As I’m writing this, it is Monday afternoon. I always write my posts ahead of time so I can get them scheduled. Except normally I write them at least a couple weeks ahead of time, not just days before. Somehow I completely skipped over this post in my calendar! I don’t know how because, come on, look at these pizza photos!

Last week I was busy working away on next week’s posts and missed this Friday post entirely. I know I’m probably confusing you so let’s just focus on this pizza. Elote Pizza to be exact. Remember Monday’s Elote Hot Dogs? Of course you do – they were epic and over-the-top!

Also, the post came out just a few days ago and hopefully you haven’t completely lost track of all sense of days and weeks like apparently I have. This ooey gooey pizza is topped with charred corn, cotija cheese and a lime mayo. It’s a little sweet, a little creamy, a little smoky and definitely cheesy.

Some of my favorite meals I’ve made have been born out of ingredients left in the fridge and this Elote Pizza is a perfect example. There was plenty of cotija, corn and cilantro leftover from the Elote Hot Dogs so I decided to rework them into another outrageous celebration of my love for elote. Unlike the Elote Hot Dogs, I’ve never had Elote Pizza before, but every pizza place should start serving it now! It would be my go-to order, especially during the summer.

My favorite tip for pizza is something Matt taught me – using cornmeal to flour your surface and the pizza dough instead of all-purpose flour. For years we had been using all-purpose flour because we just assumed that would work best without ever looking it up. It does work really well at keeping the dough from sticking, but you often get a floury taste when the pizza is cooked. Using cornmeal keeps the dough from sticking to the pan and it makes it taste like it just came out of a pizza shop! Who knew? Well, maybe you did, but if you didn’t you can thank Matt! Happy Friday everyone!

Elote Pizza

 

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Ingredients

for the lime mayo

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon paprika

for the pizza

• 1 can corn kernels, drained and dried
• 16 ounces pre-made pizza dough, at room temperature for 20 minutes
• Cornmeal, for dusting the surface for the dough
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cotija cheese
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
• Pinch of smoked paprika, ground cumin and chili powder, for top dusting

Directions

for the lime mayo

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lime juice and paprika. Set aside.

for the pizza

1. Char the corn in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. You want the corn to be lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
2. Preheat your pizza stone in the oven at 475 or 500 degrees F for at least half an hour.
3. If you are using a pizza peel, generously sprinkle your pizza peel with cornmeal. If you don’t have a pizza peel and are using a baking sheet, generously sprinkle your baking sheet with cornmeal. Stretch out the dough - the size depends on the size of your pizza stone. To help get it stretched out, I hold it and let it fall down. I continue doing this, rotating around as I do it so it stretches into an oblong shape. Now that it is most of the way stretched out, place it on the cornmeal surface, whether that is your pizza peel or baking sheet. Use a rolling pin or your hands to form it into the shape your want. Try to get an even thickness all the way around.
4. Brush the olive oil on the pizza dough. Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese then the charred corn. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Carefully put the pizza in the oven on top of the pizza stone to cook for 9-10 minutes. If you are using a baking sheet, just put the baking sheet directly on top of the pizza stone.
5. Once the pizza is cooked, top with the cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. Drizzle with the lime mayo then dust a sprinkle over top of smoked paprika, ground cumin and chili powder. If you don’t like spicy food using a very, very small amount of chili powder.

Notes

For added flavor, brush the crust with a little olive oil then sprinkle with Parmesan and smoked paprika before baking.
I used full-fat mayonnaise.

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I’m back with another healthy make ahead lunch or dinner recipe for you! It is much needed after Monday’s Elote Hot Dog, right? Those hot dogs were so good, but food like that is a treat for Matt and I. Most weeks, lunches and dinners consist of meals like these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls. Many people think healthy is boring, but that’s only if you let it be boring! You all know I’m obsessed with food so I would never eat healthy every day if it meant sacrificing flavor.

Let me break down these bowls for you. Chicken tenders, red bell pepper and onion get tossed in a simple yet flavor-packed seasoning mix. I find it to taste more earthy and smoky than spicy, but if you like spicy food you can definitely increase the amount of chili powder. It then all gets baked at the same temperature on the same sheet pan.

Grains get layered on the bottom of the bowl, topped with the cooked chicken and veggies, black beans, avocado mashed with lime juice and garlic powder. That’s it!

If you notice in the photos that two of the fajita bowls are missing their black beans that is because Matt does not like them. Everyone is all about “doing it for the gram” these days, but I would just rather everyone like and enjoy their food!

Matt and I have been cooking fajita chicken and veggies over rice for dinner since we first started cooking together. Once we discovered the Seeds of Change brown rice and quinoa microwavable packets we started having this meal nonstop because the rice quinoa packets are so easy and crazy good. No, this is not an ad, we are just long-term obsessed! I have been able to find these packets at almost every grocery store I’ve been in, including Costco.

