Grilled Pizza with homemade dough

Yeah... it looks like an amoeba... I know... but you know what, it's a tasty amoeba, so I'm ok with that ;) There may be no need to break out the fancy dinnerware sets for this pizza... but on the other hand it's always fun to make casual food feel fancy :)


I did it! I did it! I grilled pizza using home made dough not just a prebought shell! (not that I'm hating on the prebought... it's great for a super fast dinner) But this is still very exciting and doesn't take all day! Seriously 30 minutes from mixing to on the grill dough. YUM

I have to say grilled pizza is my newest obsession this summer, we've been eating it once a week, love it. What would you top your pizza with?


Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
(Source: Originally from EatingWell.com As found on Amber's Delectable Delights I found it linked there from What's cooking in the orange kitchen) then I adapted it for the grill!)

To make 12 ounces dough:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann's RapidRise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup hot water (120-130°F)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.
3. Roll dough out and place on a cornmeal covered pizza peel. Heat a grill on high for 10 minutes and then flick the dough off the peel and onto the grill. Turn heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Flip dough and then top with whatever you like! Continue to cook an additional 7 minutes or until cooked through (time with change depending on thickness of dough).
   

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Buitoni Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli

Through the Foodbuzz tastemaker program I was given the chance to try a Buitoni frozen dinner for two. I picked the Chicken & Mushroom Ravioli with marsala wine sauce. It couldn't be easier to prepare. Boil water, toss in the sauce (it's in a plastic bag) and raviolis and boil... drain... cut open sauce bag and pour on top. Quick and easy.


John wasn't thrilled that it was white pasta but said he'd give one a try... one led to 6 or 7. Needless to say he gave them a thumbs up.



I prefer a thin pasta for my ravioli but it's impossible to find that in commercially made ravioli. These weren't super thick though and the filling was flavorful... I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce, but I think it's because I'm a spicy red sauce girl at heart :)

As for portion size... fat and calorie wise it's good for 2 people to share this, but you need a big salad to start if you want to be full at the end of the meal.

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And the winners are...

Picked in the following order by random.org the winners are...

Lisa of Early Morning Run
Diva on a Diet of Beach Eats!
Erl6286

Congrats everyone! Email me your address at stephchows @ gmail.com and I'll mail you your coupon for a free jar of MaraNatha nut butter!!!

PS - don't forget to sign up for the jam exchange here!!

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2nd annual jam exchange!

It's here it's here! It's the second annual steph chows jam exchange and I hope you are all ready and set to go!! We had a fabulous turn out last year and I can't wait to see how we do this year.



Here are the "rules"

1. You do NOT need to have a blog to participate! Everyone is welcome to join in!
2. You must be willing to mail 2, 1/2 pint jars of any kind of jam your little heart desires to your given person. (yes they can both be the same kind of jam)
   
3. You must sign up with me so I can make sure to pair you with someone! Email me at stephchows (at) gmail (dot) com with the following:
   Your name and address
   Blog URL if you have one (see rule 1... you DO NOT need one)
   If you would be ok with mailing internationally or if you want to stick domestic (USA) (totally ok either way you choose) I know we have a few peeps from Canada who are in to do this... I checked with the post office here and they said we can ship jam to our Canadian neighbors! I know we have a bunch of AUS readers too... and the post office says no issues with shipping jam to you either! All my other international friends... email me and I'll check and see if it's allowed to your country or not :) As for your country to here or somewhere else... I'm not sure about that one...
   I figure if you agree to ship international, I'll pair someone international to send back to you so it's a fair trade. (I know the USPS has flat rate international boxes... probably the cheepest way).
   
4. If you would like your jam included in the final roundup email me a picture of it and a link to a blog entry if you have one up, or just email me to let me know what you sent/received.

Deadline to send me your info: August 11th (my birthday!)
I will contact you with your jam partner by August 22nd
You have until September 7th to mail said jam to said person. You can mail as early as you like though, so if you have your jam ready to go on the 22nd when I email you... go for it and mail it! Or if you are a procrastinator... wait till the 7th to mail it... either way works :) Just please make sure to mail it so no one is left out!

What's that? You've never made jam before? Well then this is a darn good excuse to learn right? Read more about my adventures in jammin' here.

OH and feel free to grab the image above and blog about the exchange to get the word out there and more peeps involved :) Just link back to me :) Or you can tweet about it... or facebook... or do smoke signals... whatever floats your boat :)

Ready... set... GO!!!!

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Apricot Coconut Energy Balls + a giveaway

Bet the title got your attention right? I made these and John asked if I was making meatballs... ummm not so much sweets. When I told him they were apricot coconut cookies he pretended to gag and fall over. Fine then, no cookies for you and more for me! Silly melodramatic husband.

These were inspired by lara bars and how they don't' have many ingredients and use dried fruit for the sweetness factor. The best part is they don't require an oven so make away on these hot sticky days!


The other inspiration for these was MaraNatha nut butters. The wonderful people there sent me a variety pack of nut butters to try and I can't wait to show you all the recipes I'm coming up with! The other bonus... they sent me 3 coupons for free jars of any variety of their nut butters to give away to my lovely readers!!! (How to enter at the bottom of the post)

I brought these into work and they came with rave reviews! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)


Apricot Coconut Energy Balls
recipe by steph chows
makes about 24 small balls/chunks

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried appricots
1/4 cup MaraNatha almond butter with a hint of sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place dried apricots in a food processor (or blender if that's all you have). Process until pretty well broken up. Add in almond butter and pulse until somewhat smooth. Remove from food processor and into a bowl, stir in unsweetened coconut and cinnamon. With your fingers pinch off balls and roll between your hands. Chow!!! Place whatever you don't eat in the refrigerator for later!

Now onto the good part.. the giveaway! You have 2 ways to enter. (you can do either way or both!)

1. Visit MaraNatha and tell me which variety you'd get with your coupon.
   
2. For another chance "like" them on Facebook and then comment back here to let me know you did!

You have until Monday the 26th at 5pm EST to enter. Winners will be picked by random.org next week!

PS. More info about how to join in on the 2nd annual jam exchange coming next week!

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Raspberry Agave Jam

UPDATE: Sign ups for the jam exchange are open!! Info here.

What's that you say? You say it's time for some JAM???? Woohooo it's jam making season and I am so excited for it to be here! So excited that my friend and I took off from work last Thursday to go raspberry picking and then to go make jam!

Aren't they beauties? We each picked 5 pints, 4 for jam, and one for ourselves. We decided to make one batch with sugar and one with agave nectar to experiment for my peeps at Wholesome Sweeteners, they've been looking for more agave jam recipes and I'm always happy to help! (especially when they send me agave to practice with! thanks guys!)


I can happily say our experiment was a very happy success!! Look at the color in those jars! Beautiful if you ask me.


This also brings me to a question... are you ladies and gents up for year 2 of the annual steph chows jam exchange??? I hope you are!! Sign ups will be starting soon so keep an eye out for all the late breaking jam news! (click on the image above to read last years round up!)


:) Now for the recipe

Raspberry Jam sweetened with Agave
recipe by Steph Chows

4 pints raspberries
2 cups wholesome sweetener agave nectar (2 containers)
love
5, 1/2 pint mason jars (to sanitize jars put them in a pot of water and boil for 10 minutes)
canning supplies: jar funnel, jar tongs, large pot to boil jars in

Rinse raspberries and check for any bugs (eww) place into a heavy bottom pot (I used a 5 qt pot) and add in agave nectar and a good helping of love. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once it boils turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes (don't stop stirring it!). Remove from heat and place into sanitized mason jars (fill up to a 1/2 inch from the top of the jar - this is where a jar funnel comes in super handy) . Carefully wipe off any spills and place lids and rings on the jars. Use your tongs and place filled jars back into the large pot of hot water, bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars with the tongs and let dry on a cooling rack undisturbed overnight. Label your jars and give them to all those people you love :)

What's that you don't have labels? Well here you go then :) Just click on the image (so it gets big) and then right click on it and select "save to desktop". Then open the image and print to fit a horizontal 8.5x 11 sheet of paper. Done and DONE!

