Dinner for Saturday, Sept 19 -- White bean, basil, and sun-dried tomato pizza

We had quite a night last night, consisting of the balloon glow and a pub with live music. It was a lot of fun, but exhausting for me. So, tonight we're staying in. We're watching a movie (free from the library) and having pizza. While I worked on dinner, S worked on homework. But he did take a quick break from studying to roll out the pizza dough. I actually made the dough last week, and froze it after making it. This morning, I put it in the refrigerator to defrost. Pizza is a quick and easy meal that can be healthier and more affordable if you make it yourself.


Whole-wheat pizza dough

Ingredients:
1 packet of active, quick rise yeast
1 TBSP sugar
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
2 ¼ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp salt
2 ½ TBSP olive oil

Step 1: Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it starts to foam.

Step 2: In food processor, mix flours, salt, and olive oil until combined.

Step 3: While processor is on, stream in the yeast mixture.

Step 4: Process until the dough forms a ball on the blade and pulls away from the wall of the bowl.

Step 5: Remove dough to large oiled bowl and cover. Let it rise in a warm area for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough has doubled.

Step 6: Punch down dough. Place dough on a floured surface and knead dough. Divide dough into equal pieces and roll into balls.

Step 7a: Cover any dough that is going to be used the same day that the dough is mixed. Place in the refrigerator for one to two hours.

Step 7b: Individually wrap with plastic wrap dough that is not going to be used soon. Place wrapped dough into a freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.

Step 8: Bring the dough to room temperature.

Step 9: On a floured surface, roll or stretch dough into about a 10 inch circle.

Step 10: Use dough with your favorite pizza recipe.

I've used this dough recipe for a long time, and I'm honestly not sure where I got it from. But I noticed that Jessica at Johnstone's Vin Blanc has a similar recipe.


White bean, basil, and sun-dried tomato pizza

Ingredients:
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 (15 oz) can great northern or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 ball of pizza dough
¾ cup shredded fresh basil leaves
½ cup shredded, reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Step 2: Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl or measuring cup and pour enough boiling water over them to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain well, and chop into thin strips.

Step 3: Place beans, garlic, and oregano in food processor.





Step 4: Process until smooth.





Step 5: Roll out pizza dough. Place rolled out dough onto ungreased cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal, or onto a pizza pan.




Step 6: Spread bean paste over surface of pizza crust.



Step 7: Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and cheese.



Step 8: Bake in oven for 10 to 13 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted.

Recipe adapted from a recipe at Sparkpeople.com

Dinner for Friday, Sept 18 -- Keema with couscous

Since we're going to the balloon glow at the park tonight, I want us to have a filling dinner before we leave. That will make the festival fare less tempting. I’ve switched around the dinners that I had planned, and tonight we’re having a turkey-based Keema. Keema is a Pakistani ground beef casserole. But I don’t particularly care for beef. And we bought lean ground turkey meat in bulk at Costco for a really good price, so I’m substituting ground turkey for the ground beef. This recipe has been altered to make only 3 servings (one for me, one for S., and one to freeze).

Keema

Ingredients:
¾ lbs lean ground turkey
½ cup chopped onions
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup frozen peas
½ cup diced potatoes
¼ tsp of cinnamon (I omit this since I’m allergic)
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp ginger
½ TBSP curry powder
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Direction:

Step 1: Brown ground turkey in a pan with the onions.


Step 2: Add the tomatoes, peas, potatoes, and spices (including salt and pepper).



Step 3: Bring to simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Add water if it becomes too thick—it should have the consistency of chili.



Step 4: Serve over brown rice or whole wheat couscous.


Recipe courtesy of Sparkpeople.com and submitted by QuiltBugJ


It's not the most beautiful meal, but it's very hearty and delicious!

Update for last night

Starting Wednesday night, I was feeling really bad. I didn't eat the tilapia or noodles, although S. assured me that they were delicious. And he ate seconds. I wound up running a fever, and I was quite sick to my stomach. So we splurged and got S. some PJ's pizza for dinner. After a lot of gatorade and some black licorice, I'm feeling 98% better! Now onto my projects for today.