If you would prefer to make plain brown rice or quinoa I would definitely season it a bit. You could even try a different grain, I’ve been into barley lately, or substitute in some sweet potatoes – yum! Now I’m thinking about how I could roast sweet potatoes wedges on the same pan as the chicken and veggies – keeping that one in mind for later! No matter how you customize your Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls, after one bite you will making this one on repeat!

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajita Bowls

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

for the chicken

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenderloins
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch chili powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

for the rice bowl

• 2 small avocados
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups Seeds of Change Brown Rice & Quinoa with Garlic
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 lime, for garnish

Directions

for the chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt, pepper and chili powder. I don’t like spicy foods so if you like yours more spicy, add more chili powder. Just be sure to taste it so you don’t over-spice it.
3. Cut the chicken tenders in half. If they are really wide, you might need to also cut them in half lengthwise so they aren’t too big (see my photos for reference of how big mine were). Cut the bell pepper and the onion into slices. You don’t want the slices too thin of they will overcook. Add the chicken, bell pepper slices and onion slices to a medium mixing bowl. Add the olive oil then toss to combine. Add the spice mixture then toss to coat. Place the seasoned chicken and veggies on the prepared baking sheet and spread them out so they’re touching as little as possible. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reads an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

for the rice bowl

1. Put the avocado flesh in a small mixing bowl. Mash with a fork then season with the lime juice and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper, adding more lime juice or garlic powder as needed. Stir to combine.
2. To plate the dish, give each bowl ½ cup of the rice and ¼ cup of the black beans. Divide the chicken, veggies and mashed avocado between the 4 bowls. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Notes

We love the Seeds of Change Brown Rice & Quinoa with Garlic in my house. It’s microwavable, packed with flavor and I can find it at most stores. If you want to use your own cooked brown rice or quinoa plan for 2 cups cooked total, or ½ cup per serving. You might also want to season the rice or quinoa since I have only tried this dish with the seasoned Seeds of Change packets.

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My love for elote knows no bounds. Clearly. Elote is grilled corn on the cob that has been slathered with lime, cotija cheese, chili powder and mayo. It is also known as Mexican street corn and I shared my obsession during my post of the Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad recipe. Side note: if you haven’t tried that pasta salad yet you are seriously missing out! What we have here are Elote Hot Dogs and they are spectacular. Look at them! They are just waiting for you to take a bite. It’s all the makings of Mexican street corn, but piled on a hot dog.

I got the idea for these last fall when Matt and I were in Las Vegas. Prior to our trip I was researching all the outrageous food and I came across a place called Dirt Dog. Their main shop is in Los Angeles, but they have two locations in Vegas. More importantly, they have an elote hot dog on their menu that looked insanely delicious. We were only in Vegas for a few days, but we made sure to seek out that elote dog! It was almost everything I had imagined, except it was too spicy for me; I’m a baby when it comes to spicy food. I decided the concept needed to be recreated at home, but with a manageable spice level so I could enjoy it.

These hot dogs will have you doing an extra happy dance. The grilled hotdogs are topped with a spiced lime mayo, then covered in charred corn, tangy cotija cheese, fresh cilantro leaves (or parsley if you don’t like cilantro) and a sprinkling of either smoked paprika or chili powder, whichever your palate would prefer.

Hot dogs are delicious as is, but I think loaded hot dogs are seriously underrated. It doesn’t take much extra time to turn the basic grill staple into a serious party pleaser.

If you’re looking for more loaded hot dog inspiration, check out my Bruschetta Hot Dogs I posted a few years ago. I have another exciting to creation to share with you next week and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I hope you all have a great week ahead! One final comment before you go on your way though- if you thought my love for elote had reached its peak, wait until you see Friday’s post! Enjoy, friends!

Elote Hot Dogs

 

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Yield: 4 hot dogs

Ingredients

for the lime mayo

• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch of chili powder

for the hot dogs

• 4 hot dogs
• ¾ cup corn
• 4 hot dog buns
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• Chili powder or smoked paprika
• ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, chopped
• Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

for the lime mayo

1. Stir together the mayonnaise, lime juice, smoked paprika and ground cumin. Add the chili powder to taste.

for the hot dogs

1. Grill the hot dogs.
2. While the hot dogs are grilling, char the corn and prepare the buns. Char the corn in a small skillet over medium high-heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
3. Brush the tops of the buns with the melted butter then lightly sprinkle with either chili powder (spicy) or smoked paprika (not spicy) depending on whether your preference. Toast the buns.
4. Put a hot dog in each bun. Divide the lime mayo between the hot dogs. Use half the cotija cheese to sprinkle over the mayo, reserve the other half. Divide the corn between the hot dogs then top with the remaining cotija cheese. Garnish with the chopped cilantro, lime wedges and a dusting of chili powder and/or smoked paprika.

Notes

Cotija is a Mexican cheese and usually can be found in the fresh cheese section of your grocery store. If you can’t find cotija, you could substitute queso fresco. If you can’t find either of those, you could try substituting feta.
I used full-fat mayonnaise and all-beef hot dogs.

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I was on Foodgawker the other month and I came across a recipe concept that blew my mind – a sheet pan breakfast! Basically, you bake the potatoes and eggs in the oven and voila – breakfast! I love breakfast casseroles, but they can get really heavy with all the cheese and dairy. There’s so many different combinations you could come up with for a sheet pan breakfast, but ever since I made those Beet Donuts with a Brown Butter Strawberry Rhubarb Glaze I’ve had beets on my mind. I decided to go with a root vegetable base of roasted Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets. Those get roasted with plenty of seasoning and sliced onion for some additional flavor. When they are almost done, you create little pockets for the eggs, crack them right on the sheet pan then let them bake to their desired done-ness.

I love runny eggs and I’m slowly getting Matt on the runny egg train as well, but you can cook yours longer if you like the middles firm. I topped it all off with some avocado slices because there’s nothing more satisfying to me in the morning than an avocado smothered in runny yolk – see case in point here. Add in the roasted potatoes and beets and I was in pure breakfast heaven.

This dish is great for company because you can get everyone eggs without having to stand over the stove, but we saved the other half for ourselves and had it the next day for breakfast. It reheated perfectly in the microwave and the yolks were still runny.

I think I’ll be making this again really soon, but this time as breakfast for dinner. Have you ever made a sheet pan breakfast? I’m already brainstorming new combinations like potato, cheddar, scallion and bacon or eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes and prosciutto – yum!

Sheet Pan Breakfast

 

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Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound yellow thin skin potatoes
• 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1 red beet
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion
• 6-8 large eggs
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Chopped fresh parsley, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Scrub and dry the potatoes and sweet potatoes. Leaving the skins on, cube the potatoes. Peel the beets. Cut the beets into a small dice; they take longer to cook than the potatoes so you want them smaller so they will be done at the same time. Toss the cut potatoes and beets with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper then place evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake the potatoes and beets for 20 minutes. While the potatoes are baking, halve and slice the onion. After the potatoes and beets have cooked for 20 minutes, toss them then place the onion slices on top then put back in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and make room for the eggs. I made a little pocket for each egg. If you are using nonstick cooking spray you might want to spray a little into each pocket before putting in the egg. Carefully crack an egg into each pocket then season the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 3 minutes, or until the eggs are your desired done-ness. Top with the avocado slices and chopped parsley, serve.

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I hope you all had a great 4th of July! I’m not going to waste any time here because your July is about to be off to an amazing start. That is because I am sharing this muffin recipe with you. Now I know I’ve been sharing the Food Network Magazine’s Muffin of the Month recipes in order with you, but I have to skip ahead to the August muffins. Don’t worry, I will share the July ones next month. The August muffins for the Food Network Magazine’s Muffin of the Month are these Blueberry Nectarine Muffins and, damn, they are glorious!

I thought it would be impossible to top the June S’mores Muffins because they were the perfect rendition of s’mores in muffin form complete with gooey chocolate and oozing crispy marshmallow. Now, these didn’t necessarily top the S’mores Muffins because, well, chocolate, but they definitely met the raised muffin standard.

These were the first muffins I’ve made so far from the Food Network Magazine article that came out looking picture perfect in my opinion. But I’m all about taste over here and these muffins had everyone doing a little happy dance. Quickly followed by grabbing a second one. As I mentioned last week, I had some family visiting and the Blueberry Nectarine Muffins were a big hit. So much so that there were dibs being called on the muffins when they started dwindling!

I was happy we had visitors otherwise I would have definitely consumed about 2/3 of these! The muffins have just the right amount of sweetness balanced with the almond taste. The juicy blueberries and crunchy almonds on top really added to the muffin, but the breakout star was the nectarine. Nectarines are in season right now and the chunks in the muffin made it so moist and really took them into the over-the-top-delicious category.

Matt and my goddaughter aren’t big on blueberries and they both requested a nectarine-only muffin next time since it was so good. I love blueberries so I’m partial to the combination of the two, but I would definitely be down for an all nectarine muffin as well. If you want your July to get even better then plan to make these as soon as possible! Especially so you have time to make them again and again while nectarines are still in peak season, which is why I went ahead and shared them early. Enjoy!

Blueberry Nectarine Muffins

 

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Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 small nectarines, pitted and chopped (about 1¾ cups)
• ½ cup blueberries
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• Coarse sugar, for topping (I just used a light sprinkle of regular sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F then line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, eggs and almond extract. Pour into the flour mixture then stir until just combined. Add nectarines and blueberries and stir to incorporate.
4. Fill the muffin cups with the batter. They should be about ¾ of the way full. Top the muffins with the sliced almonds and a light sprinkle of coarse sugar (or regular sugar if you don’t have any). Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then carefully remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

I used plain nonfat Greek yogurt. You could substitute sour cream or regular plain yogurt if you would prefer.

To get the blueberries to peek through at the top: Let the muffins cook for 1-2 minutes, then carefully (and quickly) remove the pan from the oven, gently top each muffin with 1-2 extra blueberries and return to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

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 Recipe slightly adapted from January/February 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine.

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