Sun-Dried Tomato Polenta with Lentil Putenesca

To my surprise, I have not gained any weight through this Holiday Season! Despite the fact that I've been to several parties with food a plenty and everyone at work brings in boxes and tins of goodies into work every day for weeks now, I've managed to not put on a pound! ........ *Oooooo's and Awwwww's inserted here.
Truthfully, I don't feel as good as I normally do which probably has to do with the occasional snacking on sweets and that I've been insanely busy and haven't been exercising regularly. I am however really being good about still making good, healthy home made foods most every day.

Breakfast: Either my Simple Chilled Gazpacho, Keifer smoothie w flax, berries and orange peel or a scrambled egg with veggies.

Lunch: Salad, salad, salad. Eat your veggies. I have a variety of salads with a small amount of lean meat.
I've been taught to eat a small amount of meat at lunch time and NOT at dinner. Meat takes several hours to digest and IMO your body shouldn't be working to digest a bunch of meat while your immobile and sleeping. Also, beans and legumes as well as potatoes actually promote a restful sleep.

Dinner:  A Light Vegetarian meal. Sometimes I add Chicken broth to things for flavour and nutrients, but mostly we eat vegetarian for dinner. Beans, lentils, brown rice, whole grains and of course, veggies! I have lots of simple recipes as examples on my blog. Click "What's For Dinner" picture on my right hand side bar.

This Lentil Puttenesca is one of my favorite simple and healthy dinners.

I can not believe I have never had Putenesca. It was one of those dishes that when you taste for the first time, you don't know how you ever lived without it. It is so simple to make too.

I always have a bag of soft sun-dried tomatoes as well as cans of anchovy fillets in the pantry for adding flavour to simple dishes. Anchovies are one of those foods that I never thought I would I would eat. Ever. I love fish but Anchovies always grossed me out. My uber healthy mom eats them straight out of the can and to make matters worse, for breakfast even!

*gag! 

In her defense, they are very good for you. An excellent source of essential Omega's which promote vascular and mental health.

 I do however love anchovies as a flavour enhancer in pastas and dressings.  This was actually a surprise discovery when we went to a wonderful Italian restaurant in Downtown Phoenix called Pasta Bar. I ordered some pasta dish and loved it so I asked the chef what was the wonderful taste I couldn't figure out. To my surprise, Anchovy was one of them! Now I'm hooked.

I came up with this simple Lentil Puttenesca recipe and you MUST try it, even if your an anchovy hater from way back! Trust me, would I lie to you?

TIME  15 MINUTES     SERVES 6

You Will Need: For Polenta

3 cups unsweetened Almond Milk ( can use reg. milk or water)

1/2 t Kosher salt

1 cup Polenta (corn grits)

1-2 T butter

1/4 cup Parmesan

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped


Directions:
In large pot over high heat, bring almond milk and salt to boil. Gradually stir in cornmeal and sun dried tomatoes. Reduce heat to simmer, cook 12-18 minutes or until very thick. Stir frequently with long handled spoon to avoid sputters.
When very thick, remove from heat and stir in butter and Parmesan. Pour into a buttered 9x9 casserole dish. Let it sit off heat for about 10-15 minutes to set, will be creamy.

TIME   40 MINUTES     SERVES 6 
For Lentil Putenesca:
 
1 cup mixed lentils
 
1 cup water or broth
 
1/4 cup olive oil


1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

6 cloves minced garlic

2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice

1 cup  pitted and sliced green olives (other olives will work as well)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets)

1 teaspoon dried crushed basil

1-2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes



Directions:

Rinse lentils thoroughly under cool water. Preferably, soak lentils for 6-8 hours before cooking to reduce phytic acids.
In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the water, tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste, cover and set aside.

Serve with Creamy Sun-Dried Polenta.

PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

 
 

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Roasted, Buttered Spagetti Squash with 2 Bean Croquettes aka Veggie Meatballs {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

Let's cut to the chase and just call it what it is shall we? In the words of my very outspoken 8 year old "Are you trying to tell me these are meatballs?"  and then under his breath  "I know these aren't real  noodles, it's spaghetti squash."  The jig is up. At least my kids know what spaghetti squash is, I suppose I should be thankful for that, even if it's not quite as good as the 'real thing' in there eyes.





