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Caprese Pizza recipe

This warm and crispy pizza combines two Italian favorites. You might find yourself wondering you ever want to eat anything else again. And try these other delicious, original takes on Caprese. Caprese Pizza Ingredients 1/2 cup cooked chicken, cubed 12 ounce store-bought pizza dough 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes of varying colors, halved 2- tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 tbsp cornmeal 3-4 ounces of fresh grated mozzarella cheese salt and pepper 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced thin Directions Let pizza dough stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat broiler to high heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes and 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss to coat. Spread tomatoes on baking sheet in a single layer. Broil about 10 minutes or until tomatoes begin to lightly brown. Place your pizza stone…

Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad

It’s finally that time of the year when you can introduce some lighter fare to your home cooked menu. Whether it’s lunch or dinner (or leftovers!), this Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad has all of the elements of a perfect summer meal. Just toss some bite-sized pasta and mini mozzarella, with fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden and add some chicken for some protein. Then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s all the summer flavors you love, reconfigured as a quick and easy pasta salad. When you combine pasta and Caprese, could you ever go wrong? Caprese Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients 2 cups pasta (any shape) 2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces 2 cups mini mozzarella pearls 1 cup cherry tomatos, halved handful of fresh basil, chopped + extra for garnish 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze salt pepper Directions Cook pasta until…

Hydrating watermelon, coconut water cooler

Watermelon, coconut water, and basil: This is just the light, refreshing drink you need to mix up things in the hydration department this summer. Eight glasses of water sounds like a lot — and that’s just the bare minimum required. If you’re outdoors or active during the day, you’re going to need a lot more. Get some flavor and added nutrition with your water in the form of this pretty pink drink. It’s low in calories but big on flavor and super refreshing. It’s a great mid-afternoon pick-me-up when the weather is warm. The coconut and watermelon flavor combination is unexpected but goes great! Watermelons are perfectly in season, so your drink will be sweet and delicious without any added sugars. Just stock up on coconut water in bulk when it’s on sale. Plus, pick some fresh herbs from your garden for that special touch. Cheers to summer! Watermelon, coconut water cooler…

Switch things up with strawberry caprese skewers

So you’ve had tomatoes with basil and mozzarella before (the classic caprese), but have you ever thought about swapping out for strawberries? The sweet summer fruit pairs perfectly with the creamy mozzarella balls and the fragrant basil. These easy-to-eat skewers will quickly become your new favorite picnic or poolside appetizer. They’re so good, you might even eat them for dessert! I like to stick with local berries. If you don’t have any available, stay with smaller varieties. They have a sweeter flavor and they’re easier to eat. I like to hull them too, so no bitter parts the berry have a chance to ruin the sweet and savory experience. The basil was fresh and ready from the garden (finally!), so I just had to pick up the buffalo mozzarella balls from the grocery store — again, they’re just the right size of bite for an outdoor skewer. And like any good caprese salad, it needed a drizzle…

Kale pesto pizza is delicious, healthy option for pizza lovers

We’re never too old for a simple slice of cheese pizza, but the best part of being an adult might actually be the whole new world of pizza toppings we open ourselves up to. Seriously — you probably started to order veggies, and even things like pears, on your pizza somewhere around the time you got excited you could pay all your bills on time. Since then, you’ve never looked back. The great pizza awakening also means you no longer need red sauce to consider it a proper pie, so I don’t need to tell you that pesto can go on pizza. But wait! What if I said that this pesto can be made of kale — the ultimate adult vegetable — and you’re going to love it! My friends (adults when they want to be) were shocked to find out my pesto sauce was made with kale instead of the basic basil they…

10 things you should never store in the refrigerator

The fridge is a great place for most fresh ingredients, but there are a few foods that will fare better if left at room temperature on your countertop or in a pantry. The average family of four in America throws out about $1,600 worth of food every year — often because the food wasn’t stored properly for maximum life span. Check out this list to learn how to make the most of some of the most common groceries. 1. Coffee beans If you’re shelling out serious cash on the best coffee beans, you better know how to store them. The National Coffee Association recommends storing beans in an opaque, air-tight container at room temperature. Air, moisture, heat and light are all enemies to your beans, so store in a dark and cool location, but never the fridge. Coffee is soft and porous and likes to absorb other flavors around it — in the…

Creamy avocado pesto sauce with veggie noodles

Pasta never gets old. Just change the sauce and the veggies and you have an entirely different meal. This pasta and sauce combo puts a California twist on an old favorite — pesto. Avocado is so versatile. If you’ve only been using it as a breakfast food or burrito topping, you’ve been missing out. Its unbelievably creamy texture adds tons of flavor and it coats almost any type of noodle really well — Angel hair, farfalle, whole wheat rigatoni. Add in a few handfuls of basil and some nuts for texture, and you’ll have a seriously satisfying sauce and spread. I chose veggie noodles (sometimes called zoodles because of the zucchini) as my base to give this dish a truly West Coast kind of feel. You can make them with lots of different vegetables by using a spiralizer or by carefully and thinly slicing each vegetable with a knife. As a time saver, or if…

Italian roasted veggies make for simple vegetarian, vegan meal

I first had roasted tomatoes at a wedding where they served this veggie blend family style, surrounding a tender roasted chicken. The way the crinkled tomato skin slipped off and the insides burst made them oh-so craveable. I skipped most of the meat and loaded my plate with these flavorful veggies. Sure, they’re a great accompaniment to your favorite protein, but I like this dish all on its own. This combo is entirely too easy to prep for how delicious it is. Just wash the veggies to remove any dirt, and you’re almost done. I buy the bagged cauliflower to save time breaking off the florets myself. And it’s up to you if you slice the mushrooms or leave them whole. Onions are really great in this mix too. Just chop up one medium onion and add in with all the other veggies. (Baking time might need to be adjusted a few minutes longer.) Italian Roasted Veggies Ingredients…

Caprese garlic bread, a can’t miss

Garlic bread and sauce can be a meal in my house. But what do you do to give an upgrade to this basic bread staple? Add melty mozzarella, fresh sliced tomatoes and green basil, of course. Serve as a side with pasta, or eat all on its own. Caprese Garlic Bread Serves 6-8  Ingredients 1 loaf Italian bread, halved 1 stick butter, softened 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella 2 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4 cup balsamic reduction 6-8 fresh basil leaves, sliced Himalayan cooking and table salt Directions  Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, add butter, garlic and salt. Mash together until soft and blended. Spread mixture on both halves of bread. Place bread halves on a baking sheet, and bake about 15 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted and just barely brown. Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella over both halves of the loaf. Top with tomato slices, and bake…

Restaurant quality at home with roasted red pepper sauce pizza, pasta

It’s good for our tastebuds if we mix things up every so often. Try this roasted red pepper sauce on anything you would typically top with a tomato sauce for an instant, restaurant-worthy upgrade. It’s a unique flavor all on its own, and it will give new life to those dishes you’ve made dozens or even hundreds of times before. It looks like tomato sauce, but the creamy, fiery flavor will surely make you a fan. Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Ingredients 16 oz. jar of roasted red peppers 2 tbsp water 2.5 tbsp butter 3-4 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp dried basil 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) healthy dose of fresh cracked pepper 1/3 cup heavy cream (if using on pizza, use 1/4 or less) Directions Add peppers to blender along with 1-2 tbsp of extra liquid from the jar they came in. It’s a bit acidic, but can…