Pizza Dough

Im always trying to perfect my pizza dough.  While in NY last weekend, I came across Jim Lahey’s new book, My Pizza while sitting in Red’s apartment.  The pie on the cover immediately caught my eye and soon enough was quickly impressed with 1)his creative pizza topping variations and 2)by the look of his dough and crust.  I took a couple notes in my pad and experimented with the recipe this week.  It turned out to be a really nice combination of a doughy, yet crusty base.  Ill have to try again soon.

makes 2 large pizza doughs

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat or half/half)
• 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup water, warm

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, yeast and salt.  Add the water with a wooden spoon and mix thoroughly.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rise for 18 hours (or until it doubles in size).

Next, flour a surface and scrape out the dough.  Be careful in handling the dough though, you don’t want to mess with it too much – as little as possible.  Divide the dough into 2 parts and shape into a ball by pulling the outer parts toward the center, folding inward.  Then, turn the seam side down into a small mound.

If you are using the dough right away, begin to spread the dough working from the center.

If you plan to use it later, store in the fridge in plastic wrap and then leave on the counter for 3 hours or so prior to using.

mangia!

 

Fisherman’s Pie Anyone?

What is it they say?….’You can take the boy out of England, but you cant take England out of the boy.’  Matt continues his quest to perfect (and convince me to enjoy) the traditional Fishermans Pie.  Here, he substituted sweet potato for regular potatoes, and topped it off with a bit of cheddar cheese. Happy Thursday all – go ahead and get your pie on, winter is just about over!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1-2 small fillets of haddock (or cod works too)
• 1/2 peas
• 1/2 roasted or sweet corn
• olive oil
• 2 tbsp sourcream
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance
• juice of a lemon
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Sweet Potato Mash Prep: Heat oven to 350F and bake sweet potatoes for about 30 minutes (or until soft).  Once they are soft, the skin will peel off fairly easy.  Mash in a bowl, season with salt and pepper if desired, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in fry pan, and saute celery, onion, garlic until soft.  Then add haddock, corn, peas, sourcream, butter and lemon juice and continue cooking until fish is cooked through.  Season as desired.  Once the fish is cooked, with a fork begin to chop up into smaller bite-size pieces so the mixture resembles a filling.

Next, spoon haddock mixture into french onion soup bowls and top with a layer of sweet potato mash and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  Broil in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until browned.

Serve with crusty bread or not!

mangia!

Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread

Tis the season for cranberries and loaf breads!

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond meal flour
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup natural sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp orange rind
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp chia + 2 tbsp water (or an egg)
• 1 1/2 cups whole , fresh cranberries
• 1 cup walnuts, crushed

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

Combine the first 6 dry ingredients and mix together.  Add the orange juice, rind, and ‘egg’ and mix together.  Finally fold in the cranberries and walnuts.

Bake for about 45 minutes.

mangia!

Vegetable Guolash!

Goulash Goulash for all! Its as scrappy and delicious as it sounds.  Adapted from the cookbook, ‘STEWS’ it makes for a hearty fall meal on a cool November evening.

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup of green lentils
• 2 1/2 cups of water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small celery root, cut into chunks
• 1 cup of carrots, chopped
• 1 cup of fingerling potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1-2 small sweet potatoes, cut into small chunks
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1-2 tsp paprika

To serve with:

• Crusty bread
• Sour cream or yogurt

Instructions

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl of water for 15-20 minutes.  Drain and reserve the remaining water.

Meanwhile, rinse and drain the lentils and put then in a pan with the cold water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan with a tight fitting lid and cook the vegetables, garlic with the red pepper.  Stir frequently for 5-8 minutes or until soft.  Blend the tomato paste with a little bit of stock in a separate measuring cup and pour over the vegetables.  After that, add the remaining stock, lentils, sun-dried tomatoes and their soaking liquid.  Add the paprika.

Bring all to a boil and then reduce and simmer.  Cover for 15 minutes.  Serve with spoonfuls of sour cream or greek yogurt and crusty bread.

mangia!

Parsnip Soup-Off

Matt and I are on a soup kick this week, so yesterday at the grocery store we had our eyes out for new soup ingredients.  Parsnips, we found (ones of Matts favorite from the motherland)! So last night, when debating what soup to create, we decided to have a Parsnip soup-off.  The challenge: We each would make a soup using parsnips.  No recipes.  Any and all other ingredients acceptable.  Today was the day.  Matt went for a Rosemary-Garlic, Potato and Parsnip Soup and I went for the Ginger, Apple and Parsnip Soup.  As Im typing this, we’ve done the taste test.  Both have passed (in my mind – Matt thinks his is better).  Both are simmering their final moments on the stove soon to be eaten for lunch.  Yum.

