No-Fail Homemade Simple Pizza Dough

With "Spooky Pizza Day" (a.k.a. Halloween) quickly approaching, I thought I would share my favorite recipe for homemade pizza dough.  If you haven't tried making your own crust, you really should.  the flavor and the texture is so different from what you can get pre-made.  The dough itself is easy enough to make, but even better is the fact that you can make it ahead of time, and either freeze it for later or keep in the fridge for up to a week.  It makes those last-minute dinners a snap.  Also, I strongly strongly recommend you go with the bread flour (or even 00 if you have it).  The extra gluten is what makes this dough a no-fail one.

The nutritional info is for the entire recipe.

No-Fail Simple Pizza Dough

Makes 2 thinner crust pizzas or 1 thick crust pizza, about 14" each

1015 cals / 13.5g fat / 180g carbs / 32g protein

3/4 cup warm (not hot) water

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 cups bread flour (plus more for dusting)

1 TB olive oil

1 tsp salt

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixed fitted with a dough hook, combine the water, yeast, and sugar.  Let sit until foamy (about 5-10 mites).  Of just use a regular bowl if you are doing this by hand.

2.  Add the flour, oil, and salt.  Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times.  Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the dough with oil.  Cover with plastic and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.

3.  Divide dough in half, kneading each half into smooth balls with floured hands.  Roll out to desired thickness, and cook as desired.  Or...cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge or freeze until ready to use.

Family Dinner: Quick and Easy Lemon Pasta with Asparagus

This is based on one of my favorite recipes from weight watchers. The use of egg in the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, giving it that "creaminess" minus all the fat. It is quick and easy to make for those nights you don't feel like making an effort, and a great alternative to pasta and a jar of sauce.

For a switch you could also use 1 cup frozen peas in place of the asparagus.

Lemon Pasta with Asparagus
Makes 6 Servings
315 cals / 7g fat / 46g carbs / 16g protein

1 box bow-tie pasta (I use Barilla Plus)
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 egg
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 TB parsley, minced

Cook pasta in large pot according to directions. In a separate bowl, beat egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice together. Set aside.

Once pasta is cooked, drain and set aside. Return pot to medium high heat, and sauté butter, olive oil, garlic, and asparagus bits until asparagus turns bright green and begins to soften. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Return pasta to pan and toss with asparagus and broth. Remove from heat and stir in egg mixture, cheese, and parsley, stirring well until pasta is coated. Season with salt and pepper. And top with a little extra cheese, if you want.

Family Dinner: Healthier Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna with Low-Fat Alfredo Sauce

Wwwwwhhaaaaa? Low-fat Alfredo? This is almost too good to be true.

You know I am a Wisconsin girl at heart, which means that I will take my cheese any way I can get it, but I feel a little better knowing this low fat version won't end up on my ass. And no, it isn't as good as the real deal, but it my humble opinion, it is a close second. And it is way better than having to go out and buy new fat clothes.

And this healthified sauce is made even better by combining it with this lasagna....think warm spinach and artichoke dip all to yourself. With some chicken for a protein filler. This is another recipe made faster (and lazier) by pre-cooked and shredded chicken breasts and my food processor. As always, if you don't have one, then you need to get one you can still make this, easy-peasy.  You will just need to spend some extra time chopping.

Low-Fat Alfredo Sauce
Makes 8 Servings
115 cals / 7g fat / 6g carbs / 8 g protein

1 TB butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 TB flour
2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until beginning to bubble. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in the flour and cook until thick and smooth and slightly darkened. Using a whisk, slowwwwwwly stir in the milk. Continue whisking until smooth. Raise the heat to medium-high, and continue to stir with a whisk. Add the cream cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until cream cheese is blended in smooth and sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until smooth.

Chicken Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna
Makes 12 Servings
290 cals / 12g fat / 22g carbs / 22g protein

4 cloves of garlic
1/2 medium onion
1 box frozen chopped spinach, 10 oz, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 container part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I like the flat ones)
1 recipe low fat Alfredo sauce (see above)

Pre-heat oven to 375. Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a food processor, process the garlic cloves until finely chopped. Add the onion and process until diced. Add the spinach and artichoke hearts and pulse it all together until everything is chopped up into little pieces and well-mixed.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg, then add ricotta, spinach mixture, shredded chicken breasts, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread ~1 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the dish (enough to cover the bottom). Lay 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce (these will expand as they cook). Top with 1/2 ricotta filling, spread evenly over the noodles to the sides of your dish, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering with 4 more noodles, the remaining 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/4 cup Mozzarella. Top with last 4 noodles. Pour the remaining Alfredo sauce evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of Mozzarella.

Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake on covered for an additional 10-15 minutes, until top begins to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Family Dinner: Bucatini Amatriciana (American Style)

I fell in love with this dish during an amazing vacation in Rome, pre-kids. The flavors are basic but comforting at the same time, making this one of my all time favorite pasta dishes. So much so, that even discovering a cock roach in the middle of my half-eaten bowl of pasta during said vacation didn't turn me off of this.

This is my American attempt to recreate this....I am sure it has true Italians cringing (I am fairly certain my Roman versions of this meal included sardine paste, but that is not happening in this house!), but it works and it is close enough to bring back all the wonderful memories of our awesome trip.

Note: This recipe makes a double batch (I always double sauces).  Once cooled, the other half freezes great in a zip lock bag, and is wonderful to have on hand for quick meals when you don't feel like cooking. Nutritional info is for half this recipe.

Bucatini Amatriciana
Serves 8
310 cals / 5g fat / 49g carbs / 14g protein

8 slices center cut bacon (or 8oz pancetta if you are feeling authentic), diced
1 small onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 cups water (or vegetable broth)
2 TB Worcester sauce

1 lb bucatini noodles (or thick spaghetti)
1 cup sharp cheese, such as Romano or Parmesan

In a large pot, cook diced bacon over medium until done and almost crispy. Add onion and garlic, cooking until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in red pepper and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits, then add the tomatoes and Worcester sauce. Lower heat and simmer for 1-2 hours.

While sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to directions. Return to pan, and toss with 1/2 the finished sauce and serve, topping each bowl with ~2 TB cheese.