Easy Pizza Sauce

Here is the sauce for the pizza I made!  Quick easy and somewhat less processed than the jarred varieties.  It is also much lower in sodium.

Easy Pizza Sauce

Inspired by the sauce published by Annie's Eats posting of a recipe by Cook's Illustrated.

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, no salt added

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce, no salt added

½ t salt
1/8-1/4 t sugar
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
Ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt and sugar.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, about 25 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in oil and season with pepper to taste.

Note:  This recipe is enough for two pizzas.  I blended my diced tomatoes because one of my kids doesn’t like tomato chunks.  Quick and easy way to make the sauce even more kid-friendly!

Wheat Pizza Crust

Here is recipe for a healthier pizza than most!  I adapted it from my prior posting for Homemade Pizza Dough (EF, DF).  I also topped it with an almost homemade pasta sauce.  The post for the sauce is coming soon.

Homemade Wheat Pizza Dough

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 c warm water (105^o to 115^o)

1 t sugar

½ t salt

2 T vegetable oil

1 c whole-wheat

1 ½ c flour

Preheat oven to 425^o.  Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Stir in remaining ingredients; beat vigorously for 20 strokes.  I use my dough hook on my stand mixer.  Cover with towel and let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Press dough onto greased cookie sheet or pizza pan.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Top with pizza sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted.  Cool in pan for about 5 minutes prior to slicing.

Smokey Garlic Chicken Pasta

Another great Pinterest find!  My family really enjoyed this recipe for Smokey Garlic Chicken Pasta.  My husband especially liked the slightly smokey flavor!  The kids also really enjoyed it.

Recipe Notes:  The link below is slightly lighter version of a post of another food blogger.  I lighted mine up a little more by using half of the suggested butter and by using even less bacon by trimming off most of the fat.  I also cooked my chicken in the slow-cooker (from frozen)!  I also used half of the dressing and barbeque sauce as recommended.  I thought the qualities mentioned seemed like too much, especially for the slow-cooker.  It still tasted great and I can feel a little less guilty about eating it.

Gluten-free notes:  If you use a gluten-free pasta, dressing and barbeque sauce, I think this dish could work for a gluten free diet.  Let me know if you try it gluten-free!

Smokey Garlic Chicken Pasta - click to link to recipe.

Vanilla Crazy Cake

The recipe I posted last year for Chocolate Crazy Cake (EF, DF) has become a favorite at my house.  We have made it for several cake worthy occasions during the past year.  So, we thought we should try a vanilla variety.

The vanilla cake was so moist and delicious.  I think the chocolate may still be our favorite but the vanilla will definitely be making a reappearance.  I also was able to make this into a layered cake!  This was my first successful attempt at making an egg-free layered cake!  Yay!

  

Two layers of moist delicious cake!

Crazy Vanilla Cake

Adapted from:   Chocolate Crazy Cake (EF, DF)

Inspired by:  Sweet Little Bluebird

3 1/3 c flour

2 c sugar

1 t salt

2 t baking soda

¾ c vegetable oil

2 T white vinegar

3 t vanilla

2 c cold water

Preheat oven to 350^o.  Sift dry ingredients together in a 9”x13” ungreased pan.  Make three wells in the dry ingredients.  In one hole pour oil, in second pour vinegar and in third pour vanilla.  Over everything, pour cold water.  Mix all ingredients together with a fork until well blended, but do not over mix.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and dust with powdered sugar or top with your favorite frosting. 

To make into a layer cake:

Cut out wax paper into a circle that fits the bottom of your two round cake pans.  Place wax paper in the bottom of the pan then grease with shortening on top of the paper and up the sides.  Mix cake in a bowl or stand mixer, but be sure to still follow the same directions by mixing the dry ingredients then making the three wells for the wet ingredients.  Pour evenly in the two prepared pans immediately and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Cool cake in pans on wire rack for about 20 minutes.  Invert onto wire rack, carefully peel off wax paper and cool completely.  Once cooled, frost bottom layer, stack them frost top and outside of cake with your favorite frosting.

Two round cake pans with wax paper cut to fit in the bottoms (before adding shortening).

Shrimp Green Bean Stir Fry

This recipe is really just a variation of my other stir fry recipes also found on this blog:  Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry (EF, DF, GF) and Chicken Asparugus and Mushroom Stir Fry (EF, DF, GF).  Stir Fry is so good and allergy friendly.  I think it is worth reposting in numerous variations.

Both of my kids love shrimp, especially my oldest.  So, this was a big hit at my house tonight!

Shrimp and Green Bean Stir Fry  

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed and halved

1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled

1 T olive oil         

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ t ground ginger

½ t freshly ground black pepper

1 t cornstarch

¼ c water

¼ c reduced-sodium soy sauce*

2 T honey

Steam green beans in a steamer pan for about 10 min or until tender when pricked with a fork.  While the green beans are steaming, preheat skillet and add oil, shrimp and garlic to hot skillet and sprinkle with ginger and pepper.  Sauté, until shrimp are pink and slightly curled, about 3-5 minutes.  Add steamed green beans to skillet.  Mix water, cornstarch and soy sauce.  Pour over shrimp and green beans.  Add honey and stir until incorporated and sauce starts to thicken.  Serve over your favorite rice.  

Serves 4

* For those on a gluten-free diet, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce.