Food personality Rachael Ray is an expert at creating quick meals. She also aims to motivate families to swap their traditional recipes for versions that contain healthier ingredients and taste just as good.
She shares recipes and tips on how to incorporate fresh ingredients into favorites like pizza and mac ‘n’ cheese. “Anyone can get started on their ‘fresh-over projects’ in their own kitchen,” she says.
The Only Pizza You’ll Ever Want Again (photographed above)
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Crust
16-ounce package pizza dough at room temperature
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Toppings
1/3-pound broccoli
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (1 turn of the pan)
3 cloves cracked garlic
1/2 pound chicken breasts cut for stir fry, or chicken tenders
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 to 15 leaves fresh basil, torn or stacked and thinly sliced
Directions: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. On a 12-inch nonstick pizza pan, stretch out dough and form pizza crust. Drizzle olive oil on crust, and spread it with a pastry brush over the dough to the edges. Sprinkle crust with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
In a small covered saucepan, bring 2 inches water to a boil. Separate broccoli tops into florets, discarding lower stalks or reserving them for soup. Salt water and add broccoli florets. Cook, covered, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain broccoli and set on cutting board. Chop broccoli florets into small pieces.
Heat a small nonstick pan over medium-high to high heat. Add oil, cracked garlic and chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop sautéed chicken and garlic on a cutting board into small pieces.
To assemble pizza, dot crust with broccoli and chicken. Dot crust with spoonfuls of ricotta, spreading gently with the back of a spoon. Add sliced sun-dried tomatoes, scattering around pizza to edges. Complete assembly with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella.
Place pizza in oven on middle rack and lower heat to 450 degrees. Bake 12 minutes, or until cheese is deep golden in color and the crust is brown and crisp at the edges. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Top with lots of torn or shredded basil.
Cut pizza into 8 slices using pizza wheel and serve.
Tip: Put individual servings of chicken in bags right after purchase. You won’t have to defrost more chicken than you need for a meal.
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Stretch-a-Buck Turkey and Bean Burrito Burgers
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup cold leftover white or brown rice
1 pound ground turkey
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Palm-full chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin (half a palm-full)
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander (half a palm-full)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: a Montreal seasoning by McCormick)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced
1jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
4 red leaf lettuce leaves
1 ripe tomato, sliced
4 crusty rolls, split
Directions: Combine rice, meat and beans with spices and grill seasoning. Form 4 big patties, then heat 1 tablespoon oil (a turn of the pan) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties 7 to 8 minutes on each side. While burgers cook, combine avocado with garlic, lime zest and juice, jalapeño and red onion. Mash to roughly combine, then stir in the sour cream. Place burgers on buns with lettuce and tomato, and top with sour cream guacamole. To keep leftovers fresh, store in reusable containers.
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Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 small head or bundle broccoli, trimmed into florets
1 small head cauliflower or half a large head, trimmed and cut into florets
1 pound whole-wheat macaroni or penne or other short-cut pasta
2 cups sour cream or reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup finely chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or crushed into a paste
A few drops hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ cups grated extra-sharp cheddar
Directions: Bring large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt water and add broccoli and cauliflower florets. Boil vegetables for 5 minutes, then remove and drain. Add pasta to water and under-cook by about 2 minutes, drain.
Meanwhile, combine sour cream in large bowl along with mustard, chives, garlic, hot sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta and cauliflower, and 2/3 of the cheese. Stir to combine, then transfer to a casserole dish and cover with remaining cheese. Cool and chill for a make-ahead meal.
To heat and eat, put casserole on baking sheet and bake in the middle of a preheated 375-degree oven until deeply golden and bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Tip: Make a double batch and freeze for a later date.
What’s for dinner in your home tonight? Share your favorite recipes in the comment section or link your blog by clicking the button below.
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