Thin Crust Pizza & Sauce

I did something crazy on Saturday...

Had 16 middle school girls in my house!

And to make it more fun... we did this:

 Made our own pizzas!

We all had a blast and it went really, really smoothly!  No pizza crusts stuck to the ceiling, nothing smashed on the floor (aside from one grape), no burnt pizzas or fires, and no shortage of food or fun!

Anticipating the entire volleyball team including all 4 coaches to come, I prepped enough dough (5 batches) and sauce (2 batches) to make 22 personal-size pizzas.  It was incredibly easy, quick to make (two days before the party), and wonderfully scrumptious!  I would like to try it with whole-wheat crust, similar to my previous posting of Herbed Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough, but for the palate of 11 and 12 year olds, this was perfect.

The recipe I used is of course, from Test Kitchen (technically Cook's Illustrated Magazine), and make 2, 13" pizzas.  The dough can always be frozen if you want to save one for later!

Dough:
Ingredients:
3 c. bread flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. instant or rapid rise yeast (I used 1 tsp regular)
1 1/2 c. ice water
1 T. vegetable oil, plus more for work surface
1 1/2 tsp. table salt

Directions:
In food processor fitted with a metal blade, process flour, sugar and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds.  With machine running, slowly add the water through the feed tube until no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds.  Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
Add oil and salt to the food processor and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of the workbowl, 30-60 seconds.  Remove dough and knead briefly on a lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute.  Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to 3 days.

Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid discarded
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Process all ingredients in the food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pizza:
*NOTE*: I baked at 425 (since parchment paper can't go in a 500 degree oven) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper so that the transfer for each individual pizza was cleaner... it worked just fine, but did not give a crispy crust like following these directions will.

One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to second highest position and set pizza stone on rack, heat oven to 500 degrees.  Remove dough from fridge and divide in half.  Shape each half into smooth tight balls and place on lightly oiled baking sheet, covering loosely with plastic wrap coated with oil.  Let sit one hour.
Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and gently flatten into an 8" disk, leaving 1" of outer edge slightly thicker than center.  Using hands, gently stretch disk into a 13" round, working along edges and giving the disk a quarter turn as you stretch.  Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over surface of dough, leaving a 1/4" border.  Add on cheese and desired toppings, making sure not to add more than 4-6 ounces.  Bake 10-12 minutes on preheated pizza stone.

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Green Chicken Enchiladas

Though the photo portrays a mass amount of greasy cheese, the recipe is really low-fat and super duper yummy!  Test Kitchen strikes again!

Green Enchilada Sauce:

Ingredients:

3 poblano chiles, stemmed and seeded (or 5 jalapenos)

1 pound tomatillos (about 12), husked, washed and dried

Vegetable oil spray

1/4 c. chicken broth

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves

1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Arrange the chiles, skin-side up and tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet and spray with oil.  Broil vegetables 6" from broiler until blacken and begin to soften, 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Remove veggies from the oven, let cool slightly, then remove the skin from the chiles.  Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, 30-60 seconds.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 recipe enchilada sauce (above)

1 c. finely crumbled feta cheese (4 oz)

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 (6") soft corn tortillas (I used whole-wheat flour tortillas)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Combine chicken and sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, 10-15 minutes.  When it's simmering, cover rand cook until chicken is done, 10-15 more minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred into bite-size pieces.  Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup of the sauce, feta, chiles, and cilantro in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with oil spray.  Place 6 tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until they are soft and pliable, 2-4 minutes.  Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla.  Tightly roll each and lay seam side down in a 9x13" baking dish. 

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Pour 1 cup more sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar.  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through about 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer. 

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Sweetheart of a Husband

I had a really... long... day...

but, I was greeted at home with this:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Moonstruck Chocolates, and Red Roses

And this:

Grilled Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Skillet Asparagus!

Not to mention, it all came with folded laundry and a clean kitchen!

I love my Valentine. :)

Recipes for dinner to follow...

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Wheat Pita Bread

I thought for sure I had already posted this, but I can't find the post anywhere, so here it is again!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Stir together water and yeast in the bowl of a kitchenaid mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Let stand for 5 minutes, or until yeast is dissolved and foamy.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Turn mixer to medium speed and knead for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a greased glass bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.  
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

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Hummus

This goes really well with our cracker or pita bread recipes... Pita Bread recipe to follow!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
5 Tbsp. water
1/4 c. tahini (this is sesame paste... let me save you trips to 5 grocery stores and hours searching every aisle, and tell you it's in the peanut butter section!)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small garlic clove, mined
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend til smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Put in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour.  Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

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Breakfast Strata

This was fantastically delicious.  I had too many eggs so I wanted to make an "egg dish" for dinner... Mac and I both looked forward to the leftovers every breakfast after until it was eaten up!

