The Wonderful Zucchini & Fresh Summer Spaghetti

So, remember my picture from last post?  My recent "farmer's market haul" (all for under $15 I might add!)..?  Well, here's a recipe I threw together using a few of those fresh ingredients.

First off, a little info about...Zucchinis!  I actually didn't really start eating this veggie until this summer.  Because I've been doing my produce shopping locally this summer, I obviously have been seeing a lot of items in the summer squash family lately...zucchini being one of those items.  And after making a few delicious dishes with the stuff, I can't get enough!  And how awesome for us that it's LOADED with health benefits.  To name a few:

• One cup only has 36 calories and about 10% of your daily fiber
• This high fiber content not only aids in digestion, but also can help lower cholesterol
• Contains vitamins A & C as well as folate, which act as antioxidants in the body
• Contains potassium and over 10% of the daily dose of magnesium, both of which help to lower blood pressure

There are many more benefits...these are just some that I found particularly interesting.  Even though I work in a pharmacy, I really hate seeing people taking 10 medications a day to solve problems that I feel can be solved by just putting the right kind of food in the body.  And because I don't want to end up taking multiple medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, stomach, etc. I spend a ridiculous amount of time learning about how I can prevent it with diet.  Thus....zucchini research ;)

And without further ado, I give you....

Fresh Summer Spaghetti

Ingredients

• whole wheat spaghetti noodles (I used about 2/3 of a box)
• 1 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped (I had some purple basil on hand, so I ended up using a combination of this and sweet basil)
• 2 chopped garlic cloves (about 1 tbsp)
• Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 c. toasted pine nuts, for serving
• grated Parmesan, for serving

Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.  Drain.

While noodles are cooking, heat 2 tbps of oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the zucchini, garlic, salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes until zucchini is softened.  Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Combine pasta and zucchini and tomato mixture in a large bowl.  Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and the rest of the olive oil (you can add more here if desired).  I like to top mine with some toasted pine nuts and Parmesan.  To toast the nuts, just add to a small skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until pine nuts start to turn a golden brown.

And a delicious, fresh and healthy dinner is served!

Travel - Chicago

Hello my friends!  Okay, I know I've been a total slacker with updates...but I do have a good reason!  I've been a travelin' fool this last week...and having too much fun to get on the internet much ;)  But I'm home and back to the routine now.

So let me start by saying this post is going to be a little different...meaning it's going to be a travel post.  One of the things I love to do is share with others the awesome adventures I discover.  So, no recipe with this one...but rest assured!  Check out my haul from the farmer's market yesterday...good things will be coming :)

I do want to start with this.  I've recently had a couple people really wonder why I place my priorities in the way that I do.  And basically this statement sums it up:  I work to travel.  And obviously keep a roof over my head and food in my belly.  But creating memories in different places is what really makes me love life.  I hate to say that people are passing judgement on me for this priority, but sometimes I kinda think they are...so let me break it down like this.  I don't care about designer purses, cable television, a new wardrobe for every season.  My ideal date is a hike down a beautiful path rather than a fancy dinner and movie.  I cook all my meals...meaning I only eat out maybe two or three times a month.  I would take a weekend getaway over a ridiculously expensive piece of jewelry any day of the week.  Materialism is not really my thing...experiencing life is.  And this is what I know.  Some people find spirituality (i.e. God) in Church.  And that is wonderful for those people.  However, here's where I have found my spirituality, my inner peace:  on top of a beautiful mountaintop in Maine, looking out over the Atlantic; in the quiet beauty of the rolling green hills of Ireland; on a pristine white beach in the Caribbean found after a hike that no other travelers wanted to make, leaving the beach all to ourselves; hiking through the giant redwoods of California, hearing only birds and the crunching under our feet.  The list goes on, but you get the idea.  And the final thing I know?  I would not trade a single one of those memories, or even a little bit of the overwhelming feelings they create, for any one of the dollars it took me to get there.

And this is what makes me happy :)


Chicago
So, let's get started!  I spent last weekend in Chicago with my longest friend, Angela.  She's going to be living there for at least the next 3 years, so I'm sure this is only the start of our adventures together.  I know I'll miss her, but it sure was great spending a whole weekend together and chatting about our last 10 years as friends.

Here are some of the highlights!

Obviously, one goes to Chicago, they are going to want some deep-dish pizza!  (And let me just interrupt myself for a moment.  I know my blog is all about healthy cooking...and that's exactly the way I live my day-to-day life.  However, vacations are a different matter... We only live once after all!)  The first night in town, we stopped at Giordano's for some of their famous Chicago stuffed pizza.  It's a little touristy...but man!  Can they make a pizza!  We ordered the pizza size that was listed for 2 people....but I learned you can just go ahead and double the amount of people they say it's for haha.  Plenty of leftovers!  And honestly, pretty decently priced too.  Of course, pizza and beer kinda go hand in hand...so we also ordered the Matilda, which is brewed at the local Goose Island brewery (Chicago's oldest craft brewery and also definitely worth a visit!).

The following day was spent wandering the city by foot...which in my opinion is the best way to travel almost any big city.  After brunch at Fox and Obel (delicious and economically priced for a big city), we stopped by one of the most obvious destinations...the Bean in Millennium Park.  Who knew taking pictures of yourself reflected off a giant metal bean could be so fun??  From there we checked out the Taste of Chicago that was, fortunately for me, going on that weekend in Grant Park.  And let me tell you...I'll be back for that!  This festival was HUGE!  In fact, it's been going on every year since 1980 and is the largest food festival on the planet!  Check that one off the foodie bucket list ;)

Fisherman's Eggs at Fox & Obel.  Smoked trout,  potatoes, and  poached eggs with a truffle hollandaise .

Seriously.  So addicting. 

Buckingham Fountain with the Chicago skyline.

After spending a good bit of time at the festival, we meandered on down to Navy Pier and took a ride on the iconic ferris wheel.  I don't normally spend $6 to ride a ferris wheel...but it does allow for some beautiful views.

And finally, we finished up our day with probably one of the greatest dining experiences of my life so far.  We found a Japanese BBQ we decided to try out called Gyu-Kaku.  There were three floors to the restaurant - we sat on the third floor where you are required to remove your shoes before entering the dining room and are seated on the floor.  We ordered the Geisha dinner to split and it ended up being a great way to try a lot of food for a smaller price per person.  In the center of every table there is located a heated grill.  After an appetizer of miso soup, salad, spicy tuna maki, and sukiyaki bibimbap, they started bringing out the meats! We had shrimp and various types of steak, all thinly cut, and some foil wrapped asparagus.  The fun part is...we grilled all our own meats on our own personal grill.  This dinner was so fun...and lasted for a couple hours, allowing us to really enjoy our meal.

Our second full day wasn't quite so full of activities (we were pretty exhausted after day one haha).  We started with a Cajun feast for lunch at Heaven on Seven.  The decorations were a little Mardi Gras cliche, but the food was in fact quite heavenly!  And there was a wall of hot sauces that was pretty dang awesome. We opted for the Cajun buffet, where your server will bring out bottomless amounts of different dishes.  We only needed one of each!  Sooo much food!  And this is where I also discovered that I ADORE collard greens.  Couldn't get enough of that dish!

Next, we went Goose Island brewery.  Now, I've been pretty into craft beers for a few years now...thanks to my fiance, Josh.  Any time I check out a new city, I make it my mission to check out the local beer scene.  The first part of any brewery tour is pretty much the same...you learn a little bit of history about the brewery, they go through the brewing process (water, yeast, malt, and hops!), and probably will talk a little about their own signature brews.  But the best part?  The tasting portion :)  The cost at Goose Island is $10.  This pays off at the end when each person receives a pint glass and six taster portions of some of the most recent types of brews.  It's such a great way to try new beers you wouldn't have otherwise been introduced to.

Please, let me know other Chicago must-sees or places to eat!  Like I mentioned before... I'll definitely be going back ;)

Farmer's Market Fabulous

Another reason why I love summer?  Farmer's markets!  I really just started getting into these things late spring of this year....thanks to my wonderful stepsister Amanda ;)  But now, it's become a part of my weekly grocery shopping.  My shining moment?  Week's worth of grocery breakdown: $25 - Farmer's Market.  $8 - Kroger. I'm gonna go ahead and call that a win!

