Homemade Pizza

Nothing like a little homemade pizza to get cha going. Or, in my case, get cha blogging. How have you guys been, anyhow? What's it been like 4 months since I've posted. Shaaame on me. It's been a great semester of school, and I am proud to say that I finished my last exam this morning! And I must say, Blogging was an obvious celebration technique for me. As is homemade pizza.

If you don't do this at home already, I highly reccomend that you try it soon. Start by buying some fresh pizza dough from the grocery store or make your own. I made this one out of a mix I found at the bulk barn. Just add water, black pepper, oil, and flax seeds.

Gather the kids, friends, and/or neighbors and let everyone add their own personal flare. You can't go wrong! My pizza is topped with spicy tomato sauce, spinach, tomatoes, green peppers and cheese--a valiant vegetarian combination, If I do say so myself.

Old School Stir-Fry

Okay, so I don't actually know what "Old School Stir-Fry" would refer to exactly--but I do know that I am attending a very old school, and that that is where I made my stir-fry!

Students, I understand the challenges that arise from living at school, around school, and near school. It is far to easy to to run to the closest subway and grab dinner as opposed to making something which could take half an hour. I hear you. I came this close to not making food tonight as well. But I had vegetables in the fridge that would go bad if I didn't use them, and that's just money that I don't have down the drain. Or in the garbage.

So. Reality is that we want easy to cook food. This recipe is composed of veggies, pasta, and a 6 ingredient sauce. Ready for it?

Note: If you are up for a sauce which takes more time, but would probably taste even better, I will add that option to the directions.

P.S. Here is what the food actually looks like amidst my school life:

Not as glamorous. Just as delicious!

Ingredients:

1 serving linguine noodles

1 cup chopped veggies (I used yellow and green peppers, bok choi, broccoli, and zucchini)

1 Tbsp canola oil (for the pan)

Sauce Version 1 (I have nooo time, version)

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp. hot sauce (add to your liking)

sprinkling of chili flakes

Sauce Version 2 (I have some time to cook, version)

1/2 c chicken stock

3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp sherry or Chinese cooking wine

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp peanut oil

3 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

(ingredients are mixed into a sauce before being poured onto the noodles and veggies)

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions, about 8 minutes.

2. Mix sauce in a separate bowl and set aside

2. Meanwhile, heat canola oil in a pan/wok on medium-high. When pan is hot, add veggies (starting with the peppers and broccoli--bok choi goes with a minute left to go) and cook until desired tenderness. Add sauce and lower heat.

3. Place noodles in pan and toss everything together until the sauce is dispersed.

4. Taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly.

5. Eat with chop sticks! (I think it tastes better this way.)

Kitchen Sink Chili

Does anyone out there not like chili? Okay, there are a few of you. And you have my special permission to skip over this post (Oh don't, your call...), but if you do enjoy the rich tomatoey flavor of chili, and the buttery bread which you may dip into it, take note!

This one is a keeper.

I have posted about chili before (see here), and that recipe is still a great standby for me. It takes less ingredients and only about an hour from start to finish. It's very forgiving.

But for tonight's dinner I pull another recipe from theBite Me files, (Cookbook by Julie Albert & Lisa Gnat). Just wait until you see what lies behind it's rich flavor! I'll give you a hint...it rhymes with BOGO.

Can you guess??

The rich flavors are enhanced by many spices including cumin, chili powder (of course!), oregano, cayenne, Aaaaaaaaand....

Cocoa powder. If you can believe it. The cocoa gives the chili, not a chocolately taste, but a deepened rich flavor.

It's meaty (if you want--vegetarian works too!), vegetab-ly(?) and delicous, and I had a simple time preparing it. You can do it over the stove top if you prefer, or if you're like me and don't have time to spare, the slow cooker works perfectly fine! (Just remember to pre-cook your meat and onions.)

Serve with caesar salad, a ciabatta loaf, cheddar cheese, and red wine.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large red bell peppers, chopped

2 c sliced white mushrooms

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 c canned chopped green chili peppers, drained

1 (28oz/796ml) can diced tomatoes with juice

2 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 c canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 c mild salsa

1 c vegetable broth

1/2 c cous cous (optional)

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

Shredded Montery Jack or cheddar cheese, for topping

Directions:

1. This recipe can be cooked either in a large soup pot over medium heat, or in a slow cooker on high.

2. For a meat version (optional), brown ground beef prior to placing into the slow cooker. Also brown the onions in a small amount of canola oil. Add to the slow cooker/pot and season with chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.

