How I Diet (and Pasta with Broccoli Rabe)

I don't really diet actually. I'm big on balance, so if I've had a weekend of rich restaurant meals, I follow it up with nutritious food prepared very simply. The real trick is making satisfying meals that fill you up. Greens, for example, are easy to prepare healthfully and you can eat a bushel of them for very few calories.

Soup is another great food for restoring dietary balance because you can make it filling and healthy and still eat a ton of it. Since last week was too hot for soup around here, I wanted something light and spicy, so I made this pasta dish with sauteed broccoli raab, chickpeas and whole wheat fettucine.

Take a look at that big, 12-inch skillet full of delicious, hearty pasta. All that food consists of just 4 oz. of pasta, a cup of beans and one bunch of greens. It's the right amount for two very healthy meals that aren't the least bit skimpy or "diety." I sort of just put this one together without a recipe, and I liked it so much that it's totally a keeper. Here's what you do:

Whole Wheat Pasta with Broccoli Raab and Chickpeas
Serves 2

- Trim and chop up one big bunch of broccoli raab and blanch for 3 minutes in boiling water. Transfer greens from pot to a colander with a slotted spoon and drain. Keep the water boiling, add salt and cook 4 oz. of whole wheat fettucine or linguine.

- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs. olive oil in a large skillet. Saute 3 fat cloves of garlic, slivered, hot pepper flakes to taste and the drained broccoli raab until stems are tender. Add 1 cup rinsed and drained chickpeas; season with salt and pepper. Add 8 roughly chopped kalamata olives.

- Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta. Add pasta to skillet and toss. Add about 1/2 cup pasta water to moisten and use more if you like. Squeeze some lemon juice on pasta and check seasoning. Dish into 2 bowls and top each with 2 tbs. grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Makes great leftovers.

Another favorite (and easy!) healthy dinner is baked salmon with mashed sweet potatoes, so that's what I had the following night. I do nothing with my salmon but coat it with cooking spray, season with salt, pepper and maybe spices like cumin and chile powder. Roast it at 400 for around 20 minutes and it's completely delicious. The only things I add to my mashed sweet potatoes are a little milk and spices like cinnamon and chile powder (and of course salt and pepper). Another healthy favorite is salmon with lentils - it really doesn't get more nutritious or satisfying than that.

When I want to eat really well, I also pay close attention to my portion sizes, even measuring and counting calories. I've sort of had an automatic calorie counter in my head since I was a teenager and, for better or worse, it does help to know just how much you're really eating.

This weekend, we're still eating pretty healthy, and we might make a batch of my carrot-ginger-curry soup, which Mike loved. There was also still plenty of room to include pizza - our favorite Friday night staple - in our healthy eating plan.

We came up with this pizza as we were sitting around waiting to have our taxes finished yesterday afternoon. It was Mike's idea to put our favorite dish from our favorite tapas bar - mushrooms in a creamy sherry sauce - on a pizza (with my whole wheat pizza crust, of course). We added shredded chicken and shaved Manchego cheese. It was an awesome and rather healthy dinner along with some Italian red wine.

So that's how I diet...what are the tricks you use when you want to eat healthy?

More Pizza Recipes!

Now that I finally wrote all about my favorite homemade pizza dough recipe last week, I have pizza on the brain. I have gone back through months of digital food photos and pulled the most mouthwatering pizza shots that never ended up on the blog. And I'm going to tell you how to make them (no rocket science involved, I'm afraid).

How could so much good stuff end up on the cutting room floor? I have to confess that there are some very good recipes I never get around to blogging about. Maybe something more timely comes up or the recipe pipeline is put on hold due to travel or holidays. When I decide what recipe to write about on any given day, I just go with my gut--what's most exciting or useful to write about at the time. I think I've been saving all these pizza recipes for a post just like this.

Each of these recipes is for one pizza. The Whole Wheat Pizza Dough recipe makes enough dough for two pies...enjoy!

Sunny-Side-Up Pizza with Eggs, Bacon and Asparagus

4 or 5 slices bacon
About 10 thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
3 eggs
1 ball of whole wheat pizza dough
stone ground cornmeal (optional)
olive oil
1 or 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced and seeded
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Fry the bacon, then remove to a paper towel to drain, leaving a thin layer of fat in the skillet. Add the asparagus to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Crumble the bacon.

Roll out the dough according to recipe directions. Sprinkle the edges with cornmeal if desired. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the dough and spread evenly. Top with tomatoes, asparagus and bacon. Crack an egg into a ramekin or small bowl. Tip the egg onto the pizza, taking care not to break the yolk. Repeat with the other two eggs. The whites will spread and look messy, but it will all look good in the end. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the pizza. Transfer onto a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven and bake for 8-12 minutes or until the crust is cooked, the egg whites are set and the yolks are still on the runny side. Cooking the eggs like this is not an exact science, but the most important thing is to thoroughly cook your dough and have the whites set. If you want truly runny yolks, try rolling the dough out more thinly than usual so it cooks quickly.