Project 1: New-to-me sewing machine
Last weekend, I met a very sweet couple outside in line at Cotton Babies. (They were having a large sale on reusable fabric diaper covers, bumGenius diapers, and people were practically camped out in line for these diapers! It was crazy!) Anyway, long story short, I quickly came to adore this couple. And when I mentioned that I like to sew, but no longer have a working sewing machine, the husband offered me his grandmother's old dressmaker machine. She rarely used it. And after she died, it accumulated dust in him mother's garage. They tried to sell it at a garage sale, but no one bought it. And so he offered it to me...for FREE! How awesome is that?! I admit, it's very dirty and needs to be oiled, but it works. I only see one minor repair need, and I can work around it for the time being. Today, I'm scrubbing the case and trying to remove all of the dust and dirt from the machine itself. It will be quite a task. Here's a before pic of the side. All that dark stuff is dust and dirt! Ew!

Project 2: Give the kitchen a good scrub.

Having been ill, I let the kitchen mess get away from me. Both sides of the sink are filled with dirty dishes, and there's flour all over the table. Ugh! But I want the place sparkling before I start tonight's dinner.

Project 3: Laundry

Need I say anymore?

Project 4: Go to the balloon race.

Okay, so this isn't really a project, but is something fun. I haven't been to a balloon festival since we lived in Albuquerque, and I really miss seeing the brightly colored giants! The balloon glow is tonight, and it sounds fabulous: "The Balloon Glow offers spectators a breathtaking view of inflated balloons lighted by their burners. Get up close and walk around the balloons... The event will conclude with a fireworks display beginning at approximately 9pm."

Spiced Chickpeas

While checking my email this morning, I noticed a link to delish.com. Naturally, I had to take a few minutes and browse the recipes. One recipe caught my eye: Spiced Chickpea "Nuts." These would be a great school snack for S. And it doesn't seem too difficult or too expensive--bonus! I love the delish.com description for them: "When roasted in a hot oven, chickpeas become super-crunchy. They're a great low-fat substitute for nuts when salty cravings hit." I can't wait to try this recipe!

Spiced Chickpea "Nuts"

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Step 1: Position oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 450 degree.

Step 2: Blot chickpeas dry.

Step 3: Toss chickpeas in a bowl with oil, cumin, marjoram, allspice, and salt.

Step 4: Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake, stirring once or twice, until browned and crunchy (approximately 25 to 30 minutes).

Step 5: Let cool on baking sheet for 15 minutes.

Sounds so easy! And it sounds like a recipe that S will love!

Halloween costume

It took me a while to decide what/who to go as for Halloween, but I've now decided. I'm going as Karai, leader of the Foot Clan. I found the above picture of her at Freaky Gaming. I think the base of the costume should be easy: black leggings, black long sleeve shirt, and hood. I'll sew the hood myself, as soon as I get a new (to me), working sewing machine. The body armor, on the other hand, may be a bit tricky. I don't know what to use to make it. Cardboard and tape? Paper mache? I'll have to think about this...

As for S.'s costume: it's a secret. I'll post pics of it after I'm done with it!

This week's dinners, revised

Last night, S. got home pretty late--too late for me to start dinner. So, we ate leftovers and sandwiches. Tonight, we at at Bobos, a noodle shop, on our way to see the free Dr. Zhivegas concert in Forest Park at the History Museum. Steven had the spicy salmon and noodles, while I had a veggie dumpling soup. Both were delicious. The tilapia is now defrosted, so we have to eat it tomorrow night. The plan is to now push Monday's dinner to Wednesday, Wednesday's dinner to Thursday, and Thursday's dinner to Friday. (Wow, that's confusing!) Tuesday's dinner will be made on Saturday. Sunday we'll have salmon patties and baked potatoes, because they're both very easy.

Monday, Sept 14's dinner -- Parmesan crusted tilapia with zucchini pasta

My husband, S., and I are trying to eat more fish. But fish is expensive. And we are on a pretty tight budget now that he's back in school for his MBA and I am not working. So, when we found tilapia on sale at the local grocer, we had to pick some up and freeze it. I put it in the refrigerator last night to defrost. Tonight, we’re having a healthier version of a parmesan crusted tilapia and some zucchini pasta using yellow squash instead of zucchini—we got a good deal on it at the farmers’ market last weekend!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia -- Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 tilapia fillets
2 TBSP breadcrumbs (preferably whole wheat)
2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried parsley
½ tsp dried oregano
½ TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP skim milk
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Step 1: Defrost tilapia. Rinse fillets, then pat dry with paper towels or a clean dish towel.

Step 2: In a shallow dish, mix breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and oregano.

Step 3: In another shallow dish, quickly mix milk and lemon juice.

Step 4: Working quickly, so milk doesn’t separate, place fillets in the dish with the liquids. Be sure to get both sides coated in the liquid mixture. Season the fillets with salt and pepper as desired.