2. Next add the red peppers, mushrooms, carrots, minced garlic and chopped green chili peppers. (If using a pot, cook approx. 5 minutes before going on to the next step, stirring occasionally). Stir in diced tomatoes, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, salsa, vegetable broth, couscous, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat/allow to simmer in slow cooker. On the stove reduce heat to low, and in the s-cooker, to medium. Simmer gently covered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn and serve in bowls, topped with shredded cheese.

Springtime Spring Rolls

Springtime is here!

(Or at least the weather is!) 11 degrees 3 months from now will be tragic, but for now I LOVE it!

Another good sign of spring's arrival is the increase in students appearing (out of hibernation) around campus. All of a sudden students are assembling themselves where the sun and fresh air is. Good news travels quickly apparently when it comes to weather.

Something else that spring brings? For me, I feel a sudden desire to put the stew cookbook back on the shelf, and to dust off those which contain lighter options. And this week, a trip to the local market introduced me to a great one: spring rolls!

These little babies were vegetarian concoctions but I know you can also make them with meat, like chicken or shrimp.

They came with a sensational peanut sauce which I haven't tried to re-create yet. (Partially for fear of failure and also for lack of ingredients.) But I knew that I just had to try em, so the next time I went to the grocery store I picked up the ingredients I needed and some sweet chili sauce for dipping. Sweet chili sauce is often used for spring rolls, so I knew that it would be tasty. I still crave that peanut sauce though...

Now you can try them at home too! You will wow your friends with a new hunger satisfying snack/meal that appears difficult to make, but in reality, is reeeeallly simple.

Here's what you do...

Ingredients:

(per 1 spring role)

1 rice paper wrapper--22 cm in diameter(you can find these at your local supermarket), soaked and softened

1 lettuce leaf

1 tsp shredded carrot

1 small spear of cucumber (about 2.5 inches long)

a few sprigs cilantro

a few rice noodles, cooked

a dipping sauce of choice (I used a thai sweet chili sauce)

Directions:

1. Soak the rice paper wrapper in water until soft an pliable (about 30 seconds), and place onto a plate or cutting board.

2. Place the lettuce into the centre of the wrapper, followed by the cucumber, carrots, a few cooked rice noodles and cilantro.

3. Follow these directions for proper rolling techniques.

Gluten Free Pizza with Pizazz!

So I’ve had a craving for pizza for like... .two weeks. So I finally bit the bullet and made what I thought would be a really complicated recipe, but it turned out to be super simple AND I had most of the ingredients I needed!

The secret to this delicious delicacy is the crust. Its not ORDINARY pizza crust.... because its much MUCH better! Its a two cheese baked rice crust and it is ynummy!

So, y’all ready for this amazing pizza that might turn YOU off of gluten too?

As the Iron Chef says... ALLEEEEEEE CUISINE!

What You’ll Need:

Crust

¾ cup Uncooked Brown Rice or 1 ½ cups Cooked Brown Rice

¼ cup Mozzarella Cheese

1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg White

Toppings

¼ cup Tomato Sauce

¼ cup Red Pepper

¼ cup Zucchini

2 Tbsp Red Onion

2 oz Pepperoni

¼ cup Mozzarella Cheese

Pinch of Oregano, Salt and Pepper.

1 Tsp Olive Oil

Crust

1. Cook ¾ cup rice and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grate ¼ cup of Mozzerella cheese, and mix with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Add 1 ½ cups of cooked brown rice, and egg white. Mix well.

3. On a greased baking sheet, mound the rice-cheese mixture and spread out evenly and gently with your fingers. The crust will be about ½ inch thick and will make an 8 inch circle.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.

Toppings

1. Chop Red pepper, zucchini, and red onion.

2. Sautee with 1 tsp of Olive Oil until tender. Add Oregano, salt and pepper.

3. Spread tomato sauce and sautéed vegetables on top of the baked crust, and add pepperoni and cheese.

4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.

5. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!

See? That wasn’t so hard! And I promise you won’t even miss the gluten with the scrumdidilyumptious crust!

A Breakfast Wrap

Do I like breakfast??

Ptcchyaaaa! (Translation: Yes, in fact I do!)

And I have discovered, (Well, Not Christopher Columbus or Alexander Fleming discovered, more like "woah, I just discovered that if I put the toaster on level 8, it burns the bread, kinda discovered.) the breakfast wrap.


And I'm kinda thrilled about it.

You can literally put anything into it, combined with eggs (or not!) and you have an instant, hold you till lunch, breakfast.

