My daughter likes her usual- tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and either sauteed mushrooms or black olives. She doesn’t like to mess with perfection and likes to stick to her usual. My husband is very similar- well, he is a bit more adventurous- as long as the pizza has red sauce on it. I love white pizza but am the only one in our family. My favorite is a white pizza with ricotta, spinach and lots of garlic- hmm- that sounds delicious- I could use some right now.

While picking up the pizza dough, I also stopped at the wine store. I couldn’t believe I had run out of wine- completely. As I was running my errands I was thinking what pizza to make for myself. I wanted something white and different. Pasta carbonara came to mind- I love eating it. The problem is that it is full of cream, bacon and eggs- definitely not an option for me these days. I guess once in a while it is okay to eat this stuff- right?. So, I decided to make a pizza carbonara for myself.

I sauteed some pancetta and turned the heat off. I stirred in eggs beaten with half and half (instead of cream). I then poured it all over my already rolled out pizza. Just in a few minutes the pizza crust turned golden brown and the topping rose way high. It looked beautiful. I added a lot of black pepper- that is what comes to mind when I think of carbonara. It was delicious. This would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner- anytime, really.

Try pizza carbonara next time you want to change it up a bit.

• One large pizza dough from a pizzeria cut into four pieces
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Preheat convection oven (preferred) to 450 degrees F.

Take one piece and form into a round ball and using some of the all-purpose flour roll into a 9-inch circle. Keep aside.

• ½ cup shredded Quattro Formaggio (mix of four Italian cheeses from Trader Joes)

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh pepper
• 2 tablespoons half and half

Beat the eggs and add the salt, pepper and half and half.

• ¼ cup pancetta chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

In a small non-stick frying pan heat the olive oil and pancetta on medium heat. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes till the pancetta is dark brown. Turn the heat off and add the egg mixture. Stir quickly as the egg cooks. It should stay fairly liquid as the heat is off.

Add the shredded cheese on the rolled out pizza and pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or till the pizza crust is golden brown the mixture is cooked and golden brown. Crush some fresh pepper on top and serve.

Somehow, after a few minutes, chicken hash came to mind. I envisioned chopped chicken paired with things that were sitting in my vegetable crisper in the fridge. I had green onions, chilies and a red pepper. I also had potatoes and tomatoes in my pantry. I chopped everything up and started cooking.  As the base flavor, I used my favorite condiment- Trader Joe’s tomato chutney. I love using it for everything including sandwiches and as a topping for eggs and meats. In this case I added a few tablespoons and it gave the dish a tangy, salty and sweet flavor. I finished it with a dusting of feta cheese and chopped cilantro.

It was such a beautiful dish- multi colored and delicious. I had some ‘bake at home’ baguettes. I baked one and served a green salad with the chicken hash. It was a big success. This meal would be a perfect for a brunch party!

• 1 cooked chicken breast, chopped
• 3 small yellow potatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 serrano chilies, chopped
• ½ red pepper, chopped
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons tomato chutney (Trader Joes)
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup feta, crumbled

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the potatoes and sauté on a medium high heat, stirring constantly browning on all sides. Add the green onions and green chilies. Saute for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Add the red pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Next, add the chicken, tomato chutney and salt. Mix well and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasonings. Turn the heat off and add the cilantro and feta cheese.

For this particular dinner I needed to make something in advance since I was not going to be home. Our sitter would be giving them their meal. I had two chicken breast on the bone which I decided to roast with the skin on. I shredded the meat once it was nice and juicy after taking the skin off. I bought bowtie pasta to make things a little interesting. I bought baby spinach since I needed the meal to be made in one pot and it also had to be well balanced.

I cooked the pasta and mixed the shredded chicken and baby spinach in the sauce pan. I added some homemade tomato sauce to give the pasta additional yummy flavor. I transferred the pasta into an oven proof dish and mixed in and topped with some shredded mozzarella cheese.

It was simple and quick. Once I got home I was curious to know their reactions. I was told they were all skeptical at first since everything was mixed in together but once they tried it- they liked it. My daughter who is more used to eating such meals thought it was delicious.

Next time you have a dinner play date for your kids- try the bowtie pasta with spinach and chicken.

• ½ pound bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast- I baked a chicken breast on the bone in a 350 degrees oven for about 30 minutes. I then took the skin off and shredded the meat. Rotisserie chicken can be substituted.
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
• Salt
• 1 cup light shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Return the pasta in the pan you cooked it. Add the spinach, tomato sauce, chicken and salt. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes on a low heat till the spinach wilts. Taste for seasonings.

Pour the pasta into an ovenproof dish. Add ½ cup mozzarella cheese and mix well. Top the pasta with the remaining cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or till the cheese is melted and bubbling on top.

To change it up a bit, I cut the potatoes in large wedges and cauliflower in large florets.

In terms of the base flavor, I used ajwain which is a seed used extensively in India. The best way to describe the oval shaped seeds is that they are very close to thyme in flavor. Well, thyme is very mild compared to ajwain or carom seeds. This spice is heavier in taste and a lot more pungent. The flavor gets more rounded and a bit milder as they are cooked in oil or an oven. I love the flavor- a little goes a long way so if you do end up using it- be careful.

In case you don’t find the seeds, simply skip them. Use the recipe the same way and only use the cumin seeds. The dish will still be really good and delicious. I made this for a dinner we had with our neighbors. Everyone enjoyed it, especially you know who….

• 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
• 4 to 5 medium sized yellow potatoes, cut into ½ inch wedges

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 inch ginger, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin and ajwain seeds and sauté on medium high heat till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and add the cauliflower and potatoes. Mix well and lower the heat and cover for 15 minutes or till the potatoes and cauliflower are tender. Turn the heat up and uncover the pan and sauté, stirring constantly. Saute for 5-6 minutes, till the excess moisture at the bottom of the pan has evaporated. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

I recently bought the muscat orange champagne vinegar from Trader Joes. It is delicious. I made a blood orange salad and used this vinegar and it was unbelievable. I paired it with extra virgin olive oil and a bit of honey. The vinegar is very soft and subtle, yet very flavorful.

I would love to know which vinegars you have in your pantry…

1. All purpose white vinegar- it really is an all-purpose vinegar. It can be used for cooking and cleaning. If you ever run out of a particular vinegar- use this one.
2. White wine vinegar- delicious in any salad dressing and/or a sauce.
3. Balsamic vinegar- I use this for everything, mostly an everyday salad dressing. A bit of balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper – just drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and you are done…
4. Rice vinegar- Great for stir fry sauces, etc.
5. Red wine vinegar- I consider this an all-purpose vinegar as well. Good have.
6. Sherry vinegar- Special vinegar- for spanish dishes and to give a kick to your usual salad dressings.
7. Malt vinegar- I used it for some Indian recipes.
8. Raspberry vinegar- Same as sherry vinegar. Great to have. This goes fabulously well with walnut oil and makes a great salad dressing.
9. Champagne vinegar-Special occasion vinegar- love it.
10. Apple Cider vinegar- Any time I add apples to a salad, I use this vinegar to make the salad dressing.