Cooking: Pizza w/ Homemade Dough

One of my favorite meals of all time is pizza. Specifically, brick oven thin crust mushroom, pepperoni, and Italian sausage pizza. What better combination in the world is there than meat, bread, cheese, and tomato sauce? In my basic cooking boot camp class, we learned how to make challah bread as part of our "dessert" class. The instructor gave us an easy alteration to the recipe to make pizza dough. Considering I love pizza and am loving learning to make things from scratch, I thought this recipe would be a fun and satisfying challenge! I have made it a few times, and my coworker also tried it and loved it (grilling the pizza versus cooking it and an oven - an interesting twist I would love to try). The crust is relatively thin and a bit sweeter (which makes sense considering it was originally a sweet bread recipe).  

One word of caution is that you have to let the dough rise for an hour or two once you have made it, so unless you want to eat at 9 (mistake #1) either start early, or make it the day before & let it rise in the fridge overnight. 

Let's get cooking!

Cooking: Lentil Soup w/ Italian Sausage.

Today's post is about the third easy, tasty, and freezer-ready meals I made at the beginning of August. It may not look like much, but man is it tasty and it packs a great nutritional punch! In January when I was trying to cook healthy meals in order to both lose the weight I gained and the "bleh" feeling I had after a fall of eating out, I stumbled upon an article in Women's Running regarding super foods you should eat every day. One of the foods was lentils, which I had never had before. Lentils are full of iron and protein, which as a female endurance athlete I really need. I particularly feel a drop in energy/mood when I am low on iron.

Since I was unfamiliar with lentils but willing to give them a try, I did some googling and found this Alton Brown's lentil soup recipe. When I saw an average 5 star rating over 250+ reviews, I knew I had a winner. I have adapted the recipe based on personal preference and reading the reviews -  I don't know about you, but I have NO idea where to find the "grains of paradise" the recipe calls for. Luckily one reviewer noted that ginger/black pepper serve as a good substitute. And of course, I had to add Italian sausage! I usually get about 8 servings out of a batch which means it is perfect for stocking the freezer

Lentil soup has become one of my go-tos this year since it is so simple and satisfying. The recipe is really easy to adapt and a great way to experiment in the kitchen for novice cooks. Lentil soups start with the same base (onion, celery, carrot, lentils, and broth/stock), and then can be varied in so many different ways based on added spices and ingredients. I try to always keep the base items in my pantry for nights when I don't feel like eating out or spending much time in the kitchen. Another favorite of mine simply involves adding curry powder and cumin to the base.

Let's get cooking!

Cooking: Meaty Lasagna

In my BBQ chili post, I mentioned that I had spent that weekend making three good-to-freeze meals. Boy am I glad I did! I got back from an awesome adventure vacation this weekend (blog post to come) and just was not in the mood to cook this weekend (shocking!). This week, I have dipped into my reserves in order to avoid having to eat out for a second week in a row to supplement what cooking I have been able to do mid-week. This is the second of the three meals I made: A delicious meaty lasagna!

Since I was trying to make three big meals in one weekend, simple was the name of the game. This recipe is also really cheap per serving, which I also appreciate. And what I saved in money and time, I did not sacrifice in flavor! Last night as I was stuck late at work, I was extremely grateful to have such a delicious home cooked meal while everyone else was eating their unhealthy take out food (especially after a week of indulging on all things huckleberry!). 

Let's get cooking!

Cooking: Blueberry Crumb Bars

I have not traditionally been a baker - I  have too little self control to have baked goods in the house. However, in the past 5 or 6 weeks since I broke down and bought a kitchenaid stand mixer, I have managed to bake at least once a week to make the investment worth it. It has been life changing! I love baking, and I found that I love sharing my baked goods with others (primarily my coworkers) more than eating them myself. A week ago, I saw this recipe on my favorite baking blog and just had to try it! Luckily blueberries were on sale.

