Recipe of the Week: Broccoli & Garlic White Pizza

I often hear people say, "Oh, you guys are healthy you probably don't eat pizza." Wrong. We love pizza at our house! But we never order pizza and rarely eat it out because we love rolling our own dough and making up creative toppings.

I've found that pizza is one of the best meals to get kids involved in the cooking as well as the eating. If you haven't got the time to mix up your own dough, there are some great ready-made doughs available at Trader Joe's and Fresh & Easy in whole wheat varieties. If there's pizza, there's always a party at our house. I can hear my little girls scraping chairs across the kitchen floor and pulling up to the counter to help mama. Meilani loves rolling out the dough. Giada loves adding toppings - or rather, eating toppings - while we prepare our pies.

Pizza is also an opportunity to get kids involved in selecting and trying new veggies. If they get to "decorate" their own personal pizzas with colorful toppings, they just might try eating them. We discovered a new fave pizza by using what we had in the pantry: milk, garlic, broccoli and canned black olives. The result was this Broccoli & Garlic White Pizza.

My friend Amy also just made us a fun "Mexican Pizza" by cooking black beans until they were mushy, then spreading them on pizza dough and melting cheddar cheese on top. Then she chopped up lettuce and tomatoes and onions and threw them on top when the pizza came out of the oven. Yummilicious!

Honey-Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

-1 package yeast or 2 tablespoons yeast (Make sure your yeast is fresh.)

-1 cup warm water

-1 tablespoon organic sugar or honey

-1 tablespoon salt

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-3 cups whole wheat flour

-2 1/4 cups unbromated, unbleached white flour (I like Trader Joe's brand.)

-1 cup cold water (filtered is best)
 
1. Proof the yeast: Add yeast to 1 cup warm water. Be careful not to get the water too hot. (Temperature should be 110-115 degrees if you want to be precise.) Wait about five minutes until yeast begins to bubble up in water.
2. Use KitchenAid or other high-powered mixer with dough hook attachment. Add yeast/water mixture, honey, salt, olive oil, flours and cold water. Mix together on low speed.
3. Increase spead and knead dough in mixer for 8-10 minutes. Dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl and look smooth.
4. Divide into 3 balls of dough. Store in Ziplock bags in the refrigerator (for up to 1 week) or in freezer.

Simple Garlic White Sauce

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup butter

-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1/4 cup flour

-1 1/2 cups milk

-1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1. Melt butter in small saucepan. Saute garlic.
2. Add flour and whisk together.
3. Allow to bubble and cook 3-4 minutes.
4. Add milk and whisk over medium heat until sauce thickens.
5. Stir in parmesan cheese and cook 3-4 more minutes.
6. Spoon over pizza.


Broccoli & Garlic White Pizza

Ingredients:

-1 recipe pizza dough (see above)
-1 recipe white sauce (see above)
-2 cups mozarella cheese, shredded
-1 head of broccoli, chopped
-1 can black olives, sliced
-whole garlic cloves (if desired)
-1 teaspoon fennel seed

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven to heat up.
2. Roll out pizza dough on to pizza pan or transfer to the pizza stone.
3. Top with white sauce.
4. Sprinkle with shredded mozarella cheese.
5. Top with broccoli and black olives. (You may add extra garlic cloves here if you really want that garlic flavor.)
6. Sprinkle with fennel seed.
7. Bake approximately 15 minutes until cheese bubbles and crust in golden brown.

Budget Bites: Haitian Squash & Sauce Beans with Rice

This week's "budget bites" feature comes compliments of our Haitian friend, Peter Constantin. Peter is staying with us for a week and he wanted to cook us some Haitian regulars. The Haitians live on rice and beans and prepare it many different ways, depending on what's available. Rice and beans are amazing together because they are a "complete protein," which means they contain all 20 amino acids that are bodies need. 

Another of our favorite side dishes is this squash dish using chayote. Squash is is full of beta carotene (great antioxidant) and Vitamin C. Those are two germ-fighters we want in our diet, especially during cold season. 

Both of these dishes are packed with nutrients and inexpensive to eat. We like to eat Haitian food and remember to pray for our friends in Haiti. Find more Haitian recipes here.

Pwatann Militon (Squash cut in sauce)

2 chayote, peeled

6 cups of water (approximate)
2 garlic cloves
1 green onion stalk
2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1. Boil water.

2. Meanwhile, peel to chayote and cut into match sticks.

3. Add chayote to water. Boil until tender. Strain leaving about 1 cup of water/liquid.

4. Smash green onions and garlic in mortar & pestel (or blender). Add to chayote mix.
5. Add thyme and tomato paste.
6. Simmer approximately 5 minutes in sauce.

