Mexican Pizza

There are only 6 days left until Cinco de Mayo, so I figured it was just the right time for a new Mexican-themed recipe! I’ve been meaning to do a pizza like this for a while now, and I’m happy to say this one is bursting with Mexican flavors. Juicy tomato salsa, spicy taco sauce, seasoned ground beef, hearty black beans, sharp cheddar cheese, black olives and green onions give this pizza a varied and developed flavor profile. Served on a crispy wheat crust, each slice is quite filling and tastes incredibly indulgent for only 5 Weight Watchers Points+ or around 200 calories. This pizza comes together quickly and would be perfect for an easy weeknight meal or served alongside ice cold cervezas at your next Mexican fiesta. 

Caesar Salad Parmesan Cups

Sometimes simple recipes can produce elegant results. That’s how I feel about these salad cups. Ever since I made Parmesan Crisps for my Roasted Tomato Basil Soup recipe, I’ve wanted to make them into cups (surprise, surprise…you know me and my muffin tins!). When I was thinking about what to put into the cups, Caesar salad was the first thing to pop into my head. I found a great light Caesar dressing recipe on Cooking Light and reduced the quantity and I think the tangy flavor works really well here. If you want to make these super easy you could always use your favorite light Caesar bottled dressing, but the one below is easy to throw together and really flavorful. These fancy little Caesar cups would be great as a first course at a dinner party, an appetizer, a side dish, or even just a fun snack. At only 47 calories each, you may want to eat them for all of the above!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Spring has sprung and in between bouts of rain, everyone’s anxious to step out into the sunlight and enjoy the sun, the plants and the Spring air. Since food is so close to my heart, to me this brings about images of the beginning of outdoor eating season. Picnics and potlucks and cookouts, oh my! It seems like everyone is always looking a for a good spring or summertime dish to bring to these events. I have several good side dish options on my blog (I highly recommend either the Pasta with Feta and Roasted Vegetables served cold as a pasta salad or the Zucchini Squares for an outdoor potluck) and though I have lots of yummy cupcake recipes one could bring to such a soiree (my Lemon-Lime Cupcakes have Spring written all over them), I realized I only have one cookie recipe on my whole site! That oversight needed to be remedied immediately.

These truly are a cross between strawberry shortcake and a cookie. The texture is light, soft, pillowy and cake-ier than your average cookie (a little more like a muffin top), but the edges get slightly crisp. I loved the fresh, light citrus flavor that the orange juice and zest added to the batter and the bursts of sweet juicy strawberries in each bite. You can substitute lemon zest/juice for orange if you prefer. I’m sure either way will be delicious. You could also easily halve the recipe to make less cookies if you aren’t baking for a crowd. Bring these little handheld strawberry shortcakes to your next Spring or Summer gathering and watch them disappear. Who doesn’t want a bite of Spring?

Mediterranean Chicken Wraps

 

 This may not be the prettiest dish I’ve ever posted, but oh man, is it delicious. There’s a local “dive” restaurant near me that has a wrap with chicken, hummus, Feta and tomatoes and I’ve been meaning to recreate it at home for a while. Between the strong roasted garlic flavor of the hummus, the tangy, salty Feta, the juicy tomatoes and the herb-coated chicken, this wrap is packed with intense Mediterranean flavor. This recipe comes together really quickly, and it’s great because you can make the chicken once and then assemble the wraps as needed for lunches or leftovers.

Thai Chicken Biscuit Cups

I’m always on the lookout for new main course “muffin” ideas, and after using the Bisquick Heart Smart Mix a few weeks ago to make my Banana Pancake Bites, I was excited to stumble across a recipe using it to make chicken cups. These cups are delicious, filling and hearty. The Bisquick mixture holds everything together and adds a nice biscuit flavor and a sturdiness to the cups, but the bulk of them is made up of the chicken, onions, scallions and cilantro. This gives you a great combination of flavors, packed with protein and low in carbs. The salty, crunchy toasted peanuts on top are the perfect complement to the Thai flavor from the red curry paste. If you’re looking for something filling and tasty with a bit of an Asian twist, this recipe is for you.

Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder

A new restaurant opened in my area a few months ago that sells an absolutely to-die-for Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder. I’m pretty sure I could eat it every day. The first time I tried it I knew I wanted to see if I could find a similar recipe to make at home. I scoured the internet and found a recipe from the Whole Foods Market Cookbook posted on a few different blogs. It’s not exactly the same as the version at my local restaurant, but once I thickened it up a little by running some of it through the blender and adding it back in it was close enough for me. This soup is really filling and easy to make. One cup is only 4 P+ or you can have a large 1 ½ cup serving for only 6 P+. The sweet bites of corn mix together so well with the roasted pepper flavor and the soft, thick potatoes. This soup is great on its own, but you could also experiment with adding toppings such as avocado, sour cream, or a couple tablespoons of 2% shredded sharp cheddar. The cheddar only adds one Weight Watchers P+ and I thought it gave it a tasty twist. This recipe makes a lot of soup, so I am excited to freeze some and be able to enjoy this yummy homemade version of one of my favorite soups anytime I want.

Cheesy Potluck Potatoes

I often forget to plan ahead and post a holiday-themed recipe before the holiday actually occurs so that you all can make it too, but this time I remembered! I am so proud of myself. I know a lot of people make ham as their main course for Easter, and one of the most popular side dishes for ham is a warm, creamy, cheesy potato casserole. I think almost everyone has eaten some version of these potatoes. When brainstorming a light version I ran across many similar recipes titled “funeral potatoes” which made me do a double take. I’m assuming the moniker comes from this dish’s prevalence at potluck gatherings, so I am incorporating potluck into the title instead of funeral. It just sounds more appetizing! I’m not always a huge sour cream fan, but I love the tangy flavor it brings to this dish. You can make this with the traditional cream of chicken soup, but it tastes just as good with cream of mushroom for a vegetarian option. This is a generous portion for a side dish, so make sure to leave room on your plate. The potatoes make really good leftovers too, so feel free to hide some before they're all gone!