Whole Wheat Pizza II

I have been making my own whole wheat pizza dough for a few months now and I think this new recipe is the best yet. I use more cornmeal in this new recipe than the previous pizza dough recipe I posted. The larger amount of cornmeal results in a more pizza like texture and less earthy taste. However, it's a little more difficult to handle this dough because its more crumbly and prone to tearing. I'm not totally sure why but my guess is because cornmeal does not contain gluten. Gluten, the protein formed by combing wheat flour and water, is responsible for the elasticity (stretchiness) of dough. Crumbly dough aside, the higher amount of cornmeal produces the crunch expected of pizza and should definitely be included. I have also been incorporating dried herbs and spices into the dough which makes it more flavorful. I use garlic powder and oregano but you can use anything such as basil, rosemary, or an Italian seasoning blend.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough II

Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 warm water
1T olive oil
1t honey
1-2C whole wheat pastry flour
3 heaping tablespoons yellow corn meal
1t salt
1t garlic powder

1 scant teaspoon oregano

Directions
1. Stir the yeast in a bowl with the water and honey. It should foam up in 5 minutes or so.
2. Stir in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until a ball forms. Add enough flour so that the dough is still sticky.
3. Knead the dough ball for 8-10 minutes then cover with plastic and let it rise for 1-2 hours.
4. Punch out the air and roll out the dough to fit the pan you are using.

Marinara Sauce

My family always called marinara sauce gravy, but when I call it that around other people they never have any idea what I'm referring to. No matter what its called its delicious as long as its home made, that garbage that comes in the jar is nothing like the real thing, its way too sweet due to unnecessary added sugar and no veggies. Real marinara has a strong tomato and garlic flavor and is filled with chunks of bell peppers and onion. My mom makes a more traditional sauce with meat such as meatballs, sausage, spare ribs, or any meat that happens to be in the fridge. The long cooking time makes the meat fork tender and fall right off the bone. Obviously my vegetarian version does not have any meat so I sub a poblano for a green bell pepper or add a little jalepano for a kick and my mom even asks me how I make mine now. 

Making home made tomato sauce is incredibly simple but it does take a little planning because it needs to simmer for a while on the stove. Of course its great on pasta and pizza but its also fantastic just on veggies! It freezes very well thus I usually make a double batch and freeze portions in glass jars. The portion size depends on your preference.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped (or a green bell pepper)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 a jalepano, minced (use this if you can't find poblanos)
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced (use less if you don't love garlic)
1/4 cup of red wine, which ever you drink
2 28oz cans crushed tomatos
1 8oz can tomato paste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, oregano, basil or an Italian seasoning blend
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat the oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add the peppers and some salt and sauté about 5 minutes then add the onion and continue to cook while stirring until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook until light golden.
2. Deglaze the pan with the wine, meaning, add the wine and scrape any burnt bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, this will happen quickly. Turn the down to super low and let it simmer for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours stirring occasionally.
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese :)

Cauliflower Pizza and Pasta, Part 1

I could eat pizza every night and never get board. There are so many different crusts, sauces and topping combinations, the possibilities are endless. This cauliflower pizza differs from traditional pie in that the crust is made of grated cauliflower instead of dough. It has a light fluffy texture and with the sauce and cheese, tastes remarkably like classic cheese pizza. I gave a slice to my Italian dad without telling him what it was, and he declared it was delicious and asked me what bakery I picked up the dough from, he still doesn't know it was cauliflower. My Papa Gino's fanatic boyfriend also thinks it taste like the real thing and he even knows what its truly made out of.  I've been making this pizza for years, and because there is no dough you can serve it along side pasta without having a carb overload. Its also a wonderful trick to sneak more veggies into anyone's diet.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients
1/2 head of cauliflower
1 egg
1 clove of garlic
1/2T oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400. Grate the cauliflower. To do this I recommend a food processor but a cheese grater will also work but its time consuming and it can get dangerous, I've cut myself a few times on those.
2. If using a food processor you can throw all the other ingredients in a bowl and pulse to combine. If your making it without, use a medium size bowl and your hands.
3. Flatten the mixture into an 8x8in pan spritzed with cooking spray. Cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Top with sauce and cheese and cook until the cheese is bubbly

Notes
For a cheesier taste, mix a half  a cup of  shredded mozzarella into the cauliflower mixture (step 2).
The recipe can be doubled to fit a 9x11in pan.
The only drawback to this pizza is its hard to eat with your hands, you need a fork.

Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite foods and its super easy to make a healthier version at home. I just started making my own dough because I wanted to make a whole wheat crust but I had never worked with yeast and thought it was super complicated and time consuming.  And while making your own dough and sauce is a bit more work than microwaving some frozen Digiorno, its definitely worth the extra work. And what I've been happy to learn is all you have to do when using active dry yeast is to mix everything together and then knead it for about 10 minutes, and it comes together really easily. The corn meal isn't necessary but it really gives the crust a crisper texture.

the dough will double in size

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 warm water
1T olive oil
1t honey
1-2C whole wheat pastry flour
1-2T yellow corn meal
1t salt

Directions
1. Stir the yeast in a bowl with the water and honey. It should foam up in 5 minutes or so.
2. Stir in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until a ball forms. Add enough flour so that the dough is still sticky.
3. Knead the dough ball for 8-10 minutes then cover with plastic and let it rise for 1-2 hours.
4. Punch out the air and roll out the dough to fit the pan you are using.

half mushroom and half pepperoni for Sparky
be sure to cook toppings before putting them on pizza

5. Top with whatever you like and bake in a preheated oven at 375 for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

Crisp Crust!

I can't remember where I heard this quote but it was a few years ago and its one of those life lessons thats just always stuck with me so I thought I would share it, "Pizza is like sex, when its good its really good and when its bad its still pretty good."