Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza tastes nice, and I like making it from scratch.

Pizza's true origin is unknown. But, what is known about it is from the time of King Darius I (a predecessor of the King Darius who lost many battles to Alexander the Great). When his army did not have an oven handy and couldn't make a fire, if it was sunny, they supposedly baked bread on top of their shields. They then melted cheese on top and put on olives. Later, in one of Homer's poems, he said, "See we devoured the plates on which we fed on." The plates were made of flour and bread. Pizza finally came to America in the 1800s.

You can make the dough in a bread machine or mix it up in a bowl. After is rises and rests, shape it into pizza rounds. Shaping it just right can be difficult. But remember, even if it's oblong, according to geometry, there are at least two equal pieces opposite each other on the pizza, so oblong is all right.

I like pepperoni and a fine sprinkling of spinach on my pizza. We often make two pizzas, so the second can be a combo pizza, with olives, pepperoni, mushroom, and spinach.

Pizza is fun to make as a family. And it doesn't take very long.

Pizza Dough for the Bread Machine(adapted from Betty Crocker's Best Bread Machine Cookbook)
Makes 2 pizzas, 8 wedges each

1 cup water
2 Tbls olive oil
2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp Italian seasoning (dry parsley, oregano, basil)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar or honey
2 1/2 tsp bread machine or quick active dry yeast

1) Place all ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order given above.

2) Select the Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycles.

3) Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Knead 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface (if necessary, knead in enough flour to make the dough easy to handle). Cover and let reast 10 minutes.

4) Heat oven tp 450 degrees. Greased two large cookie sheets or two 12-inch pizza pans. Pat dough into 13-inch circle; pinch edge, forming 1/2-inch rim. Top with your favorite pizza sauce and toppings.

Our Favorite Toppings
Tomato paste
Basil and/or oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
Mozzarella
Pepperoni
Spinach
Finely grated parmesan cheese

Manga!

Poultry Pie

Shepherd's Pie is supposed to be made out of ground mutton (old sheep), while Cottage Pie is made with beef. Cottage Pie was really for poor people, a way to use what little food they had in their kitchens.

We sometimes make Cottage Pie, but we usually use ground turkey, so we call it Poultry Pie.

I like to add Worcestershire Sauce to my pie, which makes it even tastier. The potato topping, or crust, is my favorite part. We mix russet and sweet potatoes (the dark orange ones) together, which makes it yummy.

My mom never makes it the same way twice, but this is the recipe she gave me.

Cottage (Poultry) Pie
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut for boiling
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut for boiling
Butter
Cream

2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
A few handfuls of chopped spinach
Chopped green beans (to bite-size)
Chopped carrots (I pick these out)
(You can also add peas, corn, soy beans, or other veggies, but I prefer my Cottage Pie without them.)
Ground black pepper to taste
A few dashes of Worcesertshire Sauce
1 lb. ground turkey
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

Cheddar cheese, for topping

1. Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Potatoes are ready for mashing when a pointy knife tip slides easily into the potatoes.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Put in the onions, and sautee until clear. Next add the spinach, green beans, and carrots.Add pepper to taste and a few dashes of Worcestershire. Cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium, and let cook until the spinach has wilted and the carrots are a bit soft (not fully cooked, as they will cook more in the oven). Add the ground turkey, breaking it up and cooking thoroughly.

3. In a small bowl or a lidded plastic container, whisk or shake together the corn starch and water, until smooth. Add to the ground turkey mixture. If the mixture needs more liquid for gravy, add water from the potatoes.

4. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put in a large cookie sheet to heat.

5. Once the turkey is cooked, put it into a casserole dish. Mash the potatoes with the butter and cream, then top the turkey mixture with the mashed potatoes, making sure to spread the potatoes evenly, all the way to the edges of the casserole dish. Grate cheddar cheese on top. Carefully place the casserole dish on the large cookie sheet in the oven. Bake until the cheese starts bubbling, maybe even allowing it to brown a bit.

6. Be very careful when removing from the oven and bringing to the table. The dish will be hot and the pie will retain its heat for a long time.

Sausage

Sausage is a food preservation technique, because sausages are cured, dried or smoked, which extends the shelf-life of the meat.

