Naan Pizza, Two Ways!

A few weeks ago a company called Tandoor Chef was having a contest to come up with a Naan pizza. Naan is an Indian flat bread, similar to a pita (not the kind with the pocket, but the flat ones). They can be found at any Indian Grocer, whole foods, and on occasion I have even seen them at Walmart. They are great served with many Indian dishes, but this Naan pizza thing wasn't something I was sure about. I decided I would give it a try anyway.

I sent Dominic off to find a new Indian grocer, since the one we usually frequent had closed, and he came home bearing a package of 10 frozen naan and two blocks of yummy paneer. I was so excited to try making an Indian version of pizza! I had picked an Indian recipe I love and had kind of deconstructed it so that just the sauce was in the recipe, and had the other ingredients set to be toppings. It was an interesting idea, but I was still skeptical of what the results would be.
I chopped, grated, stirred, and assembled. I threw them in the oven for 15 minutes and what should come out but one of the most delicious personal pizzas in the entire world (if I do say so myself!). They were like eating a little piece of Indian heaven. Yumm! The whole family loved them, even baby Jack!

With that such a hit I was excited to try making a traditional pizza on the naan. We still had six naan in the freezer, so one night I asked Ryan what he wanted and he said PIZZA!! He was so excited I decided I would gather the ingredients and let him assemble the little pizzas himself. I let him choose a jarred sauce from the cupboard, and four veggies from the fridge. I chopped the veggies and placed them on a plate for him to assemble the pizzas!
He had a blast spreading the sauce on the pizzas and then placing some of each of the veggies on them, but his favorite was sprinkling the cheese on top of it all! It was so much fun! I wish I had had a camera to capture it!

So, now that you've heard how much fun we've had who is ready for some new recipes? Here goes nothing!

Chili Paneer Pizza (serves 4)

For the Sauce:
2-3 Tbs Tomato paste
2 tsp Chopped garlic
1 Tbs Diced Green chiles
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp ground ginger paste
2 tsps soy sauce
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth

For the pizza:
4 frozen Naan Bread
1 8 oz Block Paneer Cheese, grated
1 half a green bell pepper diced
1 half a red bell pepper diced

1. Pre-heat over to 350. For sauce combine all ingredients except vegetable broth in small bowl, stir. Add vegetable broth until desired consistency for your pizza sauce.
2 Spread about 2-3 tablespoons of sauce on each naan, divide bell peppers between the four pizzas, top with the paneer cheese.
3. Place naan on lined cookie sheet (only two will fit, so you need to cookie sheets, of to do it in two batches.). Bake in the over for 15 minutes, or until the paneer starts to turn a little golden.
Enjoy!

Ryan's Special Pizza (serves 4)

1/2 cup of Ragu Sun-dried tomato and sweet basil pasta sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce!)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1 Small roma tomato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
About a cup of Mozzarella Cheese
4 Naan Bread

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of sauce over each naan bread. Divide veggie toppings evenly between pizzas, top with mozzarella cheese.
2. Place on lined cookie sheet (only two will fit on each sheet, so make sure you have two, or are prepared to do it in two batches). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.

Now wasn't that easy! I think Naan pizzas may become a go to quick meal in our house! One of the greatest part of this is that you can freeze these! Just wrap each pizza in plastic wrap and then place them in a large ziploc! When ready to eat them let them thaw on the counter while the oven pre-heats and bake as normal!

Wow! I had a lot to say today! Hope you enjoyed this! If you have some other fun ideas for pizzas please comment below!

Halloween Continues: Mummy Face Pizzas!

Last year I was in charge if dinner on Halloween and I decided to make everything Halloween themed. We had monster toes, breadstick bones, bug juice, and some Mummy pizzas! My oldest thought it was so much fun! He especially liked the pizzas though, because he is a pizza junkie! They were so easy to make that I thought they would be a great addition to this weeks Halloween recipes! These little guys can be made ahead and frozen for fright night, but they are so easy I recommend just making them!

Mummy Face Pizzas
1- 6 count package of English Muffins
Your Favorite Pizza Sauce
12 Sticks mozerella string cheese
1 Can sliced olives

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.

2. Spread english muffin halves with sauce. Pull cheese into thin strips; place in random criss-crosses on tops of bagels to resemble mummy bandages. Trim ends with kitchen shears. Add olives for the eyes.

3. Place on baking sheet. Bake 10 min. or until muffins are crisp and cheese is melted.

These would be great to have a child help with, they will love pulling the string cheese apart!

Delicious CousCous: Great as a salad starter or Crepe filling

The other night I made this filling to go in some crepes we had, it didn't take too long and was so good that I HAD to share it. The great thing about couscous is that once prepared it can be frozen! Make a double batch and freeze some for another night! We stuffed the Chive Crepes with this and then topped it with Tomato Goat Cheese Cream Sauce. What a fabulous dinner!


Parmesan Couscous with Mushrooms and Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 Cup of plain couscous
1 -1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
1-2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped

1. Bring vegetable broth to a boil. In a large, lidded bowl combine the couscous and sun-dried tomatoes. Remove broth from heat and pour over couscous mixture. Cover. Let sit for five minutes.
2. In dry skillet, add pine nuts and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes (stirring frequently). Remove from heat. In same skillet, add oil, once hot, add onions, garlic and mushrooms, cook until onions are slightly caramelized & tender.
3. Once the couscous is done, stir in the onions mixture, pine nuts, cheese and parsley. Enjoy!

