Italian recipe!

Fresh Tomato & Black Olive Pizza

          Fresh tomato slices and chopped olives make a simple topping for this easy homemade pizza. If you want something more hearty, add slices of precooked chicken sausage before topping it with cheese. No time to make homemade dough? Look for whole-wheat pizza-dough balls at your supermarket. Check the ingredient list to make sure the dough doesn’t contain any hydrogenated oils. Serve with a mixed green salad tossed with a creamy herb dressing.

Ingredients:

Thin-Crust Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough

·         3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water (105-115°F)

·         1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

·         1 teaspoon sugar

·         1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Tips)

·         1 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

·         2 tablespoons fine cornmeal

·         All-purpose flour for dusting

Toppings

·         2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         3 plum tomatoes, sliced

·         1/4 cup chopped black olives

·         8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish

Preparation

1. To prepare dough: Stir water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl; let stand until the yeast has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in whole-wheat flour, bread flour (or all-purpose flour) and salt until the dough begins to come together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, mix the dough in a food processor or in a stand mixer with a dough hook. Process or mix until it forms a ball. Continue to process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 1 minute more in a food processor or 4 to 5 minutes more on low speed in a stand mixer.) Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn to coat.
3. Cover with a clean kitchen towel; set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
4. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Brush oil over a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the baking sheet with cornmeal to coat evenly.
5. Combine oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
6. Sprinkle flour over work surface. Roll out the dough to the size of the baking sheet (see Tips) and transfer to the baking sheet. Cover the dough with oil mixture. Scatter with tomatoes and olives and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the crust is crispy and the cheese is melted and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with basil, if using.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Or tightly wrap the unrisen dough in oiled plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight. Let refrigerated (or previously frozen) dough stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.

• Tips: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find it at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
• No time to make your own dough? Look for balls of prepared whole-wheat pizza dough at your supermarket, fresh or frozen and without any hydrogenated oils.
• To Roll Out Pizza Dough: Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust with flour; dimple with your fingertips to shape into a thick, flattened circle. Then use a rolling pin to roll into the desired shape. If your dough “resists” being rolled out, let it rest for about 15 minutes, then try rolling it out again.

Nutrition

Per serving: 440 calories; 20 g fat ( 7 g sat , 10 g mono ); 36 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 17 g protein; 5 g fiber; 814 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (15% dv), Folate (34% daily value), Calcium (25% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 high-fat meat, 2 fat

hmmmmm.. yummy!

Pork / Chicken Adobo Recipe
Ingredients:

·    1/2 kilo pork cut in cubes + 1/2 kilo chicken, cut into pieces or

·    choice of either 1 kilo of pork or 1 kilo of chicken

·    1 head garlic, minced

·    1/2 yellow onion, diced

·    1/2 cup soy sauce

·    1 cup vinegar

·    2 cups of water

·    1 teaspoon paprika

·    5 laurel leaves (bay leaves)

·    4 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil

·    2 tablespoons cornstarch

·    Salt and pepper to taste

·    3 tablespoons water

Estimated cooking time: 50 minutes.

Cooking instructions:

·    In a big sauce pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of oil then saute the minced garlic and onions.

·    Add the pork and chicken to the pan. Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, vinegar, paprika and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or when meat is tender.

·    Remove the pork and chicken from the sauce pan and on another pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and chicken for a few minutes.

·    Mix the browned pork and chicken back to the sauce and add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken.

·    Add salt and/or pepper if desired

·    Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

·    Serve hot with the adobo gravy and rice.

Cooking tips:

 You have the option to add crushed ginger to the onions and garlic when sauteing. Ginger adds a unique flavor to your pork/chicken adobo.

 

Food

 

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.