Best w/ Family & a Movie

Ok, I admit it… I’m a bit of a Pizza Snob.  I really dislike the cheap pizza that comes from ‘huts’, and from the little dude wearing a toga  – but I’m also too cheap to pay for a ‘gourmet’ pizza made by a ‘knight’ who claims that his ‘table is round’ (if you catch my drift). 

Pizza is a VERY special treat in our family for two reasons:  1. We regularly eat only ‘whole’ and ‘raw’ foods in our house; and 2. ’Pizza Night’ also means an extra ‘Family Night’ – complete with a movie, dessert, and snuggles on the couch. 

After searching the internet over for the Perfect Pizza Crust, I finally found one, and then I modified it slightly to reduce the amount of yeast needed.   I can’t take credit for the entire recipe – but it’s been so long, that I can’t remember where I found the original one. 

So every now and then, when we crave a good pizza, we make it ourselves.  It’s a simple recipe, and the cost for this ‘perfect pizza crust’ is only about $1.50 with maybe another $2 for the sauce and cheese topping.   And in my book, you can’t beat the taste or the cost!  I’m hoping you’ll give it a try – perhaps it will start a whole new tradition in your family.

As aways, here’s the recipe along with a ’how-to video’ for making ’The Perfect Pizza Crust’.   The ‘Perfect Pizza Sauce’ recipe and video are coming soon.

The special tools featured in this recipe are:

• Refurbished 12 Cup Food Processor – Brushed Nickel (I got mine refurbished directly through ShopKitchenAid.com and saved nearly 1/2 of the retail cost… plus it came in ‘brand new’ condition with a 6 month warranty)
• Excalibur Dehydrator – Model #3926T

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Perfect Pizza Crust (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ’save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Perfect Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups very warm water
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (start with 3 cups and add more as needed and set aside some for your hands and rolling out dough)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs Olive Oil

Procedure

1. If you have a food processor, this pizza dough can be made in under 5 minutes with hardly any mess to your kitchen.  Of course, you could also mix the dough in a heavy duty stand mixer, in a bread machine, or by hand (although the latter would be a serious workout).
2. Place very warm water, yeast and sugar in food processor and pulse once to mix.  While most recipes will tell you to use lukewarm water when making yeast dough, I find that by the time you take hot water, put it into a measuring cup and then into a food processor, it has cooled significantly.  I always use water that is almost too hot to the touch, and have always had great success.  Let sit while you measure out the dry ingredients.
3. After 5 minutes or so, you will see small bubbles forming in the liquid in the food processor, which indicates that your yeast is working.  Dump in the dry ingredients and turn on the food processor.  The machine will go all the work, including the kneading.  After about a minute the dough should form into a ball going around in your food processor.  Open the machine and take a look.  If you think the dough is too wet, you can add a bit a flour, but know that too wet is better than too dry, and the dough will loose some of its stickiness as it rises.
4. Place about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl.  Take the dough out of the food processor (putting a little olive oil or flour on your hands will keep it from sticking) and form it into a ball.  Place in the bowl and turn to lightly coat with the olive oil.
5. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft free place for about an hour or until doubled in size.  To speed up the proofing process, you can also place the covered bowl in your dehydrator at 110° for approximately 30 minutes.
6. Once your dough has risen, split the mixture into two balls and form with hands or rolling pin into pizza circle.  Top with your favorite sauce and toppings.
7. For a crust with a better taste and texture, I recommend baking on a baking stone in a very hot oven (500 – 550°F) for about 10 -15 minutes.  Be sure to check the crust regularly after 10 minutes to ensure it is evenly cooked.
8. Once you remove the pizza from the oven, place on cooling rack and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into slices.

Servings: 8
Yield: 2 Medium Sized Crusts

Tips:
You can store any unused dough in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Store in a Ziploc bag in fridge until ready to use.  Let dough come to room temperature before proceeding.  You also let the dough rise and freeze it for future use.  Thaw in the fridge or for about 4-6 hours on the counter.  Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have! 

Tasty & Cheap Eats!

This recipe is very easy and can be changed into a semi-’raw’ dish if you only stir-fry the noodles and put the raw veggies on top. This is the perfect recipe if you are transitioning to a raw food (or whole food) lifestyle.

I have caught my son picking out the Broccoli, but if I take the time to chop it up a little smaller – he eats it without knowing it!  This is weird, because he will drink broccoli willingly in the ‘Dirty Juice’ (see the related video on how to make this).

I used to dread mealtimes, because I never knew what to make… I wanted recipes that would be cheap, healthy, AND easy to make. This seemed impossible, but I forced myself to sit down and write out a realistic Meal Plan – Although we aren’t 100% raw, I also wanted recipes that would satisfy our body, health and budget – but it had to taste good too!

All of my recipes, meals and shopping lists are organized in my Living Cookbook software. If you don’t already have Living Cookbook, I encourage you to check out what this Software is capable of!

Here is the ingredient list… or if you have the Living Cookbook software, you can download the free .fdx recipe file and import it:

Living Cookbook .fdx Recipe File:
Veggie Stir Fry (To Download: Right mouse click on the recipe and select ‘save file as’ – Save to your computer and then you can import it into your Living Cookbook program.

Veggie Stir Fry Recipe:

Ingredients

Vegetables
2 stalks Celery (chopped)
1/3 head Onion (chopped)
1 head Broccoli (approx. 10-15 florets)
1 each Carrot (sliced)
1/4 head Green and/or Red Cabbage (chopped)

Noodles
3 packages Thai Kitchen Rice Noodle Packet (flavors vary)

Seasonings & Oil
1 1/2 packets Seasoning (Packet that comes in the Rice Noodles) or Season to taste.
1 1/2 packets Sesame Oil (Packet that comes in the Rice Noodles)
2 Tbs Soy Vay’s Veri, Veri, Teriyaki Sauce (or to taste)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Water (if mixture seems dry or as needed)

Procedure

1. Open Rice Noodle packages and break noodles in half, then place in bowl.  Fill with just enough water to cover the noodles.  Let sit for no more than 5 minutes – otherwise the noodles will become mushy.  You want the noodles to be pliable, but still very chewy.
2. Clean & Chop all veggies.  Feel free to add in whatever veggies you think will be tasty and hold up during the stir-fry process.  If you want more Raw veggies, you can also hold all of the veggies until the end and just stir-fry the noodles.
3. Place Olive Oil in Large Skillet over Medium Heat.
4. Once skillet is heated, put all of the veggies in and mix well.
5. Add the Noodles, then stir in the Teriyaki, Seasoning and Sesame Oil packets.
6. Let mixture sit in skillet and stir well every 1-2 minutes until noodles start to turn golden brown and get a little ‘crunchy’.

Servings: 3
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have!