Category Archives: Comfort food

Comfort food, Healthy, Main Dishes, Salads

Cranberry Cashew Chicken Salad

April 3, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Ever get really tired of a certain kind of lunch? Like say you always take a roast beef sandwich with cheddar and mustard. Or a tuna salad pita pocket. Or a certain type or brand of soup. When you eat the same thing several days in a row, you can get bored easily. But then you also want more ‘grown-up’ options sometimes than just peanut butter and jelly, or maybe you don’t have any leftovers to choose from at the moment.

This is a super simple recipe for a great tasting and healthy chicken salad sandwich mix. It is designed to make just enough for one large sandwich or wrap, but you can easily increase the quantities to feed a family of four or a luncheon buffet for fifty. It has a tiny bit of sweetness, which helps kids love it too, and a nice bit of crunch to make it interesting. No one needs to know that you snuck in an extra serving of fruits & veggies.

For maximum healthy, use plain Greek yogurt to bind it, and serve as a lettuce wrap or on whole grain bread or tortilla with extra veggie toppings. This is a great way to use up extra chicken meat from a whole bird, and is very frugal and versatile. Try this the next time you need lunchtime inspiration, a quick after-school snack, or a buzz-worthy picnic dish.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 tbsp dried cranberry
1/2 tbsp cashews or peanuts
1 tbsp mayonnaise or Miracle Whip or plain Greek yogurt
2 tsp mustard

Step 1: Use meat from a cooked chicken (such as rotisserie) to save time, or poach 1 boneless skinless chicken breast in water or broth until no longer pink. Shred with two forks, and use about 1/2 cup per serving you intend to make.

Step 2: In a bowl, mix all ingredients together well. This tastes even better if you let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, and will keep up to a week. Feel free to add in your own flavorings like lemon or lime juice, use raisins instead of cranberries, or add spinach rather than celery. If you have nut allergies, omit the cashews/peanuts, and if you still want crunch add a tbsp large breadcrumbs, fried onions, or Chinese noodles.

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Breakfast, Comfort food, Healthy, Less than 5, Vegetarian

Peach Oatmeal with Kefir

March 20, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Some of you reading this may be thinking “what in the heck is kefir“?, and, “How do you pronounce that?”, or maybe, “Oatmeal is awful boring goop.”

Well, I have heard it pronounced both “kef-eer” and “keef-er” and I don’t have a strong opinion on which is correct. If anyone knows for sure feel free to comment below. But call it whatever you want, what it is a superfood that has many proven health benefits of kefir supported by research. It is essentially fermented milk.

Now, before you go all “ewww, fermented stuff is gross!” hear me out. This is a drink which has been around for many many years, used by different herding cultures and passed down through the ages. Many peoples mostly lived on milk from their herds as they were nomadic, and they would store milk in leather pouches for days at a time. This would gradually ferment into a sour, thicker, yogurt-like liquid that they could store even longer. These people were known for their health and vigor. “Elie Metchnikoff, a Nobel-prize winning biologist at the Pasteur Institute, first suggested that lactobacilli might counteract the putrefactive effects of gastrointestinal metabolism in 1908. ” (source)

The fermented milk would contain chunks of symbiotic cultures of various lactobacilli (a type of bacteria), yeasts, and other microorganisms which are useful for healthy digestion. For those with a scientific curiosity: “Microorganisms present in the grains include lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lb delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lb helveticus, Lb casei subsp. pseudoplantarum and Lb brevis, a variety of yeasts, such as Kluyveromyces, Torulopsis, and Saccharomyces, acetic acid bacteria among others. ” (source)

Kefir has antibiotic and antifungal properties. It’s been used in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, and allergies, tuberculosis, cancer, poor digestion, candidiasis, osteoporosis, hypertension, HIV and heart disease. It may also help restore a better balance to the gut flora, alleviating conditions such as diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating. Many lactos-intolerant people also find they are able to drink kefir without difficulty, as the fermentation breaks down much of the problematic sugars in the milk. If you’re interested, feel free to read about the differences between kefir and yogurt .

In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes. Among these small health benefits are: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, B2 and B12, vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin D, and many amino acids. In particular, tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Kefir in the diet can have a particularly calming effect on the nerves due to this and other salts important for a healthy nervous system.