A lot of what I have made has been very rich (start strong!). I couldn't tell from the blog, but this recipe is actually much lighter than what I have been making (less than 200 calories if you cut it into 20 servings!) and is quite delicious. It feels more like a coffee cake/breakfast dessert. I am not a huge blueberry fan but this recipe won me over. Also, while this recipe is lighter, it was still just as big a hit with my coworkers!

Cooking: Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken Chili

Looking ahead to the next month, I realized I am going to be super busy with work, weekend/vacation! travel, and marathon training. In order to avoid having to eat out/eat unhealthy, I spent last weekend stocking my freezer with delicious meals in case I don't have a chance to cook. I think I ended up making 24 servings of three of my favorite meals (all blog posts to come). When thinking about what to make, I immediately thought of my go to meal - BBQ Chicken Chili:

It is super easy (a theme to a lot of my weeknight cooking). I usually make it for the winter, but with how cold my office is these days it constantly feels like winter. If you don't have a slow cooker, get one! I spent 15 minutes putting this together Monday morning (10 minutes worth of can opening - or at least it felt like that) and when I came home after a long day of work I had a delicious, hearty meal prepared and a house that smelled like BBQ. Win! 

I can't even count the number of times I have made this over the years - I discovered it in high school when I joined Weight Watchers and began my love affair with cooking. They have some awesome cookbooks! I have always gotten rave reviews of this one and people would never think the recipe came from them. As a note, I have discovered I definitely prefer my chili with ground chicken versus beef thanks to this and another recipe I make, but you could easily substitute ground beef

Let's get cooking!

Cooking: Maple Sausage Sweet Potato Hash

Prior to March, I would have said I wasn't a big brunch person. One of my lasting memories of the Ironman training is talking to my teammate about how her immediate plan for the weekend after the Ironman was to go to brunch for six hours - that thought had never even crossed my mind!

This changed when back in March, I was really enjoying cooking and really wanted to try a cooking class. I saw a brunch cooking class with Chef Egg offered @ Living Social's 918 F Street location for that weekend and while I thought I wasn't a big brunch person, the desire to take a class won out. This class changed my mind about brunch - I loved everything we made! My poor friends - after the class I promised to make them brunch (and raved about the food) but it took me 4 months to actually get around to it! It turns out I really just don't usually have time for brunch.

The best part about the class was that the Chef had a healthy focus, and the dishes are all super simple to recreate. This one is my favorite and I have made it several times since the class - just usually for lunch or dinner. The prep is really simple, but it does take awhile to cook because the sweet potatoes need time to soften and everything needs to caramelize. Have patience because the end result is worth it!

Cooking: Lemon Curd Pie w/ Graham Cracker Crust

Two weeks ago, the awesome admin at work (hi May!) had shoulder surgery. The recovery process has not been so much fun. Whenever I see someone sad/upset, I respond either with humor or food. Given we both love sarcasm, I have given her enough sass (and still continue to). For once, I decided to also go the food route. A few days after surgery, I asked her to send me a recipe & I would bake her something. The next day, she sent me a message "how about something with lemon curd, it's my favorite!" I had never even heard of lemon curd before, so I though "Challenge Accepted!"

Once I looked it up, I realized it sounded like something that would be really good as a pie filling (or on scones). My favorite crust by far is a graham cracker crust, so I thought this recipe would be a great way to try both at one time. My other coworker (who May affectionately calls Hoover for his healthy appetite) has requested next time I make a giant graham cracker block. I kind of agree with him. Graham Cracker crust is amazing pretty much just on its own. I am also itching to make a key lime pie with this crust.

I made a major mistake when I first attempted this recipe and I had to start from scratch. The lemon curd recipe called for you to heat the lemon curd filling until it thickened over the stove but it didn't have any images to go along with the description. I did not 1) look up a picture of what it should look like before cooking, and 2) read the reviews to learn useful tips. Both horrible, horrible mistakes I will never make again. Especially if I want to save my Sunday nights for relaxing.

