Jen's Den

This whole-wheat pizza dough from “Pizza: Grill it, Bake it, Love it,” by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, uses whole-wheat and all-purpose white flour, so it is has a little more toothiness and flavor than a standard pizza dough.

The earthier flavor of this crust stands up well to more robust flavor combinations, such as black olive tapenade (instead of tomato sauce) with caramelized onions and feta cheese, or roasted garlic puree, roasted red peppers, arugula and a sprinkle of Gorgonzola.

— 3⁄4 cup lukewarm water (about 110 F)
— 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
— 1 teaspoon sugar
— 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
— 1 1⁄3 cups whole-wheat flour
— 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
— 1 tablespoon walnut, canola or vege-table oil, plus additional for greasing

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the water, yeast, sugar and salt. Set aside for 5 minutes, or until the yeast has bubbled and foamed. If it doesn’t foam, start again with fresh yeast and check that the water isn’t too hot.

If working by hand, stir both flours and the oil into the yeast mixture until a soft dough forms. Lightly dust a clean dry work surface with all-purpose flour and turn the dough on to it.

Knead by holding the dough with one hand, stretching it with the other, then pushing the heel of the holding hand into the mass. Knead for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If the dough gets sticky, add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.

If using a mixer, attach the dough hook and the bowl to the mixer. Add both flours and the oil to the yeast mixture. Mix on medium until combined. Knead on low until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If the dough gets sticky, add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
Using a paper towel, coat a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat all sides with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 1⁄2 hours.

When ready to bake the pizza, divide and roll out the dough as desired.

Serves 6, with 160 calories per serving (without toppings), 3 g fat (0 g saturated,
0 g trans fats), 0 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 4 g fiber and 196 mg sodium.

Posted by Jen at 03:59 PM | Permalink

— 1 cup shredded or ground cooked chicken (ground beef or pork could be substituted)
— 1 teaspoon canola oil
— 1 teaspoon taco or chili seasoning
— 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
— 12-inch frozen tomato and cheese pizza
— 12 pitted black or green olives, halved
— 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped canned or jarred jalapeno or green chilies

Heat the oven according to package directions for the pizza.

In a small bowl toss the chicken with the oil and taco (or chili) seasoning mix.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the pizza, then top that with the chicken mixture, then the remaining cheese. Top with olives and chilies.

Bake the pizza according to the package directions.

Serves 4, with 694 calories per serving, 34 g fat (16 g saturated, 0 g trans fats), 84 mg cholesterol, 59 g carbohydrate, 41 g protein, 3 g fiber and 1,690 mg sodium.

Posted by Jen at 03:56 PM | Permalink

— 1 tablespoon olive oil
— 1 1⁄2 cups frozen diced hash browns
— 1⁄3 cup chopped ham or Canadian bacon
— 1 teaspoon dried oregano, rosemary or Italian herb blend
— Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
— 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
— 12-inch frozen tomato and cheese pizza

Heat the oven according to package directions for the pizza.

In a large skillet over high, heat the oil. Add the hash browns and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the ham or Canadian bacon and herbs. Cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the pizza; top that with the potato mixture, then the remaining cheese. Bake according to package directions.

Serves 4, with 700 calories per serving, 34 g fat (17 g saturated, 0 g trans fats), 80 mg cholesterol, 60 g carbohydrate, 39 g protein, 4 g fiber and 1,902 mg sodium.…

Posted by Jen at 03:54 PM | Permalink

[This recipe is from Joyce Houston, Humboldt County's Public Health Nutritionist. It was originally printed in the paper in her column "Project LEAN" (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition) in our Food section on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009.]

HONEY-ROASTED PARSNIPS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND APPLES

- 1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 large orange-flesh sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks (about 1 1/2 - 2 cups)
- 2 firm, sweet apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a medium casserole dish with canola oil spray and set aside. Put the parsnips, sweet potato and apples in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Combine the canola oil and honey in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave oven on medium for 10 seconds, until warm. Mix the soy sauce into the honey mixture. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and apples. Toss to coat well.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to the prepared casserole dish, cover, and bake for 1 hour, until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings, with 112 calories per serving, 2 g total fat, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber and 208 mg sodium.

Posted by Jen at 09:58 AM | Permalink

This recipe is adapted from “The Parenting Cookbook", as published in the Times-Standard's Project LEAN column, by Joyce Houston, 10/15/08.