I like bratwurst, bockwurst, British bangers, and Irish bangers. Bratwurst and bockwurst are German sausages."Brat" means "finely chopped meat," and "wurst" means "sausage." Bockwurst were invented in 1889 by a restaurant owner and are very popular. "Bock" means "buck" in German, but the sausage aren't made from venison. Instead, they are often eaten with bock beer (but not by me).

British sausage are called "bangers," because during World War II they used to contain so much water that they exploded when you cooked them. They don't, anymore. Bangers are part of the famous dish, "Bangers and Mash," which means sausage and mashed potatoes. This is one of my favorite dinners.

You can buy these sausages in the grocery store, usually pre-cooked, but they're not cheap (About $1.50 per sausage, or $6.00 for a pack of four). My mom found Irish bangers at Trader Joe's for St. Patrick's Day. They cost about $5.00 for six sausages, but they weren't pre-cooked. (She says to put them in a pan with a bit of water. Cover. Let cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover, then cook, occasionally turning them over, until brown on the outside.)

Regardless of the sausage, I like to eat them with ketchup. Other people may prefer them with brown sauce (a.k.a. steak sauce) or English mustard.

Baked Potatoes

Baked potatoes are a good side dish. They're tasty and filling. I like to put chives and sour cream on my baked potatoes.

Potatoes originally came from the Americas. Like tomatoes, potatoes are related to deadly nightshade, but don't let that stop you from eating them. They are low in fat, and have lots of potassium, vitamin C, and some folate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato#Nutrition).

You can bake them in an oven or on the grill, or you can microwave them. Microwaving is faster, about six to eight minutes, but they're not as nice as baked in the oven or on the grill. My favorite is grilled baked potatoes. Clean the potatoes, poke a few holes through the skin, wrap in aluminum foil, and grill until a knife inserts easily into the middle of the potatoes.

For more information, you can go to the Idaho Potato Commission's website. They even have a kids' page!

Artichokes

Technically a flower, artichokes are served as vegetables. They are related to thistles.

I like to eat artichokes steamed. I take the petals and dip them in mayonnaise, but some people use lemon butter.

Artichokes are good for dieters, because they are low in fat and high in fiber. That is, until you dip them in butter or mayonnaise. They are also high in antioxidants.

Preapring artichokes is easier than you think. Cut the stem close to the top. Cut about 1/4 inch off the top of the artichoke. Using kitchen scissors, trim the spiky part of the leaves. Then place in a steamer for about 45 minutes, or until a sharp knife easily pierces the bottom.

To eat an artichoke, you take off the petals, dip them in your dip, then bite the fleshy bottom bit and scrape with your teeth. The closer to the heart you get, the more flesh on the petals. Don't eat the choke! That's the hairy bit in the middle. Use a fork or spoon to scrape it out, then eat the yummy heart.

Besides being a eaten as a vegetable, artichokes can be used in tea, liquor, and medicinal purposes.

The California Artichoke Advisory Board has a Kids Corner with a crossword puzzle.

Barbeque Rack of Lamb

Lamb is a really heathful meat. It has two times more iron that chicken or pork, and six times more than fish. It has lots of vitamin B12, which aids with memory.

I definitely like it better than chicken, although it is more expensive than chicken.

One of my favorite ways to have lamb is barbequed, especially rack of lamb. The exposed bones will burn easily, so cover them with aluminum foil.

Heat the barbeque or grill ro medium. Put the rack of lamb away from the flame, so is doesn't get charred. I like mine medium rare, which means that the meat is soft and springy to the touch.

Serve with barbeque sauce. I like to eat mine with a baked potato and steamed artichokes.

For more information on lamb, go to one of these sites:
Australian Lamb
New Zealand Lamb
Welsh Lamb

My Favorite Teas

The flavor of tea depends greatly on which leaf was picked, how the leaves were grown and handled. Green tea is steamed. Black tea is fermented. Oolong tea is in between. White tea is allowed to whither.

I like to add sugar to all my teas.

And now for my top three favorite teas, in order:

1. Golden Dragon Oolong: We buy it at Peet's Coffee & Tea
    I like it best because of the flavor and because it's pricey.

