I love pizza. Love, love, love pizza. But I don't necessarily love restaraunt chain pizza. It's ok, but after a few pieces, the grease just sits in my gut. Bleck. I can really only eat fast-food pizza about once a month, if that.
I love homemade pizza! I love the fresh flavor, the delicious crust, the feeling of accomplishing something awesome.
Sometimes, though, I don't have time to make pizza dough.
Do you know what pizza crust is? It's essentially bread. Right?
When you think of it that way, a whole new world of pizza possibilities comes into view. I'm going to share some of my favorite bread pizza crusts.
French bread: Just slice French bread in half long wise, then into smaller sections as you see fit. Slather on some pizza sauce (this is as easy as spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings in it - you can add a dollup of tomato paste to thicken it a bit), cover with cheese and your desired toppings, then put in the oven to bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Each member of the family can decorate their own pizza with desired toppings. It's a great way to get the family involved!
English muffins: Same concept as the French bread. These are fun because the sour dough gives the pizza different depth of flavor. Plus, the pizzas are already personal sized. Make sure the muffins are cut in half, cover with sauce and toppings. I usually put my English muffin pizzas in to broil for a few minutes - just until the cheese is melted.
Bread: Yes. A boring slice of bread can instantly become a piece of pizza. This is fun if you have a picky eater. It's obviously not as gourmet as the other two options, but it's fun to have an open cheese and pepperoni sandwich and call it pizza. Just toast a piece of bread and top it with a slice of American cheese while the bread is still hot. If the cheese doesn't melt, pop it in the microwave for 5 seconds. If you are going to top it with pepperoni, consider toasting the bread with cheese and pepperoni in a toaster over. If you don't have a toaster oven, cosider broiling for a minute or two. I think I'd probably skip the tomato sauce on thes one. Instead, I would serve it with tomato soup.
So, the next time you have no idea what to make for dinner, consider making pizza. And remember, you're not limited to kneading your own pizza dough.
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Showing posts with label Q-tip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Q-tip. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Q-tip: Meat Portion Control
Whether you are trying to lose weight, save a dime, or save yourself a few minutes of cooking, this q-tip is a great help.
When a recipe calls for a pound of hamburger, I brown a pound of hamburger with onions and garlic powder. When it's nice and cooked, I put half of it in a plastic container and pop it in the freezer. Next time I make a recipe that calls for a pound of browned hamburger, I pull the container out of my freezer, microwave it for a 30 seconds and viola! My meat is ready to go.
This cuts back on the amount of meat we eat, helping us get the protein we need without feeling like we are on a diet.
It saves us money because our meat goes twice as far.
It saves me time cooking so when it's 4:55 and Tyler will be home soon, my meal is already half cooked and I can just add necessary ingredients and make myself a casserole or skillet dish in half the time.
The same thing can be done with any ground meat (sausage, pork, turkey, etc) or even chicken. With chicken recipes, 9 times out of 10 I prefer not to leave the breast whole. I like making the chicken pieces bite sized. They cook faster (and there's a better chance they are cooked through without becoming tough) and I like having dishes I can eat one handed. (This is important when you have an infant.)
When freezing your chicken portions, I follow the same guidelines. I cut up my chicken with kitchen shears, cook it in a skillet until juices run clear, then scoop half of it into the plastic container and away it goes.
Take a look at your favorite recipes and see if these tips would help you manage your portions, save you money, or give you more time. Pin It
When a recipe calls for a pound of hamburger, I brown a pound of hamburger with onions and garlic powder. When it's nice and cooked, I put half of it in a plastic container and pop it in the freezer. Next time I make a recipe that calls for a pound of browned hamburger, I pull the container out of my freezer, microwave it for a 30 seconds and viola! My meat is ready to go.
This cuts back on the amount of meat we eat, helping us get the protein we need without feeling like we are on a diet.
It saves us money because our meat goes twice as far.
It saves me time cooking so when it's 4:55 and Tyler will be home soon, my meal is already half cooked and I can just add necessary ingredients and make myself a casserole or skillet dish in half the time.
The same thing can be done with any ground meat (sausage, pork, turkey, etc) or even chicken. With chicken recipes, 9 times out of 10 I prefer not to leave the breast whole. I like making the chicken pieces bite sized. They cook faster (and there's a better chance they are cooked through without becoming tough) and I like having dishes I can eat one handed. (This is important when you have an infant.)
When freezing your chicken portions, I follow the same guidelines. I cut up my chicken with kitchen shears, cook it in a skillet until juices run clear, then scoop half of it into the plastic container and away it goes.
Take a look at your favorite recipes and see if these tips would help you manage your portions, save you money, or give you more time. Pin It
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Q-tip: Spices
Heat and light make herbs and spices less potent. To avoid this, put all herbs and spices in a cool, dark place. (Avoid putting them above the stove, though that is a convenient place to put them.)
I keep all my red and yellow spices in the freezer. This includes curry, ginger powder, mustard powder, chili powder, crushed red pepper, etc.
I thought it was weird to freeze them, but they're powder so they don't solidify. I have spices in there that I've been using for 5 years and they are still as powerful as ever. Pin It
I keep all my red and yellow spices in the freezer. This includes curry, ginger powder, mustard powder, chili powder, crushed red pepper, etc.