There are a lot of benefits to choosing to purchase from your local market.  The biggest reason I started is because I'm trying to stick to organic as much as possible.  I'm interested in cutting out the food that requires unnatural (and in my opinion, unhealthy) processes to put food on the average American's table in the cheapest, quickest way possible.  I don't want to purchase food that's had to travel 2,000 miles to get to me and in the process lost most of its valuable nutrition anyway because of the techniques used by large corporations.  And yes, even though some things might cost me a little more, I'd rather my money go back into supporting the local economy.  To me it's about quality and sustainability.  

Oh, and another thing...the larger markets usually have vendors set up where you can get a delicious, fresh bite to eat.  This trip to the 2nd Street Market in Dayton included a salmon, cream cheese, spinach, and caper crepe....Mmmmm!

If you're interested in finding a local market to try out yourself, click here.

Because I do the majority of my shopping at the market, I'm usually coming home with quite a bit of produce.  The recipe that follows is a result of me going through my refrigerator last night trying to use up the rest of my produce before it went bad on me.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Red Bell Peppers


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dry, white wine  
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 cloves minced garlic 
• coarsely ground pepper and salt, to taste
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 4 red bell peppers ( you could use green...I just love red peppers :) )
• freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

To make the dressing, combine the wine, olive oil, dill, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. 

Next, in a larger bowl, combine rice, beans, onion, tomato, and cucumber.  

Pour the dressing over the fillings and toss until evenly coated.  Let sit in the fridge for a couple hours to marinate. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Next, prep your peppers by removing stem and seeds.  Place in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove the peppers and place on a baking dish.  Place filling in each pepper and cook for about 20 minutes in preheated oven.  Add your cheese and cook until melted, about 5 more minutes.

Finally, pour yourself a glass of that white wine and enjoy your farmer's market pepper :)

Red River Gorge with Homemade Granola

Well it's post number 5...and I think it's about time to bring in the first part of this blog's name...travel! :)  This last weekend my fiance Josh, his uncle Scott, and I did some backcountry camping in Red River Gorge, or the Red as it's affectionately called by climbing and hiking enthusiasts.  The park is located in Kentucky and is part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.  After our 2-day, 15 mile hiking trip, I realized I never really knew what camping meant until this weekend!  There is definitely something to be said about hiking off into the woods, finding a completely secluded area to set up camp, and truly enjoying nature.  We had an almost full moon this weekend, which made the night beautiful to behold.  I'm just glad we didn't run into any of those brown bears or copperheads that are known to be found in the area ;)  It was an amazing experience, and we're already planning for our next camping trip.  I'm not sure I can go back to campgrounds after this!

And of course, no trip to the Red is complete without a stop at Miguel's Pizza!  Josh and I first discovered this place last fall when we went on a day hike to Natural Bridge State Park, also part of the Daniel Boone National Forest.  This place is big in the climbing community.  Not only do they offer great food, but you can also purchase a variety of climbing equipment from shoes and helmets to ropes and carabiners.  And about that food.  Oh. My. Goodness.  They offer 45 different toppings to choose from for a pizza and varying sizes.  Now, I know this kinda goes against my healthy theme for the blog...but hey, 15 miles of strenuous hiking with 30 pounds on my back?  I earned it!  This time we chose banana peppers, artichokes, chorizo, and feta.  Washed down with an Ale 8 of course (bottled locally in Kentucky).  Mmmmmm :)

And finally....on to the recipe that goes along with this theme!  Now, because I knew I needed to carry everything I would need for this weekend on my back, I wanted to make a lightweight, healthy snack I could munch on.  Because hey, even though I was gonna be getting some serious exercise, I didn't want to completely give up my whole foods diet!  I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs:  100 Days of Real Food.  Check it out if you're serious about changing your lifestyle and cutting out processed foods.

Homemade Granola


Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 c. of steel cut oats
• 1 c. raw sliced almonds
• 1 c. cashew pieces
• 1/2 c. sunflower seeds
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 c. honey
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

* Note:  This recipe is very versatile.  Feel free to also use pecans or walnuts for your nuts, add pumpkin seeds or flaxseeds, or as recommended in the original blog, add 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (which I would have loved to add, but alas Kroger doesn't carry it).

