Instarecipe: Arugula and Feta Pizza

While in process of making these delicious little personal pizzas, I couldn't find my "real" camera. It was lost in the chaos that we currently call our office.

So, I grabbed my cell phone and snapped photos. And then I "instagramed" them!

It was the perfect solution for documenting a yummy, quick, and simple recipe.

Be prepared for future "instarecipes."

We recently joined in on a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and now I am getting acquainted with lot of new greens!

Like, arugula, for example.

It's a little like spinach and yet has a more mustard-like flavor. And it's very yummy on pizza!

No worries. If you don't have arugula laying around, spinach works just as grand!

I tweaked the pizza dough recipe from the Pioneer Woman a bit to make it a little healthier and heartier.

It's a fantastic recipe for making a quick and easy pizza dough.

Then, I added some of my homemade pizza sauce. I like to add a pinch of cayenne to my pizza sauce for a little spice :)

And then I sprinkled on the arugula and feta.

Let it bake for a few minutes and the personal pizzas are ready to snarf down.

Arugula and Feta Personal Pizzas:
Make 2 personal pizzas or one large pizza
{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
For the crust (adapted from The Pioneer Woman):
1/2 tsp yeast
3/4 cup of warm water
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt/powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp flax seed (optional)

For the toppings:
3/4 cup of pizza sauce (homemade or from a jar)
1.5 cups of chopped arugula (or another leafy green like spinach)
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
1. Mix yeast and warm water together; let bubble.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, seasoning, salt, garlic, garlic salt/powder, and flax seed.
3. Slowly add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil into the flour mixture.
4. Add the water and yeast mixture to the bowl. Stir. The dough should still be a little sticky.
5. Shape into a ball and put into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic and place into the refrigerator for an hour or until needed.
6. When ready to make pizza, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Split dough in half and roll each half out on a floured surface. Place dough on a cookie sheet or pizza stone.
7. Spoon pizza sauce onto the dough and spread evenly.
8. Add chopped arugula and feta evenly on each pizza.
9. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Crust should be lightly browned when finished.

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Pancakes. For two.

There used to be a time when Josh and I would have pancakes every Sunday morning--made from a box mix and with loads of butter and syrup. We also crashed about thirty minutes into the church service. Too much sugar!

We don't have pancakes every Sunday anymore, but I do like to sneak them in for supper sometimes. Breakfast for dinner is always fun!

This time around, though, when I went looking for our handy ready-to-mix pancake mix, I came up short. I almost started digging around for something else to eat, but then I decided that I would try and make pancakes from scratch. After peeking at a few recipes, I wondered why I had never bothered venturing away from a box mix.

Oh, yeah, because I thought that all pancakes required buttermilk.

But they don't!

I wanted to make these pancakes a little kinder on the pant strings, so healthy ingredients wiggled their way into the recipe.

Of course, I couldn't help but add dashes of cinnamon and cloves. Before I knew it, I was adding a spoonful of molasses. Who knew making pancakes could be so adventures?

Suddenly, these pancakes were not your run-of-the-mill pancakes. I was a little nervous to serve them to Josh--since he is usually the pancake expert around our parts. And then he took a bite. And smiled. And then I got a, "oooh, these are so good!" and "I really like these!"

Cha-ching!

I gobbled them up right along with him and even made a second batch for breakfast today.

Lucky for me, pancakes are easy to freeze, and now I've got breakfast waiting for me!

Like any good pancake, it begins with the flour/s and the spices.

And then a little milk, egg, vanilla, and molasses.

Finally, whisk it all together and spoon it on the griddle.

Let it bubble. Flip. And eat!

So, so good. Filling, spicy, tasty, simple, and plain delicious! I think it's safe to say that premade pancake mixes have officially been retired at our house :)

Pancakes for Two:
Makes about 10 small pancakes
{printable recipe}

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup of unbleached white flour (or whole wheat)
1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp flax seed (optional)

Liquid Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of milk (I used almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp molasses
1 egg

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg. Add the remaining liquid ingredients.
3. Add liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together (don't over mix--it may be a little lumpy).
4. Spoon 1/4 cup of mixture onto a hot griddle (on medium heat).
5. When pancake is bubbly around the edges, flip. Once other side is cooked, add to a plate and cover with a dish towel to keep warm.

