By the time Friday rolls around, most of us are low on energy, meal ideas and fresh ingredients. Before you pick up the phone and order that (gasp!) $13 pie, consider making your own. Chances are you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. If not, stock up next time you’re at the grocery store and get ready to transform Friday nights into a low-cost and fun pizza-making adventure for the whole family!
Basic Pizza Dough
You’ll need …
Water 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons instant yeast 2 teaspoons salt (kosher or sea salt kick up the flavor, so use it if you got it) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons of the oil through the feed tube.
2. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a tablespoon or so at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it’s dry, continue adding water and process for another 10 seconds or so.
3. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth round dough ball. Put the remaining olive oil in a bowl, turn the dough ball into it, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles (about an hour or so).
4. When the dough is ready, form it into a small ball and divide into 2 (or more, if you want smaller pies) pieces. Roll each piece into a round ball. Place each ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour and cover again with plastic wrap. Let rest until slightly puffed, about 20 minutes.
This recipe makes 1 large or 2 small pies, and is the foundation for other treats like focaccia, flatbreads and calzones. (We’ll get to them in a future blog post.)
Use the dough now or wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Plain Cheese Pizza
You’ll need …
Olive oil 14.5 oz. can diced tomato (drained and strained) 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (more or less, depending on size of pies) Grated parmesan cheese Salt
1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Oil your baking sheet and press or roll each dough ball into a flat round directly on the oiled sheet. Flour the dough as necessary, but don’t use more than you have to.
3. Drizzle the rounds with the olive oil, then top with the diced tomatoes and cheeses, and salt to taste. Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp, usually 8 to 12 minutes. Let stand for several minutes before slicing to set up the cheese.
As you can imagine, the toppings are endless and can easily fit your mood, preferences and budget. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Got an abundance of tomatoes and basil growing in the garden? Slice ‘em up and toss ‘em on for a true pizza Marghertia. Fresh mozzarella on sale at the market? Buy it and try it – just be warned, it tastes amaaaaazing and you may never use shredded again.
Just remember to think before topping!
* If you’re adding vegetables, cook them before placing on the pie. Pizza just doesn’t bake long enough to cook raw vegetables to become tender and may also result in a soggy crust.
* Slices work better than chunks, which will just burn on top.
* Delicate toppings may not need the whole cooking time, so add those halfway through.
Cornmeal, flour ground from dried corn, is one of my all-time favorite staple foods. Why? It’s versatile, nutritious, has a fairly long shelf life (especially if stored in the freezer or refrigerator) and at 60 cents a pound, is one of the most affordable items out there.
Use it to make yourself a big bowl of polenta – a complete comfort food, smooth, rich, and flavorful. Top it with some pan-cooked spinach or tomato sauce, or enjoy roasted asparagus (which you’ll find for $1.99 a pound right now at the Flemington ShopRite) on the side.
Basic Polenta
You’ll need …
2 cups water ½ cup milk Salt 1 cup cornmeal (coarse is best for this preparation)
1. Combine the water and milk and a large pinch of salt in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. When it comes to a boil, add the cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking to prevent lumps.
3. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
If the mixture becomes too thick, add some water. Otherwise, that’s it. You’ve just made basic polenta! Of course, you can always liven it up a bit with a tablespoon or so of butter or olive oil. But why stop there …
* Toss in ½ teaspoon of dried or 1 teaspoon of fresh herbs to add another dimension of flavor.
* Spoon the basic polenta into a buttered baking dish, top with some grated parmesan cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Cut into squares and serve hot or at room temperature. (This dish impresses everybody.)
* Pour the basic polenta into a loaf pan and let sit anywhere from 10 minutes to an entire day. Cut ½ thick slices and brush with olive oil. Bust out the Weber or George Foreman, and grill with a little salt and pepper. No grill? Brown the slices in hot olive oil in a pan.
Find more fresh ideas for cornmeal at wisebread.com, including several great recipes from scallion fritters to cornmeal crunch casserole. Or, learn another awesome cornmeal preparation: hush puppies! (If my 8-year old daughter can do it, so can you!)
Something my kitchen doesn’t need: Big Top Cupcake. Then again, give the super-25-times-bigger-than-a-normal-cupcake cupcake a red wine center … and sign me up.
Dollar Stretchin’ Dinner: Spicy Cannellini and Broccoli Rabe
Yesterday was my first day of unemployment. To commemorate my suddenly open schedule, I decided to take a trip to the local Shop Rite and familiarize myself with the layout and selection. Up until now, I’ve used their Shop Rite From Home service – build a grocery list online and let the personal shopper take care of the rest. This $10-an-order service is perfect for those with money, but little time. Umm…that’s not me anymore!
On this particular trip, I picked up a bunch of broccoli rabe ($0.61), two cans of Progresso cannellini beans ($0.99 each), and a fresh loaf of Italian bread (a splurge at $1.49). To my surprise, I even received a credit for using my own canvas bag instead of their paper or plastic. My total spending: $4.03. Mix this with some staples – salt, olive oil, hot red pepper flakes, and garlic – and dinner will be served!
Spicy Cannellini Beans and Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe is a non-heading variety of broccoli with a sharp and spicy flavor. It tastes more like a leafy green, such as kale, than broccoli. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and a great source of potassium, calcium, and iron. It’s just coming into season, so you’ll be able to buy it at a reasonable price now through spring. To make it a meal, add cannellini beans – high in fiber, protein, iron, and folate – or another variety of white bean. Serve with a loaf of crusty white bread and soak up the delectable juices.
You’ll need …
1 medium bunch broccoli rabe Salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 medium garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1. Bring several quarts of water to boil in large saucepan. Discard tough, thick stems from broccoli rabe. Tear large leaves in half and break large florets into pieces. Rinse under cold running water.
2. Add broccoli rabe and salt to taste to boiling water. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in large skillet. Add garlic and hot red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat until garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add broccoli rabe and stir well to coat. Add beans and cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.
This meal serves six, which means my family of three can enjoy it for two days.
Now that my family is down a paycheck, I am carefully watching how every dollar gets spent. There are the easy ways to cut back – who needs cable or exorbitant cell phone services – but there are also more thoughtful tactics. My mission? Cut grocery costs without compromising the quality of our meals.
Please join me in my quest to seek out new recipes and ways to prepare inexpensive but healthful and delicious dinners for my family. Who knows – we may even uncover the secret to finding hope in hard times along the way.
Talk to me! kimberly dot baldwin [@] gmail dot com.