Remove from the oven and immediately grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top. Serve right away.

Ricotta-Veggie Pizza with Feta
Love ricotta on a pizza--teaming it with salty, pungent feta punches up its mild flavor. Cooking the red onions and bell pepper separately is key to bringing out their sweetness.

1 tbs. olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 ball of whole wheat pizza dough
Stone ground cornmeal
3 cups (packed) baby spinach
1 1/4 c. ricotta cheese
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until soft and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Roll the dough out according to the recipe. Spread a bit of olive oil over the dough and sprinkle the edges with cornmeal. Top with the spinach, red onion and bell pepper. Place heaping tablespoon-sized dollops of ricotta cheese all over the pizza. Sprinkle feta on top and season with freshly ground pepper. Bake at 500 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until dough is cooked through. Let the pizza rest for 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Spicy Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pizza
This may be our favorite of all the pizza recipes we make. Mike especially loves the arugula. I think spicy turkey sausage is the perfect meat for this pizza, but you could get away with a spicy chicken sausage too. Since they are usually pre-cooked, you would only have to slice the sausage and put it on the pizza.

2 spicy turkey sausages (like Jenny-O Turkey Store brand)
1 ball of whole wheat pizza dough
Stone ground cornmeal
1 or 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
3 or 4 handfuls arugula leaves

Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Squeeze the turkey sausage out of its casings as you add it to the pan. Discard the casings. Break up the pieces of sausage into large chunks as you cook it so it resembles ground beef. When the sausage is cooked through, remove from the heat and set aside.

Roll the dough out according to recipe directions. Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the dough and sprinkle the edges with cornmeal. Top with tomatoes, mozzarella and sausage. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pizza to a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven and bake for 10 minutes or until crust is cooked through. Open the oven and pull the rack towards you so you can reach the pizza. Top with handfuls of arugula--use a lot. Bake for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, just to slightly wilt the arugula. Remove from oven. The arugula will continue to wilt. Sprinkle a bit of coarse salt over the arugula. Wait 5 minutes, cut and serve immediately.

Fresh Mozzarella and Grape Pizza with Arugula
A little funky, but really good! The peppery arugula foils the sweet grapes, and balsamic vinegar gives it a little bite.

1 ball of whole wheat pizza dough
stone ground cornmeal (optional)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced about 1/4 inch thick (the little balls of fresh mozz. work well)
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved lengthwise
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
3 or 4 handfuls arugula leaves
coarse salt and ground black pepper

Roll out the dough according to recipe directions. Sprinkle cornmeal around the edges, if using. Top with mozzarella and grapes. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar all over. Sprinkle with ground black pepper.

Bake on a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven for 10 minutes or until crust is cooked through. Open the oven and pull the rack towards you so you can reach the pizza. Top with handfuls of arugula--use a lot. Bake for 30 seconds to 1 minutes, just to slightly wilt the arugula. Remove from oven. The arugula will continue to wilt. Sprinkle coarse salt and freshly ground pepper over the pizza. Wait 5 minutes, cut and serve immediately.

And don't forget the summery Corn and Shrimp Pizza, or one of my personal favorites, Fig Pizza with Prosciutto and Feta (scroll down, it's a horribly long post)!

Supporter

Thinking of redoing your kitchen and looking for the latest trends in kitchen sinks and kitchen islands? Check out this site today to see the best kitchen islands available today!

Technorati Tags: recipes, pizza, healthy, vegetarian, Main Course

Corn and Shrimp Pizza with the Best Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

Recently, we got a pepperoni pizza from Papa John's for dinner. Mike was craving it, and we never order pizza. Our dial-for-dinner days ended when I bought a food processor and figured out how easy it was to make my own crust. Since then, I've just about perfected the recipe, experimented with all sorts of toppings and never looked back.

There's nothing wrong with good old fast food pizza, and I will admit that Papa John's was much better than I thought it would be--I love when thin slices of pepperoni get a little charred around the edges. With the weekly coupons we receive in the mail, I don't think we will let years go by this time before calling the Papa again.

So, has all the time and effort I have spent making my own pizzas been a waste? No way! Here's the thing: the pizza I make and the Papa John's takeout-or-delivery version are two totally different foods--apples and oranges. Papa John's satisfies a craving for nostalgia, taking me back to eating pizza and drinking soda (a special treat!) on Friday nights when I was a kid, or in college on the way home from a bar. My homemade pizza on the other hand represents the way I like to eat now: nutritious, fresh, topped with the flavors and ingredients that I love. You just can't get a pie topped with arugula, figs or sauteed shrimp from the Papa.

