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!

Miniature Banana Nut Muffins

I had a few bananas that were needing to be used up so I decided to make some banana nut muffins. I bought a mini muffin tin at the Warehouse the other day and was excited to use it. It was on sale for just $10, so I snagged it to make mini muffins for my little guy. Turns out they are fun to eat for adults too! It's nice getting to eat more of them, rather than just one big muffin, and having smaller muffins means less baking time! An added bonus: you'll get more of the toasty outside as well! 

mini morsels

Miniature Banana Nut Muffins
makes 48 mini muffins


Ingredients: 

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pure cane sugar 
1/2 cup olive oil (you can use butter, but I took this opportunity to get some nutritious plant fats into our baking)
1 egg
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Grease your baking pan. You can use a mini muffin tin like me, or you can also make one 9x5 bread loaf, 12 regular muffins or 6 jumbo muffins. 

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar and salt. Sift or use a whisk and mix well.
Add oil, egg, bananas, vanilla and milk and mix until just combined. Add nuts, if desired.

my little boy loves to help in the kitchen. especially (only?) if I'm baking! turns out, it's challenging making banana muffins with a little monkey nearby- he ate half of the first banana. 

Fill muffin tin to the top so that you have a nice cap on top when they are done. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. If the tops start to brown before the muffins are baked through, move to the bottom rack. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

does it get any cuter than this!?

Is it bad that we have already consumed half of the first batch? Let's see... 12 mini's = 6 regular/ 3 people = 2 each. Sigh... not so bad! They're simply irresistible!

Quick and Easy French Toast

I came up with this idea one morning after trying to make french toast with really spongy sandwich bread. It was a soggy mess. James loves carbs for breakfast: pancakes, waffles, toast with jam, oatmeal, etc and it's difficult to get him to eat egg unless it is disguised smothered in ketchup, so this is an easy way to get half of an incredible egg into him!

Ingredients:
Makes 3 pieces of french toast

1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon butter for each slice
3 pieces of bread

Mix the egg, milk and salt until fluffy. Heat your skillet over medium heat and add butter. Holding a slice of bread in your hand, spoon the egg mixture onto it and cover surface well.

Place onto skillet and spoon egg mixture on top side as well. Flip when golden brown and cook for another minute or two.

Sprinkle with cane sugar and cinnamon and top with maple syrup to make it perfect. These reheat well in the skillet, and soon I plan to make a weeks worth so I can freeze them and pull them out, heat them in the toaster and serve. My little guy wakes up ravenous, so the faster I can have breakfast on the table, the better!

David and I enjoyed two slices each... so good! Like cinnamon toast crunch, only better for you!

James approves!

Zucchini Slice (Quiche)

I made this quiche this morning and it was so easy! Preparation took less than 15 minutes. After picking my husband up from an early morning class, we came home and I threw this in the oven to bake. 30 minutes later, we enjoyed brunch! He rated this 10.5 stars out of 10. That means it's a keeper- and good enough to share with you! Next time, I plan to add broccoli and tomatoes as well. What a wonderful veggie filled way to start your day!

Zucchini Slice (Quiche)
Serves 6-8
recipe adapted from About Face

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper (capsicum), chopped
2 cups grated zucchini (courgette)
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 cup cheese, grated (I used mild/cheddar)
5 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F (160 C if fan forced).

Combine dry ingredients in a large glass bowl, then add other ingredients and mix well.

Pour into a greased pie plate and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top, and set in the middle. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy! And be sure to let me know if you try it!

Mouthwatering Doughnut Muffins

I found this recipe on Meghan's blog here (go to her blog for drool worthy pictures) a while ago and we have enjoyed these muffins several times already. I've made miniature muffins and found that they are the best because you get more sugary-cinnamon coating, of course! Big or small, they are perfect with a cup of coffee. My little guy enjoys them so much that he is responsible for consuming 4 of them in two days.

Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients for the muffins:
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

For the coating:
1/4 -1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350F or 180 C degrees and grease a muffin tin.
2.Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3.Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.

4.Bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. While muffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.

5.Shake muffins out of the muffin tin while the muffins are still hot.

6.Dip muffins in the melted butter and then into the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool.

Easy Home-Made Chicken Pot Pie

Last night, I made my first ever, home made chicken pot pie! It was so much fun to make and it was delicious. We thought it was very similar to Marie Callender's frozen pot pies (which are decadent and amazing, if you ask us). This was the first time I made a pie crust using oil, and I'll admit I was nervous. But I forgot to read the entire recipe for the butter crust and it required over 4 hours in the refrigerator. So this recipe was a dinner-saver! Thankfully, it was flaky, delicious and easy as pie!

Here's the recipe:

Pie Crust: (make two batches- one for the top and one for the bottom)
recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk

Mix flour, sugar and salt. Then add oil and milk. Form a ball, then flatten into pie plate or casserole dish. Try to cover the sides up to the top of the pan.

Pot Pie Filling:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup milk or water
2.5 cups frozen veggies (we used corn, peas, green beans and carrots- next time, I'll add chopped potatoes)

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and add rosemary. Add chicken and cook through. Add the soup, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, thyme and milk or water. Mix well. Add veggies and cook until bubbling.

Pour into pie/casserole dish and cover with top crust. Using a fork or your fingers, go along the outer edge of the dish and press the crust onto the dish. Using a knife, make a few X marks along the top of the crust, to allow ventilation.

Bake on the lowest rack in your oven at 375 F or 190 C for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve.


*Tip*:
Since the crust recipe is rather doughy and crumbly, it will be difficult to form the top crust and successfully transfer it to the top of the dish. What worked for me was this:

Take your ball of dough, and place it between two pieces of plastic wrap that are longer than your dish. Stretch the dough out into the shape of your dish using the protection of the plastic wrap to avoid breaks in the dough. Once the size is right, pull the top plastic wrap off, carefully life the dough by holding the ends of the bottom plastic wrap and quickly flip it onto the top of your dish. Move into place and trim up the excess dough. If your dough falls in the filling, just patch it up using the excess dough. You can see in my pictures that on the right side, there is a patch job. :)

My husband's bowl:

My bowl: I like the crust mixed into the filling!

Leftovers!