Rosemary-Garlic, Potato and Parsnip Soup

Ingredients

• 4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 large sprigs of rosemary
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 cups veg stock

Instructions

Par-boil parsnips and potatoes and set aside.  Cook onion in olive oil.

Add rosemary, garlic, parsnips, potatoes.  Cook for 5 mins on high heat.  Heat veg stock and add ingredients.

Cook for 30 mins till all ingredients are soft.  Blend together, add salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat for 10 mins on low heat.

Note – Serve with a crusty roll or a grilled cheese.

mangia!

Chickpea Potato Curry

Matt is the curry king. This one is his creation.

Ingredients

• 2 cans chick peas
• 4/5 medium size potatoes
• 2 large tomatoes
• handful of spinach
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp – tumeric, curry powder, cumin, crushed fennel
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups veg stock

Instructions

Heat oil in saute pan on medium heat and cook onions, garlic until soft.  Add spices and cook for 1 minute.

Add potatoes and chick peas and cook for 1 min (until both are covered in spices).

Meanwhile, boil veg stock and combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook for 3 hours

Add spinach and tomatoes and cook for another hour.

Note – The longer it cooks the better it is.  When left over-night, it is great reheated as whole dish is congealed together for a tasty side or main dish. Serve with Naan bread and a little spoonful of raita.

mangia!

Roasted Edamame and Sweet Potatoes

I just recently returned home from a week long yoga training and was lucky to enjoy some amazing food.  This Roasted Edamame + Sweet potato side was one of my favorites and so simple to recreate!  Pair with a piece of fish (Sesame Salmon was our choice last night -recipe to come!) or with any meal.  Super healthy, colorful and simple.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 2-3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1-2 cups of edamame, de-podded
• Salt, pepper, cayenne to taste
• olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and roast the potatoes whole for 30 minutes or so.  Meanwhile, depod your edamame if needed.

In a separate roasting dish, put the edamame in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove the cooked potatoes, de-skin and cut into 1-2 inch cubes.  Add the potatoes to the edamame pan and sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper.

Turn the oven to broil and finish off for about 10-12 minutes.

mangia!

Almond-Cranberry Granola

yields about 8 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250 degree.

Combine oats, almonds and coconut in a large bowl and set aside.

Combine the wet ingredients in a separate large bowl.  If you have kitchen gloves or plastic baggies, cover your hands with them and for about 10 minutes (or until the oil is completely saturated into the sugar) massage the wet mixture.  It should form into a molasses-type sugar mixture.

Add the wet mixture to the oat mixture and continue to coat the oats until completed covered.

Spray 2-3 cookie sheets with cooking spray and divide oat mixture evenly.  Bake in the oven for 60 minutes total, but turning the oats every 20 minutes (so you will turn them 3 times).

Once they are browned and cool, add cranberries and store in an air-tight container.

mangia!

Spiced Applesauce Oat-Bran Bread

Adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks Veganomicon.  In honor of the First Day of Fall, I thought it was time to spice up the morning with some apple + bran :).

Makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 cup + 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce 
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional) 
• 1 1/2 cups spelt flour (or another whole wheat flour)
• 3/4 cup oat bran 
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp nutmeg 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease a loaf pan or a muffin tin. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and allow it to rest for 1 minute to curdle.

Add the applesauce, and sugar, and whisk to completely incorporate them. In a separate smaller bowl, sift together the flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet; stir only to moisten and don’t overmix. Fold in the raisins.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf/muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to complete cooling.

Lentil Stew-Pot Chili

I’ve come to realize that the weather completely dictates what I eat.  Given this week-long downpour we’ve been hit with, I was craving something heart-warming last night.  Matt, the chef of the evening, was inspired to cook something Indian and Daal-esque. I said, ‘Yes. That sounds great.  Im going to yoga.  Indian + wine is perfect.’ (i.e. done deal).  Our fridge was running on empty, so in an attempt to stay dry, we decided an ingredient-scavenger-hunt through the cabinets would be a much better idea.  Lentils + chorizo + tomatoes + slow cooker never fails, I tell you.  As long as you have a well-stocked spice rack, you’re almost always good to go.  It did turn out de-lish, and we also enjoyed a bottle of the Sattui Family Red, from the famous Sattui Winery in St. Helena, CA (a bottle we shipped back from our Napa trip in July!)

Ingredients

• 1-2 medium chorizo sausages
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2-3 red peppers, chopped
• 1 cup veggie stock
• 3-4 whole tomatoes, chopped or a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry lentils, soaked
• 2 tbsp coriander
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan and saute onions, garlic and paprika.  Add chorizo and peppers and saute until cooked.

Add the veggie stock, tomatoes and lentils and reduce the heat and simmer for an hour or so. (a tip for cooking lentils: microwave for a couple minutes in a bowl of water to pre-cook).

Add remaining herbs to taste and top with a dollap of greek yogurt or sour cream.

mangia!