So now that I’ve hopefully convinced you to give kefir a chance, how do you get it into your diet? Well, of course one option is to just eat/ drink it as if it were yogurt, as a snack or part of a meal. You can also use it like milk and pour over cereals for breakfast. You can whip it up into a smoothie just as you would with water or milk. Or you can try this delicious recipe to make Kefir Oatmeal!

Ingredients:

1/2 can of peaches (in juice or water, not syrup, or home canned)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp – 1/4 cup kefir
Optional: Sprinkle of cinnamon

Step 1: Pour the oats and water into a bowl with the peaches, and microwave on high about 3 minutes. You can also cook this in a slow cooker on low overnight, or simmer on the stove top for 5-7 minutes. Feel free to use any type of fruit you have and like here, frozen berries work well, as do bananas, pears, cherries, or apples.

Step 2: Sprinkle on some cinnamon if using, stir well. Let the oatmeal sit and soak for a few minutes. When it is cooled enough that you can put your finger in it and not get burned, add the kefir and mix it in. (You don’t want to boil alive all the healthy micro organisms we just talked about!)

You can also make this at night, and let it sit at room temperature, covered, overnight for some extra fermentation. You will get great digestive benefits from both the whole grain oats and fiber as well as the beneficial bacteria. Add more or less kefir to your own tastes based on how sour you like it. If you absolutely must, you can add in some maple syrup or honey, but I like it just plain as is. Enjoy!

Casseroles, Comfort food, Healthy, Holidays, Informative, Main Dishes

Irish Colcannon

March 13, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Happy <nearly> St. Patrick’s Day! Can you even believe it is already almost time! For me it seems like the year is flying by, as it usually does. The East Coast had a glimpse of spring and all its sunny, 60-degree glory, followed by chilly weather again. Those daydreams of warm soil, hot sunshine, and tiny green buds and leaves poking up bravely into the world are becoming closer and closer to real.

Whether you make this tonight, or use leftover potatoes and cabbage later, this is a delicious and filling meal that everyone will love, regardless of heritage.

Ingredients:

1 head of red or green cabbage
1.5-2 pounds potatoes
1 pound ground beef
1/2 stick butter (or 1/4 cup oil of choice)
1/2 cup milk (or water, or stock)
Salt & Pepper
Optional: 1/2 an onion, diced; garlic salt

Step 1: Dice the potatoes into cubes, you can use any kind. I leave the skins on because that is where the majority of the nutrients and minerals are found, but you could peel them. Cut out the hard core of the cabbage, and shred the head or cut into thin strips.

Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the potatoes. Simmer for at least 25-30 minutes, until soft when poked with a fork.

Step 3: In a large covered pot, add the cut up cabbage with a few tbsp water or stock (or wine, or vinegar) and heat over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, until cabbage becomes soft and translucent. If using onions, add at this time too.

Step 4: In a large pan, brown the ground beef (or chicken, or turkey, or pork). Drain off the excess fats. You can use the same pan if you remove the cabbage. Add the cooked softened cabbage back in.

Step 5: Drain the potatoes, and mash it up to your desired consistency, whether totally smooth or with chunks. Add the butter and milk (or other liquids) and mix well.

Step 6: Add the mashed potatoes to the pot with cabbage and ground beef and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

That’s all there is to it! Three classic mainstays of Irish cooking, cabbage, potatoes, and meat, together in one happy marriage. Serve with gravy if desired. If you are clever about cooking order, you can make this all in one pot too. This makes a huge amount, so be sure you have plenty of people to share it with or will eat it over time. You can of course halve or quarter the recipe as needed.

Comfort food, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes, Side dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Mixed Winter Vegetables

February 23, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Towards the end of February, it seems like nothing will ever grow again, and a juicy summer tomato is but a dream. Most Americans just go to the supermarket and buy whatever exotic fruits or produce they are craving with no regards to whence it came, how many miles it has traveled, or how the nutrients have been degraded by early harvest and long travel time between dirt and plate.

I strongly encourage those yearning for the warmer days of spring where every corner bursts with greenery to make use of the oft-neglected seasonal produce. Try searching Local Harvest for farmers markets near you. Root crops store so well, while cold-tolerant crops are appearing in local markets. If you are lucky you may even have farmers with greenhouses or cold hoops that grow tender baby greens and lettuces.