I thought it was weird to freeze them, but they're powder so they don't solidify. I have spices in there that I've been using for 5 years and they are still as powerful as ever. Pin It
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Q-tip: Spaghetti
Spaghetti is boring. The same old same old. Right?
*shrug* Depends on who you ask. If you're askin' me, no. It's not boring. But that's probably because We don't just eat warmed spaghetti sauce from a jar on top of noodles.
Spaghetti is a very versatile thing. Add meat and the whole thing changes. Ground beef is a normal choice for sure. We usually brown a pound of hamburger, then I save half of it and freeze it for future spaghetti uses. Or try making it with meatballs instead of just browning ground beef. That'd be a treat.
Bored with beef? Try ground pork. Tyler LOVES spaghetti with ground pork. My mom used to make it with sausage. That's a favorite of mine. Or try chicken.
Chicken? Yes. chicken.
So you've tried all the meat options and decide you love it with beef, but it's still boring. What now? Try changing the pasta. There's an idea. Eat spaghetti with angel hair, bow tie, elbow macaroni, penne, or rotini (the swirly pastas). They all taste pretty much the same but you'd be surprised how much of a difference it will make.
So you decide you like the chicken and the rotini the best. What now?
Here is my new favorite idea. Add a jar of Alfredo sauce to your spaghetti sauce. Yes, Alfredo. My sister, Maura, does this all the time and calls it tomato cream sauce. I just ate it tonight for the first time and loved it. Tyler loved it too. He even went back for seconds. It's easy, it's delicious, it's new. What more could you ask for?
Let's say you make regular spaghetti and beef, but you make too much. Dreading leftovers? Don't. Butter fry your left over spaghetti and it will taste better the second night than it did the first. Just melt some butter - a lot of butter - in a skillet and dump in your leftovers. Heat until warm and the noodles have turned orange. Oooooohhh, it's so delicious.
So. Now you have some ideas for ways to dress up your spaghetti.
Enjoy! Pin It
*shrug* Depends on who you ask. If you're askin' me, no. It's not boring. But that's probably because We don't just eat warmed spaghetti sauce from a jar on top of noodles.
Spaghetti is a very versatile thing. Add meat and the whole thing changes. Ground beef is a normal choice for sure. We usually brown a pound of hamburger, then I save half of it and freeze it for future spaghetti uses. Or try making it with meatballs instead of just browning ground beef. That'd be a treat.
Bored with beef? Try ground pork. Tyler LOVES spaghetti with ground pork. My mom used to make it with sausage. That's a favorite of mine. Or try chicken.
Chicken? Yes. chicken.
So you've tried all the meat options and decide you love it with beef, but it's still boring. What now? Try changing the pasta. There's an idea. Eat spaghetti with angel hair, bow tie, elbow macaroni, penne, or rotini (the swirly pastas). They all taste pretty much the same but you'd be surprised how much of a difference it will make.
So you decide you like the chicken and the rotini the best. What now?
Here is my new favorite idea. Add a jar of Alfredo sauce to your spaghetti sauce. Yes, Alfredo. My sister, Maura, does this all the time and calls it tomato cream sauce. I just ate it tonight for the first time and loved it. Tyler loved it too. He even went back for seconds. It's easy, it's delicious, it's new. What more could you ask for?
Let's say you make regular spaghetti and beef, but you make too much. Dreading leftovers? Don't. Butter fry your left over spaghetti and it will taste better the second night than it did the first. Just melt some butter - a lot of butter - in a skillet and dump in your leftovers. Heat until warm and the noodles have turned orange. Oooooohhh, it's so delicious.
So. Now you have some ideas for ways to dress up your spaghetti.
Enjoy! Pin It
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Q-tip: Meatballs
Meatballs are awesome. I love meatballs. You can put them in spaghetti, serve them over rice, make a bunch of them at once and freeze them...the possibilities are endless! And don't get me started on flavors.
The thing I've found with meatballs is that it's the sauce that really makes the dish. I have a generic recipe for meatballs and I switch it up depending on the sauce.
I always use seasoned bread crumbs, egg, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and dehydrated onions. Sometimes I add some wheat germ or corn meal for extra folic acid or something. Occasionally I put rice in them, though I don't have a ton of luck with that.
The biggest trick with meatballs and making them healthy is this: bake them instead of fry them. My mom always baked her meatballs, so it was weird to me to see a recipe that called to fry the meatballs. That's just crazy talk! Bake them for less oil, less grease, and better chances of having your meatball cooked thoroughly. Also, make them smaller so they'll cook faster.
Cheers! Pin It
The thing I've found with meatballs is that it's the sauce that really makes the dish. I have a generic recipe for meatballs and I switch it up depending on the sauce.
I always use seasoned bread crumbs, egg, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and dehydrated onions. Sometimes I add some wheat germ or corn meal for extra folic acid or something. Occasionally I put rice in them, though I don't have a ton of luck with that.
The biggest trick with meatballs and making them healthy is this: bake them instead of fry them. My mom always baked her meatballs, so it was weird to me to see a recipe that called to fry the meatballs. That's just crazy talk! Bake them for less oil, less grease, and better chances of having your meatball cooked thoroughly. Also, make them smaller so they'll cook faster.
Cheers! Pin It
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