— 1 1/2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
— 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips
— 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought salsa of your choice
— 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
— 1/2 teaspoon salt
— Freshly ground black pepper
— 6 cups cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

While the chicken cooks, mix together the salsa and sour cream (or yogurt). Pour over the chicken, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Serves 6 with 382 calories per serving, 7 g fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium, 3.7 g fiber, 46 g carbohydrate, 32 g protein.

Posted by Jen at 07:05 PM | Permalink

SAVORY SAUSAGE-APPLE STRATA

— 6 eggs, beaten
— 2 cups milk
— 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
— 8-ounce loaf Italian peasant bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
— 3 cups fully cooked, finely chopped spicy Italian sausage
— 3 crisp, sweet apples, cored and sliced into very thin rounds
— 2 1⁄2 cups grated Grana Padano cheese (or Parmesan, or Asiago, or Romano)

Lightly butter a 9-by-9-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and nutmeg. Soak each slice of bread in the custard until fully saturated. Arrange a third of the slices in the prepared baking dish.

Top the bread with half of the sausage, half of the apples, and 1 cup of the cheese. Layer another third of the bread over the fillings, then top with the remaining sausage, apples and 1 cup cheese. Top with remaining bread.

Pour any remaining custard over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1⁄2 cup of cheese. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake uncovered for 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serves 6 to 8.

(Recipe from Michele Kayal/The Associated Press. Published in the Times-Standard 12/19/07.)

Posted by Jen at 02:05 PM | Permalink

We ran an AP recipe for "Savory Sausage-Apple Strata" on today's Food page (12/19/07). I've added the recipe to this blog.

This is a breakfast casserole, kind of like a savory bread pudding. There are a lot of these types of recipes around, especially the make-ahead type. A very common one that I find in those church fundraising cookbooks uses ham, cheddar or Swiss cheese, and white or wheat bread. Tres boring, IMHO.

Personally, I would probably use mild sausage rather than spicy (as the AP author uses), or even something like locally made chicken-apple sausages. (Since the casserole includes apples and cheese, I would think a spicy sausage might overwhelm the other main ingredients.)

The AP writer did something that always irks me. She assumed everyone who would read her recipe has access to a gourmet cheese shop; one of her ingredients is "Grana Padano" cheese.

I always have a problem with writers who list ingredients like "Grana Padano" cheese without telling you that it's just like Parmesan except it comes from a different part of Italy, and without telling you what you can substitute for it.

So, before adding this recipe to my blog, off I went to one of my favorite references: The Cook's Thesaurus.

If you can't find Grana Padano, substitute Parmesan or Asiago or Romano. "Grana," it turns out, is simply the term used to refer to hard or grating cheeses — like Parmesan or Asiago (sold by the chunk in the deli section, not in a green cardboard can!). I added this notation to her recipe.

I often find myself wishing we had a gourmet cheese shop here. Some of our local stores carry a nice assortment — I'm thinking of Eureka Natural Foods and Wildberries in particular — but they're nothing like the cheese shops I used to frequent in the Bay Area. That said, imagine my surprise to find one of my favorite cheeses, Mizithra, at Safeway of all places. But that's for another recipe, at another time.

Posted by Jen at 01:18 PM | Permalink

This recipe is so simple it almost doesn't need instructions. It uses ingredients you're likely to have on hand in the pantry, plus a baguette one should always have in the freezer, and is a perfect quick solution for hungry drop-in visitors.

- 1 can (14-16 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small can chopped black olives
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
- 1 sourdough baguette, sliced about 1/4-inch thick

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Lay out the slices of baguette on a cookie sheet. Spoon a dollop of the pizza mix onto each slice, pressing down slightly with the back of the spoon to spread the mix almost to the edges. (You may need to experiment with quantity - you don't want so much mix on each slice that it flows down over the edges when baked.)

Bake for about 5-8 minutes (watch them carefully the first time so you know how your specific oven cooks them). They're done when the sauce is bubbly and the bread slices are crispy around the edges and the cheese is melted. Some ovens may take up to 10 minutes.

Let cool a few minutes, then transfer to serving plate. Hide some in the kitchen for the cook, otherwise he or she won't get any once they leave the kitchen.

Experiment with your own ingredients - chopped artichoke hearts, mushrooms, fresh garlic, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, jack or mozzarella or whatever cheese suits you. Just be sure to chop all the ingredients fairly small so they mix thoroughly in the sauce.

Bon appetit!

Posted by Jen at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)