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and prep a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

In a bowl combine the oats, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and spices.

Next, heat the butter and honey over low heat in a small saucepan.  Once the butter melts completely, add the vanilla extract.

Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and combine with a rubber spatula until everything is evenly coated.  Spread evenly over your prepared baking sheet and pop into the oven for 75 minutes.  Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  This makes for an excellent snack and I also found was a great addition to my breakfast in my unsweetened applesauce.  It can also be used as a homemade granola cereal.  Just crush in a plastic bag, dump it into a bowl, and pour your milk over it.  Delicious!

Mediterranean Diet...and some Hummus!

So, anyone looking to eat healthier will in some form or fashion come across reading about the "Mediterranean Diet."  I'd say I've adopted this without even really realizing it.  But it's a whole foods lover's dream.  The basic points of this Mediterranean way of eating include the following:

• Sticking mostly to plant-based foods.  This would include lots of fruits and veggies, legumes, whole grains, and nuts.  
• Replacing butter with the healthy fats....you know what this means...olive oil!
• Using herbs and spices to season food, as opposed to loading up on the salt.
• Limiting red meat intake to maybe a couple times per month.
• Sticking mostly to chicken and fish when consuming meat...but still limited to only a couple times per week.
• And my favorite!  Drinking red wine!  Okay, okay...in moderation ;)

Research has shown that this diet can actually reduce a person's risk for heart disease.  Do you know what the number one killer in America is?  Yep...heart disease.  And this comes straight from the CDC, so you know I'm not making it up!

Okay, I hear ya...enough with the healthy spiel...get on with the recipe!  Well, going along with my Mediterranean diet theme....here's a recipe for hummus!  (Okay, I know we think hummus, we think Middle Eastern instead of I guess Mediterranean...but as far as I'm concerned the countries still touch the Mediterranean so I'm gonna go with it!  Plus, it follows the guidelines laid out above!)  

Oh, and also...this is the best hummus I've ever had.  Ever.

Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Hummus

Ingredients:

• Red bell pepper
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained (but reserve the liquid)
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (depending on the level of heat you like.  One is great for added flavor...I like 2 to add some kick to it as well.)
• 2 Tbsp tahini sauce (this is a sesame paste you can find in the ethnic aisle of the grocery store)
• Juice from one lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• A couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach.  I love adding spinach to recipes just for the additional nutritional benefits.

First, we wanna roast that red pepper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place whole pepper on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, rotating about halfway after about 15 minutes.

Chop up your pepper and add to food processor along with chickpeas, chipotle peppers, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and spinach.  Pulse until just a little chunky, then add in olive oil while pulsing a couple more times.  Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.  If it needs to be a little creamier, pulse in some extra "chickpea juice" until you reach the desired consistency.

Store in the refrigerator when done!  I love this recipe because it's delicious, makes a ton of hummus, and is quite cost effective ;)  Great for snacks or replacing mayonnaise as a spread (veggie wrap with hummus anyone?).

A Healthier Take on Potato Salad

Oh, summertime.  Reasons why I love summer:

1. No snow!
2. Summer dresses.
3. Increased vacation potential.
4. Festivals!!  (my foodie self loves this especially!)
5. Cookouts :)

Because my dad was out of town on business last weekend for Father's Day, we decided to postpone for a week and have a cookout today instead.  Now, I love my dad...but he isn't always the best at giving me a heads up when it comes to family events.  I can't tell you how many times I've missed out on something because I had to work or didn't have time to change my schedule. (You know it's true Dad!)  So, when I was informed yesterday that I needed to bring a side dish or dessert, I knew there would be no time for grocery shopping. (Okay, maybe I should have assumed I was supposed to bring something, but I admit...sometimes things just need to be spelled out for me!) However, I remembered I had some new potatoes in the fridge that had looked too good to pass up at my last trip to the market.  Potato salad makes for an excellent summer cookout side dish!  Side dish it is.

