I Think You're Grape Pizza

A year ago I started this blog with a post about my grandma's tomato sauce. I have no plans to share that recipe with you, so don't get too excited.

But there is one food, that I love, that I should have tried making from scratch forever ago.... PIZZA.

I've made yeast doughs before, but I'll be honest- I am impatient! If you know anything about me or my blog, you know that is the exact reason why I am The What's On Hand Woman!

So I had a little extra time and decided to tackle pizza dough. I'm a fan of thin, crisp crust, so if you like that too, you've got to try it out. I understand that waiting an hour for dough to rise is often asking too much- so you should definitely buy dough that someone else waited on!

If you don't make your own crust, you cut out half of the steps, but I urge you to try my crusty creation sometime. REGARDLESS, YOU MUST TRY GRAPES ON PIZZA!

I Think You're Grape Pizza

For the Crisp Crust:
1 packet of yeast
2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water (around 105 degrees)
1 cup oats blended into a course flour
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
corn meal sprinkling

Mix the sugar and yeast with the warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes to froth up.
Meanwhile, mix the blended oats, salt, and flour in a large bowl.
Once the yeast is ready, add it to the flours along with the olive oil. Mix until just combined.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5ish minutes.
Lightly oil a clean bowl and the dough ball. Set aside in a warm place under a kitchen towel so it can rise.
After an hour, punch the dough and divide it in half. Save the other half (in the fridge or freezer) or make two pizzas!

For the Grapes & Toppings:
1/3 block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella
1/2 container Ricotta cheese (7oz)
1 tbsp olive oil
black pepper to taste
1 -- 1 1/2 cups red grapes, cut in half (enough to cover the pizza like pepperoni)
1 tbsp lemon flavored olive oil (save until the very end)

Mix the cream cheese, mozzarella, ricotta, olive oil, and black pepper well. (Save the grapes and lemon olive oil for now.)

Lets bring everyone to the pizza party!

Preheat the oven to its highest setting (550 degrees or higher.) Flip a cookie sheet over (using the bottom) so that you have a smooth surface without sides (or use a pizza stone).
Sprinkle a small amount of cornmeal on the pan's bottom.
Roll out the dough into a pizza-y shape and then place it on the cornmeal. Bake for 4 minutes.
Flip the crust over once and bake for 1-3 more minutes. (It depends on how brown you like your crust and how hot your oven is.)

Take out the crust. Flip it back over so the cornmealy side is touching the pan. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
Rub a very small amount of olive oil on the crisp crust. (Use the back of a spoon- its hot!) Spread the cheese mixture evenly, followed by the grapes arranged cut side up.
Bake 3-5 more minutes until the cheese is gooey and the grapes are warm. Drizzle the lemon flavored olive oil on top.
Cut and enjoy! I've served this topped with quick pickled onion slices and arugula salad, but my favorite topping is mild, crunchy greens tossed in a sweet mustard vinaigrette.


Greens & Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette
1 tsp grainy mustard
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
tiny drizzle of honey (maybe 1/2 tsp)
salt & pepper to taste
2-3 cups red leaf lettuce, romaine, bib lettuce- what ever you have

Wisk the dressing together in a medium bowl. Toss the greens in. Serve on top of the pizza (my favorite) or on the side. Enjoy!!!

Beautiful dough ball

A delicious plate all for me!

To get the original version, check out Dinner at Tiffani's.

xoxo Sam

Joyous Ice Cream Sammies

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, FRIENDS!!!

Today is a day to celebrate! We have spent a whole year together! Can you believe it?

I wanted to say thank you for following me on this impatiently delicious food journey!!

To celebrate, I made a really special treat....

Joyous Ice Cream Sammies

For the Salted Chocolate Ice Cream:
2 3/4 cup coconut creme (I use the kind in an aseptic box)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp Kahlúa
1/2 tsp salt

The day before, place the ice cream maker insert into the freezer until frozen solid.
Blend all ingredients in a blender and chill in the fridge until you are ready to churn the ice cream.
Follow the directions for your ice cream maker for churning. Mine took 20-25 minutes.