Step 5: Dredge the fillets in the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture. Coat well.

Step 6: Heat a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan. Add fillets and cook on both sides until they flake easily with a fork. Remove from heat and let rest a few minutes before serving. Serve warm.




Zucchini ribbon pasta – since I’m serving this as a side dish, I quartered the original recipe:

Ingredients:
¼ pound fettuccini (see recipe below)
1 medium zucchini (I’m using a yellow squash)
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 TBSP parmesan cheese, plus ½ TBSP
1 TBSP finely minced parsley leaves (unfortunately, I have to use dried here)
¼ cup thinly sliced basil leaves
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
Salt, to taste

Directions:

Step 1: In a large pasta pot, cook pasta "al dente", 1 or 2 minutes less than the package instructions call for. Drain.

Step 2: Slice off ends of zucchini and discard. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a mandoline, or carefully with a sharp knife, slice zucchini into very thin (about 1/8-inch) slices, trying to keep some skin on each piece for color. Stack slices and cut in half lengthwise. Reserve zucchini ribbons in a large bowl.


Step 3: In the pasta pot, heat the olive oil over low-medium heat. Add garlic and cook until soft and translucent but not browned, about 1 minute.

Step 4: Add zucchini ribbons and 1 TBSP chicken broth, raise heat to medium-high and cook until zucchini is still somewhat firm but just cooked, about 3 minutes.


Step 5: Return pasta to pot and add remaining chicken stock; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until liquid has mostly absorbed into the pasta.

Step 6: Add 1 TBSP of the Parmesan, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and toss to combine. Season with salt, to taste.

Step 7: Serve garnished with basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger


Fresh pasta

Ingredients:
¾ cups whole-wheat flour
¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP olive oil
1 large egg

Directions:
Step 1: Combine flours and salt in food processor. Pulse a few times to mix.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together water, oil, and egg.

Step 3: With food processor on, pour the liquids into the dry ingredients in a slow and steady stream.

Step 4: Stop processing when dough starts to pull away from the sides of the food processor.



Step 5: Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap, and let rest in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.


Step 6: Roll out dough according to pasta roller’s directions.

**Note: This makes quite a bit of pasta, so I usually roll out the extra and let it dry, or roll it out, cook it, and freeze it for soups or casseroles.

Dinners for Sept 14 through Sept 18

This week’s dinners:

Monday: Parmesan crusted tilapia and zucchini pasta

Tuesday: Keema with ground turkey

Wednesday: Honey mustard roasted chicken and veggies

Thursday: White bean, basil, and sun-dried tomato pizza

Friday: Salmon patties and baked potatoes

Yogurt update

I wrapped the crockpot in two big, warm towels last night at about 9:30 p.m.




And when I woke up this morning, I had a big pot full of yogurt waiting for me! It firmed up quite nicely. I have to admit I was surprised that it worked so well. I even had some for breakfast with a little bit of homemade caramel sauce. Yum!



The rest, I put into an old yogurt container. My husband and I bought a lot of frozen strawberries in bulk for cheap, so he will be having strawberry and honey yogurt in his lunches!

Homemade yogurt

My husband enjoys taking Yoplait yogurts with him to school, but I really don’t like the list of ingredients. And I prefer the taste of homemade yogurt--especially with a little bit of honey and some chocolate chips. Therefore, I’ve been looking for an easy way to make homemade yogurt. I was excited when I found the following slow cooker yogurt recipe adapted from the A Year of Slow Cooking blog:

Yogurt:
4 cups of milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt to use as a starter for your first batch (Dannon is a good brand)
Powdered milk
frozen/fresh fruit or chocolate chips for flavoring
honey
thick bath towel

Directions:
This is an easy, but lengthy process. Be sure to set aside enough time to keep an eye on the yogurt.
Step 1: Plug in your crockpot, and turn to low. Add the milk. Cover and cook on low for 2-1/2 hours. Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

Step 2: When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 1 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine.

Step 3: Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation. Let it sit for 8 hours.

Step 4: After 8 hours, it will have thickened, but will be runnier than store-bought yogurt. You can add powdered milk to thicken it a bit. Set aside 1/4 cup of plain yogurt as a starter for your next batch.

Step 5: Mix yogurt with honey and chocolate chips or fruit. Pack into containers and refrigerate for up to a week.

Tomorrow, I’ll update this with photos and give my review of the recipe and process.