Chicken Pesto Calzones

Ok! Calling all fellow bloggers!!! How do you keep up with the cooking and baking without getting the baker's belly?! I just started this little hobby and wowza (yes...that is a word...) I have decided I better start running. I am short and climb up on the counters to reach the top shelf. Today after performing said feat...there was a jiggle in my mid section that could not be denied. Better get back on my clean eating path...at least once a week, right?! Please send any and all suggestions my way.

Made these for dinner last week. Not terrible for ya. And not bad either. Last summer I made a bunch of pesto with my basil from the garden. It freezes beautifully. This recipe is my favorite way to use it. I have included the dough and calzone instructions and will post the pesto recipe later this week with some picts. Till then, look at these and anticipate when YOU will make these bad boys! Chicken Pesto Calzones Source: My Kitchen Addiction dough from The Pioneer Woman

Toss the following ingredients into your cart...

For the dough...

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

To finish the calzones:

1 cup pesto

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

4 ounces Provolone Stravecchio cheese, shredded(or substitute any provolone or mozzarella)

Extra virgin olive oil (to drizzle on top)

Italian seasoning

To prepare the dough, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the yeast and sugar are dissolved in the water. Add the olive oil, salt, and bread flour. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Gradually add the whole wheat flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and continue to knead in the rest of the whole wheat flour (or just knead in the bowl, if you prefer) until the dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 475°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. Divide the dough into four portions and spread each portion of the dough into a rectangle/oval on a lightly floured surface. In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken and the pesto. Spoon 1/4 of the chicken pesto mixture onto half of each piece of dough. Top with the provolone cheese. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges to seal the calzone. Transfer each calzone to a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. I brushed mine with a little parmesan cheese also. Bake for about 12-14 minutes unto golden.

Chicken Mushroom Asparagus Pasta

WHEW!!! Looking back over the last weeks my blog is screaming for something healthy!!! I used to belong to a recipe exchange group. This was one of my favorite recipes I inherited. I remember my sister bringing a big pot of this to the hospital for me when my last baby was born. SOOO much better than hospital food. Now all my sisters make it. Guess it was a hit?!(Well...the ones that cook.) Sometimes I use a rottisserie chicken for this and that makes it that much easier. I use a creamy Caesar version that is light to rid us of some calories... I need all the help I can get. And we ALWAYS use whole wheat pasta. We are used to it now and love it! I reccommend the Barilla brand.



Chicken Mushroom Asparagus Pasta
Source: Rebecca Jones - friend with a goooood recipe

Throw the following ingredients into your shopping cart...

1 lb. fresh asparagus
16 oz. penne pasta
2 Tab. olive oil
2 cloves
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tab. fresh parsley, chopped
2 chicken breasts halved, cooked and cubed
1 cup Caesar dressing
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Put your apron on and get busy...

Cooking your pasta according to the package directions. Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces. When the pasta has 2 minutes remaining, add asparagus. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add EVOO , garlic, and chicken. Add mushrooms and parsley. Stir fry until mushrooms are tender.

Add dressing and cook 2 more minutes.

Add pasta and asparagus. Season to taste. Top with shredded cheese.

Bestest Beef Stroganoff

...At least in my opinion! This is my mom's recipe that we grew up on. My mom made this for a crowd over Christmas and I snapped a picture. This is the dish EVERYONE loves. Even my sister who doesn't like mushrooms and the grandkids who don't like anything! It is so creamy and filling and simple. Paul like his with a little spice from hot sauce. I do extra sauce so it lasts two nights. The first night I serve it with noodles, the second night with rice. Yum!


Ground Beef Stroganoff
Source: My mom Jenise Keith

Put the following into your cart...

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small minced garlic
1 Tab. butter
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tab. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I usually use 2 cans to make mine stretch)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I usually use about 2 cups)
1 cup sour cream (I usually use about 2 cups)
cooked rice or egg noodles to serve over

Put on your apron and...

Saute onions and garlic in butter. Stir in meat. Brown meat and drain most of the fat. Add flour and seasonings (I usually add a dash more of each seasoning than the recipe calls for since I add more sauce mixture). Add mushrooms, saute for a few moments. Then add in soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream and heat to taste. If mixture to a little to thick, I add milk. Add seasonings to taste. Serve over rice or noodles.

Clean Eating Thursday #4 - Veggie Packed Sloppy Joes

(Picture by Wylie Tidwell Photography)

My baby's first birthday was Tuesday. He was sick with an earache and couldn't have cared less. However, I figured I better make a big deal out of it for the big brothers and so that in the future Luke doesn't complain. I have a little sister (child #5 for my parents) who sometimes is bitter about the lack of pictures documenting her childhood in general. This little party had him in tears most of the meal. But he did enjoy his cake, or shall I say monster cupcakes. I will share them with you soon. I loved how simple they were. Anyways, I made this meal that night. Super good. I simplified the recipe like I often do with Clean Eating. But, we loved the results. I varied so much from the original recipe, I am calling this one an original! For instance, the original recipe called for bison, I used ground turkey. The original recipe had you making their marinara sauce, I used canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and some spices. I will never make Manwich again...this seemed so much healthier and guilt-free...and NATURAL.

Veggie-Packed Sloppy Joes

Loosely adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

Put in your shopping cart the following ingredients...