Many people cannot name 5 produce items that are in season any time of the year other than mid-summer, and maybe not even then. During the coldest, bleakest times of winter it is especially hard to think of produce actually being able to withstand the harsh temperatures. But in New England, there are tons of vegetables that you can find for mere pennies at the local markets, including: carrots, fingerling potatoes, beets (red and gold), rutabaga, squash, parsnips, turnips, radishes, leeks, onions, Brussels sprouts, baby micro-greens, spinach, kale, collards, and mushrooms.

This recipe makes a large meal for one, or side dish for two. Feel free to mix up the vegetable content based on what you have available right now and what you like. But if you are wary of these produce types, just try one and see how you like it. You never know when you may fall in love with the sweetness of a golden beet, the carrot-like texture of parsnips, or the nuances of various radish strains.

Ingredients:

1 parsnip
1 leek
1 carrot
2 garlic cloves
2 green onion
1 small potato
3-4 small beets
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

Step 1: Cut the tops and bottoms off of your produce, and dice into chunks or slices. Add the olive oil & lemon to a frying pan, and add all the vegetables. Cover tightly, and steam 5-10 minutes. Stir up the veggies, cover, and steam another 10 minutes or so. You want the heat low enough that it will slowly caramelize the sugars in the vegetables, not burn them.

Step 2: Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Either serve alone or on the side with a meat and salad. I enjoyed mine with some roasted chicken, baby greens, and homemade sauerkraut on top. It is so simple, yet so wonderfully tasty!

Beverage, Comfort food, Dessert, Holidays, Less than 5

Homemade Shamrock Shake

February 21, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

Can you believe that St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner already! This year it is on March 17th. And one of my favorite things about this time of year, though I avoid the place like the plague at all other times, is McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.

Yes, I know they are horrible for you, and probably don’t even contain dairy but “sugar infused plastic“, but damn are they delicious. And it only happens once a year…

But, the facts remain that they are terrible for your health, so in an effort to swear them off I attempted my own homemade version. The recipe I used is similar to this one from SparkPeople. Now I don’t have to wait all year, or hope that the ice cream machine isn’t broken, I can have a Shamrock Shake anytime!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen Greek plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
Couple drops food coloring
Couple drops peppermint flavoring
2 tbsp honey or sugar

Step 1: In a blender, combine all ingredients.

Step 2: Blend well until smooth. Add as much green as you want.

Step 3: Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Comfort food, Crock pot, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Slow cooker, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Parsnip, Potato, & Leek Spring Soup

February 9, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

I don’t know about the weather elsewhere, but the weather here in Connecticut seems to be very bi-polar. One day it is in the 50s and sunny, and I am getting cabin fever and want to plant everything in the seed catalog immediately, the next day we get almost a foot of snow dumped on us overnight. What’s going on here?

I am so thankful that CT has some amazing farmers who have hoop houses, green houses, store rooms, and other ways of extending our crazy growing season, so that we are already getting some of the first tender crops of the springtime. Though not quite yet asparagus season, we have access to several root crops (beets, parsnips, onions, potatoes, leeks…), winter squash, eggs & meats, and tender fresh greens (grown inside of course).

Usually I plan the week’s meals before going to the store, but I decided to get crazy this week, and let the market make my meal plan. Whatever was fresh and available, I will form the week’s meals around that. This is one small step on my lifelong journey to be a locavore (to eat whole seasonal foods grown as close to me as possible as often as possible).

A big bag of fresh microgreens, spinach, and head lettuce means tons of fresh salads. Healthy brown eggs means breakfasts, frittatas, and quiches. CT grown oyster mushrooms may be grilled, sauteed, added to soups, or stir fried. The fingerling potatoes will complement just about anything, and the beets too have many many options.

The first dish I decided to make (after a giant fresh greens salad, because I couldn’t wait and helped myself almost as soon as I got home) was a slow cooker soup. I had obtained leeks, parsnips, and fingerling potatoes. Combined with onions I had over-wintered, fresh ground spices, and canned turkey broth (from Thanksgiving!) it would be the perfect thing on a chilly snow-covered day.

Ingredients:

1 large parsnip (or carrot)
1 large leek
3-5 small potatoes
1/2 medium onion
2-3 cups bone broth, vegetable broth, or water
Optional spices: black pepper, fennel, cumin, sea salt, garlic

Step 1: If using fresh whole spices, grind them up in a coffee or spice grinder. In a crock pot or small soup pot, add the broth. Wash the outside of the produce, but leave the skin on. Dice up the potatoes, parsnip, onion, and leek and add to the pot. Add water to cover.

