Tomato Lemon Feta Pizza

For some reason Callie and I have totally been into pizzas lately. One night we were craving pizza and came up with this recipe. Honestly, it is one of my favorite dinners now. It is light and healthy but still warm and filling.

We just used this recipe for the dough. (One batch makes enough for 2 thin crust pizzas) We only let the dough rise for about 15 minutes instead of the full hour. Then we pressed the dough onto a baking stone and prebaked the crust for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

We brushed it with some garlic infused olive oil, sprinkled it with the zest of 1 lemon, then topped it with some thinly sliced roma tomatoes, chopped red onion, a little mozzarella and feta cheese, and some dried cilantro. Then we baked it until it was crispy and slightly browned. After we took it out of the oven, we topped it with the juice of 1/2 of a lemon.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been wanting to make red velvet cupcakes for a while and I decided that Valentines day was the perfect time to make them! I used this recipe by Paula Deen. The recipe makes 24 cupcakes. That was kind of a lot for just our family so I halved it. They turned out great and I think they are a cute and festive dessert for Valentines day!

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins, about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

(Optional: Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry)

Tomato Focaccia

I love focaccia and have always wanted to learn how to make it. I had no idea it was so easy! I found this recipe for a tomato focaccia, but I'm sure you can change it and add whatever toppings you like (I used dried basil instead of fresh and added a sprinkle of parmesan cheese). Perfect with a soup or salad!

Ingredients:

1 package Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. olive oil
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
dried basil
shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 C. of the warm water, and let sit 10 minutes until bubbly.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast mixture, and remaining water. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and then your hands. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes or until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Punch down dough and place on an oiled baking sheet, forming into an oval or circle. Space the tomato slices across the surface of the focaccia, then sprinkle with dried basil and parmesan cheese. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

We got this recipe from The Simple Soups Deck my mom got for Christmas. It's a deck of 50 cards each with a different recipe for soup. This one was so good and had so much flavor! Homemade soup is always so warm and comforting! My mom made it and she said she didn't follow the recipe exactly (I think she added a little extra potato, onion, and broccoli and I don't think she pureed as much of the soup as it says to). We served ours with the homemade Tomato Focaccia.

(serves 4)
Ingredients:

4 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large russet potato (about 3/4 lb.), peeled and sliced
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Combine the broccoli, onion, celery, garlic, potato, and stock in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 3/4 of the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree. Return to the pan and add the milk, cheese, seasonings, and parsley. Heat gently, stirring, until the cheese melts and the soup is hot.

Green Lemonade

This recipe comes from a book I ordered a few months ago called The Raw Food Detox Diet. It was a really interesting book and I took alot of really good information and tips from it. Although I don't think I'll be eating completely raw from now on, I have incorporated some of the recipes into my diet, one of them being this Green Lemonade. Ashley and I have been trying to drink it most mornings (it's an acquired taste I think haha) and now I actually crave it and feel so energized and good after drinking it! The boys (including Spencer) actually like it too and drink it when they can:) When we make it, we get all the ingredients from Sam's Club (so much cheaper to buy the heads of lettuce, lemons, and apples in bulk!) We just substitute the kale with more lettuce or spinach and we also don't add the ginger.

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce
5-6 stalks kale (we just use another head of romaine or spinach)
1-2 apples (we used Fuji apples because they are really sweet)
1 lemon (we cut the peel off)
1-2 inches fresh ginger (optional)

Directions:

Process the vegetables in a juicer. Pour into a large glass and drink!

Hot and Sour Soup

Callie and I found this recipe a few years ago and it has become a staple in our house. The original recipe (I don't remember where we got it from) called for chicken but we liked it better as a vegetarian soup. Not the prettiest soup but it does taste good! I love how the ground red pepper gives it a little extra heat. So good for lunch on a cold day!

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup cole slaw mix
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
chopped green onion (optional)

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine broth, water, mushrooms, colesaw, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper. Boil, then reduce to low and cover.

In a separate bowl stir together cornstarch and vinegar. Return to a boil, then drizzle in egg while stirring. Stir in vinegar and cornstarch. Simmer until thickened. Garnish with green onion.

Serves: 4

Easy Granola

We got this recipe as part of a christmas gift from a neighbor. They gave us a bag of it and attached the recipe. It is a really good granola recipe. I like that it's more of a chewy consistency rather than super crunchy. It's so good with yogurt, milk, or just by itself as a snack.



Ingredients:

6 cups oats
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup almonds, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden in color. Let cool. Break up into chunks.