Whole Wheat Red Pepper Topped Pizza

Pizza is great. Even to begin with, it has its nutritional value- veggie vitamins from the sauce, some calcium from the cheese. So why not pump it up? This was my thought as I wandered the aisles of Trader Joe's and ran across their pizza dough ($0.99 for a pound of fresh dough!). They had a white flour dough, a whole wheat dough, and an herbed pesto style dough - they all looked great. My line of thinking: I'll make homemade pizza when Kyle and John come to visit! Then I thought, "well I want whole wheat, but they'll probably want white flour dough." Clearly the answer was to get both. (And I never made either of them during the boys visit.) Instead, this week pretty much became pizza week, and today was the day to use the whole wheat dough.


Whole Wheat Red Pepper Topped Pizza

1 lbs. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (take out of fridge 20 min before using)
1/3 jar Trader Joe's Fat-Free Pizza Sauce
1 1/2 c. Part Skim Mozzarella
1 Red Pepper, sliced into rings
Flour

1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees, spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray
2. Sprinkle dough liberally with flour, and use your hands to work it into the dough. Stretch the dough to the size/shape/depth you would like and (This may take a little while) place dough on cookie sheet.
3. Use a basting brush to evenly spread the pizza sauce on the crust
4. Top with cheese and red pepper slices.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes



So here's what we thought (we = me and my roommate/culinary guinea pig, Meg)
- The dough didn't crisp up like the white flour dough did, but provided a unique, chewy texture
- There was definitely the nutty, flavorful taste that comes with true whole wheat products, and it was slightly overwhelming

Overall a great success. In the future, I would pair the intenseness of the whole wheat dough with stronger flavors (ie. pesto, parmesan cheese instead of pizza sauce and mozzarella) or add WAY more veggie toppings. Dividing the pizza into 6 servings provided a whopping 5.5g of fiber per serving and Penny Wise only cost $0.78 per serving!

Dietetically Yours,

Lorilyn

Penny Wise- Beer Beef Stew

I forgot to mention one of the best parts: If you divide the Beer Beef Stew into 8 (very large!) portions, it costs only $1.92 per serving! Inexpensive, filling, and full of veggies and vitamins- how can you go wrong?? Did I mention it's firefighter approved? :)

Beer Beef Stew

A few weeks ago I was given the gift of a Crock Pot. Talk about saving time... you literally just throw everything into the pot and let it cook for hours. In the end you're rewarded for doing almost nothing by tender meats, perfectly cooked veggies, and delicious smells that fill my apartment. Since I received said Crock Pot from my boyfriend's awesome parents, my boyfriend has been requesting beef stew. Since I'm not really a fan of stew, I had no recipe on hand to use, and resorted to google-ing and asking my Mom. In the end, I combined a bunch of recipes to create my own. It was flavorful, hearty, and most importantly- used that random bottle of Yuengling I've had in my fridge...

Beer Beef Stew

1.5 pounds Trimmed Beef (hormone-free from Trader Joes!)
2 med Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. Butter or SmartBalance Light
5 stalks Celery, chopped
4 large Carrots, sliced into thick coins
10 oz Baby [porta]Bella Mushrooms, sliced (pre-sliced at Trader Joes, same price as white mushrooms, but a muuuch better flavor)
12 oz Yuengling beer
28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
1 pound Mini Potatoes, chopped in half (chopped is John's order to increase the flavor profile )
1 Beef Bouillon Cube
1 Bay leaf
Flour, seasonings to taste

1. Melt Butter or SmartBalance Light in the Crock Pot on high, add chopped onions when melted, and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Season beef and lightly toss in flour. Sear the meat in a frying pan over the stove- it shouldn't cook it- it should just give it some color.
3. When onions are softened, add seared meat and EVERYTHING else into the crockpot then cook it on high for 6 hours.

**With an hour remaining, the stew can be thickened by adding an equal mix of flour added to COLD water- make sure to get out alll the lumps before adding to the stew**


The stew gets better when it can sit in the fridge overnight. Remember to season it, because if you completely forget to season the stew, then give it to your boyfriend unseasoned, he may or may not make fun of you for a few days ;)

Dietetically Yours,

Lorilyn

The Five Food Philosophies

Welcome! I am so excited to share some of my favorite recipes and cooking experiences. To begin, I think it would be wise of me to share a few of my food philosophies:


1. Whole foods are the best foods! (ie. eat the orange instead of drinking the juice)

2. Eat at home or bring your own food whenever possible

3. Healthy food can be inexpensive

4. Healthy food can be delicious

5. Maintaining a healthy diet can improve your life and prevent disease


Personally, I'm not a fan of wasting food. As my lovely roommate can attest, the fridge always has food but the amounts greatly vary from week to week. I've never had an issue eating leftovers, so usually when I make large meals I'll eat them for days at a time, until it's all been consumed (hence why some weeks may have fewer posts than others!). I welcome all questions, comments, and suggestions, so don't be a stranger!


Dietetically Yours,

Lorilyn