For my wrap, I like the combination of spicy jalapino peppers, two good quality free-range eggs, and parsley, all scrambled together, topped with cheese, and salsa, wrapped in a spinach tortilla. If I'm feeling quite hungry I would add some cooked sausage or perhaps a few strips of bacon or ham.

I'm thinking the next combination I try will have maple syrup in it somewhere. Perhaps I will fry some sausage in maple syrup and top the eggs with that, diced apples, and cheese. Yep. There's tomorrow's breakfast!

Place your desired toppings into the centre of the tortilla and then wrap it up*, enclosing the filling completely. When it is sealed I like to pop it onto the George Foreman Grill (or pannini press) for a few minutes. The grill takes even stale bread and gives it a really nice crunch and toasty-ness. Plus with the addition of heat, it combines the flavors inside the wrap nicely.

So give er a go, and see if you don't stay full for at least twice as long as usual. (Stay full longer by using a whole-grain tortilla, at least two eggs, and eating a piece of fruit on the side.)

*For proper wrapping techniques, you could check out this website, but I would recommend this one.

For a full rundown on the benefits of breakfast, you can check out this post.

Photo courtesy of http://www.portcityjava.com/images/secondaries/menu_graphics/b_wrap2.jpg

It's Not Delivery, It's Kraft

This is an ode to Kraft Pizza Kits.

Oh Kraft Pizza Kits, how simple you are.
The basics are covered,
every thing thought of ahead of time!
Parmesan cheese, oregano, sauce,
it is ALL there- ready for the cooking.
You have created a palate for me to work with,
a canvas to create art work on.
My art has become so delicious Kraft Pizza Kits,
and I can thank you for....

okay. okay. I just couldn't think of any other way to introduce a recipe that I didn't make from scratch at all. But I declare that Kraft Pizza Kits are undiscovered treasures, awaiting our creativity. What a fun way to create dinner with the kids; allowing them to pick their own toppings. Plus it really easy whip up if you don't have a lot of time/energy.

If you haven't given them a go before, please do. My family could make a pizza from scratch, but with this mix we always find excuses not to. For example, "it is too quick!" and "the sauce on this one tastes way better." So why mess with a good thing?

For a little inspiration, here is the pizza I made:


It plays host to:

• chopped ham
• green and red peppers
• baby spinach
• tomatoes
  
• oregano
• parm cheese
• tex mex cheese

Pasta Rose with Zucchini, Corn, Green Peppers and Ham

Pasta is great because it creates a palate for all of those leftover veggies and meats you have lying around in your fridge. (Not to suggest that I ignore my veggies and sometimes overstock meats! No sir, not I).

I had a packaged Knorr Parma-Rosa sauce sitting around as well, and bam-shabam, lunch was served!

And what a satisfying meal it was! The combination of the sweet corn with the salty ham and savory sauce was really nice, and the green peppers were a natural fit. The zucchini gave just a subtle crunch with not an overwhelming flavor. Seriously I couln't have made a better combination if I had planned it! (It really was, 'a little of this, a little of that' in the pan).


Vegetarians, a note to you: sub the ham for veg. ham or chicken and you have a great vegetarian lunch.

Be brave when you are making pasta! There is sooooo many things you can add to a basic tomato sauce, or a not so basic Parma-Rosa sauce (which is just a parmesean tomato sauce).


Keep in mind, any type of sauce will work. If you don't have a Knorr sauce mix or prefer a plain tomato one, that will be just as yummy. You have your own creative license over your pasta. If I was out of sauce mix, I would probably suggest an Alfredo sauce or blush sauce (tomato and Alfredo sauce combined).


Ingredients:

1 serving dry pasta ( I used vegetable fussili)
1 package Knorr Parma-Rosa sauce mix (+ 1/2 Tbsp. butter and 1 1/2 c. milk)
1/3 c. green zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. green peppers, chopped
2 slices deli ham, sliced
parmesean cheese

Directions:

1. Put water on to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile begin pasta sauce and cook as directed on the package. Boil pasta according to package directions.

2. In a sautee pan, simmer one serving of sauce, zucchini, frozen corn, green peppers, and ham for about five minutes. Put cooked pasta and some parmesean cheese into the pan, combine, and serve. Top with additional parmesean cheese.

Quick and Delicious (but Forgiving) Chili

Chili has become one of my favourite foods to cook. It is fast, delicious, filling, easy on the pocket book, and best of all, it feeds a crowd! You would be surprised at how many people just show up unexpectedly when I make it. Go figure!

This recipe is as its name suggests, so quick, and so delicious; which is funny because the first time I decided to venture into the chili world I actually had no idea how to make it. The basic ingredients were understood but in terms of amounts and those secret, what is in here? ingredients, I had no clue.