Let's clear the air right now, if you don't like beans in general, you probably won't like these croquettes. I call them croquettes or in Italian, crocchettes because that's what they are.  Not "meatballs"  (motion finger quotes here). The texture is not firm like meat, however they are dense, 'meat like' albeit  a bit mushier and very flavorful and satisfying. The marinara, fresh Parmesan and creamy spaghetti squash make this healthy meal hard to remember that you are 'missing' meat.  In fact, I much prefer these to the taste and texture of ground beef. Hands down!

 Although typically croquettes are deep fried in most countries, I always choose to bake mine. Partly because it's much healthier and mostly because deep frying things scares the bejesus out of me. (Picture a grown woman who isn't afraid of much of anything shrieking "Eeeeeek! at the top of her lungs every time the grease splatters.)  Not pretty. 

So, even though this 'spaghetti' dinner didn't fool my kids, all but 1  of them loved it. 1 out of 4 aint bad folks.
This may or may not have to do with the fact that Santa Clause is making out his naughty and nice list.

Coincidence I say. Sheer coincidence.

PREP TIME    40 MINUTES      COOK TIME 60 MINUTES        SERVES    6

Ingredients

1 medium size spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons butter
1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas) drained and rinsed
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (or 3/4 - 1 cup fresh bread crumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg
1 small handful fresh parsley
 1 big handful chopped baby spinach
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
non stick spray

3 cups crushed tomatoes or sugar free marinara
freshly grated Parmesan for topping



Preheat oven to 375F. Poke several holes in the skin of the spaghetti squash to allow steam to escape while cooking. (I made a rookie mistake once and didn't do this and it EXPLODED all over me, not pretty.) Place squash in a baking pan and cook for 30 minutes to soften skin. Carefully remove from oven, let cool for 30 minutes.

{You can try cutting the uncooked squash but it isn't easy and will dull your knives.}

When cooled, cut lengthwise in half and place cut side up in baking dish with a tab of butter in each half. Bake an additional 30 minutes at 375F. Remove and let cool while you make the meatballs.In a food processor, add beans, onion, garlic and red bell pepper. Pulse till just combined. Do not over process or mixture will be soggy.

Scoop mixture into a medium size bowl. Add cooked quinoa, egg, spinach, cheese, parsley and spices. Mix to combine.

Scoop small, golf ball size pieces into wet hands and shape into balls. Place 1/2" apart onto foil lined, greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes until browned.

Using a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash into a large pot. Top with marinara and cook covered on medium-low for 15 minutes or until warmed through.  Adding 2 bay leaves if using crushed tomatoes.

Serve meatballs on top of spaghetti squash. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a simple salad.


Bon Apetite!

We are on Week numero Cinco of #12WeeksofWinterSquash my friends. This pasta, is my submission. I strongly encourage you to check out the other recipes for this fun roundup, I hear Heather is making a Pumpkin Fry Bread as we speak!

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Chipotle en Adobo Butternut Squash Lasagna {#12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

My OCD-ness can be a really annoying thing. Any time I say "This will only take 5 minutes." I find myself analyzing the fine details 90 minutes later in search for the perfect project. This not only goes for blogging which is time consuming pretty much no matter how you go at it but in just about every aspect of my life. Granted I've painfully learned how to choose my battles over the years, especially since having 4 children (if anything can put a cramp in your quest for perfection, it's children.  The dolls.







Another thing that can get a girl to cut her quest for the perfect blog post abruptly short would be that she has a new book series that she's reading {The Divergent series, have you read it?} and a very short window on a weeknight in which to sneak in a page or two without  being interrupted every 3 1/2 minutes and maybe stay awake long enough after the kids have gone to bed to read an entire chapter. We won't discuss how much of the fine details I retain. Names elude me in real life, characters in books are difficult to commit to these days.