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An asian twist

I'm always on the lookout for new dinner ideas that wont take forever and are super tasty. I stumbled on this recipe through Ladies Home Journal and John and I both loved it! You use an egg mixed with hoisin sauce as the base on the chicken and then cover it in sesame seeds! Shopping tip: buy sesame seeds in the ethnic / asian section of your food store, they come in much larger containers for waayyyyy less than what you'll find in a spice aisle.


Sesame Chicken Skewers with Ginger Slaw
Recipe by LHJ

* 1/2 head (about 2 pounds) napa or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
* 1/2 red bell pepper, halved, stems and seeds discarded, thinly sliced
* 1/2 yellow bell pepper, halved, stems and seeds discarded, thinly sliced
* 1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed, cut lengthwise into thin slices
* 2 scallions, thinly sliced
* 1/2 seedless cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
* 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
* 1 pinch red pepper flakes
* 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil (I used half of this without any issue)
* 1 large egg
* 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
* 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch cubes (I used chicken tenders, no time spent cutting them up!)
* 1/2 cup sesame seeds
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 (6-inch) bamboo skewers

Directions

1. Toss together cabbage, bell peppers, snow peas, scallion and cucumber in a large serving bowl, for ginger slaw; set aside.

2. Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and pepper flakes in another bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add 1/3 cup oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly, until thickened and emulsified, for dressing; set aside.

3. Whisk together egg and hoisin sauce in a shallow bowl; add chicken and turn until coated on all sides. Combine sesame seeds, cornstarch and salt in a shallow bowl. Thread chicken onto skewers and roll in sesame mixture, coating well on all sides.

4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat. Add skewers and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Pour dressing over ginger slaw and toss until coated well; serve with warm chicken skewers.




PS... agave sweetened jam coming up next! so stay tuned!

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The secret ingredient

I need to tell you all about an amazing book that recently came out. The woman's story is a true inspiration. "In her 30s, Sally Bee suffered three heart attacks in one week. She had no family history of heart problems and was young, fit and healthy. Six years on, it has been a steady battle back to health and for Sally food became a vital life source. This story is the basis of her book, The Secret Ingredient -- a cookbook of delicious, easy-to-make, affordable and heart-healthy meals the whole family can enjoy."


I was told about this book and asked if I'd like to see one of the recipes and post about it, after looking down the list, "healthiest-ever lasagne" caught my eye... and I knew I had to ask to see it! In truth I haven't had a chance to make it yet (it's been too hot!) but I had had had to tell you about this book so I hope you try this recipe, and if you do let me know what you think!!

Healthiest-Ever Lasagne

This is a delicious, warming and rich lasagne without the added fat of a traditional lasagne. It’s made without the usual fat-laden cheese sauce and only has a light sprinkling of cheese on top. Using very lean meat and only a tiny amount of olive oil, you can enjoy this dish with the family and feel happy that you are nourishing them wonderfully.

Serves 4
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 carrots, scrubbed but skin on and finely chopped (if you use organic, you can leave the
skin on; if your carrots are not organic, I suggest you peel them)
2 organic celery sticks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
12oz lean minced (ground) steak or turkey mince (ground turkey)
5 1/2 oz chopped mushrooms, chopped
1 1/4 cups beef or chicken stock
2/3 cup red wine or extra stock
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
1 tbsp dried oregano or mixed herbs
Freshly ground black pepper
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 -12 sheets dried no-pre-cook lasagna
1 1/2 oz mature low fat cheddar cheese

For the sauce:
3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 1/2 cups semi-skimmed (low-fat) milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg


1.) Heat the oil in a large, lidded saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 5minutes. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for a further 5minutes, or until the onion is soft and just beginning to colour.
2.) Turn up the heat a little, then add the beef or turkey and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and crumbly. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1moreminute, then drain off any fat from the meat.
3.) Stir in the stock, wine or extra stock, tomatoes, tomato purée (paste) and dried herbs. Bring to the boil, then cover and gently simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley and season with black pepper to taste.
4.) Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
5.) To make the sauce mix the corn flour (cornstarch) in a small bowl or cup to a smooth paste with a little of the milk .Add more milk until all the corn flour (cornstarch) has been dissolved and it is a runny consistency. Now put the cornflour (cornstarch) mixture along with the remaining milk into a medium-sized saucepan. Over a medium heat, bring to the boil while stirring continuously. Simmer for 2 minutes and stir in the nutmeg. The sauce should have thickened to a custard consistency. Take off the heat.
6.) Spoon half the meat sauce over the base of a 2 1/2 quart ovenproof dish or roasting tin. Cover with a layer of lasagna, then spoon over the remaining meat sauce and cover with another layer of pasta.
7.) Pour over the white sauce to cover the lasagna completely. Scatter over the grated cheese.

