Pizza, AGAIN! ;)

OK!  I know you read the last blog post, and weren't very impressed.  Well, you ain't the only one Honey!  Here is the pizza recipe I use EVERY time I make this yummy supper staple, for most Americans anyway!  

Mandy's Pizza dough

• 2 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups warm water (you might need a little extra)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 
  
• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let it sit until creamy; (usually about 10 minutes).  Stir the olive oil, corn meal, salt and 4 cups of the flour into the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, usually about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume; about 1 hour, I use my microwave.  Deflate the dough by punching it once, (good way to get frustrations out too!) and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into the desired shape, cover it with your favorite toppings and bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for about 20 minutes or until the crust and cheese are golden brown.

I know this recipe will make you happy and you'll come back again and again!  My kids have even helped me with this recipe, so this is pretty much accident resistant!  :)

And it sure makes my hubby happy since we usually have all the ingredients here at the house...making it seem free!  Otherwise, it's no more than $5 to make 3 pizzas your family will love, and you can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want to be!  Have fun and ENJOY!

Oh and, HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!  :)

Take-Out Favs, Made HEALTHY! #5

#5~Who doesn't love pizza?  I know my family does, I have found, and altered, a great pizza recipe.  Keeping it simple and using light toppings are the secret to a yummy pizza.  Instead of overloading it with sauce and cheese, this one is topped with lightly cooked onions, fresh tomatoes, and just a touch of mozzarella.

Pizza Margherita
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp warm water
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pack active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz part skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Combine the water and sugar in a small bowl, sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, usually about 5 min.  Combine the two flours and salt in a running food processor, add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and pulse until dough forms a smooth ball.  Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap very tightly and let it rise in a warm place, (I use my microwave), about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.  While dough rises, heat the oil in a saucepan.  Add onion and garlic, cook until golden, then add tomatoes and pepper.  Cook until softened.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees and move racks so the oven is divided into thirds.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Punch down the dough.  Lightly flour your work surface and the rolling pin, roll dough into a 12 inch circle and lay on baking sheet, you may need to stretch it a bit.  Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and let rest for 10 min.  Bake on the lowest rack for 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp.  Spoon the tomato mixture onto the baked crust, top with mozzerella and bake until cheese melts and begins to brown.  Sprinkle with basil and cut into 4 slices.


*Per serving (1 slice):  309 Cal, 8 g Fat, 3 g Sat Fat, 13 mg Chol, 348 mg Sod, 47 g Carb, 4 g Fib, 14 g Prot, 214 mg Calc.  Points:  6.*


           

Take-Out Favs, Made HEALTHY! #3 and #4

#3~I am German-Irish, therefore, I have a quick temper, can drink just about anyone under the table, aaaaaand...I LOVE POTATOES!!!  Here is a recipe that combines two of my favorite foods:  potatoes and Mexican food!!  This recipe is perfect for lunch or a light supper, I used a baking potato because it's low in moisture and high in starch, making it perfect for baking and mashing!  Enjoy!

Mexican-Style Stuffed Potatoes
2 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
6 Tbsp nonfat sour cream
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/4 tsp salt
8 drops hot sauce
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup salsa
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place the potatoes on the middle oven rack and bake until fork-tender, (usually about 45 minutes-1 hour).  Leave the oven on, and cut the potatoes in half, lengthwise.  Scoop the inside of the potato out into a bowl, leaving about a 1/2 inch border attached to the skin and set the skins aside for later.  Add the sour cream, milk, salt, and hot sauce to the scooped potato in the bowl, use an electric mixer to combine till smooth and creamy.  Stir in the scallions.  Spoon the mixture back into the skins and sprinkle with cheddar.  Place on a small baking sheet and bake until filling is hot and cheese is melted, usually about 10 minutes.  Garnish with salsa and cilantro.
*Per serving~(one stuffed potato half):  205 Cal, 2 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 7 mg Chol, 299 mg Sod, 41 g Carb, 4 g Fib, 7 g Prot, 132 mg Calcium.  Points:  3*




#4~There is one Mexican dish my family loves and they're always ordering them when we go to the local Mexican Restaurant...it's Enchiladas!  Enchiladas are a comfort food that's filled and rolled, then baked in a yummy sauce.  I love them too, but they aren't very healthy, so here is the recipe I use:  enjoy!

