Pancake Pizzas- A mistake turned AWESOME.

So today I started out to try something new that I saw on Pintrest- Crock Pot Pizza-
 ( In case you wanna know-you make pizza dough, cover bottom of crock pot with some sauce, put in the pizza dough, top with sauce and toppings including cheese-2hrs on high) I am always looking for fast, or crockpot meals with soccer being so early and taking up all evenings...
BUT...I mixed up my dough recipe with a pancake recipe..basically I started out with a pizza recipe on the side of the box and midway through started reading from the pancake recipe....AAAAAHHHH, my brain these days.
GLUTEN FREE FLOUR is precious and pricey--so I had to save this right?
 So there was already garlic seasoning and oregano in it, and it was thinish...it had milk instead of water, and too much of it...wrong amount of eggs... UGGGHHH. 
So I said to myself, SELF-what could I do with this mess????
 Pancake PIZZAS???- I started to get excited!!!!!!
But who knew if the MESS in my mixer would do anything. So I heated up the griddle to sizzling hot, liberally spread olive oil, and poured some of my mess , I mean dough right on it. AND GUESS WHAT???? drumbroll please........

IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have invented Pancake PIZZAS!! (I think? has anyone seen it before?)

So here is the recipe if anyone is intrigued- super easy and fast dinner!:

Jack shoving it down happily!

Pancetta Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breast with Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Tonight I was sooo not feeling it. I did not want to cook. I am so sore and achy. So I said to the hubby- here is chicken breast- grill it and I am gonna rest.

10 minutes later.....ugh, we are out of gas for the grill hon.... GREAT.....so I get up, head to the kitchen, and 

 SOMEHOW I ROCK OUT AN AWESOME DINNER !!!!! 

Can I get a WOOT! WOOT!
So I had chicken, some red and yellow bell peppers that needed to be used, some pancetta to use up, some cream cheese..... and what it yielded is actually worth writing down- a two thumbs up from the kiddos! I love when I can get them to LIKE veggies they say they don't!!!!

I wish I had a good camera, it is so much prettier than this gives it justice....

Pancetta Wrapped, Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Red Pepper Cream Sauce

So Simple New Chicken Bake Recipe....

Of course I forgot to take a pic of it in the big beautiful Red Casserole dish..... But trust me, both colorful and hearty too!
(this is really a version of something I have made before, but I think my seasoning was different...anyways, this one was great)

Chicken and Tomato Bake
( if you are hard core Paleo I suggest switching the rice with veggies that will roast well, like a mix of broccoli and cauliflower florets- its great that way too)
1 Whole Fryer Chicken, cut into pieces
Poultry Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, Sage- season liberally- massage it into the chicken!!!
1 Large Can (I buy the boxed kind to avoid the aluminum/BPA usually, thats when I have run out of               own   canned tomatoes-thats the best!!!!!)
2 cups White Dry Rice ( soaked overnight hopefully????)

Cook Rice According to Directions, using tomato juice from the can and water, I also threw some Italian spices in the water, along with salt of course. The trick is to stop the rice half way through its cooking.

Pour Rice Mixture into Large Casserole Dish that has been buttered. Place Chicken Pieces in the pan nestled in the still somewhat liqudy rice mixture.

Cook in a preheated 350 oven for approx 45 (or until the internal temp reaches atleast 160degrees)

Serve.... I served with a side of mixed steamed veggies with butter.
This came out soooo well!!! The skin on the chicken was browned and beautifully Crispy, and the flavor of it all melded together was so nice.
The kids gave this one a big thumb up! That means make it again soon in Yaman Kid Language!


since it had rice, I just had a small helping of rice along with a big breast of chicken and veggies.
Next time I may just mix the fresh veggies in with the chicken and tomatoes and do the same thing, just minus the rice????

Chorizo- maybe not a Southern Ingredient, but Yummy none the less

So I found some Chorizo in the grocery store this week. Not the links that are already cooked. But ground Chorizo. This is something that is not found often here in South Carolina, usually I can only find the precooked links.  I was excited, and could hardly wait to come home and make, well something....

My first memory of Chorizo was back in college, I had a friend, Emilie, who had lived for a few years growing up in Spain. She made fresh chorizo sausage just simply seared of,  so that it was nice and almost crispy on the outside of the links that she had cut on a bias, and she had us put them into soft rolls.We stood over the pot in the tiny apartment kitchen and sopped up the reddish fat drippings with the bread as we ate. It was something I had never tasted. It smelled heavenly. It had just a tad bit of heat, but not too much. The reddish color of the oil in the pan was unlike anything I had cooked with before, and it just tasted so wonderful. We ate until we were stuffed, and I think we would have eaten more if we had not run out. It was so simple, but so Yummy. My mouth waters just thinking of the memory.

So, with the first half of the chorizo I made these egg muffins:

Chorizo Egg Muffins

12 eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 lb ground chorizo

1 onion, finely diced

1/2 red pepper finely diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Saute chorizo until browned over med heat. Add veggies and saute till translucent and soft, med heat. Crack eggs into bowl, add eggs and remaining ingredients and whisk together briskly.

Pour into lined muffin tins and bake for approx 12 min, or until set.

These freeze well.

Reheat at 50% power for 1 min, then feel and repeat at 30 sec intervals until warmed through.

( you may add cheese to this recipe if you wish- a sharp cheddar, or a manchego, or monteray jack perhaps)

Next, I made a soup for our dinner tonight. I have a little bit of a cold and felt like soup....

Tequila Lime Chorizo Soup

 1/2 pd Ground Chorizo, ( or links diced)

1 onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 bag broccoli slaw, diced into small pieces

2 limes, juiced

zest of 2 limes

1/4 cup tequila

48 oz chicken stock

1 lg can tomato puree ( good quality) I used home canned

1 lg can diced tomatoes (good quality)

1 T cumin

1 t chili powder

1/4 tsp chipoltle chili flakes

Brown off Chorizo over a med heat. ( you do not need to add any oil here as it puts off plenty of its own fat immediatly),  then add all veggies except broccoli slaw. Saute over med heat till soft. Add broccoli slaw, and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then turn to a simmer. Simmer for 45 min and then check veggies for tenderness. If they are tender enough the soup is done. Check for flavoring, adjust spices as needed.  ( When I do this soup I juice the limes over the pot and throw the whole lime in, then fish them out right before serving)