My first attempt, I only cooked the lemon curd to this consistency:

When I read the reviews & realized it should be thicker, I attempted to pour the filling back into the pan and ended up with this result:

Please don't make the same mistake! Follow the recipe below & look at the pictures as a guide. Also, click the links to the original recipes & peruse the comments. There are also interesting tips for different use of the lemon curd (like on scones!). 

Warning: this is a RICH pie. Small pieces are recommended. Also, the pie is addictive. So you might need more than one small piece. This was a BIG hit at work.

Alright, let's begin!

Cooking: Black beans w/ spinach, tomatoes, and pecorino romano cheese

Because I got home super late Sunday night, I had to go grocery shopping Monday night to make sure I had food. That meant when I got home I wanted to make something super quick. I went to my FAVORITE go-to dish: Black Beans w/ Spinach, Tomatoes, and Pecorino Romano cheese. This may not look/sound like much, but the pecorino romano cheese gives it the most amazing flavor!

 This recipe is super simple and is ready in less than 15 minutes. The only thing I have to chop/dice/grate is the cheese. This dish was inspired by my trip to Puerto Rico in May. I spent a week eating great meals. I took the opportunity to test out different seafood,  and did not have a single meal I didn't enjoy. My hands down favorite dish inspired this one. I ordered yucca gnocchi w/ black beans. Honestly, I don't even remember what the yucca gnocchi was like because I fell in love with the beans upon first bite. For the first time in my life, I asked the waiter what was in them and recreated it my first night home (with a tilapia filet of course!). I have made it several times at home, and I am never disappointed. I could probably eat this every day and not get sick of it.

Alright, enough talking, let's get cooking!

Cooking: Simple Pesto with Whole Wheat Pasta and Hot Italian Sausage

 So I came home intending to write up a dessert post and then I had the leftovers from a meal I made earlier this week. I was hit by how awesome it was and decided to switch it up & do this dish instead! Don't worry, the dessert post will come very soon.

Simple Pesto w/ Whole Wheat Pasta and Hot Italian Sausage
 (note the picture does not do the flavor justice)

I like pesto but I haven't really made it before. Usually when I go for pasta I go for tomato sauce - it's the Italian wannabe in me. I just love it. But lately I have been in the mood to mix it up. I found a recipe in this super informative cookbook, "how to cook everything: the basics" that made me realize how easy pesto is. The recipe in the book is meatless, but I decided to add some hot Italian sausage. When doesn't sausage make something taste better?! However, you could go meatless or add pretty much any meat you want (meatballs, tofu, chicken). Once you learn the basic recipe, the possibilities are endless as you can keep experimenting and mixing it up. For example, you could add a different type of nut, switch up the proportions of basil/nuts, add in more seasoning (i.e. red pepper), or switch up the cheese. 

Start to finish (including pasta cooking time), this dish took me less than 30 minutes, and that was with taking a million and 5 pictures.

Cooking: Simple Roasted Garlic Asparagus Fries

Since this will be my first cooking post (and it's a school night!), I will make this one short and sweet.

One of the things I have discovered this year is that most vegetables get about 10 to 1 million times better when you roast them. The roasting process really brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetable and softens it. For a sweet tooth like me, that is key. I even discovered I actually like brussel sprouts! The teenage me is rolling in her grave at that statement.

Generally, I try to roast some vegetables on nights I have leftovers from previous meals because I have the extra time and it's really easy. Once you learn the technique, you can substitute a variety of vegetables. The key is olive oil, salt, and pepper! All other seasonings/variations are optional and worth the experiment.

Ages ago, before I discovered this new found love of most vegetables (except beets, I still don't like beets), I ordered the Grilled Asparagus fries at the BGR joint and loved them. With this as an inspiration, I decided to see asparagus took to roasting, and realized I had a huge hit! It's by far my favorite thing I have tried. The roasting process makes them softer than in their natural state, but they also have this wonderful crisp to them which I crave. With the right seasonings (*cough*salt*cough), they really are a pretty good healthy alternative to french fries. Plus, it gives you your daily serving of essential fatty acids via the olive oil!