The recipe here is one of the favorites that we seem to go back to when we want something different. It is perfect in summer when corn is flavorful and crisp right off the cob and cherry tomatoes are sweet and inexpensive. This is my standard crust recipe, but I often substitute different flours depending on what I have. All-purpose flour will work and so will whole wheat pastry. You could do this with only white flour, but all whole wheat would probably be a little too intense and heavy.

As often as I make pizza, I've only written about it once on the blog. This fig, caramelized onion and prosciutto pizza is one of my favorite meals (the dough recipe in the fig post is essentially the same, but I have simplified and streamlined the directions in the updated version below). Make it now when fresh figs are in season.

One more note on homemade pizza: it sounds a little daunting to proof yeast and measure flour yourself, especially now that you can buy pizza dough in many grocery stores. I promise that once you do this two or three times, it will be the simplest baking you can imagine. It becomes second nature--something you'll start to fit into your day like taking out the trash or defrosting a chicken. You can do it the night before or if you are at home during the day, make the dough at lunch time and let it do its rising while you go about the rest of your life. Active prep time for this dough is 10 to 15 minutes, including cleanup. Even if you're on a first name basis with the pizza delivery kid, I'm betting you will get addicted to your own homemade creations after a couple of go-rounds.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
This recipe makes enough for two pizzas, each one serving 2 to 4 people, depending on how hungry you are and what else you’ve got going. The dough is thin with a chewy, slightly crisp texture. I love that I can make dough once and freeze half so that my next pizza is as effortless as defrosting the dough. My method for measuring flour by volume is to fluff it up, then lightly spoon it into measuring cups without packing it down or shaking the cup causing it to settle. I always eyeball the oil and honey measurements. This recipe could also be made by hand or in a stand mixer.

1 1⁄4 c. warm water
1 tblsp. granulated sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 c. whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour)
1 1⁄2 c. bread flour (I like King Arthur Bread Flour)
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for coating the bowl
1 tblsp. honey

Pour the water into a bowl, add the sugar, then gently stir in the yeast. Let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes or until the yeast forms a foamy layer on the surface of the water. Meanwhile, add the flours, and salt to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil, honey and yeast mixture. Process until the dough comes together, forming a ball. This should only take about one minute. If your ingredients get stuck, you may need to open the lid and move them around a bit so they can come together properly. Lightly coat a large bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and lay a kitchen towel on top. Let it sit in warm, non-drafty place until the dough doubles in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured cutting board and knead for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Let the two balls of dough rise for the second time on the cutting board, covered with a kitchen towel, for an hour and a half. Knead each piece 2 or 3 times, then proceed with the pizza. At this point, you can also refrigerate the dough in a Ziploc bag to use within 24 hours, or freeze it to use within 3 months.

Another option, especially if you are making the dough before bed or in the morning before work is to let it rise for the second time in the refrigerator, well-covered, for at least 8 hours, after which you can knead it for a few seconds, transfer it to a Ziploc bag, and keep it for use that day or freeze it. Always bring the dough to room temperature before rolling it out.

To make the pizza: Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornmeal on a large rectangle of parchment paper. Flatten one ball of dough into a disk, place in the center of the parchment paper and roll it out with a flour-coated rolling pin to form a large oval, about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle more cornmeal around the border of the dough, if desired. Cover with your toppings to within 1/2 to 1 inch of the edge. Use the parchment to lift the pizza and place the parchment directly onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through (the bottom of the dough should just barely take on some color). Transfer pizza to a cutting board, discarding parchment. Let it rest for 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Shrimp and Corn Pizza
Note: special equipment that I use for cooking homemade pizza is parchment paper and a pizza stone. The directions for rolling out the pizza are repeated here so that both recipes may be used independently.

1/2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 lb. medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 tbs. coarsely ground cornmeal for dough (optional)
1 cup grated fresh mozzarella cheese
fresh corn kernels, cut from 1 to 2 ears
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (just under 1 pint)
1 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips
6 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until opaque, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer the shrimp to a cutting board and chop into 2 or 3 pieces each.

Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornmeal on a large rectangle of parchment paper. Flatten one ball of dough into a disk, place in the center of the parchment paper and roll it out with a flour-coated rolling pin to form a large oval, about 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle more cornmeal around the border of the dough, if desired.

Top the dough with the cheese, corn, tomatoes, shrimp, bell peppers and scallions. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to suit your taste. Use the parchment to lift the pizza and place the parchment directly onto the pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through (the bottom of the dough should just barely take on some color). Transfer pizza to a cutting board, discarding parchment. Let it rest for 5 minutes, cut and serve.




Technorati Tags: recipes, pizza, shrimp, corn