Step 2: Cook in crock pot on “high” for 4 hours or “low” for 6-8 hours, or bring to a boil on the stove, and simmer for 1-2 hours. Serve fresh with a drizzle of olive oil and maybe some thick bread or rolls.

Comfort food, Dips and Sauces, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta, Vegetarian

Balsamic Brown Butter and Collard Greens Sauce

February 4, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

This particular sauce is what I made to go along with my mouth-watering Butternut Squash Gnocchi. Something about the combination of the autumn/wintry flavors and chewy texture of the gnocchi with the buttery but tangy sauce just makes fireworks happen.

And the gnocchi have hidden vegetables in it, plus this sauce packs in a serving of your daily greens! So much health, in one deliciously sneaky meal! No one will ever guess. But they will ask for seconds. Maybe thirds.

Ingredients:

4-5 good-sized collard green leaves, torn
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 white onion
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and/or lemon juice

Step 1: Place all ingredients but the butter & vinegar in a blender and pulse until chopped into small pieces. Alternatively you can use a knife and chop them up yourself. (But Ninja blender. So good.)

Step 2: Melt the butter in a pan, and bring to just a simmer. Once it starts to turn brown, add all the chopped vegetables, and add in the balsamic vinegar. Bring back to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes, serve hot over fresh pasta. Maybe a little fresh shaved Parmesan on top, if you’re feeling festive.

PS: You can substitute other greens in here if you don’t have or like or feel brave enough yet to try collards. Try a nice safe spinach, or something crazy like mustard greens or beet tops. Let me know how it tastes too!

Comfort food, Healthy, Less than 5, Main Dishes, Pasta, Sneaky Healthy, Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

February 2, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

During my whole January Freezer Month challenge (read how that went during weeks one, two, three, and four) I had used half of a decorative butternut squash to make butternut squash macaroni & cheese. This is one of my favorite fall & winter time meals, because it has all the creamy comfort of mac n cheese with an added boost of vitamins and fiber. It totally counts as a serving of vegetables!

But what I had discovered was that even a deceptively small-looking squash can create a ton of pulp!

This giant bowl of squash was half! Yes indeed. So, being the frugal epicurean chef I am, I decided this was not to go to waste. After searching the interwebs for inspiration, I had seen several options that were contenders, but in the end the winner was butternut squash gnocchi. It’s the sauce that sealed the deal, which I will tell you about in just a second.

For those who don’t know what gnocchi is or have never had them, go find your nearest authentic Italian restaurant and re-evaluate your life choices. Just kidding. Make this recipe instead!

Gnocchi are typically thick, soft dumplings that may be made from semolina, wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, or similar ingredients. You basically make a thick pasta dough, and create chewy pillows from it. The most classic gnocchi shape is the oval with ridges, created in our grandmother’s day using fork tines. (Did you know the things that make a fork a fork are called tines? Now you know.)

Growing up in Youngstown Ohio, a city with some serious mafia ties (seriously, go read about it), we have some crazy good Italian restaurants. Thus I am well-versed in gnocchi. I’ve even taken a foray into gnocchi making previously, with acorn squash and potatoes. So I was fairly confident that this project would turn out well. And boy did it ever!

The process does take a little bit of time, I think it was just over an hour start-to-finish, and I had already-cooked squash to work with. So be sure you have about 2 hours prior to tackling this. But trust me, it is well worth it! My fiancee, who is allergic to vegetables, told me this was delicious and amazing and asked for seconds. He didn’t even believe me when I said there was squash in it.

The sauce is much easier, I just whipped it all up in my amazing Ninja blender (a Christmas gift from said fiancee) and simmered it on the stove to brown the butter. But I am convinced that the two flavors and textures are the magic that elevates this from “weeknight pasta” to “so good this could be Valentine’s Day dinner at a 5-star restaurant”. But at home.

But hey, I’m not gonna tell you what to top your gnocchi with. If you like marinara, go for it. If Alfredo is your thing, rock on. Shoot, if you want to eat your gnocchi naked, that’s fine with me. Just make sure the blinds are closed. 😉

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked, mashed butternut squash
4 1/2 cups flour plus extra
2 tbsp Italian seasonings
2 tsp nutmeg
Sprinkle of ground pepper and salt

Step 1: If you haven’t cooked your squash, do that first. Go ahead I’ll wait. Bake it, microwave it, steam it, whatever. Then mash it up.

