Red & White Homemade Pizza

 

You can’t fail at bread making as long as you pay attention to the dough and don’t try to bake it when it isn’t ready.

Bread making is another one of those arts that is therapeutic. However, it’s a process I barely make time for.  Homemade bread (like anything else made from scratch) is substantially better than the loaf on the shelf at your local market. There will be no color added or preservatives and is very inexpensive.  The craving for pizza has been screaming in my head, and there is no way I was going to settle for ‘delivery’. (Even healthier delivery)

I thought I’d use my favorite pizza recipe (which I have posted before) and alter it to make it more heartier and with whole wheat flour. I had some millet and wheat berries I had purchased in my cabinet months ago that I never got around to using. Today was the day! These pizzas came out so fantastic! I won’t post the recipe because these have gone down in recipe history with exclamation marks beside them:) You can see from the photos what I put on the pizza anyways. As I’ve said before, you don’t really need recipes to make great food. This was just another “throw together” from leftovers and things I had sitting in the fridge waiting to be used.

So, yes, a hearty whole grain bread was used in these pizzas. It probably takes 15 minutes to arrive at your ball of dough ready for rising. I let it rise on the warm oven for a little over and hour and then began assembling. I can’t have tomatoes, but my husband can, so I made two different pizzas. I began with putting a thick layer of cheese down first, then a thin layer of sauce, plus some basil pesto. Then, I layered my ingredients I wanted on top of my pizza which did include leftover apple slices and peas! Next, I went out to my little herb garden (which, I might add I have done NOTHING to since spring hit. They all just started growing back with exception to the basil) and cut some big springs of fresh oregano. Yum! Everything went on top of the pizzas and they baked on 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Enjoy! I know I did.

Chicken, Pea Mushroom Pasta

Ever been to Carraba’s Italian Grill? We decided to stop in last month for a quick lunch. There is nothing I hate more than trying someplace new and wasting money. I mean, I should have known- it is a chain. Who knows what was wrong with the food? All I can guess is everything was drenched and cooked in butter/oils and had tons of salt poured over top. The chicken tasted very strange, like artificial grill taste? Who knows, but I wanted to recreate it. The dish was just a simple chicken alfredo with mushrooms and peas- not hard to mess up right? Wrong.

This dish was much better made with whole grain pasta, a light alfredo sauce without butter. Baby bella mushrooms were sliced and cooked with sautéed chicken and fresh peas! I always put in a little basil pesto with my white sauces, it makes it SO much better!

Not the greatest photo, but YUM!

Ginger Sesame Salad

Highly fragrant, sweet and pungent, ginger adds plenty of flavor and spice to any dish! Yesterday was salad left-overs! I had some fresh ginger leftover from some sugar-free cookies I had baked, so yes, I decided it would go into a salad! A bottle of toasted sesame oil in the back of my cupboard also beckoned to become part of lunch.

I don’t like using store bought dressings because: they are really bad for you, most of them are disgusting and lets be honest- they are generic. Fresh dressings taste better and are better for you! (Of course the occassional Ranch dressing has to be drizzled on things…) But, for the most part fresh is better and lacking the hundreds of bad calories also. I am partial to vinegars and oils and spicing them up with various flavors. Usually I squeeze lemon juice and balsamic and toss salt and pepper. However, today was toasted sesame seed oil, sesame seeds, some drops of balsamic and about 1 teaspoon+ grated fresh ginger for the dressing! Enjoy!

Ginger Sesame Salad

• Into a bowl throw sliced up romaine & iceburg lettuce
• Drizzle some balsamic & toasted sesame oil (1 t of each-+)
• Grate 1 t+ fresh ginger
• Sliced up organic chicken breast
• Pour sesame seeds
• Salt & Pepper
• Sliced apples
• Walnuts
• red onions
• sprinkling of blended white cheeses
• Toast whole wheat & raisin cinnamin bread

Running snacks

 

Thought I would share some more of my favorite running snacks. Usually I have just one banana like that, not two. That was a little too much:) The other one is just my favorite peanut butter(Smart Balance) on a Kashi Almond bar! Yum. These are just enough to carry you through about an hour of running.

I was running with my husband pretty regularly, at least 4+ miles 3-4 times a week. And then, he was in a little mishap with his motorcycle. So, he hasn’t been doing much lately but sitting on the sofa recovering:( Yesterday was a quick 3 miler for me, I left too late in the day and it was actually too hot! However, I did get one in for the day!  

 

Chicken Salad Everything

 

Warmer weather is here! Chicken salad sandwiches are one of my favorites because you can put anything in them and they are so good! (Same with albacore tuna)

There was a lot thrown in these sandwiches! And the buns were hollowed out- who needs that much bread?

• chicken
• shredded carrots
• apples
• spinach
• onions
• cottage cheese
• shredded cheese
• raisins
• walnuts
• salt&pepper
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• balsamic

 

Yum!

More healthy runner’s treats/cookies…

Warmer weather is finally here! Hopefully it is here to stay! Yesterday the temp in the house was 80 degrees and we grilled and dedicated the day to yard work, which was so great. We also made it to a baseball game with friends, this weekend was a really good one that felt like it lasted a week! I also got in two short runs with my husband at the park.

I know I haven’t been updating like I should. So, I should say that I’ve actually been really busy with my little ‘baking’ business. So, I’m at least working part-time, full-time now:) Also, I’ve had a few freelance design jobs and illustrating jobs-which is good! But, I will have to plug my facebook page again-especially since I’m also doing a giveaway this week!! I’ve been wanting to do a giveaway on here, but a healthy one! As I’ve said before, I still feel weird selling cakes, cookies and things filled with sugar! But, it is how our culture celebrates and I still believe moderation, regular exercise and self-control is key. I might do a giveaway soon for these ‘runners treats’ I’ve come up with lately.

