the best either. I'd say give these a shot and see if you guys like them. I'll be over here pondering.



Ma: I have one word for this: YUCK! My other words are: it was horrible! I thought these chips were too thick. I didn't like the texture at all and the spices were way too harsh for my taste. So I will never ever buy these again. As always though if you like spicy stuff then give these a try. Even if I did like spicy food I don't like the texture.




Alrighty guys, that's it for tonight. We'll be back in 7 days with another recipe. Have a great week guys!





Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce

Hey guys,

For tonight's meal we bring you something that Ma picked out of my pin board over at pinterest. As mentioned in the last entry you definitely gotta check out pinterest. It's crazy how addicting it is. So while showing ma my awesome board she jumped for joy when she saw I had repinned a recipe for coconut chicken strips. Which leads to tonight's dish. Normally I'm not a fan of said coconut but I like chicken (especially when it has a sweetness to it) so I figured why not give it a whirl. Ha, who am I kidding? Even if I didn't want to "give it a whirl" I kinda have too because A: I participate in this blog and B: Nobody would fix me something separate.

Here's what you'll need:

Coconut Chicken with Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

*2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*2 large eggs
*1/4 cup coconut milk (optional)
*1/2 cup all purpose flour
*1 cup panko bread crumbs
*1 cup shredded coconut
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 cup vegetable oil, divided
*1 cup sweet chili sauce


Directions:
STEP 1: Cut off any extra fat globules from your chicken breasts. Cut each breast into 6 strips, diagonally to prevent the end strips from being really short. See photos below.

STEP 2: Prepare your breading station by gathering three bowls. In the first bowl combine the flour and salt. In the second bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined. In the third bowl, stir together the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut.

STEP 3: Place 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium/high heat until it is just below smoking. You can test the heat by throwing in a little bit of flour. When it is hot enough, the flour will sizzle and create a lot of bubbles.

STEP 4: While the oil is heating, dredge the chicken strips. First, coat each strip in the flour and salt mixture. Then dip each into the eggs/coconut milk and finally coat each in panko and shredded coconut. I find it easiest to coat all of them in the flour then go back and then do the egg wash and panko/coconut for each before moving onto the next.

STEP 5: After breading the strips, the oil should be hot enough. Place about 6 strips in the pan at once. There should only be one layer in the pan and there should be about an inch between each strip. If you over crowd the pan it will get too cold and the strips will soak up a lot of oil instead of frying. Fry the strips for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel to drain and move on to the next batch. After a couple of batches you may need more oil so you can add the second 1/4 cup to the pan. Allow the oil to come up to temperature before frying the next batch (2-3 minutes).

Because the strips are thin, they should be cooked through by the time both sides are browned. You can tell by the texture of the chicken; it should be stiff when pressed. If you cut your strips thicker, you will need to bake off the chicken after frying to make sure the insides are cooked through.

STEP 6: When all of the strips are done frying, serve immediately with sweet chili sauce to dip in. I garnished mine with a little bit of chopped cilantro.

WW Points: *2 per chicken strip


These were a bit a mess to make and we ended up finish the cooking process in the oven. I thought they were amazing in the taste department and I hate coconut.



Tid Bits:
*Get the chicken strips good and crispy in the skillet but finish the cooking process in the oven.


Ma's Spot: For years I've always done the same thing for my birthday. That is head over to Outback Steakhouse to munch on their coconut shrimp. I never made it at home because I didn't want to tarnish the most perfect meal in the world (well to me). I have to say after tonight's blog I'm going to give it a try. Tonight's meal was delicious. I love the crispiness of the panko and the shredded coconut. I didn't use any special chicken just your normal boneless skinless chicken breast and it was great. So if you want a nice trip down to the Caribbean then make this recipe.



*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *2 per cookie


Dinah: Tonight we're reviewing the new little ditty's from Fiber One. New Fiber One chocolate chip cookies. Now the words Fiber One might scare you (they even scared your blog mistress a tad) because most fiber things on the market taste like cardboard. These are the exception though. The cookie itself is super soft and has the right amount of chocolate and chips to make these a satisfying treat. Oh and did I mention these are only 2 points per cookie? Pretty stellar, the cookies are on the bigger end so to me their worth it. Try these guys out you just might like this whole new craze of Fiber One. Scary name no more!



Ma: I love the moistness and softness of this cookie. Who knew a cookie could be good for you? After eating this cookie I only have two words for you, go fiber!





And that's all folks, well for this evening that is. We'll see you all here in 7 days for another recipe. Have a great week guys!





Spoons & Spatula's
`Dinah & Ma

Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup

Evening guys!

Ah the loveliness that is the baked potato. Who doesn't love the baked concotion with the toppings of bacon bits, sour cream, and cheese? Your blog mistress is a huge fan (as I'm hoping you all are) so in the quest for a great baked potato recipe I stumbled across this little gem on Pinterest. If you guys aren't familiar with Pinterest then be fair warned. It's this great website where you pin things to board and pretty much spend all your time there because it is hella addiciting. Trust me. Okie, if you decide to check it out don't say I didn't warn you.

