Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

  We have given up on eating out since moving to Christchurch. In the US, the options are endless, it's cheap and there is a drive thru at all of them. Convenience, Options, Cheap= US Fast Food. Why do I miss Taco Bell so much? Oh man, I could use a bean burrito with extra red sauce and a 7 layer burrito. Alas, our least favorite fast food options are available here: KFC, Mc Donald's and Burger King. And they all cost us $20+ (!!!!) to eat one meal! In short, Fast Food is just not appealing here. That's a blessing in disguise. We never ate much in the US, but it was there when we wanted it. Anyways. We've learned to make our own food for everything we love from take-away (sushi, burgers, chicken sandwiches, subs, breakfast foods, etc.) and we think homemade is the way to go. My only snag was with pizza. We tried a few less than stellar pizza shops and wondered how people got by on those shops and were about to forget about a thin crust pizza ever being available again. Then we discovered La Porchetta. It wasn't stellar, but it was close. But it was also $15 for a pizza with a handful of veggies on top. I've tried a few recipes with no luck copying the crispy, thin crust. Until now....YES!

Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

recipe from here.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add flour and salt, then mix gently with a wooden spoon. Flour your hands and mix the dough well. To make one large pizza, just press the dough into a pizza pan, top with desired toppings and bake at 190C (375F) for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

I made 3 personal pizzas from the dough. One large, one medium and one small. I'm so glad to have discovered this recipe- thin crust pizza was the last take away we were unable to replace at home... well now I can make it at home in just about as much time as it takes to order and pick it up, and it's better for us and cheaper to boot.

David had grapeseed oil, tomato and basil. Next time we'll use fresh basil... yum!

James had grapeseed oil, tomato and black olive.

Mine had blue cheese mixed into the dough, and I topped it with grapeseed oil, mushrooms and kalamata olives. Delicious!

Best Easy Beef and Broccoli

This recipe was so easy and delicious I just had to share it with you! It has been ages since I have had beef and broccoli, with the last time being at Panda Express in Southern California (do they even use real beef!? I don't think I want to know...). I'm sure that if I were able to eat there today, I would not. Which is why I am glad to be experimenting in the kitchen with yummy home made alternatives to the fast food options that are so low quality and high priced! This was so easy to prepare in about 15 minutes, and it was less than 30 minutes from starting the rice to eating at the dinner table. Faster than take away!

The Best Easy Beef and Broccoli 

recipe adapted from here and rated 4.5 stars after 352 reviews!


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), divided
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak, cut into strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets
2 small onions, sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
hot white rice

Method:

Prepare your rice according to directions.
In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
Add beef and toss.
In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef is nearly done, then add broccoli and onion. Cook until broccoli is soft and onion is translucent.
In a separate bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth.
Stir into beef and broccoli mixture until covered. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Serve over hot white rice and enjoy!