So, suffice to say, from the tomato base to the spice mix, I just about guessed on everything.

And it actually turned out really well! I have been working on the recipe ever since, playing around with different things, and have found chili to be such a forgiving dish. You don't really need to know how much chili powder to add...just throw some in there, taste it, and chances are it won't be half bad. (Let's be realistic of course!)

Here is the go-to recipe that I use. Feel free to change around the beans or meat, add or subtract flavors, and make it your own. (I have tried different spices like Chinese 5 spice for richness, cayenne for heat, etc.)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey (Note: Turkey is much leaner than beef and bonus, in chili you can hardly taste the difference)
1 small can tomato paste
1 c. tomato sauce (amt can be adjusted depending on how thick you like your chili)
1 can kidney beans (not drained)
1 small cooking onion
1 green pepper, diced
1 can tomatoes (or use the regular ones-- the canned ones just have great seasoning already "built in")
1 pre-packaged chili seasoning mix (Or use regular chili powder)
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Sautee onions in a large pot at medium heat until softened. Add your green peppers and (preferably) defrosted ground meat. Cook the meat until it is no longer pink and has been broken into small ground bits.

2. Add chili powder, the entire can of kidney beans (including the liquid- it adds flavor), the can of tomato paste, extra tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, and black pepper. Stir.

3. Simmer chili at low heat for at least 30 minutes and serve with cheese, nacho chips, sour cream, garlic bread, and/or cesar salad.

Note: Chili freezes great, but only freeze the chili after it has come to room temperature.

Photo courtesy of http://lukehoney.typepad.com/the_greasy_spoon/images/2007/10/04/chili_3.jpg

Vegetarian Chickpea and Peppers on Pasta

I am approaching the end of my school semester (finally!), but one of the things that comes with the territory, is a lack of food. Exams and stress aside, my pantry is slowly being emptied so that I don't waste anything as I head back home for the summer.

But not to worry, this story has a silver lining!

I have been forced to be really creative with the food I make! With only a few random ingredients, what is a person to do? It makes me smile actually because I like a good cooking challenge.

Of the remaining ingredients in my pantry, these were the ones I decided on: one lowly can of chick peas, vegi. fusilli, and Club house Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning spice.


They made a really yummy pasta that I will totally make again! The chick peas added an awesome source of protein and the pasta wasn't too heavy; great after workout food. Plus did I mention that I only used HALF the can of chick peas...this dish probably cost all of 1.00 to make.


I made a vegetarian version (because I am trying to eat a few vegetarian meals a week), but you could add chicken if you prefer. Fresh herbs and extra veggies would also be awesome. (Try parsley, or chives!)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Club House Seasoning - Roasted Garlic and Peppers
1 Serving dry vegi fusilli
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Water
1/2 Can chick peas- drained

Directions:

1. Mix Club house seasoning, water, and olive oil and set to the side. (The time it takes to sit re-hydrates the garlic and peppers in the seasoning) After a few minutes, toss with chickpeas and let sit while pasta is cooking.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions

3. Top cooked pasta with seasoned chick peas and serve.

A Healthy Greek Pasta

The other day I had a craving for a classic Greek salad, but figured that a dinner of strictly vegetables would not fill me up. My traditional Greek salad is composed of peppers, red onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and pepper. As you can see, it is missing the crucial carb element. So alas, I decided to take the ingredients (add in a few more) and turn it into a pasta.

The dressing is different, so I suppose it isn't technically a "Greek" pasta, but it was inspired by Greek food so it has earned the name: Greek pasta. Why bore anyone by changing the name to plain ol' pasta with vegetables. Bleh.

The first thing I said after trying the pasta was, "Hey! This tastes healthy!" and voila! A healthy Greek Pasta.

If you want to vamp up the sauce, like always I would encourage taking it from a plain tomato sauce, to a blush sauce. (Tomato and alfredo sauce combined).



Ingredients:

1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
Some diced red onion (if you wish)
Extra virgin Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 Tbsp. Oregano
2 c. Tomato sauce (any brand)
Pepper
Feta cheese
Dried pasta (2 servings - amt. depends on size of pasta)
1 whole chicken breast - sliced

Directions:

1. Set water to boil for pasta, and make sure to salt the water. In a separate sauce pan, saute in olive oil, the peppers and onions- about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and tomato sauce.
Simmer at a low heat.

2. When water boils add the pasta and cook to package directions- or until tender.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce.

4. Combine the sauce and pasta, and upon serving into bowls, top with crumbled feta cheese and pepper.