2. Earl Grey: Found nearly anywhere tea is sold.
    I like the Bergamot flavor in this tea.

3. English Breakfast: Found nearly anywere tea is sold. Sometimes called "British Breakfast." Similar to "Awake" in Taoz-brand teas.
    I like to add milk to this tea. Remember! Add milk before you pour the tea. It tastes totally different.

Tea is a good drink on cold days and in the afternoon. If you can have a biscuit (cookie) with it, that's even better.

Breaded Chicken

The other night, I tried panko breadcrumb chicken. It was yummy. It was savory with a nice flavor. I didn't even add any condiments to it.

Panko bread is made by putting electric current through the dough, so there's no crust and it's crispier and airier than most Western bread. Panko breadcrumbs are used in Japanese cuisine. Panko crumbs are available at most grocery stores, either where the breadcrumbs are or in the asian food section or by the fish counter.

My mom used skinless, boneless chicken breasts. She dipped them in milk, then covered them in her panko crumb mixture (panko crumbs, dried onion flakes, dried parsley flakes, and a dash of sea salt). She placed them in a frying pan with hot olive oil and butter, and covered them with a lid for 15 minutes. She then took off the lid, turned over the breasts, covered with the lid, and cooked for another 10 minutes. She doesn't measure anything, so she doesn't know how much of the ingredients she put in.

She served it with sauteed potatoes and greens in olive oil and lemon sauce. I liked the potatoes, but didn't really like the greens. They were too lemony. But, I ate about seven leaves.

So, next time you have chicken breasts that you don't know what to do with, try using panko crumbs for a new taste.

Cream of Wheat

When I am sick and my throat hurts, I like thin Cream of Wheat.

You prepare it according to the package directions, but use milk, and don't use quite as much Cream of Wheat as listed.

I like to eat it with brown sugar. You may want to add sliced bananas or apple sauce, but I don't care for those.

Cream of Wheat: Stovetop Directions
Makes 1 serving

1-1/4 cups milk
3 T Cream of Wheat
(the directions suggest adding salt, but we don't add it)

1) Bring milk just to a boil. Be careful not to burn milk.
2) Gradually add Cream of Wheat, stirring constantly with whisk until well blended.
3) Return to a boil, reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 2-1/2 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Cool slightly.

It soothes my throat and it fills me up.

Puffy Omelet

I've been cooking a lot of different egg dishes lately. Something I'd never heard of before were puffy omelets.

I made one for lunch the other day. We all enjoyed it. Puffy omelets are different to other egg dishes, because you separate the egg yolks and white, beat the whites until fluffy, then add in the beaten egg yolks. This makes the omelet airier.

Puffy Omelet
(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.)

Ingredients
4 egg whites
2 T water
4 beaten egg yolks
1/4 tsp pepper (optional) [I included this.]
1/8 tsp salt (optional) [I included this.]
1 T margarine or butter [I used butter.]

1) In a bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Add water and continue beating for about 1-1/2 minutes more until stiff peaks form, tips stand straight. Fold egg yolks, salt and pepper (if desired) into egg whites.

2) In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, heat margarine or butter until a drop of water sizzles. Pour in egg mixture, mounding it slightly at sides. Cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until puffed, set, and golden brown on the bottom. Bake in a 325F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

3) Loosen sides of omelet with a metal spatula. Make a shallow cut, slightly off center, across the omelet. Folder smaller side of omelet over larger side. (If desired, spoon a filling over the larger portion before folding.) Use a wide metal spatula to lift the omelet.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrional Facts per serving: 203 calories per serving. 16 grams total fat. 426 mg cholesterol. 324 mg sodium. 1gram carbohydrates. Less than 1 gram fiber. 13 grams protein.
Daily Values: 71% vitamin A. 0% vitam C. 4% calcium. 8% iron.

Baked Eggs or Shirred Eggs

I decided to try to cook eggs and attempted to make an omelet. It turned into cheese on top of scrambled eggs, but it was all right!

Next I tried baked eggs. No one had ever heard of them. So, I tried them and they liked them.

According to Wikipedia, the name "shirred eggs" comes from the dishes the eggs were cooked in, "shirs." Shirred eggs' whites are firm, but soft, while the yolks are runny.

I found the recipe in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Baked Eggs (Recipe adapted from BHG New Cook Book.)
Margarine or butter (I use butter)
2 eggs
Snipped fresh chives or other herb (I use chives)
2 tablespoons shredded cheese, optional

1. Generously grease two ramekins with margarine or butter. Carefully break one egg into each, sprinkle with chives or desired herb, salt and pepper to taste. Set ramekins in a 9x9x2-inch baking pan; place on oven rack. Pour hot water around ramekins in pan in inch deep.

2. Bake in a 325F degree oven, for about 25 minutes, until the eggs are firm and whites are opaque. If desired, after 20 minutes of baking, sprinkle cheese atop eggs. Bake for 5 minutes more, until the eggs are baked and the cheese is melted.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 80 calories, 5 grams total fat (1.5 saturated fat), 213 mg cholesterol, 93 mg sodium, 0.5 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams fiber, 6.5 grams protein.
Daily Values: 10% vitamin A, 0.5% vitamin C, 2% calcium, 4.5% iron.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most kids like chocolate chip cookies, but they weren't a favorite of my dad's. Then we made them using this recipe from Alpha-Bakery Children's Cook Book. He loved them!

When we compared them with the recipe on a bag of chocolate chips, we discovered the difference: our new recipe had no vanilla. This makes them even better!

So, here's the recipe from Alpha-Bakery Children's Cook Book, which also has many other yummy recipes.

Cc is for Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup of margarine or butter, softened (we use butter)
1 egg
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of chopped nuts, optional (we don't add these)
1 pkg (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375F.

2. Mix both sugars, butter, and egg in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes (centers will be soft). Let cookies cool slightly, then remove from cookie sheet with a spatula. Makes about 48 cookies.

They don't last long in our house, because we eat them so quickly. Enjoy!

Yellow Rice

Yellow rice is very yummy. I like it with tacos.

Saffron makes the rice yellow. Saffron comes from the saffron crocus. Each flower has three stigmas, which we know as the spice, saffron. Like nutmeg, it is poisonous in large amounts. The cultivation of saffron goes back 3,000 years. Experts believe it was first documented in the 7th century BC, by Ashurbinpal, in an Assyrian botanical text.

We use Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice. It's easy to make. Yellow rice is flavorful and mouth-watering.

I also like, because I'm practicing being rich, and saffron is the most expensive spice by weight.

Fish Pie

Fish pie is very tasty. It has vegetables, fish, pearl onions, and a cream sauce.

We've used cod once and tilapia another time.

I like it because it's very savory. I even have seconds!

My mom made up this recipe, so none of the measurements are exact. She says to just go with what feels and looks right to you.

Fish Pie
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 9-inch crusts (for top and bottom of pie)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 or 3 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen pearl onions
Dash red pepper flakes (optional)
1 lb. cod or other white fish
1/2 lb. shrimp meat (optional)
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cream

1) Preheat oven to 350F. Place a large shallow cookie sheet on the middle rack, to heat up while you make the filling.

2) Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Saute for 10 minutes. Add spinach, frozen peas, frozen pearl onions, and red pepper flakes. Cook 5 more minutes. Add fish, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Stir and cover with lid. Cook until the fish is cooked. Add cream and continue heating a few minutes.

3) Put one layer of pie dough in an ungreased 9- to 10-inch glass pie dish. Pour fish mixture into the pie dish. Cover with the other pie crust, seal the edges, cut vents, and carefully place the completed pie on the heated cookie sheet.

4) Bake for about 30 minutes, making sure not to burn the crust edges (cover with foil, if needed). When the crust is golden, remove the pie from the oven. Careful, the pie will be hot!

5) Serve hot or warm.

Dark Chocolate

I like dark chocolate better than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate makes me less thirsty when I eat it.

Dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate. It may lower your blood pressure. When eaten without milk, it is a potent antioxidant. Antoxidants get rid of free radicals, which helps prevent heart disease and other ailments. (http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy-chocolate)

Extra dark is too bitter for me, and probably better for cooking chocolate. Regular dark chocolate contains 45-70% cacao (cocoa) in the U.S.