Haitian Sauce Beans with Rice

FOR BEAN SAUCE:

Ingredients:

2 cups pinto beans

4 cups water

4 whole cloves

2 stalks fresh thyme

3 stalks fresh parsley

1/4 green pepper

1. Boil 2 cups beans in 4 cups water.

2. Add 4 cloves and 2 teaspoons salt to boiling water for flavor.

3. Boil until tender (you can press together with your fingers). 

4. Set aside to cool.

5. Take 1/2 beans from the water and add to a blender. Blend until smooth.

6. Add back to the beans in water.

7. Quarter green pepper and add one quarter piece to sauce. Add thyme and parsley.

8. Boil an additional 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

FOR RICE:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 stalk green onion

5 cups water

2 1/2 cups jasmine rice

2 teaspoons salt

1. Add olive oil to large pan. Break onion in half and saute in oil until fragrant.

2. Add 5 cups of water to pan. Bring to boil.

3. Meanwhile, rinse rice in a strainer under water. Add rice to boiling water.

4. Add salt.

5. Allow to boil until most of the water has evaporated. Then cover and lower temperature to simmer for approximately 20 minutes rice is fluffy.

Budget Bites: Love 'em Lentil Burgers

It's crunch time. We're in the process of selling our house and preparing for a year of serving in Haiti. My hubby is only working part-time for these few months. That means our budget is tight, tight, tight these days. I'm tempted to whine about it but I'll try the high road and make it into a food challenge. I'm starting a new occasional series on this blog called "Budget Bites," which features healthy, scrumptious foods that is cheap to make. I did something similar last fall when I took on the Great Pantry Challenge. I discovered lots of fun recipes just by scavenging through my own pantry. Only this time it will be individual recipes and the inspiration to possibly try out some new ingredients - not just your familiar staples.

A few months ago my hubby's cousins from Spain came to visit. I have a foodie friend in Maribel and she introduced me to some of her family's favorite eats including homemade Spanish Paella and Tapas (Spanish appetizers). On the simpler side, we also served up a lunch of lentil burgers together. I was shocked to watch her three kids and my two girls gobble these babies down.

What struck me later was how cheap these are to make and you still can have the "burger experience." Sign me up. If a "veggie burger" or anything "lentil" sounds blah to you, don't be a hater until you've tried these out. My carnivore soul was surprised. (Our family tries to eat vegetarian two to three times a week to save moolah and for health reasons but my Italian-Filipino upbringing still has me savoring my meat.) If you really want it to taste like a burger, skip the yogurt sauce and add your favorite condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayo or salsa.

We welcome all positive (and even negative!) feedback from our eaters!

Lentil Burgers

Ingredients:
-2 cups dried lentils
-1 onion, chopped
-1 green pepper, chopped (You could substitute zucchini.)
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-2 red cherry peppers, finely diced (My mom had these in her garden and my hubby likes the extra kick that's not too overpowering for my kids. You could try out a jalapeno for more heat or red bell pepper for a sweeter taste.)
-2 teaspoons sea salt
-1/2 teaspoon paprika
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-3 cups panko breadcrumbs (Japanese-style breadcrumb sold in most stores that add an extra crunch when you're breading something or other whole wheat breadcrumbs will work)
-1/2 cup olive oil

-1 cucumber, thinly sliced
-1 tomato, sliced
-8 whole wheat pita bread pockets or whole wheat buns
-1 cup plain yogurt mixed with a few drops of lemon juice
-mint or basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Put lentils into a large mixing bowl. Cover with water & let soak for an hour or overnight. (They will grow in the bowl so make sure yours is big enough.)
2. Chop onion, green pepper, garlic and hot pepper.
3. When lentils are soft, mix with immersion hand blender or food processor. You want the mixture to be a very coarse paste, not runny like hummus.
4. Heat skillet and add 1/4-inch of olive oil.
5. Stir chopped vegetables and spices into the lentils.
6. Pour half of the breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl or dish. Spread out along the bottom of the bowl.
7. Form a "hamburger pattie" in your hands with the lentil mixture. Immediately press into the breadcrumbs. Use a spatula to flip in breadcrumbs and help you transfer the pattie into the sizzling olive oil. Saute until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining lentil mixture.
8. Serve on a whole wheat pita bread or bun with slices of tomatoes and cucumber. Garnish with whole leaves of mint or basil and yogurt sauce.

Makes 12 burgers; Serves 6-8

Cooking Club enjoys ethnic food lesson from Ethiopian friends

Our Cooking Club celebrated the arrival of our friend Stacie's adopted son from Ethiopia with an Ethiopian Cooking lesson. Stacie's friends, Emebet and Desta, who are from Ethiopia, came over to teach us some traditional dishes. In the photo, Desta (far left) with daughter (in red) pose next to Stacie, Nathanael, me, Cori, Mary (holding Samuel) and Emebet is front and center showing off our "raw materials" before the cooking began.