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Gingerbread Banana Bread

Oh, the love sage between ginger and molasses continues...

After remembering how much I love gingerbread (and after making my first ever gingerbread cake recipe), I decided to bring ginger and molasses together for a banana bread dance.

Although I haven't had much practice with creating cake recipes, I have made many quick bread recipe alterations and felt less intimidated about whipping up a banana bread recipe with a few extra embellishments!

Butter was again left out of the story, but since chocolate is involved, I'm pretty sure no one will miss it!

\

What I liked about this recipe was the depth of flavor--I enjoyed the subtle hint of gingerbread paired with the sweetness of the chocolate. This recipe definitely has room for tweaking (for example, I'd like it to be a little less dense), but it wasn't hard to eat. In fact, it may have actually been a little too easy to gobble up :)

My favorite part of making this bread was adding the heap of morsels of chocolate to the mixing bowl. And then, of course, sneaking a few of them into my mouth!

It may have gotten a little too brown in the oven (oops!), but the recipe is definitely a keeper. I will probably make a few tweaks for improvement, but I still thoughly enjoyed this fun twist to traditional banana bread!

Gingerbread Banana Bread:
Makes one loaf
{printable recipe}

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of applesauce
1/4 cup of white or brown sugar (I used brown)
1/4 cup of molasses
1 cup of mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ginger
2 cups of flour (I used 1 cup of whole wheat and 1 cup of unbleached white flour)
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bread pan.
2. Cream together applesauce, sugar, and molasses. Once well-blended, beat in eggs.
3. Add mashed bananas and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, sift/mix together flour, ginger, flour, cloves, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
5. Gradually add dry mixture to the creamed mixture. Once fully blended, mix in chocolate chips.
6. Pour into bread pan.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
8. Let cool, cut, and enjoy!


{p.s. I'm sharing this recipe at the parties over at Life in Grace and Tatertots and Jello}

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Ginger + Molasses = Pure Love

After Thanksgiving swings by, the pumpkin spice seems to be shoved to the back corner of the spice shelf and ginger and molasses get the main show.

Although I love pumpkin spice, I love gingerbread, so I can't complain!

Since this blog is reflecting my experiments in the kitchen, this recipe is my first ever not-from-a-box-or-from-someone-who-already-knows-how-to-make-a-delicious-cake recipe.

I've made lots of cakes.

From boxes.

Maybe one or two from an actual recipe.

Scribbling down recipes for main dishes and sides isn't too hard for me. Baking...well, I'm entering new territory here!

After studying a few recipes and taking bits and pieces here and there, I etched out a recipe for gingerbread cake. My goal was not that the cake would win the blue ribbon at the fair. My goal was for it to be edible! Also, I challenged myself to use no butter. I guess the jeans were feeling a little too tight today!

Although it could use a tweak here or there, I was surprised that it tasted pretty good! Not perfect, but definitely edible and yummy :)

It all begins with ginger root and backstrap molasses. And a curious dog.

And then sugar, eggs, and applesauce.

Oooh, look at all those spices partying in there!

Gooey and just asking for a lickin'!

Make some muffins if you have a little extra...

Sprinkle a little (or a lot) of powered sugar to add a touch of extra sweetness...

And then eat it up! It would taste so delightful with ice cream and caramel sauce...

Gingerbread Cake:

(makes one 9x13 cake or two 8x8 cakes)

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:

1 cup of applesauce

1/2 cup of brown sugar

3/4 cup of molasses

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground or freshly grated ginger

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 

2. Mix applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, and molasses together until well blended.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

4. Add flour mixture to liquid mixture. Mix well.

5. Pour cup of water into the mixture. Mix until well blended.

6. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 cake pan or into two 8x8 pans.

7. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Toothpick will come out clean when ready!

{ps. I'm sharing this recipe at the Christmas Cheer party at Life in Grace!}

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Homemade Veggie Broth

Lately, I've been making a lot of recipes that include vegetable broth.

Instead of spending extra dough at the grocery store, I save a good buck or two by making it myself.

When you realize how simple it is, you'll probably want to make it too!

Even if you burn everything you touch, I promise that you will be able to make veggie broth.

The key is vegetable guts.

Okay, that's a little gross.

Maybe I should call it vegetable surplus.

It's the extra skin from the onion. The carrot top. The leafy part of the celery stalk. Get the drift?

Now, when I finish chopping up veggies, I stick the extra stuff in the freezer. When I'm ready to make some broth, I yank it out, and it's ready to help me make some veggie broth!

No recipe is needed, but here's the basic how-to:

1. Get a big 'ol pot and fill it half-full with veggies. You can use those last two carrots from the bag, the third of an onion you didn't use the last time you made meatloaf, the green stalks from green onions...etc. I have a few "staples" in my veggie combination. I have always included a green veggie (like spinach or broccoli), onions, and garlic.

2. Fill the pot with water until about 2/3rds full. This is approximately the amount of veggie broth that you'll end up. If you want a lot, use a big pot. If not, use a small pot. I feel like I'm becoming a poet over here! Add a dash (about 1 tsp) of salt. If you'd like, you can extra spices like basil or oregano.

3. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for another hour or so (or until water starts to darken).

4. Place a large bowl under a colander/stainer. Drain veggies and broth--all the veggies will hang out in the strainer and the broth will end up in the big bowl!

5. Use it! I use what I need and freeze or refrigerate the excess.

That's it.

It's a simple way to use up extra veggies that are almost expiring or those darn carrot tops and extra onions. Plus, you save money doing it!

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Thanksgiving Recoup Soup

I don't know about you, but after Thanksgiving I feel like eating light for a few days. Even though I sneak cheeseball left-overs and pumpkin pie, I try and eat more nutritious meals. Try is the operative word.

When thinking about what to make with our left-over turkey, I thought that it would be nice to make a pot of hearty, yet not too heavy, soup.

I call it the recoup soup.

It all begins with onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Oh, and don't forget a little russet potato. I love the earthiness of the russet potato.

And then a little homemade veggie broth and a bit of milk.

After it cooks up for a while (all the while smelling delightful!), it gets blended into a thick, tasty base. I, unfortunately, only have a small bullet-like blender, but an immersion blender would make this step a breeze. While blending about four small batches of the broth, I was seriously contemplating adding an immersion blender to my Christmas list.

Once it's all brothy and thick, I added more onion, mushrooms, pepper, zucchini, corn, potatoes, canned chilies, white navy beans, and about two cups of shredded turkey.

Let it simmer for about twenty or so more minutes. Add a dash of pepper and salt. Maybe add some cayenne if you want it a little spicy.

And gobble it down.

And then go take a nap. Because you can. Blame it on the turkey.

Thanksgiving Recoup Soup:
Serves 10-14
{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:
6 cups of veggie or chicken broth
5 cups of white navy beans
2 cups of shredded turkey
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 medium zucchini (chopped)
1 cup of milk
8 oz of mushrooms (about 2 cups chopped)
1 7oz can of chopped green chilies
1 15 oz. can of corn (drained)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
2 small or 1 large russet potato (about two cups chopped into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Chop up onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Heat the oil in a large pot; cook onions, mushrooms, and garlic. Once onion is clear (about five minutes), remove half of the mixture from the pan and set aside.
2. Add a cup of chopped potatoes to the remaining mixture in the pot and cook for another five minutes.
3. Add broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Add milk.
4. Using a blender or an immersion blender, blend the broth until well blended and frothy.
5. Add the remaining cooked mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Then, toss in the chopped potatoes, beans, chopped bell pepper, turkey, corn, green chilies, chopped zucchini, and seasonings.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.
7. Add seasonings and eat!