Step 2: Mix your cooked, mashed squash in a large bowl with the other ingredients. Add seasoning to taste, so if you want it heavy on the spices, do it, or go nuts and add cinnamon. Get your hands all up in that squishy dough mess and mix it up nice. Add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time as needed, until the dough just barely still sticks to your hand.

Step 3: Separate out about 3 cups of dough, and turn out onto a floured surface. Pinch off a good handful, and roll it into a log. Cut the log into 1/2 – 1 inch squares. Each individual piece will be one noodle/dumpling/gnocchi. If you’re feeling fancy, go ahead and roll each gnocchi over the tines of a fork to create ridges. (I recommend this step mostly because the ridges create a nice place for the sauce to stick to!)

Step 4: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. (Here’s a secret tip: I actually used chicken broth to boil the noodles, for extra flavor and because I like bone broth). Boil the gnocchi for about 10 minutes, until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Step 5: Top your gnocchi with sauce or topping of choice, and then watch whoever is eating this oooh and ahhh. Including yourself. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back too, that’s step 6.

And if you are just dying for the sauce recipe I used, don’t worry I won’t tease you and leave you waiting. Oh wait. Yup, you have to wait until Thursday’s post. It will be worth it I promise.

Oh, and did I mention this makes a crap ton? This recipe made me about 7 dozen gnocchi total, so I ended up freezing about half. Just lay them out in one layer in the fridge for 1 hour to overnight, then pop in a freezer bag or container and they will keep for about 6 months. So one day’s hard work equals one amazing meal now, and another amazing meal sometime later. Jackpot.

Comfort food, Healthy, Main Dishes, Sneaky Healthy

Mediterranean Meatloaf Muffins

January 28, 2016 BudgetEpicurean Leave a comment

How many of you like food that is tasty?

Everyone? Yeah, I thought so.

How many of you like food that is really easy to prepare and cook?

Again, lots of hands.

And how about food that is actually healthy?

What if I told you I can give you all three?

Oh yes, it is possible.

These Mediterranean meatloaf cakes are super easy, take less than 30 minutes to make, are fairly affordable, and overall quite healthy. You can make a few dozen at a time and freeze them for later too, if you’re so inclined. You can also make one large meatloaf using the same ingredients and a bread pan rather than muffins.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, turkey, chicken or pork
1/2 cup raw oats
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup greens (spinach, kale, collards, etc)
2 eggs
2 tbsp garlic salt

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together all your ingredients. You can also grate the vegetables if you want them even more mixed in and less noticeable. If you don’t want to use oats, you can use breadcrumbs or crackers instead.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with vegetable oil, and pack about 1/4-1/3 cup into each muffin depression.

Step 3: Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until totally cooked throughout. You can top these with gravy, traditional meatloaf sauce, or just serve em up plain like I did. They go great with baked or mashed potatoes on the side.

And they’re so pretty!

Breads, Comfort food, Finances, Fish, Healthy, Informative, Main Dishes, Vegetarian

Clam & Garlic Pizza

January 14, 2016 BudgetEpicurean 1 Comment

One of my favorite parts about living in New England is the abundance of seafood. I wrote Tuesday about seafood linguini, and today is all about clam pizza (don’t worry, I actually made and ate them on separate weeks. Unless seafood every day is appealing to you, in which case rock on).

Seafood is pretty darn healthy for you on the whole, be it lobster, clams, shrimp, crab, or any other shelled ocean dweller. Clams are a good source of several nutrients and minerals, including magnesium and manganese, phosphorus, potassium, copper and selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin B12. Read More Here. They are also naturally low in fat and high in protein.

These clams were from a local farmers market (if you’re local to New Haven, check out the City Seed network of markets). I met the woman who captains the boat that harvested these guys, from the river and bay less than an hour from my house. She showed me photos of the boat, the other deck hands, and a typical day’s haul.

She also explained the difference between several different types of clams, mostly size and thus what types of recipes they are best for. Of course I don’t remember most of it, but the point is it was super cool to meet the actual person who obtained the food I was planning to eat. I got this baker’s dozen of clams for only $5 too.