Cal per serving: 340
Fat: 18g
Cholesterol: 255 mg
Carbs: 23 g
Protein: 16 g
Fiber:  g
Sodium: 1050mg

I'll try not to make this too much a novel, but I think some of the key steps have really interesting points:

1. Use bread cubes and toast them: Strata is traditionally made with layers of sliced bread... dried bread cubes of bread don't overwhelm the texture of the custard and allow the strata to souffle slightly.
2. Toss the bread with the custard: Whereas traditional stratas are built in layers, Test Kitchen found it best to toss everything together to make sure the bread gets evenly soaked through.
3. Weight the strata and let it rest: It is important to press it and let it sit for at least an hour to give the bread time to absorb the custard.  Using a zippie full of dry beans or sugar is a great weight.  It can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking; the longer it rests, the more flavorful it will be.
4. Use a flavorful and lower-fat cheese: Replacing cheddar with feta helps cut a lot of fat and calories without sacrificing flavor.

*DO NOT substitute oil for the butter or lowfat/skim milk... they are both important for the richness of this dish*

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf supermarket french/italian bread cut into 1/2" cubes (4 cups)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped coarse

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used 1/4 c. chicken broth and skipped the wine step in #2)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c. whole milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

8 oz. sliced white mushrooms plus 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275.  Bake bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet until thoroughly dry and crisp, 30-40 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms (if using) and cook, covered until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7 minutes.  Uncover and continue to cook until the pan is dry and the mushrooms are well browned, about 10 minutes longer. [if leaving out mushrooms, cook the onion for 5 minutes, uncovered].

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the spinach and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.  Add the wine to the skillet and reduce to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes; set aside to cool separately.

3.  Lightly oil an 8" square baking dish.  Whisk the eggs, reduced wine, milk, salt, and pepper together.  Stir in the spinach mixture, 1 cup of the feta, and the dried bread cubes until well combined.  Pour the mixture into the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap.  Weight the strata down with a large zippie full of sugar or dry beans.  Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

4.  When ready to bake, heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Remove the weight from the strata, let stand at room temp for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with the remaining feta.  Bake until the surface is puffed and the edges pull away slightly from the dish, 50 to 55 minutes.

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NEW AND IMPROVED Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm always hesitant to try reduced-fat, less-sugar cookie recipes due to the fact that they tend to just make really tough, bland cookies.  BUT, I've found the recipe that fools everyone! The new and improved Chocolate Chip Cookies from Healthy Test Kitchen Cookbook!

It drop the calories from 290 to 120, the fat from 15g to 5g, and the cholesterol from 55mg to 20mg. And they taste AMAZING!  The process is slightly more labor intensive than a regular batch of cookie dough, but I promise... if you want to cut the calories, it's well worth it!

We subbed Heath Bar crumbles for the chocolate chips on this go around...

KEY POINTS:

• Brown the butter
• Whisk and rest the butter
• Underbake the cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (next time I will probably use half whole-wheat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 3 to 5 minutes.  Transfer the browned butter to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until completely melted.

Whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla into the melted butter until incorporated.  Whisk in the egg until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, about 30 seconds.  Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.  Repeat his process of resting and whisking twice more until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.  Stir in the flour mixture and 6 tablespoons of the chips until combined.  (I use my KitchenAid for this entire process, and also throw in all the chips at this point).

Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.  Press the remaining 2 tablespoons of chips into the tops of the cookies.

Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft, puffy, and underdone, 8 to 11 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

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Bruschetta

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and chopped medium

1/3 c. chopped fresh basil

Salt and Pepper

1 (12" by 5") loaf crusty Italian or French Bread (we used Sourdough), sliced 1" thick

1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix the tomatoes and basil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Adjust an oven rack 4" from the broiler element and heat the broiler.  Place the bread on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 2-7 minutes.

Rub the garlic clove over one side of the toasted slices and brush with the olive oil.  Drain the tomato-basil mixtures of excess liquid and spoon it over each slice of bread before serving.

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Zesty Salad Dressing

The lovely Mrs. Wade requested a homemade alternative to the "Zesty Italian Dressing" used in Marinated Veggie Salad.  This has sent me on quite the hunt... unfortunately, "Zesty Italian Dressing" is simply a creative marketing title rather than a description of a commonly used dressing recipe.  So, I decided to look up the ingredients in Kraft's dressing and compare them to my TK cookbooks dressing recipes.

This is the ingredient list in Kraft's Zesty Italian:
Water, Soybean and/or Canola Oil, Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Contains less than 2% of Garlic (Dried), Garlic, Red Bell Peppers (Dried), Onions (Dried), Xanthan Gum, Spice, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium Edta and Sulfiting Agents As Preservatives, Oleoresin Paprika.


This is what we're replacing it with:


3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. red or white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. minced red onion
1/2 tsp. dried herb (tarragon, dill, basil, or oregano)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
Salt and Pepper


Process in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Let me know what you think!

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Marinated Veggie Salad

This was a salad served at the party last weekend, courtesy of the honored-guest's mother-in-law! Enjoy!

1 - 2 english cucumbers, sliced thin
1 container of seasoned mozzarella balls, drained, cut in half
1/2 purple onion thinly sliced
1 container grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch of chives, chopped (or the green ends of small onions)
1 can black or burgundy olives, halved (or 1 can sliced black olives)
1/2 bunch asparagas, thinly sliced and blanched
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
4 - 5 small red, yellow or orange peppers, sliced thin into rings
1 can hearts of palm, drained and sliced thin
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 cup Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing, or to taste.  I try not to make it too soupy.
 
Put everything in a large bowl and mix it up!  
 
The amounts of items can be increased or decreased depending on the number of people you want to serve.

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