Wait for it......

For the Coconut Walnut Oat Cookies:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs (or flax eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp creme de cocoa
1 cup oats (minced in food processor)
1 cup walnuts (minced in food processor)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking soda well. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the coconut oil, honey, brown sugar, and sugar. Then add the eggs, vanilla, and creme de cocoa.
Add the flour mixture and combine.
Finally, add the oats, walnuts, and coconut flakes. Once everything is incorporated, cover the dough and refrigerate for a 2-3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. I got about 24-26.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. (When you pull out the cookies, if they seem a little too puffed-up in their centers, just use a fork to gently make them flatter.)
Cool the cookies!

To make the sammies:
Spread the ice cream on one cookie and top with another! Freeze for an hour- if you can wait that long- before serving. ENJOY! YUM YUM! (I'm screaming for ice cream :))

To get the original ice cream recipe, check out The Minimalist Baker.

xoxo Sam

Squasherole

Humans! The secret to eating well, is having good food around that is easy to eat. One way to do that is to cook/ prep a bunch of dishes ahead of time so the week is easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

Its common for me to cook a lot on Sunday so I have food already on-hand for me to eat all week for lunch or dinner (and on occasion, breakfast).

You know that I love casseroles. This one is great because its yummy cold, warm, or piping hot. A very loud, peculiar human from the past taught me a version of this recipe, but I think I make it better.

Squasherole

1 medium sized summer squash sliced in 1/8 inch coins
1 tomato, cut in half then, sliced about 1/8 inch (about the size of the squash coins)
1 clove garlic minced
1 scallion, sliced (including the green part)
black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup milk (I used soy)
4 eggs
1 box corn bread mix
1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.
Arrage the squash and tomato slices in the bottom of the dish. (You can see mine below.)
Evenly distribute the garlic, scallion, and pepper over the squash and tomatoes.
Scramble the eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add the corn bread mix and combine.
Pour the batter evenly over the arranged squash/ tomato party. You may need to wiggle the pan a little to get the batter in all of the nooks and crannies.
Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes.
Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. Enjoy! Yum yum!
I usually let the casserole cool and cut it into 8 pieces. Each piece will go in its own container for easy lunching throughout the week.

The squash/ tomato party

The golden-brown Squasherole deliciousness

xoxo Sam

Secret Snack Bean Burgers with Spicy Slaw

Shhhhh.... Do you have a favorite snack food? I DO!

Mine is CHEEZ-ITS and damn it, I love 'em.

I don't eat them everyday, or even every month, but when I do, I usually eat them with toppings... but surely my most favorite snack food could be used for something else!

You should try these burgers with your favorite snack food. Or you can use mine, I'm nice like that and share.

Secret Snack Bean Burgers

1 can black beans, rinsed and dried off
1 cup Cheez-it crumbs (bread crumb size)
1/2 bell pepper
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp Sriracha

Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl. You aren't going for hummus, just half-mushed chunks.
In the food processor, turn the Cheez-its into crumbs. Set them aside in a small bowl.
In the food processor, mince the onion and pepper. Use a small sieve to squish out the onion and pepper juice (save this juice for the slaw!). Add the peppers and onions to the black beans.
In a small bowl, mix the egg, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and Sriracha until blended. Add to the black beans and stir well. Add the Cheez-it crumbs and combine.
Form into patties (I got 5-6ish patties).
Using a little oil, cook in a skillet on medium heat until brown on both sides and cooked through.
Serve with whatever toppings you appreciate on your burgers! I chose pickles, Spicy Slaw, and melty cheese on a toasted bun.
(Or you can freeze them in bags separately to be eaten later.)

Spicy Slaw

1 1/2 cups broccoli slaw
1 1/2 cups cabbage slaw
1 tbsp Sriracha
2 tbsp ranch dressing
reserved onion/ pepper juice (about 2 tbsp)

Mix the Sriracha, ranch dressing, and onion/ pepper juice in a bowl. (Adjust flavor to your taste).
Add the broccoli and cabbage slaws.
Let the slaw mingle while you make the burgers.
Serve as a side or on top of your burger!

