Fast & Easy Pizza Crust

Another great recipe from "The Best of the Best."

3/4 c. warm water
1 tbsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. flour (white or whole wheat - both work well)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. olive oil
cornmeal to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 450F. Lightly oil a 12" pizza pan (or a rectangular cookie sheet for thin crust). In a small bowl, mix warm water, yeast and sugar together. Let sit until yeast activates, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt and cornmeal. Add yeast mixture and olive oil and knead to a smooth dough, about 10 minutes (I only have the patience to knead for 5 minutes, and it still turns out okay). Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal and roll dough into a 13" circle and place on pizza pan. Crimp edges and add your favourite toppings. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Makes one 12" pizza. (We like our pizza crust a bit crispy, so we bake the crust on it's own for 7-8 minutes first - gives us time to prep our toppings - and then cut down a little on the baking time after the toppings are added).

Fettuccine Primavera

2 chicken breasts, cubed (optional)
2 tbsp margarine (we use olive oil)
1 garlic clove, minced
3+ c. chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
1 c. milk
1 can broccoli & cheddar soup
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 c. cooked fettuccine noodles (we use whole wheat spaghettini)

In a large fry pan or wok, stir-fry the chicken, oil and garlic until meat is cooked. Add veggies; continue to stir-fry for several minutes until veggies are tender-crisp. Stir in milk, soup and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta.

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets, blanched
1 medium head of broccoli, cut into florets, blanched
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. bacon bits
1 c. mayo
1 tsp. mustard

Toss cauliflower, broccoli, onion, cheese and bacon bits in a large salad bowl. Mix mayo and mustard. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Energy Bars

One of the many great recipes I've stumbled upon since discovering foodgawker.com. This was originally posted as a vegan recipe, but not being a vegan I just exchanged a few of the ingredients for what I had on hand. This is my adapted version.

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup raisins (or any other dried fruit)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp ground flax seed + 6 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flax seeds and water, then set aside. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then stir in raisins and chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, combine syrup, sugar and peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Combine nut butter mixture with flax seed/water mixture and stir. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture will be dry, but keep stirring. Press mixture into a sprayed 8×8 baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow pan to cool slightly before cutting into bars. (I also added 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and some wheat germ, as I found the batter to be very moist; it still turned out great - soft & chewy. You could easily increase the flax seed as well).

Sour Cream Cheddar Biscuits

2 c. flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp margarine or butter
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c. milk
1/3 c. sour cream

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Add margarine and blend well with pastry blender until mixture is fine crumbs. Add the cheese, ensuring that it is evenly distributed. Add milk and sour cream all at once; stir. Either drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking pan or place on a floured surface, pat down slightly and cut. (We like to top with additional grated cheddar cheese.) Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Yeilds approximately 10 2" biscuits.

Baked Omelette

1 tbsp butter/margarine
1 c. cottage cheese
3/4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 chopped tomato
3/4 tsp dill
1 tsp parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour
4-6 eggs, slightly beaten
chopped/diced ham (optional)

Melt butter in pie plate. Mix together all the ingredients. Pour into pie plate; bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes (or 10-15 minutes in the microwave).

Variation: red pepper, spinach and feta instead of tomato and cheddar.

Pizza Calzones

This meal is just the kind we'd have growing up, on a Saturday night, when my mom would be busy getting us all bathed and ready for church the next morning. Sometimes the quick, simple Saturday night dinners were our favourites!

2 cans crescent roll dough
1 can pizza sauce
pizza toppings
shredded cheese

Unroll one can of crescent roll dough onto a baking sheet, closing up any gaps in the dough. Spread pizza sauce over dough. Top with your favourite pizza toppings, and then top with cheese. Unroll another can of crescent roll dough over top of fillings, again closing any gaps by pinching dough together. Pinch edges closed with a fork. Bake at 375 for 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

300 gr. angel hair pasta or spaghettini
2 c. broccoli florets
1 lb. chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c. Asian Sesame salad dressing (I use almost double)
2 tbsp. soy sauce (again, almost double)
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 c. chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes. Meanwhile spray large non-stick skillet or wok with cooking spray; set to med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, and spices; cook one minute. Drain pasta & broccoli, and place in large serving bowl. Add chicken mixture and toss lightly. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve. (Snow peas, bell peppers and carrots also go well in this stir-fry).

Classic French Potato Salad

3 lb. small new potatoes
1/2 c. Kraft Classic Herb dressing (balsamic vinaigrette works well, too)
1/4 c. beef broth (or 1/2 packet of bovril powder mixed with water)
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 green onions, chopped
fresh ground pepper

Cook potatoes until just tender; drain. Halve (or quarter if using larger potatoes) cooked potatoes. Combine remaining ingredients. Toss with hot potatoes. Serve hot or cold. Keeps up to 3 days in fridge - tastes best the day after it's made.

Lettuce Wraps

1 lrg head iceberg lettuce
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. fresh minced ginger
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely diced or shredded (matchstick carrots work well)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 1/2 c. steam fried noodles
hoisin sauce

Cut across lettuce back from core. Fill sink with cold water. Push lettuce up and down in the water until lettuce leaves separate. Gently pull leaves away from core one at a time. Each leaf will form a natural cup. Remove leaves from water and dry. Stir-fry beef, garlic and ginger for 3-5 minutes. Add peppers, carrots and onion. Cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in noodles (should remain crunchy). Generously spread hoisin sauce inside lettuce leaf cup. Add in a serving of beef mixture, wrap up the leaf and enjoy!

California Salad

Salad:
1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and torn
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg. of corn chips

Dressing:
1 ripe avocado
1/2 c. mayo
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
1/4 c. oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

Assemble the first three ingredients of the salad. Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender except the lemon juice. Mix well, then stir in the lemon juice. Pour over salad just before serving. Add corn chips and shredded cheese, then toss and serve. (Add a grilled chicken breast to make it a meal).

Cheese & Broccoli Dip

An appetizer recipe I got from a friend... My favourite way to eat broccoli!

2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 c. broccoli
4 tbsp. finely chopped red pepper
1 c. mayo
1 c. sour cream

Cook broccoli; chop into small bite-sized pieces. Mix together with the rest of the ingredients and spread into shallow casserole dish. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips, baked pita triangles or raw veggies. (You can use up to half a cup less of mayo if you're trying to watch calories - the dip will still turn out just fine).