Unless of course it's a brand new (in my world anyway)  hot teen novel that involves drama at every turn of the page and Love at First Site, can't live without you, you take my every breath away even though we are in the midst of a post-apocalyptic, I'm the only one who can save the world sort of state.

It happens.

I may have somewhat of a tough exterior, but I just so happen to enjoy a good 'romance' novel so long as it involves high impact, high stress non-realistic situations which may or may not involve  zombies/vampires or a bunch of gorgeous 16 year old's defending the last of mankind just like any other  respectable women in her 30's does.

Right?


Right.

My point, and I do have one as usual, is that while the recipe process and photography session for this post took many hours of preparation, fine tuning and self scrutinization I'm afraid that I must say good bye quite abruptly….

What? It's too late for that?  Well then please forgive any punctuation or grammar mistakes in this post because I really must go find out what Tris and Four are going to do about the predicament they've managed to get themselves into…… again, with the Euridite and the Candor. This is serious people.

Before I say goodnight I must say that this is any lasagna lovers DREAM!  So not your everyday, ordinary lasagna by any standards, this one packs a punch you won't soon forget. It still has your comfort food qualities except for roasted butternut squash tossed in chipotles en adobo sauce was used in the mix and sweet turkey sausage was thrown in to compliment the smokey heat.

 Really, there are very few words that come to mind to describe how freaking amazing this dish was and I don't use the word freaking very lightly my friends.

Sharp provolone cheese and light and fluffy ricotta really balanced out the heat in this dish. It's like you get a swift kick of smokey, delicious heat on your taste buds and then are swiftly soothed by ricotta's creamy coolness. 

Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeños. Adobo is a tangy, slightly sweet red sauce. Put them together in a can and they become a versatile pantry staple. Use just the chipotles for intense smoky chile heat or just the sauce for a sour-sweet flavor and a slightly less fiery smoky heat.

Apparently, I seem to take for granted the fact that some things that may be "simple" for me in the kitchen are not simple for most of my friends. I named my blog "Simply Healthy Family" because I wanted to share simple, healthy and delicious snacks and meals with everyone, Novice cook, busy parent or anyone looking to expand their current palate or cooking ability. So when I get feedback saying "What the heck is Thyme, Saffron, Quinoa?" etc. I feel like I need to take the time to add in a bit more instructional and informative posts on SHF.

So, for those of you who have ever looked at the winter squash bins in the super market and thought they were purely ornamental, here's to you.

First, they really are super easy to prepare. One of the few fuss free and forgiving vegetables out there. Once you get past your fear of peeling the hard outer peel your good to go!

A veggie peeler won't likely do the job with most winter squash sot grab a good butcher knife and cut off both ends. Stand it on one end and careful cut off the peel. It's really not as hard as you might think. 

Now, cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, discard.

Turn squash over and cut lengthwise into 1 inch strips.

Turn each piece flat and cut off the small 'hook' ends into 1 inch pieces. 

Now, cut the thicker lengths of squash in half, lengthwise again so that they will be uniform to 1 inch size. Cut the lengths of squash into 1 inch square pieces. This will ensure they cook evenly.

For this lasagna recipe, you will need to quickly cook the diced squash somehow. You could throw them into a microwave bowl, cover and cook an high for 5 minutes (I stray away from microwaves if possible partly because of potential nutrient loss and mostly because of definent flavor loss.)

I recommend either roasting them in your already preheated oven for 10 minutes or my preferred method, drizzled with (garlic infused) olive oil and pan roasting them for 7-10 minutes till just caramelized and slightly cooked. 

You will want to pre-cook them either way because they will take longer to cook then the rest of the ingredients.

I had to show you this picture of freshly grated Provolone cheese (Parmesan on the next photo). It may seem like fresh, whole cheeses are more expensive but when you grate them yourself you end up with way more for your money not to mention an incredible difference in flavor to those recipes you put so much time into!!!

No words necessary I think. Here are the layering steps. I just had fun making and photographing it. Silly hobby right?

Sauce on bottom to prevent sticking. 

I used a small amount of sweet turkey sausage in the recipe to satisfy the masses. I like the mild flavor of turkey and loved the way the sweet sausage kept the smokey heat of the chipotle in check. Obviously,  the turkey can be omitted and this will still be a very hearty and satisfying vegetarian meal. I totally dig that.