Now, staying true to my desire to cook healthier, I knew mayonnaise was out for my potatoes.  After searching through my kitchen, I settled on a mustard vinaigrette instead.  (On a side note, can I also mention how excited I get when I already possess everything I need to make a dish?!  Woot!)

Potato Salad with a Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• About 2 pounds of new potatoes, washed and quartered
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 2 green onions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. fresh, chopped rosemary
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the potatoes in a medium sized pot and cover with cold water.  Season with salt.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vinaigrette.  In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, both mustards, vinegar, green onion, rosemary, salt and pepper.

When potatoes are finished cooking, rinse with cold water to cool them a bit.  In a larger bowl, combine potatoes, red onion, and vinaigrette; toss until covered.  Season with salt and pepper.

And there ya have it!  A fresh, healthier version of potato salad that literally took me less than 20 minutes to whip up.  Hope you can enjoy it at a cookout of your own this summer! 

Delicious Whole Wheat Bread

So, after receiving multiple requests for my homemade bread recipe...here it is!

First, a little background.  When making the move away from processed foods, the first step is to read the label.  Every label.  Makes sense.  And if I find something I don't understand, I look it up!  The problem I was finding with bread was, well, the label included about 25+ ingredients.  What the heck.  It only takes 5 basic ingredients to make dang bread!  So, as I like to do, when I can't find the convenient, easy option I'm looking for in the store....I make it myself!  This is the best way for me to control what I'm eating.

So what's the difference between 100% whole wheat bread and white bread?  And why does this matter to me?  Wheat bread is made from all three parts of the wheat berry: the germ, the bran, and the endosperm.  And this is why all the nutrition is packed in...nothing is removed.  White bread on the other hand has been greatly processed in order to remove much of the wheat berry, leaving only the endosperm.  This leaves bread depleted of nutrients and high in calories.  Oh wait, then they just "enrich" the bread, right?  So options...super-processed, artificially enriched white bread?  Or healthy (and in my opinion, quite delicious) whole-wheat bread?  Well, for me the choice was pretty easy.  Check out this great little website I found that made a lot of sense to me when choosing what grains to buy:  http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/understanding-grains-corn-wheat-multi-grain-etc/


Now, onto the recipe!

100% Whole Wheat Bread


Ingredients:

• About 1 2/3 c. hot water
• 1/6 c. olive oil
• 1/6 c. local honey
• 1 tbsp unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• 3 1/2 c. 100% whole wheat flour, divided
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed (optional) <----For added health benefits!

In a large bowl, mix together the first five ingredients, until the honey seems to have dissolved. (You can use a stand mixer if you like, but I find just using a wooden spoon for mixin' works just fine for me!)   Mix in 1 cup of the flour and the flax seed, if using.  Then mix in your yeast.

Add 2 more cups of flour and mix until consistency seems pretty even in the bowl.  The goal here is to add just enough flour to keep the sides of the dough from sticking to the bowl.  Here's where I'll add about 1/2 cup more of flour, and that usually seems to do it.  The dough will still feel tacky to the touch.  Just make sure not to over mix your dough or your bread will be tough.

Now, cover the bowl with a towel and let sit in a warm spot for about 30-45 minutes.

Once your dough has been allowed to rise, roll into a ball with your hands and place onto a flat, floured surface.  Knead the dough for a couple minutes and flip over a few times while working it out into a square shape.  Pull one side about halfway in, and bring the other side in on the other half.  Basically, you're creating a dough "log", with the seam on the bottom.

Drop your dough into an oiled and floured bread pan and press the corners down into the pan.  Allow to rise for another 45-60 minutes.

It should look about like this when it's ready for the oven:

Place your bread into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 36 minutes.  You'll know it's done when gently tapping on the loaf produces a hollow sound.  Turn it out of the pan and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.  Once it's cooled, wrap in either plastic or foil and store on the counter.

My favorite step is this, however.  As soon as it comes out of the oven, cut off a slice, add a pat of real butter and drizzle some honey over it.  I mean, we need to taste test everything first, right?? :)  Boy, healthy should NOT taste this good!!

Welcome...and a pizza!