Crepes: The versatile food *UPDATED WITH PICTURES*

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. The whole family came down with a flu or something! We are still recovering, but hopefully we will soon be back on track.
Anyway, I love crepes. There is something about the lovely lacy bubbles that form on the thin pancake like surface that just make me want to gobble them up. Whenever I make them they go pretty fast, even the one year old will eat at least two of them!
My favorite thing about crepes is that they are very versatile. The best dessert I ever had was a dark chocolate crepe with raspberry filling and an orange liquer sauce, but my favorite way to eat crepes is with savory fillings. Below are two recipes for crepe batter, one sweet, one savory. Fill them with whatever you think sounds good! Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers between sheets of waxed paper in a freezer bag for a quick meal some other night.

Chive crepes

3/4 to 1 cup milk, divided
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced chives
Cooking Spray

1. In a blender, pour in three-quarters cup milk, one-half cup water and the eggs, and pulse two or three times until smooth. Add the salt and flour. Blend the batter until smooth. With the blender running, add the melted butter. The batter should be as thick as heavy cream. If necessary, add up to one-quarter cup more milk to get the desired thickness. Strain the batter into a bowl, stir in the chives, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Heat an 8- to 9-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium-high heat until a few drops of water skitter when sprinkled on the surface. lightly spray the pan with a thin coat of cooking spray.

3. Stir the batter to redistribute the chives and pour one-fourth cup into the center of the skillet. Swirl the skillet quickly so that the batter completely covers the bottom. Pour the excess batter back into the bowl, trimming with a spatula any ragged edges before they set. Return the skillet to the heat and cook until the surface of the crepe firms and dries, about 1 minute. Using a small spatula or table knife, gently lift the edges of the crepe. Grab the edges with your fingertips and quickly flip over the crepe; the cooked side should be lightly colored. Cook the uncooked side just until the crepe slides free in the pan, about 30 seconds. Remove the crepe to a plate.

4. Repeat until all of the batter is used, adding more butter as needed. Layer the crepes with a piece of wax paper between each to prevent sticking.

Serving Suggestions: Fill with your favorite cheese, vegetables, or beans. Our family favorite is Tomatoes and peas with cheddar cheese. Also try filling with a grain, such as rice or couscous. Below is a picture of one idea, these crepes were filled with a pepper goat-cheese filling and tied with a fresh chive. The recipe for the filling will be coming later.



Sweet Crepes
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking Spray

1.Put the flour and salt and in a large mixing bowl. Gradually whisk in the milk. Whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, and then whisk in the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

2.Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with a thin coat of cooking spray

3.Add 1/4 cup of the batter and move your wrist in a circular pattern to coat the pan with thin even layer of batter. Cook for about 1 minute or until the first side browns lightly, then flip and cook 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

Fill with jam, honey, berries, sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread, peanut butter, bananas, or my personal favorite, ice cream!
Below is an easy preparation, perfect for last minute guests, all of the ingredients are freezer staples! The recipe will be coming later!

I hope you enjoy trying these recipes, be creative and make them your own! Try topping savory crepes with a homemade sour cream sauce, super yummy!

Black Bean Lasagna

This is one of my favorite recipes! I love lasagna, but a lot of vegetarian lasagna recipes call for tons of fresh veggies, which can be a pain to cut up when you don't have much time! The recipe uses canned black beans, which is not only easy, but adds a nice protein punch to it!
I got the recipe from the Better Homes and Garden's cookbook, but I make a few changes, adding tofu to the cheese mixture makes it go a little further while still maintaining the same flavors.

Black Bean Lasagna

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles (8 ounces)
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15-ounce cans low-sodium tomato sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 12-ounce container low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
• 1 8-ounce package of tofu, crumbled
  
• 1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
• Tomato slices (optional)
• Fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Mash one can of the beans; set aside.

2. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; add onion, green sweet pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender but not brown. Add mashed beans, unmashed beans, tomato sauce, and snipped cilantro; heat through.

3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, tofu and sour cream; set aside. Spray a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole with nonstick coating. Arrange three of the noodles in the dish. Top with one-third of the bean mixture. Spread with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with bean mixture. Reserve the remaining cheese mixture.

4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Dollop with reserved cheese mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with tomato slices and cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Make-Ahead Tip: Refrigerate unbaked casserole, covered, up to 1 day, and bake as directed. Or, freeze up to 1 month; thaw frozen casserole in refrigerator overnight, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

Not Your Mom's Chickenless Noodle Soup

My oldest son is feeling a little under the weather today, so I decided I would make him some yummy "Chicken Noodle Soup".

Chicken noodle soup is one of those comfort food basics that vegetarian's and vegan's often miss out on. Chicken soup brings to mind feelings of comfort and warmth, which are great to have when you, or your little ones, are sick! This recipe tries to capture that warmth in a nice VEGAN package! It's gets an extra little kick with the addition of the curry powder.

Not Your Mom's Chickenless Noodle soup

1 lb. baby carrots, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
4-5 oz. Chicken subsititute (I used Quorn Naked Chik'n cutlets)
6 cups Vegetable Broth or water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. Curry Powder
A pinch each oregano and thyme
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 oz. Eggless noodles

1. Put all ingredients, except noodles, into the crockpot, set on low for 6-8 hours
2. 30 Minutes before serving time add the noodles and allow to cook until noodles are tender
3. Add any other seasoning you would like, stir, and serve

If you'd like to freeze this I suggest throwing the first six ingredients into a freezer bag and freezing them. On the day you prepare the soup throw the frozen vegetables into the crockpot, along with the other ingredients and cook on high for the first hour, then turn to low for the remainder of the cooking. Follow steps 2-3 when ready.

Noodles in soups do not freeze very well, so when freezing a noodle soup always omit the noodles and cook them the day you prepare the meal.