Finished, beautiful chipotle lasagna. FYI, I made a second lasagna without the chipotle sauce for the kids. It really does pack a punch. Also, I strongly suggest that if your new to spice/heat that you start with a small amount of the chipotle en adobo and go from there.

Ingredients

1 package of oven ready lasagna noodles
1/2 lb. sweet turkey sausage, browned
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1small-medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped as per instructions above
1 can chipotles en adobo sauce
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2, 15 oz. cartons of ricotta cheese
1 1/2 - 2 cups sharp provolone cheese, grated
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Optional:
light sour cream
olives


Putting it all together:

Preheat oven to 350F

In a large skillet, brown sausage and onion. Drain and set aside.
Spoon chipotles en adobo sauce in a small food processor, this is where my little manual one comes in very handy, and process till smooth. Place cubed squash into a large bowl and toss with sauce.
Lightly coat a casserole dish with cooking spray. Layer lasagna as pictured above, sauce, noodles, squash and sausage mixture, spinach, cheeses. Repeat. Make sure the top layer is covered lightly in sauce so the noodles can cook.

Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. (remember to pre cook your squash for a few minutes as described above!)

Uncover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with cool sour cream and olives. Don't forget the salad!

Bon Apetite!

Loving this #12Weeks of Winter Squash thing! Week 4 peeps. Thanks again to my friends Heather and Joanne for hosting another swag party!

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Artichoke Pesto Pasta with Grilled Shrimp

I swore I would never ever be that parent who lives and breathes vicariously through their children's
lives. If you were to ask me I would tell you that I think I'm doing a pretty good job at fulfilling that goal. I would then go on to tell you that I actively encourage all 4 of my youngin's to aspire to what they want to be by engaging them in the things they are good at and helping them to work through those things that they aren't perfect at.  It's hard being a 4, 7, 8 and 19 year old after all.


I love baseball. I always have. The crack of the bat, the smell of the grass, the fresh air and the way the major league players look in those grey pants   the old fashioned, all American feeling of it all. I was never great at playing the sport but I sure wished upon more than one star that I would be the team hero at least once rather than 'Odd Man Out' more often than not. That's the thing about baseball. It's a team sport but when your up to bat or a pop fly is hit to your corner of the field, ALL eyes are on YOU. As a kid, one minute it feels like you're the team Super Hero and the next minute, you strike out (again) and you are shunned and ridiculed.






Being the mom of 3 boys (and 1 perfect little girl) means I can get my fill of watching and being a part of sports like my fav, baseball. My oldest son had a serious love affair with basketball and played his heart out on city leagues, clubs and in junior high where he was even team captain for 2 years, until when he got to high school and wasn't quite good enough to make the team.

It broke his heart but to my amazement he didn't sulk or even complain. Instead, my 13 year old son, went home and all on his own wrote a resume to the head coach of the High School Team listing all of the reasons why he was qualified to be a part of the team no matter what he had to do. Whether it be by being a team manager, passing out and picking up the balls, encouraging his team mates (which he did graciously and enthusiastically) and by just doing whatever was need of him, just so long as that he could be a part of the team while he practiced and practiced and practiced.


Which he did. And he got better. And they let him play. Joy.




























Back to baseball and my 7 & 8 year old boys. My 8 year old could care less about sports. I'm o.k. with that. Really. I find it exhilarating that all of my children are unique and special with a set of their own  interests, skills and personalities. My 8 year old son loves art and building things, especially Lego's & Origami.

My 3rd and youngest son, age 7 was very eager to play baseball much to my excitement. He has my family's body type which I prefer to say is "Athletic" instead of "Big Boned".  He has a natural athletic ability when it comes to physic and strength and if we can just work on that coordination and speed thing I think we might have something here……..

"Not living vicariously through my children. Not living vicariously through my children."


Today was the last game of the season. When I asked him to go get ready to go to his game he pouted and sulked and then flat out protested. I said "What's wrong Nolan, I thought you liked baseball?" and do you know what my son said to me?