To get the original version of the burgers, check out All Recipes!

xoxo Sam

Buffalo Hummus Dip

Do you love hummus? Cayenne pepper sauce? How about a bubbling hot buffalo-y dip?

Whether you like chicken or not, you can make this one completely veg friendly!!!

Buffalo Hummus Dip

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup celery, inner stalks and leaves are best
1 (8oz-10oz) container of prepared hummus, use a flavor that goes well with cayenne pepper sauce
1/2 cup cayenne pepper sauce + another 1/4 cup
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or nutritional yeast)
Dippers of your choice- tortilla chips, celery sticks, carrot sticks, your fingers

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a small baking dish.

Use a food processor to pulse the chickpeas into a very chunky consistency (or smash with a fork, potato masher, fist, you know- whatever works). Pour into a mixing bowl.

Add the celery sticks into the food processor and pulse until minced. Add to the chickpeas.

Add the hummus, 1/2 cup of cayenne pepper sauce, and garlic in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add to the celery and chickpea chunks and mix well. Pour into the baking dish.

Top the dip with the 1/4 cup of cayenne pepper sauce and the shredded cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melty! Enjoy with your favorite dippers!!

For the original version, go to Fooduzzi!

xoxo Sam

Veggie Confetti Noodles

I LOVE noodles.

I love them cold out of the fridge, enveloped in tomato sauce, drenched in peanut sauce, snuggled in with butter+ cheese, tucked in a cold pasta salad, and even sticky in a sweet Asiany sauce.

Today I wanted noodles in a sweet Asiany sauce, but I wanted to make sure I ate my veggies too! Whether you're into making home made 'takeout' or not, you should really give this guy a try- he's great!!!

Veggie Confetti Noodles

1/2 inch nub of ginger
1/2 box rice noodles (I used the thicker kind meant for pad thai)
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
1 cup snap peas, sliced into fourths
1 large clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup Asian bottled sauce

1/2 cup cashews, roasted

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

2 green onions, sliced

2 Tbsp sriracha

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 cup cabbage slaw
oil

cilantro


In a medium sized sauce pot, bring water and fresh ginger to a boil.
Add the noodles, turn off the heat, and soak for about 8 minutes.
In your favorite skillet, add oil, onions, carrots, and bell pepper and cook until slightly tender. 

Add the mushrooms, snap peas, and the whiter end of the green onions. (We will garnish with the green side later.) 

Drain the noodles, but reserve 1/4 cup of the starchy water. 

Add a little oil to a big bowl and toss the hot noodles. Add the cooked veggies. 

Add a little little oil to the skillet once again, and add the cashews. Toss around to start warming them up. Add the Asian sauce, sriarcha, sesame seeds, and starchy water as needed to loosen the sauce. (I used half of the water because the bottled sauce I used was pretty thick. Let the sauce simmer until your desired consistency. Add to the veggies and noodles and toss to coat.

Add a little more oil in the skillet. Sauté the broccoli and cabbage slaws until tender, then add to the noodles and toss.

Top with cilantro and the reserved green onions! YUM. Who needs take out when you can make something this good?!

xoxo Sam

Chia Seed Pudding

Some of the best sweet treats are pudding, ice cream, chocolate sauces, and hot chocolate!

However, not all of us were graced with the ability to digest dairy very well- myself included.

This means I do my best to stay away from the delicious things that have a ton of milk in them! But then, the craving hits me, and I just need something creamy and chocolatey!

I've adapted recipes for us fine people that are not friends with dairy milk, but friends with other kinds of milk!

Chia Seed Pudding

4 cups chocolate soy milk
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
Toppings: Defrosted mixed berries, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, cinnamon, whipped topping

Mix the soy milk, chia seeds, and flax. Let stand for 10 minutes. Mix again and then refrigerate overnight. Serve with whatever toppings you like!

I layered the pudding, berries, coconut flakes, and sliced almonds! It was fabulous for breakfast and all ready to go to work with me in the jar!!

Also, try it topped with whipped topping as a dessert. Both are so good!!

For the original version, go to Oh She Glows!

xoxo Sam