Anywho, back to tonight's recipe. It's for the potato lovers out there. We've got you covered. Here's

what you'll need:

Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup
Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:
*1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns {I used Ore Ida}
*3 14oz. cans of chicken broth
*1 can of cream of chicken soup
*1/2 cup onion, chopped
*1/4 tsp. ground pepper
*1 pkg. cream cheese {don’t use fat free.  It WON’T melt!!!}

Directions:
*In a crockpot, combine everything EXCEPT for the cream cheese.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.  About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and keep heated until thoroughly melted.  Serve with cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, green onions, or whatever else you think would be good!

WW Points: *13 per serving


HOME.RUN. This was amazing! From the creamy texture to the bits of melted cream cheese. It is seriously worth making. Oh and it's super easy to make. If you're in the need for a recipe that'll feed an army and will basically cook itself then look no further.


Tid Bits:
*Use any baked potato toppings you like. Sour cream, cheese, green onions, bacon bits, etc...
*As mentioned above: don’t use fat free cream cheese.  It WON’T melt!!!



Ma's Spot: I love soups anytime, anyday, any kind really. Tonight's soup was no different. I loved it! It was like eating a big baked potato but it was soup. I really enjoyed the toppings you could put on it. That made a huge difference. I love how it's a one pot meal and in my sister's words it was so damn good. So put this in your recipe file, you won't be disappointed.





*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *5 per muffin


Dinah: I have a LOT to say about tonight's snack. So we're trying out Betty Crocker, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Muffin Mix and let me tell you now this will not be a love letter. While I'm a fan of Mrs. Crocker and her many recipes this one should have never been invented. Now, I made these to the box directions and they ended up a disaster. The batter was way too thick and the box says it makes 12 cupcakes. Sure, it will...if they're the size of cookies. The crumble topping was hard to chew and they were stale tasting. These were more about flash than quality. Which is sad because I really wanted to like these. I'm a huge fan of the cereal and I love a good muffin. Skip these next time you head to the store and just look up a recipe for cinnamon toast crunch cupcakes.



Ma: Unlike my daughter I liked these muffins. I thought were a little on the dry side. So what I would do while they are still warm place a dab of butter on it. That should help with the dryness. I particularly love the crumbled topping. It was crunchy and delicious. Would I make these again? Yes! Two thumbs up for me.




That's all folks, we'll see you back here next Tuesday with Ma's next recipe and it's a good one. Don't miss it! Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
`Dinah & Ma

Mock Chili Cheese Fritos Dogs (From Sonic)

Hey guys!

Another Tuesday is here so you know what that means. More blog recipes and chit chat from your (hopefully) fave blog mistress. This week's recipe would make you think that it's my pick since...well it's a mock version of my fave meal from Sonic. It's ma's pick though, weird I know. So you read right I have a fave meal at Sonic. Who doesn't? Sonic is amazing. Their drinks alone are what make them epic. It doesn't hurt that the food is extremely yum. For a while here in MI we'd see commericals for Sonic but none would be around for our enjoyment. Weird but yet mean in some aspects? Indeed. Finally after years of teasing they finally built some Sonic's here. Which is how I made my "signature" meal.
So what's my signature meal? Follow me:

Mock Chili Cheese Fritos Dogs (From Sonic)

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 hot dog buns, split
2 hot dogs
1/2 cup chili (from above recipe)
1/4-1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 handfuls of Chili Cheese Frito chips, crushed

1. Grill hot dogs. Lightly toast buns.

2. Place dogs in buns. Top with chili, cheese, and crumbled Fritos. Enjoy!

WW Points: *14 per dog




Pair these dogs with your fave tater tots to give it that real Sonic meal feel!
To complete this meal my "signature" drink is Sprite with Watermelon flavoring. YUM!




Tid Bits:
*Feel free to play around with this recipe. Try out fat-free chili, or original frito chips.
*Not into hot dogs? Try soy dogs, turkey dogs, or chicken dogs.




Ma's Spot: I'm one that doesn't like a lot of toppings on their hot dog. If I want a hot dog then I want an actual hot dog. I do have to say though that I did like it. Of course yours truly didn't have any of the cheese on my dog (I loathe cheese). I did crush the Frito's for the top of my dog. I found it easier to eat the dog that way rather than leaving them whole. Have a hot dog night, spread out the toppings, and enjoy!




*SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not. Let's get to this week's pick:

WW Points: *3 Points per bar



Dinah: So on tonight's menu we bring you the latest from the graham cracker family. Honey Maid Grahamfuls in banana Vanilla flavor. Sure these sound good in theory and who doesn't love graham crackers? After all these are the foundation to the delight known as smore's. Ugh, this is why I hate to report that these aren't as good as they appear to the eye. I thought they  graham part was too dry and literally tasteless. The creme part wasn't as flavorful either. Yeah, I'm bummed too. Also 3 points for these? That seems outrageous knowing how gross they taste. I'm skipping these next grocery trip and only sticking to the original graham cracker. Smore's anyone?




Ma: I love tonight's snack. It reminds me of the banana flip cake that you can pick up by the bakery items in the store. Come on show of hands. Who doesn't love that banana flip cake? This is what this reminds me of, I wanted to try the peanut butter or peanut butter chocolate but couldn't par take because of Dinah's allergies. Which is okay because I love the banana vanilla creme. So if I was you I would definitely try this one out. Don't listen to my daughter.



That's all folks! We'll see you back here in 7 days for another recipe. Have a great week guys!


Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma