Okay, okay, I know I’m killing you over here with all the hot dogs and pizza, but hear me out! I had the amazing idea for the Elote Hot Dogs. I made them and they were everything I could have imagined. We gobbled them up and everyone was happy. Then I looked in the fridge and saw all the leftover ingredients from the elote and I thought – ah ha! Elote Pizza would be epic! So I made Elote Pizza, it was delicious, we gobbled it up, everyone was happy, yaddy yaddy yada. Then I had a problem because I had leftover hot dogs and leftover pizza ingredients, also known as shredded mozzarella, which to me means pizza, so I had to come up with something to use them both up. I had to! The leftovers made me do it!

I am so happy I did because otherwise I might have never discovered how – insert explicit word here – delicious Pizza Hot Dogs are. Hot Dogs are a summer guilty pleasure and pizza is just plain amazing all the time so together is like something straight out of your food fantasies. The hot dog is smothered in marinara sauce and gooey melted mozzarella.

If that wasn’t enough, the tricked up potato buns are on a whole other level. I love potato rolls because they’re buttery and a little sweet. I brushed the tops of the buns with a combination of melted butter, freshly grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and garlic powder before broiling them until toasty. Basically, giving the bun a whole garlic bread quality that is out of this world.

Matt and I quickly decided that every time we consume a hot dog it needs to be on these buttery, cheesy, garlicky rolls. We also decided that we can’t eat another hot dog for like three years and I’m never allowed to make so many hot dogs and pizza recipes in one week ever again.

Now I’m going to share something equally delicious with you on Friday and when you see it, before you yell at me, just keep in mind that I made and photographed the whole elote – hot dog – pizza trio months ago and I just made Friday’s up-coming post the other week. So my advice to you is to ABSOLUTELY, DEFINITELY make these Pizza Hot Dogs as soon as possible! Unless you just made the Elote Hot Dogs or the Elote Pizza, in which case my advice is wait a couple weeks then ABSOLUTELY, DEFINITELY make these Pizza Hot Dogs. Enjoy!

Pizza Hot Dogs

 

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup marinara sauce
• 4 hot dogs
• 4 long potato rolls
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves, plus more for topping
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the marinara sauce and hot dogs until both are warmed through. Set aside.
2. While the hot dogs and sauce are getting warmed up, prepare the buns. Place the potato rolls upright as if you were about the put the hot dog in them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
3. n a small bowl, combine the melted butter, Parmesan, chopped parsley and garlic powder. Generously brush this mixture over the tops of the potato rolls. Place a warmed hot dog in each bun and top with the marinara sauce. Divide the mozzarella between the 4 hot dogs, sprinkling right on top of the sauce. Broil the hot dogs until the cheese is melted and the tops of the buns are golden. Top with more parsley, if desired, and eat warm.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

When I first bought tahini it was to make my Pumpkin Hummus. For those of you that aren’t familiar with tahini, it is made from ground sesame seeds and is one of the main components in hummus, along with chickpeas. After that first experiment with the Pumpkin Hummus, I used it purely to make homemade hummus and never ventured beyond that.

Then last year I was Googling healthy lunch ideas for Matt and I and came across a quinoa bowl that called for a tahini dressing. My version of the recipe is incredibly simple – tahini, lemon juice, water and garlic powder. I mixed it up completely skeptical, but as soon as I tried it poured over my bowl of roasted veggies and quinoa I was completely hooked.

It was tart, nutty and really creamy. The acidic punch complements the earthy vegetables really well. We have these Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Tahini Bowls all year round and I love that you can swap out the vegetables to your preferences or the season.

This version is my favorite, though, because I love the meatiness that the eggplant and mushrooms bring to the bowl. Matt and I are also mushroom obsessed if I haven’t mentioned that before. Then the zucchinis bring some brightness and the bell pepper adds some sweetness. Perfection in a bowl!

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Tahini Bowls

 

Print

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 zucchinis
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 eggplant
• 8 ounces whole cremini mushrooms
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a half sheet baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil or lightly spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. Prep the veggies. Cut the ends off the zucchini then cut it into thick rounds. Slice the rounds in half. Remove the seeds and stem from the bell pepper then chop into a big dice. Remove the ends from the eggplant then cut into a small dice. The eggplant takes the longest to roast so you want the pieces smaller. Remove the stems from the mushrooms then quarter them.
3. Place the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet then toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat them. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the veggies roasted and lightly browned.
4. While the veggies are roasting, make the tahini dressing. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water and garlic powder until incorporated. Keep separate until ready to eat.
5. To prepare the bowls, put ½ cup cooked quinoa in each bowl. Divide the roasted veggies between the 4 bowls then divide the dressing between each of the bowls.

Notes

Usually when I make this I will pack the tahini dressing in a separate container so I can shake it up and pour it on after I heat the quinoa and veggies in the microwave. I have tried it with the dressing poured on ahead of time and everything heated in the microwave and it was okay, but the dressing seemed to get absorbed by the other ingredients in the bowl and wasn’t as good as when I pour it on right before eating.
For the quinoa, I used a super grains mix that I picked up at my local Whole Foods. It is a mix of red quinoa, white quinoa, millet and buckwheat. It is actually cheaper than the bag of just quinoa and I like the variety for our quinoa bowls.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

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

 

Print

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.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

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

 

Print

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.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

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

 

Print

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.

3.2.2802

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments