Chicken Pesto Broccoli Deliciousness!!! Pure YUM!!!

Ohhhhh.....MMMMMMmmmmmm! 
I CANNOT believe how fantastic this meal turned out!! Chicken pesto turned into chicken/pesto/broccoli/ DELICIOUSNESS.
Here is how I made it, a spin off of several you'll find on the internets.

Ingredients:
- chicken tenders, on the thin side is nice
- two packets of Knorr pesto sauce mix (has always been my fav)
- package of skim Mozzarella grated cheese
- Olive oil 
- cooking spray
- broccoli
- pine nuts
- spices I used were: salt, ground oregano, garlic powder

What to do:
- pre-heat over to 365 degrees F (just in case you think in Kelvin or other..)
- mix pesto packets in bowl with one cup water and 1/3 cup olive oil
- add pine nuts (as much as you like, I liked a LOT) and stir
- spray glass baking dish
- pour 1/4 bowl of your pesto mixture in glass dish
- lay the chicken strips on top of that
- dash with garlic powder
- dash with ground oregano
- pour the rest of your pesto mixture on top of the chicken. Some of it slid off so I scooped up some pine nuts to make sure they rested on top
- dash with salt
- COVER with aluminum foil

Bake
- Bake at 375 F for 25 min
- remove from oven and turn over the chicken strips which are not quite done
- re-scoop pine nuts so some are on top
- add one handful of finely chopped broccoli 
- bake 5-10 more minutes

Continuing:
- Remove from oven, remove foil
- add the rest of your broccoli now (I like crispy - or at least non-mushy broccoli)
- add your Mozzarella cheese. Add lots. Oh heck, live dangerously, add the whole package
- stir a tad and then drizzle a few spoonfuls of pesto sauce on the top
- broil for 3 minutes, watching it so it bubbles and boils and browns, BUT doesn't BURN.

THEN...
- remove from oven
- bask in the glory that is chicken pesto broccoli deliciousness
- take pictures and post all over social media
- EAT, don't forget to eat.
:-)

                   

BROCCOLI PIZZA CRUST

OK! I AM SO HAPPY THAT THIS WORKED!
I made broccoli pizza crust! The recipe is below, BUT you have to know I forgot the tomato sauce so will make it again and have a more traditionally topped pizza! I've been wanting to try this for three weeks, but haven't had the time. This evening after choir rehearsal, I picked up necessary ingredients at the store and then FORGOT the tomato sauce. I decided to try it anyway as I had most everything else. It turned out beautifully! I made it because I hate cauliflower, even in pizza crust form, and I love broccoli and thought I could make a healthier pizza! WARNING: Still not the most healthy food...
Here's how it looks as a finished product:

Ingredients:
- one egg
- parmesan cheese (maybe 1/4 cup)
- Spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, curry, rosemary, Basil, Greek spice mixture, ground oregano, whatever (healthy shakes)
- a head of BROCCOLI

What I did:
- cleaned a bowl (woot!)
- chopped a head of broccoli up, nice and super fancy fine like a real chef (I'm sure some folks would use a food processor)
- shook some garlic, salt, pepper, and curry over it while chanting (just kidding)

- making it a second time, I eliminated the salt & pepper & curry, only used a lunch of garlic.
- cracked an egg into it
- added the parmesan cheese
- stirred it
- added a minor sprinkle of cheddar cheese
- gathered the lump and placed it on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam
- took pictures :-)

Cooking the lump:
- 400 degrees
- cook 10 minutes or until starting to get brown on edges
- take out and add toppings (I added mozzarella cheese and pepperoni and would have added tomato sauce and oregano if I hadn't forgotten the sauce)
- Cook 10-15 more minutes until it looks like it's done
- take a picture :-)
- EAT IT

How does it taste?
- A little eggy, a lot broccoli-y
- tasty :-)
- the tomato sauce will add necessary ZING!

OPTIONS
- Make thinner. After it has cooked 10 min., lift, re-spray pan
- drizzle with olive oil, dash with rosemary
- spread tomato sauce over it before topping with cheeses etc.

Blessing for a Meal

Bless, O Lord, this food to our use and us to thy service, and keep us ever mindful of the needs of others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Blessing for a Meal

Bless, O Lord, this food to our use and us to thy service, and keep us ever mindful of the needs of others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

CRACKFISH

I'm just going to call it like it is: CRACKFISH. Seriously, the catfish that the Lakeview grocery makes (Lakeview area of New Orleans) is THE. BEST. EVER. #NotEvenKidding

I need some sort of 12-step intervention program to keep me from eating so much of it. I'm in there at least once.....ok maybe twice a week lately. Today, I was voraciously craving chocolate and went in there to pick up some tea and chocolate for the few hours of work before choir rehearsal at St. Paul's Episcopal. BUT, I saw the salad bar and the catfish on the hot bar and instantly forgot the chocolate and got a big takeout container of salad and catfish. SO. MUCH. GOODNESS. Of course I'm not upset about eating salad, but the fried catfish, again......well, I should probably NOT eat it so often. Alas, I am enjoying some leftovers as I type this :-)