1 tsp. olive oil

1 1b. ground turkey breast (recipe called for ground bison, really you could use ground beef also)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

2 tsp. chile powder

3/4 tsp. mustard powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 sweet red bell pepper

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 small eggplant (about 3/4 lb.) diced

2 carrots shredded

1 can diced tomatoes with juice (I used organic)

1/2 small can tomato paste

salt and pepper to taste

1 tab. honey or agave nectar

whole grain buns...I used the new thin, low calorie kind

Put your apron on and ...

Brown meat in skillet with olive oil. Add onion and garlic when meat is about half done. Add chile, mustard, and cayenne. (Mine was a little spicier than my boys like...next time I will be dialing down these spices...how do your kids like it? If they are bland eaters, try 1 tsp. chile powder, the mustard and called for, and leave out the cayenne.) Set meat mixture aside.

Saute bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, and carrots about 5 minutes. Add meat mixture, tomatoes, and paste, and heat thoroughly. Test to make sure veggies are nice and soft. Add salt and pepper and honey to taste. Serve on toasted buns with forks. These put the sloppy in sloppy joes!

Cleaning Eating Thursday (on a Friday) #3 -Lentil Tacos

Better late than never is my motto! Time was not in my favor last night and I figured...why not have Clean Eating Friday this week?! This full-time mom/preschool teacher/daycare provider/taxi/maid/Bakery Box owner/ has been BUSY! But...good news today. The maids came! For any readers out there who are gasping right now (I am a little frugal) I got the maid service for free as part payment for my services for the wedding I did. Best thing EVER. My toilet paper was folded, my couches vacuumed, microwave cleaned...sigh...I better enjoy it for the one day it will last. I know what I want for my birthday/anniversary/Valentine's Day for now on!

Well, this meal will give you time for extra cleaning. I invented it. It was delicious, healthy, inexpensive, versatile, and lasted three nights and a lunch. The first night, I served the tacos pictured below, the second night I served the lentils over rice, and the third night I made a soup from it...throwing in whatever I had in my fridge. They were good all three ways.

I cannot technically claim this recipe to be "clean eating" due to the taco seasoning and the corn tortillas. HOWEVER...close enough...and here goes...

Lentil Tacos
Idea inspired by: my dear friend Julie Fletcher

Put in your shopping cart the following ingredients:

Taco seasoning
1bag brownish/green lentils

1 can black beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn

for garnish: black olives, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, chives, etc.

Put your apron on and ...

Cook 2 cups lentils according to package directions with about two to four tablespoons taco seasoning according to taste. Move to a large skillet (this makes a ton) and add canned corn, black beans, and tomatoes til warm. Serve in warmed corn tortillas and garnish however you like em. You won't miss the meat...my husband the carnivore loved all three versions of these lentils!

Clean Eating Thursdays #2- Shepherd's Pie

I finally sat down last night and wrote my New Years Resolutions down. I am posting them right next to the computer since I sit down at the computer a couple times a day, yet it is kind of a private area. You know, strangers and preschool parents don't need to read all my weaknesses on the fridge! This year, besides my yearly goal to start to exercise (hey...I did get a lot better this year...) and read scriptures....etc...I have a lot of goals for my little businesses. At preschool I want more one on one focus with each child. I want to start taking baking and cooking classes this year also. I am taking a candy making class on January 30th...good start! And I want to ROCK THIS BLOG!!!! Is anyone out there reading it? Please start leaving comments, questions, recipe requests, etc. LET ME KNOW YOU ARE THERE!!! This weekend I will be having my second give-a-way...and next week I will be posting Valentines Day Treats you WILL want to order for SOMETHING!!!!

I got side-tracked...anyways...another goal of mine...refocusing on clean and healthy eating. This is one of my family's favorite recipes so far from Clean Eating. I just watched Food Inc. and next time think I might try substituting beans for the meat. Not saying I am going vegetarian...but...less meat would definitely benefit this fam.

Shepherd's Pie

Source: Clean Eating Magazine

Toss in your shopping cart the following ingredients...

1 lb. Yukon Gold Potatoes

1 clove garlic

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 Tab. Chives

Sea Salt and Pepper

4 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. ground turkey breast

1 yellow onion

3 medium carrots

1 celery stalk

1 tsp. fr. rosemary leaves

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 Tab. tomato paste

1/2 cup frozen peas

Put on your apron and get busy in the kitchen...

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Get water boiling in your big stock pot. Peel and cube your potatoes and toss em in with garlic clove. (I did this the first time and now when I make this, I omit this step and add garlic powder (gasp...shhh...don't tell) to the potatoes while I am mashing them for a stronger flavor).

While the potatoes are boiling till soft (15-20 minutes) I get my meat browning in a frying pan. Set Aside.

Then, heat 2 tsp. olive oil in skillet and add chopped veggies. Make these veggies small so they cook faster. Add rosemary to veggies when they are soft and add broth, meat, and tomato paste. Cook about 5 minutes til liquid thickens and then stir in frozen peas.

Transfer to a baking dish. Pat potatoes down on top. With a pastry brush, brush potato layer with olive oil to make your pie nice and pretty and brown. Bake for 30 minutes.


Shepherd's Pie. Clean Eating. Kid Tested. Mother Approved.

What are your resolutions? Are you going to learn something new this year? Let me know!