Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Tired of pizza to go?

Have go-to pizza instead by freezing balls of dough or, even more convenient, shells.

With one batch of dough, you have enough to make two large pizza shells or eight individual ones (see the recipe for individual pizzas).
Prep: 20 minutes

Total: 20 minutes plus rising

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) water
2 packets ( ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for kneading
2 cups whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

Directions:
Place water in a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast.

Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Brush another large bowl with oil.
In bowl with yeast, whisk sugar, oil, and salt.

Stir in flours with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms.

Transfer to oiled bowl; brush top of dough with oil.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface.

With floured hands, knead until smooth, about 15 seconds; divide into two balls.
Set balls on a plate (they should not touch)

Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Then freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months.

For Individual Pizza Doughs:

Thaw overnight in refrigerator.
Divide each ball of dough into 4 pieces.

Using your hands, stretch each piece into a 5-inch disk (if dough becomes too elastic to work with, let it rest a few minutes).

Freeze shells on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Stack frozen shells between layers of parchment paper. Freeze in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Bake from frozen.

Helpful Hint
Form the shells before freezing, and skip thawing before using. Pull out just what you need for tonight's dinner; bake as directed

Protien Packed Egg Scramble

Ingredients
1 large egg, plus 3 large egg whites
4 ounces soft silken tofu, drained
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
1 scallion, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together egg, egg whites, and tofu; season with salt and pepper.
In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high; add bell pepper and scallion whites.
Cook until scallion has browned, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Add egg mixture to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, just until set, 2 to 3 minutes.
Top with bell-pepper mixture and scallion greens.

per serving:
121 cal
5.5g fat
12.9 g protein
5 carbs
1.4 fiber

Turkey Parmesan

Ingredients
2 cups low-sugar pasta sauce
1/2 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped
1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 pound turkey cutlets, about 1/3-inch thick
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Heat oven to broil.
Bring sauce to low simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Stir together pine nuts, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a wide, shallow dish.
Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in the nut mixture, pressing to adhere.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
Add turkey and cook until coating is golden brown and juices run clear, about 4 minutes per side. If nuts brown too quickly, reduce heat.
Place turkey in a baking pan, top evenly with mozzarella, and broil until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.
Spoon 1/2 cup of warm sauce on each plate and top each with a piece of turkey.


Nutritional information
380 calories
21 g fat (4 g sat.)
10 g carbohydrates
39 g protein
3 g fiber
650 mg sodium

Healthy blueberry-banana muffins

1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)...could make this whole wheat as well

1/4 cup wheat germ

small handful of crushed flax seed...optional

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3 cup splenda or stivia

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)

1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk...I use rice or almond milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup frozen blueberries



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
Fold in frozen blueberries.
Divide batter among muffin cups.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.
Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

These came out great and were very easy to make. The kids loved them and eaten for breakfast with some nuts they make a very healthy and filling meal.

Chicken and Lentil Stew

1 tbsp EVOO
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts chopped
1 (15 ounce) can lentils rinsed and drained
1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes with juices
3/4 cup lower sodium chicken broth
4 ounces baby spinach (not frozen)

In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat.
Add onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and salt.
Lower heat to low stir and cook for about 4 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste.
Stir in chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
Add lentils and tomatoes and broth.
Bring to a gentle simmer cover and cook till chicken is cooked through 7-10 minutes.
Stir in spinach and cook for 1 more minute. (or until spinach wilts)
Season with salt and pepper.

I always double the recipe and freeze leftovers. It freezes great and the whole family enjoys this stew.
Phase 1 and 2 South Beach recipe

Chinese Style Broccoli

Broccoli is a delicious, nutritious vegetable that's readily available year-round. Dubbed a superfood because of the variety of nutrients it delivers, broccoli works well with many different seasonings and cuisines. This savory recipe is a sure crowd-pleaser!

Makes 2 (1-cup) servings


Prep time: 10 minutesStart to finish: 8 minutes


Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 head broccoli, cut into florets

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice


Instructions

Heat oil in a large wok or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.

Add broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Add soy sauce, garlic, and lemon juice; continue to stir-fry until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Serve hot.




Nutritional information

80 calories

5 g total fat (0 g sat)

7 g carbohydrate

4 g protein

3 g fiber

300 mg sodium

Very Healthy and Tasty Tex Mex Salad

Ingredients:
2 15oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup lime juice
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 can nibblets corn, drained
1 small red pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 green onions, with tops, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:
In a large bowl, put beans, corn, pepper, tomatoes, green onions and parsley.
Put lime juice, olive oil, garlic and sea salt into a small jar.
Cover and shake until the ingredients are well mixed.
Pour this dressing over the salad and mix well.
The salad can be prepared a few hours ahead, but don't add the avocado until serving time. Refrigerate.

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

This is a great soup! It's fast and really good! If making for the kids, you might want to go easy on the red pepper flakes. It's a little on the spicy side for them. I think its a great lunch or dinner, it's got protein, starch, and a little veggie.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, use your fav. (I use one with a little basil in it!)
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add the carrots and onion, saute until soft about 5 mins. then and garlic , about 1 minutes.
Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve.