Podcast 84: Boon Fly Cafe … and Breakfast Any Time

by The Meal Makeover Moms on December 8th, 2009

The inspiration for this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast was our trip to Napa, CA in November and a rib-sticking breakfast at the Boon Fly Café. On our final morning, we ate at the Boon Fly, located at the fabulous Carneros Inn. Knowing we’d be flying all afternoon and into the night and knowing they’d starve us on the plane ride back to Boston, we went all out. The meal began with the restaurant’s signature Boon Fly Donuts (one small donut per Meal Makeover Mom was a wonderful indulgence). From there, Liz ordered the B.E.L.T.; applewood smoked bacon with one egg any style, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on sourdough. Janice had the Breakfast Flatbread with two fried eggs, bacon, caramelized onions, and mozzarella.  As you can see from the photos, we had plenty of leftovers for the journey home.

The Breakfast Flatbread was so yummy (though clearly uber high in fat and calories) that it motivated us to create a brand new recipe for Green Eggs & Bacon Pizza. Wow. Where do we begin? There are so many great things to say about this recipe. For starters, it’s hearty thanks to the eggs and the bacon. Second, it’s nutritious thanks to the spinach, eggs, and cheese. And finally, Janice’s daughters and Liz’s boys all gave it two-thumbs up!  We consider four happy kids at the dinner (or lunch) hour a huge success.

Green Eggs & Bacon Pizza

Makes 5 Servings

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped (about 2 packed cups)
  • 5 large eggs, beaten (we like Eggland’s Best)
  • 4 slices nitrite-free bacon, cooked, patted well between paper towels to remove excess fat, and chopped into small pieces
  • One 12-inch pre-made pizza crust (we used Boboli original crust)
  • 1 cup reduced-fat preshredded Italian cheese blend (we used Sargento 4 Cheese Reduced-Fat Italian)

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (or the temperature indicated on your pizza crust).  Bake the pizza crust according to package directions (in the case of the Boboli, about 8 minutes).

2. While the pizza crust is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 1 minute.

2. Raise the heat to medium-high.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the eggs and the bacon and scramble until the eggs are set, about 3 minutes.

4. Remove the cooked pizza crust from the oven. Top evenly with the egg and spinach mixture. Top with the shredded cheese. Place back in the oven and cook until the cheese melts, another 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 slice):  320 calories, 14g fat (5g saturated, 0.2g omega-3), 660mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 20g protein, 25% calcium, 20% vitamin A, 15% iron

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> Dashboard Dining: We recently received an email from one of our listeners, Nicole P., asking for breakfast ideas for her 3-year old son who never seems hungry first thing in the morning but who often asks for breakfast on the ride to preschool. Here are a a bunch of suggestions when dashboard dining is your only option.

The second recipe in this week’s podcast also features nutrient-packed eggs. This B.L.T. with More hits the spot any time of the day.

B.L.T.  with More

Makes 4 Servings

  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 4 large eggs
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 to 8 teaspoons light canola mayonnaise
  • Four 100% whole wheat sandwich thins, lightly toasted
  • 4 Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
  • 4 to 8 thin slices tomato
  • 8 slices nitrite-free bacon, cooked, patted well between paper towels to remove excess fat, cut in half

1. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Crack each egg open into the skillet. Gently break the yolk. Cook 2 minutes, flip, and cook 1 additional minute.  Season with salt and pepper.

2.  To assemble, spread the mayonnaise over each half of the sandwich thins. Layer 4 of the halves with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 to 2 tomato slices, 4 pieces of bacon, and an egg. Top with the remaining halves, slice in half, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  300 calories, 16g fat (4g saturated, 0.7 omega-3), 730mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 17g protein, 10% vitamin A, 10% vitamin C, 15% iron

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If you have a favorite breakfast recipe you’d like to share or a favorite breakfast cafe suggestion, please post a comment to our blog.  Cheers!!

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7 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, CulinaryAdventures, Dinner, Eggs, Lunch, Pizza, Podcast, Vegetables 

Podcast 80: Pizza Tonight

by The Meal Makeover Moms on November 10th, 2009

We’ve never met a child who didn’t love pizza. In fact kids between the ages of 3 to 11 prefer pizza over all other food groups for lunch and for dinner. Pizza is a quintessential family favorite, but it can also be a nutritional nightmare when topped with things like pepperoni, sausage, and gobs of full-fat cheese. To lighten things up, on this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast we created two new pizza recipes guaranteed to keep the troops happy.


Our first recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pizza Pies uses whole wheat English muffins as the base. For the topping, we sauté diced chicken and finely diced bell peppers and then toss with hot & spicy buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing. Part-skim mozzarella cheese is the final topping.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Pies

Makes 6 Servings

  • One 12-ounce package whole wheat English muffins (6 muffins)
  • 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 ¼ cups)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1/2 cup pasta sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Buffalo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon blue cheese dressing
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups preshredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Slice the English muffins in half and place on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. While the English muffins are cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the pasta sauce, Buffalo sauce, and blue cheese dressing and mix well.

5. To assemble the pizzas, top each muffin half evenly with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of each.

6. Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  300 calories, 10g fat (3.5g saturated), 530mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 24g protein, 25% vitamin A, 70% vitamin C, 25% calcium

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Our second recipe for Sausage, Mushroom & Cannellini Pesto Pizza is a recipe that was featured in the October issue of Kiwi magazine! It’s packed with great flavor, and the “sauce” will surely surprise you.

Sausage, Mushroom & Cannellini Pesto Pizza

Makes 10 Servings

  • One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • One 12-ounce package chicken sausage (use your favorite flavor), casings removed and the meat crumbled
  • Two 12-inch pre-made pizza crusts
  • 2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

1. Place the beans, pesto, lemon juice, and water in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (or the temperature indicated on your prepared pizza crust package).

3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the crumbled sausage and continue to cook until heated through and completely cooked, an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Spread the bean puree evenly over the two pizza crusts. Top each with the mushroom and sausage mixture. Top with the cheese (1 cup per pizza crust).

5. Bake according to package directions. Cut each pizza into 5 slices and serve.

Tip: The bean puree and mushroom/sausage mixture can be refrigerated or frozen for later use if you only want to make one pizza at a time

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 slice): 320 calories, 12g fat (4.5g saturated), 600mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 20g protein, 25% calcium, 15% iron

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We hope you’ll tune in to our show for lots of pizza trivia and our brand new, super-yummy recipes.

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2 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, Grains, Pizza, Podcast, Poultry 

No Whine with Dinner: Dinner Together

by The Meal Makeover Moms on August 7th, 2009

Like so many of our new foodie friends, we recently “met” Kathleen, from the blog Dinner Together, on Twitter. Liz and Kathleen actually have a mutual friend so the connection wasn’t exactly random.

Kathleen is the mom of three kids: 13-year old Jackie, 11-year old Rebecca, and 7-year old Nicki.  Since Kathleen’s blog is devoted to bringing families together at mealtime and to raising children to be successful eaters, we invited her to participate in our monthly No Whine with Dinner Q&A. Below is a recipe no one in Kathleen’s family ever complains about and some practical tips for turning mealtime whining into “wows.”

Semi-homemade Pizza
Makes 6 Servings

  • 2 store-bought, refrigerated bags of pizza dough, 1 pound each
  • One 8-ounce package shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Homemade pizza sauce (recipe below)
  • Toppings of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Roll out pizza dough and place on pizza stone or lightly greased baking pan.

3. Prepare pizzas with toppings according to your tastes.

4. Bake about 20 minutes. Lift up edge of pizza to check for doneness (should be cooked through and golden brown on the bottom of the crust).

Pizza Sauce

  • One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt

1. Mix together ingredients in a large saucepan and heat over low heat.

2. I substitute fresh ingredients if I have them.  The sauce recipe makes more sauce than is needed for two pizzas, and it freezes well for future pizzas.

Q: Where did you get the recipe?

A: The recipe for the sauce came from my mom. She, in turn, probably got it from her mom.  I usually modify it to include fresh garlic (2 cloves), which I saute briefly in oil before adding the canned tomatoes, instead of garlic salt.  If I have fresh oregano or basil, I add that too, and skip the dried oregano.