Emebet and Desta first showed us how to make a garlic-ginger mixture that is used in the majority of Ethiopian dishes. They make this in large quantities so it is fresh and ready for cooking.

**To make ginger-garlic spice mixture: Cut tops off two heads of garlic. Separate cloves and peel. Chop cloves finely. Peel ginger, slice and chop finely. Add garlic and ginger together with 2 tablespoons sea salt. Use rolling pin to smash garlic and ginger together. (Used as a fresh spice for all types of Ethiopian cooking.)

Next we got to work on chopping all the vegetables and making our various dishes. This spiced red lentil dish quickly heated up the kitchen with its rich aroma. The Ethiopians use a spice mix called "berbere," which gives this lentil dish its complex flavor and spicy kick.

Split Red Lentils (Key Wot)


Ingredients:
2 red onions
5 tablespoons berbere (Ethiopian chili powder)
2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic mixture**
2 1/2 cups red lentils
2 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cardamom

1. Finely chop red onions.

2. Put large pot over high heat with 1 1/2 cup olive oil to coat red onions. Sauté until very tender.

3. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over red onions. Stir onions as they cook to soften.

4. Stir frequently but keep pot covered in between.

5. Reduce heat to medium.

6. Add berbere spice to pot.

7. Add 1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic spice mixture (prepared ahead of time) to pot. Stir in. You want it to be emulsified.

8. Cook approximately 5 minutes.

9. Add one can tomato paste to pot and stir vigorously to blend in. This will look like a tomato-onion paste.

10. Add ¾ cup water to pot with lentils. Cook 5 minutes until water simmers off.

11. Add 3-4 cups water to pot with lentils.

12. Add additional ½ cup of water at a time to see how the consistency looks & lentils are soft. Lentils will continue to absorb water. (You want watery split pea soup.)

13. Add additional heaping tablespoon of ginger-garlic mixture to pot. Stir in 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom.

**See recipe above. Used as a fresh spice for all types of Ethiopian cooking.

 This yellow split pea dish is inexpensive to make and very flavorful. Turmeric is added to the peas to give it a spiced flavor and deepen the color. Turmeric is supposed to be good for combatting Alzheimer's Disease and has many other healing qualities.

Alicha (Ater Keke)

Ingredients:

1 white onion

4 teaspoons sea salt

2 cups yellow split peas

1 teaspoon turmeric


Directions:

1. Boil 2 cups yellow split peas with 6 cups water until water is fully absorbed. Set aside.

2. Heat 6 cups of water in a kettle or pot.

3. Meanwhile, peel and slice 1 large white onion.

4. Put large pot on medium-high heat with ½ cup olive oil to coat white onions.

5. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt over onions.

6. Cover pot and continue to stir frequently.

7. Reduce heat to medium.

8. Add 1 ¼ teaspoon turmeric to the pot.

9. Add cooked yellow split peas to the pot.

10. Add 5 cups hot water from kettle.

11. Add 1 heaping tablespoon garlic-ginger spice mixture* to pot & blend in. Add additional two teaspoons of salt to dish (to taste).

12. Add additional teaspoon of garlic-ginger to mixture (to taste). **(Recipe above.)

This yummy vegetable dish called Gomen is made a variety of ways. Emebet explained that she likes hers plain without a lot of other spices but some Ethiopians add turmeric, which gives it a bright yellow color.

Gomen (Cabbage)


Ingredients:

1 large head green cabbage

1 large white onion

2 red potatoes

8 carrots

4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon garlic-ginger

*1 whole jalapeno (don’t open, put in whole pepper for flavor and remove after cooking) or ¾ green pepper, coarsely chopped (remove after cooking)



1. Chop onions and saute in large pot with 2 tabespoons olive oil. Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoon salt over onions.

2. Meanwhile, peel off outer layers of cabbage. Wash leaves. Coarsely chop whole cabbage head.

3. Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.

4. Peel carrots, quarter them lengthwise then cut into 2-inch wedges.
5. Add chopped cabbage to pot with one cup water and cover.

6. Add potatoes when cabbage is wilted and stir together. Cover pot.

7. Stirring frequently, cover pot, then turn down to medium heat.

8. Add carrots to pot. Cook 10 minutes.

9. Add heaping tablespoon of garlic-ginger mixture** (Recipe above.) to pot.

10. Reduce heat to low and keep covered. Cook additional 10 minutes.

 

After our meal was cooked, we served it up on Ethiopian bread called "injera," which is like a giant pancake/crepe. These were made homemade by a woman in Fresno. It's a 3-day process to make the bread so we bought it from her. Ethiopian food is then eaten with the hands and scooped up with the injera bread. We added a fresh fruit salad to cool some of the flavors. 

 We were all stuffed by the end of this fabulous vegetarian feast!