Family-Style Chicken Enchiladas 
1 tsp olive oil  
3-1/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1-19 oz can enchilada sauce
4 fat free flour tortilla
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 small ripe olives, sliced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 7x11-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat, add oil, then add the chicken.  Cook, until browned, (usually about 8 minutes), transfer to plate.  Add onions, garlic, and seasoning to skillet and cook until onions are tender.  Stir in the chicken and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, heat through.  Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in oven to warm for about 10 minutes.  Fill each tortilla with 1/4 of the chicken mixture.  Roll up and place, seam-side down, in the baking dish.  Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese and olives.  Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Let stand 5 minutes and serve.
*Per serving (1 enchilada):  342 Cal, 9 g Fat, 2 g Sat Fat, 55 mg Chol, 738 mg Sod, 40 g Carb, 2 g Fib, 25 g Prot, 207 mg Calcium.  Points:  7*

    

Take-Out Favs, Made HEALTHY! #1 and #2

1.  Deli Specials:
Recently tortillas have been outsaling bagels and English muffins, this isn't a surprising fact, they are so easy to use and they are WAY cheaper!!  Any skilled cook can turn a tortilla into anything, from a taco to an enchilada to a quesadilla.  Below I will show you how to make a chicken salad wrap, the cruchiness of the veggies contrast nicely with the soft tortilla...and the salad can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you are ready to create your wrap.  This recipe is healthy as well...and approved by Weight Watchers, (nutrition info listed with *)!  Enjoy!

Crunchy Chicken Salad Wrap
1-1/2 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup English cucumber, diced
1/4 cup celery, minced
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup fat free mayo
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp black pepper
4- fat free flour tortilla
4- red leaf lettuce leaves
Combine the chicken, cucumber, celery, scallions, parsley, mayo, lemon juice, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Warm the tortillas according to package directions.  Divide and layer the lettuce and chicken mixture on the tortillas.  Roll up, fasten with toothpicks, and cut diagonally in half.  Makes 4 servings.
*207 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 40 mg Chol, 302 mg Sod, 29 g Carb, 1 g Fib, 19 g Pro, 100 mg Calc~Points Total: 4*


2.  Chinese Classic:
Hot and Sour soup is the perfect chill-chaser to make on a cold winter evening.  The chili-garlic sauce-found in bottles or jars in the Asian section of most supermarkets-adds just the right kick, and the wook-ear mushrooms lend an air of the exotic.  Wood-ear mushrooms, also known as black or tree fungus, can usually be found in the dried-mushroom section of your supermarket's produce department. 

Hot-and-Sour Soup
6 dried wood-ear mushrooms
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1Tbs chili-garlic sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp Asian (dark) sesame seed oil
1/2 lb reduced fat soft tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced
2-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water
1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 Tbsp water
Combine the wood-ear mushrooms with enough hot water to cover by 2 inches in a small bowl; let stand 15 minutes, then drain.  Bring the broth, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add the drained mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots.  Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir in about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid, then return to the pan.  Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.  Remove from heat; slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the soup while stirring in a circular motion.  Serve at once.  Makes 4 servings.
*1-1/3 cup servings, 124 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 4 mg Chol, 794 mg Sod, 14 g Carb, 5 g Fiber, 10 g Prot, 30 mg Calc~Points Total: 2*

We ALL have problems!

And I have figured out my problem, I am a PACK RAT!!!!  I keep everything!  I know, you're thinking, yeah right, she's clearly not as bad as she's saying.  But I really am, example:  I still have every piece of school work my three oldest kids have done from Pre-K up to 5th grade, and I mean EVERY PIECE, not just artwork, but the whole shebang!  From math to science and even to Scan tron sheets...I've got it ALL!  There are three very large neatly piled TV boxes in the back of my closet, hidden to the naked eye, but if you move my prom dresses and wedding dress; surprise!  There they are!  (and yes, I did say prom dresses, I still have all four of mine...from 1992-1996...you never know when you might need a good evening gown!)  

Anyway, I think you've got the gist of it...I am a pack rat!  Well today the pack rat in me paid off because I found a recipe from my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Florence Gorham, I loved this teacher!  She always brought in "Gravel Candy", not to mention the fact that she had a SNAKE as a pet, he lived with us in the classroom, (his name was Killer), I believe this is where my love for snakes began:  this or with my Grandpa, Bootsie, he used to catch snakes and we would play with them, or just watch them try to climb up their 25% incline paved driveway, (they couldn't get traction, so they'd slither, slither, slither just as hard as they could and never get anywhere!  It was a very funny sight.).  Anyway, between the snake and the gravel candy, I was a very happy girl!  Below I am sharing the gravel candy recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as all of us in Mrs. Gorham's 4th grade class did!  

Gravel Snack Candy

2 sticks butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1-12 oz bag chocolate chips

1 12 oz box Rice Chex cereal

1 box confectioners sugar

Melt the butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips together.  Pour the melted mixture over the Chex cereal and mix together, being careful not to crack the cereal.  Now sprinkle with the sugar and shake to coat.  Enjoy!

**This recipe only cost me about $5 to make and there's alot to put up!  This recipe keeps well and can be refrigerated to last longer.  HAPPY SHOPPING!**