Holiday Time and Budget Accellerator (for Cathy)

It is getting BUSY through the holidays... Everyone is beginning to sc-HURRY through their day, and there never seem to be enough hours to do what we need to do. Cathy asked for some recipes that were easy and healthy so here are a few quick ideas which go a LONG way during a busy week... You can add some time to your meal prep, and some cash back in your wallet for presents:)

My Favourite Pizza Dough
Grab a BIG BOWL and add 1 and 1/3 warm water. Add 2 tablespoons instant yeast (use a measuring spoon, because regular spoons are often not the right measure and you do want your dough to rise with the yeast...). Dissolve the yeast and watch it get cloudy. Add 1 tablespoon of salt.

Add 2 1/2 cups of flour. We use an organic whole wheat flour. Throw the dough onto a large cutting board or a CLEAN countertop. (ie: if you wash the countertop, you should also wipe it with plain water so you're not adding soap to your dough)...

Knead the dough for 5 minutes. This is the best part because you really feel like you are doing something healthy, and traditional for your family. I like to push down with the heel of my hand forward (like a smearing motion) and then pull it back with my fingers, and curl it slightly to smear a different part of the dough the next time. Don't skip the kneading, because it helps for a smooth, developed dough.

Add some olive oil to the bowl and swish it around. Put a clean tea towel over the bowl, and let it rest in your microwave (dark, warm) for 30 minutes while you get toppings ready.

Top your pizza with whatever is in your fridge. Sky's the limit on what a good pizza dough can become - it is like a blank canvas.

It's easier than you think to skip the animal products, even if cheese and pepperoni are the first things that come to your mind.

Try these variations offering a rainbow of colours...

Puttanesca: Sauce, olives, capers, tomatoes, garlic?

Bruschetta: Sauce, Tomatoes, Red Onion, garlic, add salted-cold-chopped tomatoes, garlic and olive oil on top with fresh basil.

Mushroom: Olive oil or sauce or dijon mustard and a chopped mix of mushrooms, and some balsamic vinegar

Sweet or Hot Peppers: Sauce, and Yellow, Red, Orange, Green - there are even chocolate brown peppers!

Thai / Asian Green: Broccoli, Broccolini, Asparagus, Zucchini, even snow peas are awesome if you change the pizza sauce to a peanut sauce! (Mix some peanut butter, soy sauce, hot sauce, and sesame oil in a jar and shake) Spectacular! Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Indian / Tandoori Red: Cauliflower and chick peas are surprisingly delicious on pizza. They also feel very substantial. Grab some store-bought indian sauces, and sprinkle some cashews on top.

Purple Pizza Eater: Eggplant (especialy when roasted) is gorgeous. Grab some store-bought baba ganouj, top with eggplant and garlic. Or some roasted radicchio (put in a pan with some olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar) adds a sweet, bitter flavour that is delicious.

Honey Yellow: Add some roasted butternut squash and fresh sage leaves, drizzle with olive oil. Top with toasted, honeyed pecans.

ROASTING FALL VEGETABLES

At this time of year, roasting squash and root vegetables can be like having an extra friend in the kitchen.

Get familiar with the easy technique, because you can make one vegetable into three different meals. One as a side dish, one as a pizza topper, and blend the leftovers into a soup.

Cut up what you are roasting (Squash, Carrots, Parsnips, Beets, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, etc..) into bite size pieces. Put them on a cookie sheet (I like alumninum foil for easier clean-up). Drizzle the bites with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper them. Toss together so they all get coated. Roast at 375, shake every so often, until they slowly start to brown, probably 1 hour.

Bayley's Carrot Soup

Always make more veggies than you need for one meal. Leftovers can top pizza, and become a nice soup. Adding soup stock to any vegetable in a blender and hitting the liquefy button can result in a tasty and easy and delicious soup.

Once at a family dinner I watched in horror as Jill almost tossed the last few carrots and mashed potatoes into the garbage, after a family feast. I grabbed her blender, added a can of stock, the potatoes and the carrots and some salt to taste. Her son, Bayley, thought it was the best soup and ate two bowls of it the next day!