Once I saw the clams, I knew I had to have them. And once I had them, I knew that clam pizza was gonna happen. If you’ve ever been to New Haven, or even if you haven’t, chances are you’ve heard about Pepe’s Pizzeria, and their famous White Clam pie. It was named the best in the country! I am not arrogant enough to claim that I can make it just like Pepe or better, but I wanted to at least give it a shot.

This woman also gave me some good advice on how to open and cook them, since this was my first time cooking with fresh clams. A nice trick is to freeze them for an hour or so, then thaw them in a pan over medium low heat. This makes them pop open really easily. Or you can thaw them on the counter, just make sure to use a container to catch all the flavorful juice they release! That’s good stuff.

The next step of this pizza was making the dough. I could have bought it pre-made at the store, but I wanted to be all Suzy Homemaker and do it all from scratch. Turns out, pizza dough isn’t even that hard to make! And you can make a double batch, and keep half in the refrigerator or freezer to use again later. This may become a regular weekend project now.

Ingredients for Pizza Dough:

2 tsp yeast
3 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tsp sea salt

Step 1: Put the yeast, water, and sugar in a bowl and mix to dissolve. The water needs to be just warm, not too hot to kill the yeast. This is called “activating” the yeast. It wakes up and starts eating the sugar. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.

Step 2: In a large bowl, or stand mixer, mix the yeast with the flour, rest of the water, oil, and salt. Mix until the dough is sticky yet pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Let it sit at room temperature 1 hour, so go do laundry or watch a TV show or run errands.

Step 3: Punch the risen dough down, mix for a few minutes. Let it rest again for 1 hour. (This is kind of an all-day project, but with very little hands-on time. Plenty of breaks to get stuff done, and you don’t have to babysit the dough in between.) Either cut the dough in half for two smaller pizzas, or spread it out on a pizza pan (for round) or cookie sheet (for rectangle). Heat the oven to 400 F.

Step 4: Spread your dough, and poke a few holes in it with a fork to prevent big bubbles. Bake the dough for 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned. Then top with whatever you like, and bake another 5-7 minutes, until toppings are warm, browned, and/or gooey.

For my topping, I mixed clams, garlic, and olive oil for a pungent dose of flavor. While the oven was heating, I took an entire head of garlic and cut off the tops. I drizzled a tbsp or 2 of olive oil over it, wrapped it in tin foil, and baked it at 400 for about 15 minutes. This cooks the cloves, turning them soft and brown and mellowing the garlic flavor. Mix this with oil and chopped up clam, and you have heaven in the making.

Ingredients for White Clam Pizza Topping:

Dozen clams, chopped, with juice
1 head of garlic, baked, mushed with a fork
2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Sprinkle of sea salt
Dash of Italian seasoning
Optional: 1/2 cup Parmesan or mozzarella

Step 1: Cut the top off the garlic, drizzle with oil, & wrap in tin foil. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze the cooked garlic into a bowl, and mash with a fork. Add clams, clam juice, oil, lemon, salt, and seasoning and mix well.

Step 2: Take your dough, and spread the toppings all over it. Sprinkle again with salt or seasonings, or a squirt of lemon if desired.

Step 3: Optionally, sprinkle on a handful of shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 400 oven for 7-10 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.

You can serve with extra lemon wedges for sprinkling over the slices. This is garlic and seafood heaven! It smells amazing, and tastes even better.

Oh, and I had only used half the dough on the clam pizza, so I took what vegetables were hanging out in the refrigerator and also made an awesome Brussels sprouts, beet, mushroom, and onion pizza!

Pizza dough you make yourself is delicious, and far more healthy than a packaged box full of leaveners, preservatives, flavorants, and who knows what other chemicals. When you make things at home, you know exactly what goes into them, save yourself some cashola (because it is almost always cheaper to make things from base ingredients than pay the convenience fee of someone else making it) and can add a little love too. 😉 That’s what my grandma always said, and I think she’s right.

How about you? Ever made pizza dough at home? What’s your favorite pizza topping?

Budget Epicurean

Category Archives: Comfort food

Cranberry Cashew Chicken Salad

Peach Oatmeal with Kefir

Irish Colcannon

Mixed Winter Vegetables

Homemade Shamrock Shake

Parsnip, Potato, & Leek Spring Soup

Balsamic Brown Butter and Collard Greens Sauce

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Mediterranean Meatloaf Muffins

Clam & Garlic Pizza

The fusion of food, fun, frugality, and curiosity.