8.) Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbling and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes before serving. Accompany with a lovely big salad.

From The Secret Ingredient by Sally Bee, copyright 2010 Sterling Publishing Co.

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Tossibilities

First off I love the name of this eatery, Tossibilities, it's that just fun? We found this place while wondering Ottawa, we walked in to check the menu and the buffalo chicken wrap started calling john's name...


while the froyo was calling mine! (yeah super healthy of me for lunch right?) but I mean look I got raspberries on top of green tea froyo! Think of all the antioxidants people!?!?!

OK so I'm going to get in trouble for this next picture but I couldn't help myself...

chow chow chow!!! and check out that awesome wedding band.. love it!

So you know how in Montreal we couldn't go into the Notre Dame Basillica... well we got to go into the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ottawa and it was super crazy ornate... check this place out!!


Seriously just think for a minute how long that took to all carve... I'm getting bored just thinking about it ;)


Tossibilities
208 Sparks Street
Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 216-2845

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Opera Cake

So now I get to tell you about Ottawa, it is so beautiful there! There is just amazing architecture wherever you look.



The only thing is when I travel I turn into a total tourist... if there is a statue within site... you better watch out, because this girl will be posing right along with them.


Yeah a sad attempt at pretending to be a lion, but had us both giggling for a good 10 minutes straight :) OK now that you've had your laugh let me tell you about the best dessert ever. This was by far our favorite dessert shop from our entire honeymoon. I ordered a pistachio cake, it was super tasty...


Yeah that's honey on top... *drool*

John ordered an Opera cake and it blew our minds...


According to Wikipedia...
Opera Cake is a type of French cake. It is made with layers of almond sponge cake (known as Joconde in French) soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee buttercream, and covered in a chocolate glaze.

AKA... it's heaven.

This bakery is in byward market and it's at the end of the little market building full of all types of eateries. It's the bakery filled with gigantic photos of Obama when he made a trip there. (apparently they love them some Obama in Ottawa!) As you can guess... I can't remember the name of said bakery... I know... sorry :) UPDATE: Jeanne rocks, the name of the baker is Le Moulin da Provence and here is their website!

Moulin da Provence
55 Byward Market Square
Ottawa ON
K1N 9C3
TEL: 613.241.9152

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Montreal part 2

OK I lied... I said next up opera cake in ottawa... you'll have to wait since I forgot I had more of Montreal to tell you all about! Please send complaints to management... oh wait that's me...

Not sure why this is in old town... but had to take a picture by it.

I met up with three cute round ladies and had some great conversations.

We ate delicious pizza made by two hungover college kids who couldn't understand why oh why we'd honeymoon in Montreal... thanks guys... the restaurant wasn't on the main drag of old town so it was quiet and a perfect find! And the two guys who served as cook and waiter were more than entertaining :)

Check out my reflection in the puddle... ooo artsy. "uhh john what are you taking a picture of?"

You have to go to Maple Delight, they have gelato made with maple syrup!! And it's delicious!! I had this weird named one that was basically coconut with chocolate pieces in it... but they wouldn't call it coconut... it was delicious!!

Right before we headed to catch our train back to Ottawa we stopped at what looked to be an amazing pastry place... and got this slice of cake that cost $10... $10???? for a slice of cake... this better be freakin amazing...

yeah... it wasn't :( so if you are in old town... don't go to this place.

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Montreal

So I still need to tell you all about our honeymoon and our random adventures. First let me tell you about Montreal a bit. First off did you know they have pink trees there?

It's true! Right in the middle of a mall too... kinda odd... kinda fun... can anyone say tourist to this picture??