"My favorite part of baseball is the end. When it's over."


Wow.

Maybe he'll change his mind.

Maybe not. And I'm o.k. with that. Kind of.

There is always comfort in pasta. Always. As long as it's a good quality, better yet home made pasta you can really sink your teeth into. As long as there as a fresh sauce or pesto you can twirl your noodles through life will be o.k.  Molto Bene!!

Not home made, but this pasta was fabulous. Thick and non starchy cooked to Al dente perfection with a hollow center to soak up even more of the green sauce! Swoon.

A twist on your traditional pesto, artichoke hearts make a light and lovely green pasta sauce. This unpretentious pesto would also pair well with jumbo grilled shrimp alone as an appetizer. 

A twist of lemon, a toss of freshly grated Parmigiana ~Romano and a bit of Italian parsley along with pine nuts or walnuts and you have yourself a guest worthy meal in minutes. Don't forget the wine!

Ingredients

1 package of pasta, cooked to package directions
5-7 artichoke hearts (found in glass jars)
1 large handful fresh Italian parsley
2 handfuls of walnuts or pine nuts (about 1 cup for those who measure)
1/2-3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiana~Romano2-3 cloves fresh garlic
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons of water to thin pesto to desired consistency
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
red chile flakes if desired

1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Pre-heat grill. Spray a grill pan with oil. {You can also bake shrimp at 400F for 8-10 minutes or stir fry). Grill shrimp over medium flame until they turn dark pink, about 3 minutes per side. Don't overcook or they will become dry! Remove from heat and set aside. No need to season shrimp for this recipe.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine all ingredients, artichoke hearts through cracked pepper in a food processor or blender till combined.  Toss pesto with pasta to coat. Sprinkle with chile flakes for some heat if desired. I do. ;}

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Simple Turkey Piccata with Grilled Lemon Broccolini

This light and simple turkey piccata is a great weeknight dinner when your bored with the usual plain chicken breast. The sauce is light and very fresh and flavorful. A simple side of grilled lemon broccolini pairs beautifully for a healthy dinner. If your looking for small and simple Thanksgiving dinner idea, and don't need to buy a large whole turkey, this is a great substitute. 

We have been spending a ton of time outdoors lately seeing as the weather here in Phoenix is too gorgeous to pass up a reader recently scolded me for not bragging about the weather more. Actually, what she said was "I'm so sick and tired of people not bragging about the weather in Arizona more." 

My bad. 

I'm too busy enjoying it to sit at the computer and write about it I suppose. Plus, who likes a bragger anyway? pshhh!

The boys were in a big Veterans Day parade here in the Valley yesterday and we spend all day soaking in the sights and the sun. I haven't been able to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes at a time because the outdoors are calling to me! It's finally hiking 'season' Yayyyy! So pardon my short posts this month please. ;}

Recipe from Cooking Light October 2013




SERVES  8        TIME 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 8 (3-ounce) turkey cutlets  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon sliced garlic
• 3/4 cup dry white wine 
• 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock 
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. 1. Sprinkle turkey evenly with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 4 cutlets to pan, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove cutlets from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and cutlets.
2. 2. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Increase heat to high. Add wine; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Combine chicken stock and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add stock mixture to pan, and bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, juice, and capers. Pour sauce over cutlets; sprinkle with parsley.

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Zuppa Toscana

This is one of our favorite meals, and it happens to be soup. That's right soup. What's not to love about soup? Nothing! There's just something about it that is so comforting and wonderful. It's healthy, easy to make and a frugal mom's best friend. Soup warms your soul and brings friends and families together around the dinner table. You serve it to a sick person to heal them. Bring it to a friend to comfort them and serve it to children to put a smile on their faces and good things in their tummies.

My mom and I used to go to Olive Garden to have soup and salad for lunch. Pretty much the only thing I've ever had at Olive Garden was their Zuppa Toscana and house salad. Of course over the years their soup has consisted of more broth and less filling and flavour.