Q:  What do you like about this recipe?

A: I like this recipe for a few reasons.  First, I feel a sense of nostalgia and family connection when I make it.  I have happy memories of my grandmother and my mother making pizza for the family when I was a child.  Second, my kids look forward to having homemade pizza.  No one complains and everyone eats and enjoys!  And finally, I don’t have to do too much work when we make it.  The whole family is actively involved with meal preparation too.  My husband has the job of rolling out the dough.  After he preps the dough, I section off the pizza with a ‘peace sign’ of sauce and then each of my three kids prepares their own section.  Jackie does not like any sauce on her pizza and uses a minimal amount of vegetables.  She also likes to roll pepperoni into the edge of the crust.  Rebecca loves veggies and piles them on.  And Nicki uses moderate amounts of everything.  I usually make a separate pizza for me and my husband using spinach, kalamata olives, and feta cheese.  This recipe is also good for cleaning out the refrigerator of any leftover vegetables.  Almost anything goes on pizza.

Q:  What do your kids think about this recipe?

Jackie says, “It’s fun and tasty.”
Rebecca says she likes being able to “personalize” her pizza and likes the quick and easy assembly.
Nicki says, “I really like that we can make pizzas that aren’t really pizza flavors.  And it’s really cool to have your own homemade pizza.”

Q:  Other than the fact that this recipe makes everyone in your family happy, do you have any other “Kathleen” tips you’d like to share for taking the “whine” out of dinner?

A: I can definitely say that the whining has decreased significantly at my family’s table over the years. That’s not to say that everyone loves every meal.  I plan my meals a week in advance and always ask for everyone’s input as to what they might like to eat in the coming week.  So they may not get what they want every meal, but at some point in the week, they know they will have something they like.  I serve meals family style and try to have at least one thing – not always the main dish though – that everyone will eat.  It could just be carrot sticks or bread.  My oldest daughter is definitely my pickiest eater, although she has increased the number of foods that she’ll eat and try over the years.  I’ve found that the less I pressure her, the more she’ll be open to eating different foods.  She still doesn’t eat everything that I’d like her to, but she’s eaten roasted kale, salmon, and now allows sauce on some of her foods, so we’ve definitely made progress.  Our family also tries to make eating together a priority.  Sometimes, especially during softball and spring recital season, that can be a challenge.  We try to keep the tone positive at mealtimes and enjoy talking and listening to each other.

Q: Can you tell everyone about your blog?

A: My blog is called Dinner Together.  I started it earlier this year.  My goal is to provide useful information to parents seeking to bring their families together more often for family meals and to raise their children to be successful eaters.  I am a psychologist who has worked with children and families on a variety of issues for the past two decades, although I can’t believe I’m that old!  My goal is to help families find strength and connection.  I work with children and families locally for counseling and therapy, but also provide phone coaching services to parents nationwide. With regard to food and kids, my focus is more on the “how” than the “what” of feeding and eating.

We look forward to visiting Kathleen’s blog often and hope you’ll do the same!

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Comment | Filed Under Dinner, NoWhineWithDinner, Pizza 

Podcast 40: Super Bowl Light

by The Meal Makeover Moms on January 30th, 2009

In this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we celebrate the Super Bowl with two deliciously healthy recipes that we hope you’ll share with your family and friends.  The first recipe for Tailgate Chili is made with two types of beans – Great Northern and red kidney – and is perfect for the vegetarians in your life. Our other recipe for Post-Season Pesto Pizza is bursting with flavor thanks to two of our favorite ingredients: caramelized onions and basil pesto. This recipe is also versatile — you can use the ingredients and layer them on two 16-ounce Italian bread loaves versus the two pizza crusts.  As for who we are rooting for in this year’s Super Bowl … The Patriots of course (ooops, they didn’t even make it into the playoffs this year)!

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1 Comment | Filed Under Beans, Giveaways, Pizza, Podcast, Soups/Stews, Vegetables, Vegetarian