We had rain one day while we were there... thankfully it didn't last all day... and thankfully we bought this $2 umbrella... apparently $2 doesn't get you a very large umbrella in canada...


Seriously the tiniest umbrella ever... Anyway we attempted to use said umbrella together... yeah we both ended up wet haha but we made it down to a cute little coffee house to enjoy mix yourself steamer and lattes!


I've never had a steamer or a latte in a beer glass before... but it was fun, and look at all the layers, you get it mix it all up yourself.

Overall Montreal was beautiful!

We attempted to go see the Notre Damn Basilica... but apparently they have turned it into a laser light show arena... wa-whaat??

We were torn whether it was worth paying $20 to see a church light up with lasers... but instead walked on to eat more gelato instead :)


Next up... Opera cake in ottawa!!!

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10 Easy Ways to Eat Your Way to Good Health

Today I have a guest post for you by Shannon, read on to see her healthy tips!


10 Easy Ways to Eat Your Way to Good Health

There may be many ways to ensure that you stay in good health, but the best of them all is through your diet. There is more than a grain of truth to the saying that you are what you eat, so if you’re going to put junk in your body, your health is going to be junk as well. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to struggle hard to fit a healthy diet into your lifestyle. It’s easy if you know a few tricks and shortcuts, and best of all, you don’t have to cut out all the foods that are deemed to be “unhealthy” and on the avoid list:

1. Never skip breakfast no matter how much of a hurry you’re in because this is the most important meal of the day. It not only provides you with energy for the day but also kick starts your metabolism and gets your body to effectively use all the calories you consume and burn all the fat you store.
2. Eat something when you wake up; most of us are used to drinking a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but when you eat a fruit or a slice of bread before your coffee, you boost your weight loss efforts.
3. Eat smaller meals, say five or six mini meals a day instead of three large ones. You not only feel lighter and more energetic, you tend to lose weight as well.
4. Don’t starve yourself because it’s certainly not going to help you lose weight. Rather, your metabolism decreases because your body starts to break down your muscles when it is denied fuel.
5. Eat smart by limiting portions of foods that you love but that are fatty and unhealthy to eat on a regular basis. Rather than risk a binge by denying yourself even a taste of your favorite foods, allow yourself small portions as a treat every now and then.
6. Snack on healthy food when hungry; and to ensure that you don’t reach for that bag of chips and jar of dip, remove temptation from your way by avoiding keeping unhealthy snacks at home or within easy reach.
7. Eat dinner early, at least three hours before you go to bed so that you’re able to sleep better and more soundly. Eating close to dinner time leaves undigested food in your stomach which leads to heartburn and acidity.
8. Drink lots of water and other fluids, but avoid sugary and aerated drinks because they add to your daily calorific count without adding any nutrition to your diet. Water keeps your body healthy by flushing out toxins from your blood, making your skin glow, and aiding in the digestion process.
9. Combine a healthy diet with a little exercise to boost your health quotient; when you work out for at least 30 minutes a day, four days a week, you reduce the risk of disease and illness.
10. Don’t obsess about food – it’s not good to either count every calorie compulsive or be totally careless and eat whatever and whenever you feel the need to do so. Both extremes are undesirable, so eat smart, and eat your way to a healthier life.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Shannon Wills, she writes on the topic of Physical Therapy Assistant . She welcomes your comments at her email id: shannonwills23@gmail.com.

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Canada Day Bars

Happy Canada Day!! Although I'm back in the states I figured I'd write about a delicious canadian treat on this day to celebrate!

John and I met up with my friend Jeanne the last night we were in town and had a wonderful time walking around and eating desserts! Our first stop was to a little pastry shop in ByWard Market. a yummmmm


OK I need help remembering what this bar is called... it begins with a N and it's layers of tastiness :D chocolate, lemon curd, nuts, delicious. We also got a maple cake (although a little lacking in the maple flavor department) and a chocolate layered cake of some sort that was amazing!! John also got a mini gingerbread man... but ate it before we got a picture :D


We also made an appearance at Pure Gelato, the amaretto and cinnamon flavors were AMAZING!!! yum yum yum!!!

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