So, of course I started making my own. It's more flavourful and healthier and my whole family can enjoy Zuppa Toscana in the comfort of our home for much less than it costs to eat out. Who takes 4 kids out to a restaurant anyway?

Add chopped kale in large handfuls, it will cook down!

Told ya so.

TIME   20 MINUTES    SERVES   6-8You Will Need:
1 bunch Kale, rinsed and chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can, Cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
3 Russet potatoes, washed and sliced thinly ( leave the peels on, they're full of vitamins!!!)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6-8 cups Organic Chicken Broth (not in a can)
Italian Sausage


Putting it all together:

First, smash and chop garlic. Place a large ceramic dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. When hot, add onion, saute 3-4 minutes till soft and browned. Add garlic, cook just 30 more seconds. Add sausage breaking up to small pieces. Cook till browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in broth while scraping bottom of pot with a plastic spatula to remove browned bits (deglaze). Add potatoes, kale and beans. Bring to soft boil, turn down heat to medium-low, cover and cook 10 minutes to combine flavours. Add salt if needed. Serve with crusty Rosemary Olive Oil bread...... I just so happen to have the worlds best recipe for crusty artisian bread, Rosemary Filone   right here on my humble little blog!

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Rosemary, Garlic and Parmesan Rustic Flatbread Pizzas

I don't know why I still sometimes think that making good, home made breads has to be difficult. After all, I am known for preaching about how simple it is to make home made snacks and meals so why not breads? I still find myself searching high and low on the bread aisle for healthy and affordable breads, usually to no avail. About half way down the list of ingredients I give up and say " Well, at least there's not any High Fructose Corn Syrup in here." even if I have no idea what the last 10 ingredients are. I have found 2 excellent bread recipes that I stick to when I have the courage time and patience to make bread. I don't know what my hang up is..... previous life baking disaster maybe?  Luckily, I do have my trusty  'Go To' sandwich bread recipe which is super easy is this  Honey Oat Bread  I've made this rustic  Rosemary Filone Bread  many times as the perfect accompaniment to soups or panini's and this  Cinnamon Spice Bread  is one of our all time favorites and perfect for Fall.



Make sure to check out these simple bread recipes and please keep in mind that I've been making them for so long that they were some of the very first recipes I posted here on Simply Healthy Family so the pictures leave much to be desired. I must retake some decent ones.... some day.

There. Disclaimer complete. Onto my latest 'Go To' bread find. Super simple and amazing Rosemary Flat bread. These flat breads take all of about 20 minutes total to make and are perfect as individual pizzas, to serve with a chopped salad such as my this one,  which is why I started the search for the perfect flat bread in the first place.

I am submitting this recipe to  Whole Foods Market Fairfield Cooking  for their 'Best Parmesan' recipe.

I would be ever so grateful if you would stop by and Tweet or share my recipe. The voting on the top 2 finalists starts next week. Thanks again for all of your support!

So, my search for a quick and delicious flat bread recipe that would come out slightly crispy and 'rustic' led me to this recipe on Smitten Kitchen which was originally from July 2008 Gourmet magazine, can't go wrong there. I adapted it by using less oil in the dough, more rosemary and instead of brushing them with more oil I used a roasted garlic spread then made it into a pizza by sprinkling with Parmesan and sliced veggies. That's it. Simple.


I'm thinking I will make these with roasted eggplant and feta next time. What do you think you would put on them or serve them with?



I doubled this recipe.

TIME 20 MINUTES YIELDS 4

You will need: 

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 teaspoon
3 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 400°F with a baking stone on the middle rack.
Slice the top 1/4 inch off of a head of garlic and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Place on a baking stone (you will need the pre-heated stone for the pizzas). Roast the garlic for about 20 minutes, remove from heat and let cool so you can handle it. 

Meanwhile....
Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.
Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) onto a lightly floured work surface into 8 inch rounds (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin). 

Using your fingers, gently pop the cloves of garlic out of the skin and put into a small food processor. Add a dash of salt and a bit more oil if needed. Pulse until smooth. Using a brush, spread garlic onto flat breads. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and top with thinly sliced tomatoes and zucchini.
Slide pizzas onto preheated baking stone and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pizzas to a rack to cool.