I did a post several weeks ago on them. They were sort of an alternative to the regular snacking- Kashi bars, bags of almonds and walnuts etc… One of my favorite snacks to eat before running is peanut butter and or bananas and I will usually sprinkle raisins and flax seeds on it. It’s the perfect amount of protein and snack for me before I run. So, one day I threw it all together trying to make a cookie/bar/treat that’s easier to grab and go. The result were these: http://inpursuitofrealfood.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/my-runners-treats/

A week or two later I got a huge order at my baking site for cookies.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.216098135156496.36722.140459949386982&type=3

 So of course I made normal cookies with sugar and many WITHOUT sugar. And, then I made these thinking about my runner’s treats the entire time. I really got good inspiration for different treats with absolutely NO sugar, no eggs, no butter, no flour and no dairy! So these are vegan also.

While I’m at it, I will also plug my site again.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kats-Cakes/140459949386982

I am doing a GIVEAWAY for some spring shortbread decorated cookies “grill themed”! So if you want them, just go ‘like’ my facebook page! The giveaway info is right on the page. Then send me an email to inpursuitofrealfood@hotmail.com and just say “I want the cookies” and leave me a link to your info in my email so I can find you if you win! I’m still keeping my blog and facebook very much separate! I’ll also post another link on here. Enjoy!

Carrot Walnut Coconut Treats! Yum! No sugar, eggs, flour or dairy!

Almond, Raisin, Peanut Butter & Flax Combo! No sugar, eggs, dairy or flour!

Craving for Bread

Lately, I’ve been craving bread for some reason. It’s still cold here, the weather is playing with my emotions. When I’m cold I feel the need to eat filling things! So bagels have been on my plate the last week or so for breakfasts/lunches and then I’ll snack the rest of the day til dinner. I’m sure ‘everything’ bagels exist in whole wheat, but I’ve been too lazy and busy to seek them out.

Still exercising I hope you are too! I went on two runs last week with my husband- maybe 3 milers. And then I’ve been catching up with P90x workouts varieted with stuff I want to work on and weights. This morning (is cold and wet again), but I just got done with about 45 minutes of shoulders and neck, weights and crunches- and huge bagel. Activa’s cherry yogurt was added to the mix. (Peach and cherry are my favorites, those things are unbelievably satisfying!)

I thought I’d post a few photos of food from last week too.

These were enjoyed all last week for breakfast/lunches and once for dinner!

Brussel Sprout Pizza

That’s right. It might sound scary and like a strange experiment, but this pizza is somewhat addicting. I have made pizza before with these, but I didn’t want to heat the house up roasting them since the temps here have been in the 80s. So, I cheated and bought frozen brussel sprouts, cooked them and then baked them on a pizza. So GOOD! Really, you have to try it. They satisfy your veggie craving and have the texture and fill like carbs do(like the pizza dough), sort of like potatoes.  I love brussel sprouts and I love pizza, so one day I decided to put them on a pizza, it’s become a new favorite.

Why are brussel sprouts so nutritious?

http://www.livestrong.com/article/512313-why-are-brussels-sprouts-nutritious/

Also, today was another gorgeous day I could not miss! Today was another 5.5 mile run day at the park. Today was much easier since I’m back into running and I think my body is somewhat used to things blooming and pollen. It’s still a little difficult to breathe, but not so much as to miss out on a run in the sunshine. Again, it took only 45 minutes. It felt great, I hope you’re getting out to excercise in nice weather!!

Multi grain pizza bread, a thin layer of alfredo with basil pesto, brussel sprouts, ham, onions, EVOO and cheese!

Pea Post

Yes, this is a pea post. We had turkey burgers here the other night. Nothing new, but warmer temperatures are bringing summer food back. Turkey is the only way I have a ‘burger’, and we love sweet baked potato fries! This is a very healthy dish, peas were the vegetable of choice tonight. I had a lot of peas leftover so you will never guess what I put in my tacos the next night. Why not? Peas!  It was one way to get the veggies in and it was really scrumptous, kind of had a fattening/potato type texture and fill. Yum!!

And before I forget- today was a GORGEOUS sunny day! So- it was a 5.5 mile run! Very tiring on trying to breathe because of allergies, I haven’t been running in over a week. I’ve been at home doing cardio and weights!

 

Another favorite snack…

Speaking of running and running ‘treats’. These are also a new favorite, Kashi’s Pumpkin Spice Flax bars.(The other ones I buy religiously are the peanut butter ones.) I remember trying them when they first came out and they were hard and crumbs and pieces would fly everywhere(especially snacking while driving.) But, since then, they have made improvements! So, I ate one of these along with some peanut butter and set out.

Yesterday was a little past 80 degrees here, it was such a great day!! I’m so excited, the lawn needs to be cut already and the bees and the butterflies have finally made an appearance! It is still a little windy here for me, but not like the other day. So, of course I got out first thing yesterday morning for another 3.5+ mile run. I gotta say it was a difficult one, the wind set me off in a bad place with my allergies. There’s nothing like trying to get through a run while feeling like your being slightly suffocated the entire time:) I was out of allergy pills yesterday morning, but I did push through regarding my workout rule that always gets me through.

“If your going to get up and plan to workout, put on workout clothes, take your makeup off, put your hair back, throw a hat on, sunscreen, put your running shoes on, grab your stop watch and the iPod, eat a snack and fill a container with water, and get in the car and go drive to the park(or gym)- your staying for at least an hour and your going to work for an entire hour!!!”   – otherwise, really, what is the point to all that?