I even asked for dark chocolate for Easter!

Hummus

Hummus, a Middle-Eastern dish, is made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini (a sesame paste), lemon juice, olive oil, and spices. Hummus has complex carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamin C, Omega-3, among other nutritional benefits.

You can add other flavors to hummus, like roasted red bell peppers, which are really good.

You can use hummus as a dip for vegetables and chips, a spread on crackers or breads, but my favorite is on rice cakes. We get brown rice cakes, and I put on the hummus with a spoon (it's easier than an knife). Hummus on rice cakes makes a tasty snack.

Next time you crave something crunchy and little sweet and salty, try hummus on rice cakes!

Zucchini Bread

Zucchinis, known as courgettes in Europe, are the most popular among summer squashes. It's low in calories, a good source of dietary fiber, and has lots of potassium. Zucchini is actually a fruit, not a vegetable.

I don't like zucchinis. But this recipe tastes nice. It's very cake-like in texture.

Zucchini Bread (from 365 All-American Favorites)
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 55-60 minutes
Makes: 2 loaves

2-2/3 cups flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour 2 (8 x 4 2-1/2 inch) loaf pans

2. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Stir in zucchini. Stir in dry ingredients until blended. Stir in the nuts, if using them (we don't). Divide batter evenly between pans.

4. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack 15 minutes. Run a knife around sides, invert pans over rack, and rap firmly to release. Turn loaves rounded top side up and let cool completely in rack.

Hoe Cakes

Hoe cakes are corn pancakes. They are called "hoe cakes," because a hoe was used to remove them from the fireplace in the old old old days. We like to eat them on Presidents' Day.

Hoe cakes are very good with honey. Honey is full of healthy vitamins and minerals. In fact, it's the only food which contains all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water. You can put butter on them, but I like them better without it.

Hoe Cakes (originally from a Martha Stewart recipe)
Makes about 10 small pancakes

1-1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups buttermilk (To sour regular milk, put 2 Tbsp white vinegar in a measuring cup, then top off with milk to 1-1/2 cups. Let sit for 5 minutes.)
2 large eggs (If desired, substitute with 1 large banana, mashed)
5 Tbsp corn oil, plus extra if needed
Unsalted butter for serving (if desired)
Honey for serving (if desired)

1. Stir together cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add buttermilk, eggs (or bananas), and 4 Tbsp oil. Whisk until smooth.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add remaining tablespoon of oil; swirl to coat, and heat until a drop of batter sizzles on contact. Working batches, pour 1/3 cup batter per cake onto skillet. Cook, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes.

3. Repeat with remaining batter (add more oil if needed, and reduce heat if sides brown too quickly). Serve immediately.

Don't worry if they come out very dark the first time; it happened with us, too.

You can freeze extra hoe cakes, and pop in the microwave or toaster to reheat. I don't think they taste as good, but they're still all right to eat.

Sun Chips

Sun Chips are whole grain and very tasty. Some of the bags are even compostable.

They have less salt than you might think: less than one serving of microwaveable popcorn. They have as much whole grain, 18 grams, as a slice of whole wheat bread. They have no trans-fats or cholesterol, and they have 30% less fat than normal potato chips. (Source: http://www.sunchips.com/healthier_you.shtml)

Sun Chips come in lots of flavors:
French Onion (my favorite)
Original
Harvest Cheddar
Garden Salsa
Peppercorn Ranch
Jalapeno Jack (coming soon)

I like them better than regular chips, because they have a better flavor. I like to eat them with sandwiches or on their own as a snack.

Dips Make Broccoli Good

I don't like cooked broccoli very much. It doesn't have a good texture. It's too soft.

Raw broccoli has a harder texture. I like the flavor better, too.

My favorite way to have raw broccoli is dipped in ranch dressing.

Broccoli has been scientifically proven to lower your risk for cancer (http://home.howstuffworks.com/broccoli3.htm).

Girls beware! This next bit is for boys only!
Raw broccoli gives you very smelly burps!