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Roasted Sweet Potato with Baked Apples and Walnuts

Thanksgiving time is a wonderful time to stock up on sweet potatoes. In fact, our local grocery store is now selling sweet potatoes at just 22 cents a pound!

Like my previous two recipes, this recipe also includes apples. I simply love apples in the fall--and who can argue with soft and warm roasted apples? 

Plus, the smell of cooking apples and cinnamon is absolutely delightful!

I haven't quite decided if this recipe is breakfast, dessert, or just a warm afternoon snack. I ate it for breakfast, and it definitely hit the spot. Plus, I had extra roasted apples that are perfect for topping ice cream or oatmeal.

Tart, crisp apples are the key to savory roasted apples. They need a little extra crispness to keep them from getting too mushy while baking.

Cinnamon, a little brown sugar, walnuts, and a drizzle of olive oil give them just the punch they need.

Toss them on top of a roasted sweet potato, and you have a simple and delicious treat! 

Add a drizzle of plain or vanilla yogurt for a little extra fun!

Roasted Sweet Potato with Baked Apples and Walnuts:

{Printable Version}

Ingredients:

1 or 2 sweet potatoes

2 cups of diced apples

1/2 cup of walnuts

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tea cinnamon

Yogurt for garnish (optional, but recommended!)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Peel, core, and dice apples. In a bowl, mix diced apples, walnuts, olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Place diced apples on a baking sheet. Half sweet potatoes lengthwise and poke holes into them. Place potatoes on the baking sheet with the apples. Bake apples for about 30 minutes (until soft). Remove apples and walnuts from the baking sheet. Continue to bake the sweet potato until soft (about 15-25 additional minutes). Once sweet potato is cooked through, remove from the oven. Spread warm apples over the sweet potato and garnish with yogurt or cinnamon.

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Cranberry and Apple Mini Pies

There's nothing like Thanksgiving time to remind me about how much I love cranberries.

And apples.

And pie.

I've been itching to try making some mini-pies for a while now and this gave me the opportunity to try it. 

Although this recipe takes a bit of time, it isn't very difficult. 

The filling of this pie is delectable! Cranberries, apples, sugar, cinnamon, and a little dash of ground cloves. In fact, I had a little extra so I piled it all in a pot, boiled it for a few minutes, and it turned into a lovely apple/cranberry sauce!

And the crust-buttery, flaky, and definitely NOT the healthy choice of the day. But let me tell you, while you are eating your mini-pie, you will not care. 

These little pies were so scrumptious that I had a hard time sticking to just eating one...

Cranberry Apple Mini Pies

Makes about 10 mini pies

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients:

Crust (the crust was adapted from this recipe):

1 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup of ground oats--blended to a flour-like consistency (can be substituted with all-purpose flour)

1 cup of chilled butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup of ice water

Filling:

1 pkg. of fresh cranberries (12 oz)

2 medium tart apples 

1/2 cup of sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:

Crust:

Blend 1 1/2 cups of whole oats into fine, flour-like consistency. Mix together flour, salt, and ground oats. Dice butter into small pieces and add them to the flour mixture. Cut in the butter until the dough is crumbly. Slowly (by tablespoon) add water, continuing to mix. Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate for at least two hours. 

Filling:

Dice cranberries (by halves or fourths). Peel, core, and dice apples into small pieces. In a medium bowl, mix apples, cranberries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and the pinch of ground cloves.

Mini-pies:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Once dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface. Using a cookie cutter or glass, cut circles large enough to come to the top of the muffin pan cups. Press dough into the cups. Place approximately 1/3 cup of the mixture into each pie (make sure they are heaping since they will cook down!). Cut dough circles to cover the top of each mini-pie. Seal the top and bottom well. Cut slits on the top of each pie. Swipe the crusts with a little melted butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool, remove carefully from muffin tin, enjoy!

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