Hello, and welcome to my very first post!  I've never done the blog thing before, but I decided to give it a whirl...mostly to use as my own creative outlet.

So, a little bit about me.  As the name suggests, I've acquired a bit of the travel bug.  I suppose once you see something you can't see "back home", it makes one hungry to see more.  Speaking of hungry, I am a total foodie.  Because I have been fortunate enough to experience different cultures, I have grown to absolutely adore a good meal.  I definitely have the "try everything once" mentality, and truthfully there's not much I wouldn't try again.

So, one might think with all this traveling and eating, I must be one rich lady!  Alas, this is not the case.  Which is one of the reasons why I do a lot of my own cooking.  Thankfully for my stomach (and wallet!), I'm actually pretty good at it!  I refuse to miss out on all the good stuff, so I'll just save myself some dollars and make it myself!

Another thing you'll notice is I cook with a lot of fresh ingredients.  I make my own bread, my own pesto, my own hummus, etc.  After getting really into health and fitness, and losing about 20 pounds (woohoo!!), I decided processed foods were just not for me.  I've also realized farmer's markets are amazing!    Plus, fresh food tastes soooooo much better!  As I hope to help you find out :)

So, onto our first meal!


Shrimp, pesto, cheese and veggie pizza on a whole wheat crust


As I mentioned previously, I do make my own bread.  And always use 100% whole wheat flour.  Don't feel like you have to make your own crust for this pizza....because I admit, it is time consuming.  However, it does taste delicious!  And it's healthier ;)


Whole Wheat Crust

• 1 3/4 c. 100% whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp honey (I've recently discovered local honey is the best honey!)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 3/4 c. warm water
• 2 tbsp ground flax seed

Just a note on flax seed....this stuff is amazing.  Not only do I add it to all my breads, but I add it to my morning fruit smoothies as well.  Just ONE serving of the stuff (2 tablespoons) delivers 4 grams of fiber, 2400 mg of omega-3s, and is an excellent source for lignans.  And what the heck are lignans?  Apparently they're natural antioxidants.  One serving of ground flax seed delivers the same amount of lignans you'd find in 30 CUPS of broccoli.  Sweet.

To make the bread, first dissolve the honey in the water in a medium bowl, then add the yeast.  Let the bowl sit for about 10 minutes, in which you'll see the yeast get all foamy.  This means your yeast is good!  

Next, stir in the salt and olive oil.  Then add your flour and flax seed.  When all your ingredients are combined and the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl, dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a couple minutes.  If the dough is a little too sticky, add just a little more flour.  Roll the dough into a ball, oil your bowl with a little bit of olive oil, and toss the dough back into the bowl.  Roll it around a little bit to coat it with the oil.  Place a towel over the bowl and set it in a warm spot for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Dough rising in the bowl.

After your dough has been allowed to rise, place it back onto a flat, floured surface.  Press it into a flat circle shape with your fingers, then using your rolling pin roll it out to the desired size of your crust.  Because I like crispy crust, I rolled mine out pretty thin.  Drape over an oiled pizza pan and cut off any excess.  Make sure to take a fork and place holes throughout to keep air bubbles from forming.  Pop in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes then remove...now we're ready for toppings!

Ready for the oven!

The toppings I chose for this pizza were

• lightly sauteed peeled and deveined shrimp seasoned with a garlic and Italian herb blend 
• a whole, fresh tomato, sliced
• half a small onion, sliced
• homemade pesto
• mozzarella cheese
• goat cheese

Don't have a recipe for pesto?  I used about 2 cups of fresh, packed basil leaves (Oh, how I love summertime!!), 1/8 cup of pine nuts, a couple cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and enough olive oil to reach the right consistency (I guess about a little less than 1/2 a cup).  Put it all in a food processer and pulse until smooth!  So dang good!

Start with your pesto as your "sauce" and add the rest of the ingredients on top!  Pop the whole pizza back into the oven for about 15 minutes....maybe a little longer if you like a crispy crust!

And dinner is served!  One that's not too bad for you either ;)

Thank you so much for stopping in...hope to see you here again soon!  And please, feel free to leave me your thoughts, or any other pizza combinations you can think up.  Keep in mind...I love fresh mushrooms!