Arugula Pesto Pizza

Pepperoni pizza is an American icon, no doubt about it. And there is certainly a time and a place for it.....a kid's birthday party, a college dorm cram session, Superbowl Sunday or like when your power goes out and the contents of your fridge are spoiled. I'm just sayin'.

It's just that I've been to the other side and I'm not going back.

I'm actually a total novice at making my own pizza. Making my own dough? Using yeast? Nope, never done it. I am not gifted with bread-making abilities. If you have a lot of time and a hankering to make your own, check here . If you want my secret, it's Trader Joe's Pizza Dough in a bag. You find it in the fridge section near the cheese and salads. On a side note, this is really fun to use for cooking with kids too. You can divide it up and make several little pizzas.

But back to toppings....ahhhh, the possibilities are endless. Just use what you have handy and it will be golden (no pun intended). Mine today included pesto, arugula, sundried tomatoes, red onions, goat cheese and pine nuts and a splash of olive oil. Pre-heat the oven to super hot, ie 500 degrees. Transfer the rolled out dough to your baking vessel (pizza stone, cookie sheet, pizza screen) and add the toppings. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm.

What are your favorite topping combos? Hit me with some ideas for my next pizza. I need some more........practice (mouth watering).

Turkey Tenderloin with Papaya Mango Salsa

I had a brilliant idea the other day. How exciting would it be to make a cookbook based solely on ingredients from Trader Joe's?? I even thought maybe my foodie friend, Louanne, would be interested in helping me research and write it. So I Googled it to make sure nobody out there had a similar idea. ARRRRRGGHHH. Oh well.

Anyways, this is a complete and easy TJ meal. You can't even really call it cooking. Even the green beans were the "microwave in the bag" style, all trimmed and washed. Nice.

However, before you go out and buy this salsa, there is a disclaimer: We didn't really enjoy it all that much. It's texture was chalky and the taste was bland but spicy, if that makes any sense. While I love most Trader Joe's items, this was not one of them. You'd be better off to make your own with tropical fruit, onion, lime juice and cilantro.

Turkey Tenderloin with Papaya Mango Salsa

1 pkg. turkey breast tenderloin

1 container Papaya Mango Salsa

seasoned flour to coat

1 T. oil

Directions: Um, yeah. Let me babble for a minute because the directions are too simple to take up space here. My package of turkey cost $6.54. It was two gargantuan tenderloins. I cut up one tenderloin into four pieces, slicing out the thick membrane running through it. I decided this was enough for our family. And it was. Added bonus, I froze the second tenderloin and plan to stretch that out with a turkey veggie green curry or something.

Okay, so directions: Dredge tenderloin pieces in seasoned flour and cook in the oil until done. Top with salsa and serve with your favorite veggie and starch. We try not to do the starch with dinner. Later in the evening, though, we are usually rummaging the pantry for anything with carbs. Tall guy prefers handfuls of cereal.

Rustic Bruschetta & Asparagus Salad

It's been awhile, and it wasn't because I was ordering pizza every night....its just that our meals have been simple, quick and not worth documentation as of late. We're talking tacos, enchilada casserole, turkey burgers and salads topped with chicken nuggets. Hey, I never claimed to be gourmet!

Anyways, tonight I finally had a little time to throw together something. Here is the appetizer we cooked up from ingredients bought at TJ's today. The "par baked panini rolls" were something new to me and were great because by the time you toast the cheese on top, the rolls are not teeth-breaking crunchy as they might be if the rolls were already fully cooked.


Here's how I made it: Melt a frozen cube of crushed garlic (or 1 tsp chopped fresh) in one Tbsp. of olive oil. Brush over the rolls or baguette slices, and give them a quick toast. Add sliced basil, sliced tomato and sliced fresh mozarella. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and toast until melty.

I love the size of Trader Joe's box of basil. It is the best bargain around. I will have to get creative with the rest of it later this week....if anyone has a great basil dish, please let me know. Here is the rest of our dinner, caught in the very last of the natural daylight around 7:30 pm.

Sauteed Asparagus on Field Greens with Chevre and Lemon Zest

Perfectly served with the honey baked chicken over rice recipe from an earlier post.

Saute asparagus with cooking spray and generous salt/pepper. Meanwhile, dress the greens in your favorite salad dressing. Mine is a dijon vinaigrette made from lemon juice, dijon, rice wine vinegar, olive oil and a dash of honey. Place hot asparagus on top of dressed greens, and add the chevre and lemon zest.

I personally love how the hot veggie melts the cheese and wilts the lettuce a bit. I wonder if that's weird. Just like some people cannot handle sweet pineapple on their pizza, I bet the consensus is that a salad should be all cold ingredients. Hmph.

On a side note, I want to congratulate Shawn this week for trying a new dish for her family - chicken picatta. I heard it came out great (maybe a little tart) and she's ready to move on to veal. Way to go!