Mix your 3 dry ingredients and chopped rosemary in a medium bowl.

Add water and oil and stir

Divide into 4 equal size pieces and flatten out with your hand then a rolling pin.

Mean while, you will want to roast your garlic. Simple cut off a bit of the top,
drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil onto exposed garlic head and put onto a baking sheet and
into a preheated oven at 400F for about 20 minutes.

Voila! Deliciously sweet roasted garlic.

Put into a small food processor {I love my new manual one from P.C.}
Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil and a dash of sea salt into processor and pulse till blended.
You can never, EVER have to much garlic IMHO.

Brush the tops of each flat bread with your garlic spread

Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan and keep an eye out for sneaky baby fingers!
Top with your veggies of choice and bake as directed above.

Bon Apetite!

I'm thinking I will make these with roasted eggplant and feta next time. What do you think you would put on them 

or serve them with?

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Cheese Stuffed Pizza Bread with Caramelized Onions

Probably one of the most favorite traditions in my family is Friday Pizza Night.  Sometimes we go out to Mellow Mushroom were they have pizza's more to my liking, think goat cheese, sun dried tomato and artichoke hearts. Then the husband and kids can have their usual sausage and cheese pie. Did I mention the ice cold beer served to you while you wait for your pizza while watching the guys in the open kitchen toss huge pizza pies up into the air? Love pizza Fridays.

What's even better than going to a fun pizza joint for your favorite pizza? Making your own at home of course! Years ago when my oldest son who is now 19 (YIKES!) was little, we would make our own individual pizzas on toasted English muffins or French bread. It's still fun to do that with the little ones, they love picking ingredients from little bowls and making their very own little pizzas.

I saw this pizza bread on Pinterest and thought it was such a perfect idea. The only thing better than pizza is a cheese stuffed pizza bread you can dip into a bowl of warm marinara. Divine happiness I tell you. I was blown away at how incredibly simple  this bread was to make and it turned out perfectly even though in my photographing I forgot to add the 'toppings' to the flour before mixing and so I ended up over kneading the dough.

It came together in about a minute using just a wooden spoon. No special equipment necessary.

Core Bamboo sent me some fun kitchen toys including a beautiful little modern mortar and pestle, a set of bamboo utensils and this gorgeous bread board. It turns out that it's one of those things I never knew I couldn't live without! (I can feel my husbands eyes rolling at me ;)

Not only is this bread board beautiful, I love bamboo and the clean lines, 

it keeps my kitchen counters free of crumbs, score!

 It also makes a lovely serving tray either on the removable lattice board 

or when removed it becomes a nice tray.

recipe from The Ivory Hut

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups favorite toppings, chopped
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Romano
1 tablespoon olive oil

Add yeast to warm water. Let it sit for 3 minutes until foamy, then add to flour and salt. Mix (using a mixer, spoon, or your hands) just until it comes together. Add in the toppings of your choice and combine. Dough will be tacky, but feel free to dust with a bit more extra flour if it feels too tacky. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, then put in the refrigerator for another hour.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and flour a Silpat or waxed paper. Roll out into a rectangle about 11×17”. Sprinkle cheese onto the middle of the rectangle. Then fold over about 1" along the long side, like an envelope. Seal the other 3 sides so cheese is not exposed. Let rest while you preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a pizza stone of you have one in oven and let oven stay at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Bake the bread, either on a pizza stone or baking sheet, for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. About 3 minutes before taking it out, lightly brush the top with olive oil and let it finish baking. Let rest on a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing.

notes:

In order for the yeast to activate properly it can not be to hot or to cold. It should be warm enough if you sprinkle it on the inside of your wrist it is very warm but not hot. I add a pinch of sugar to the warm water and have found this helps activate the yeast.

I found that I needed to add quite a bit more flour than stated, at least 1/2 cup plus another 1/2 cup when kneading the final loaf.

I did not brush my bread with oil but next time I will as you can see it is a bit dry/flour-y.




One winner will win this pretty Lattice Bamboo Bread Board. Winners must reside in the U.S. or Canada. Good Luck!



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