When we first got married, I just bought the pizza crust mixes from Walmart when I wanted to make a homemade pizza. But when we brought some whole wheat flour home from my parents’ house, I decided to search for a healthier alternative. This crust is delicious and not very difficult to make. It does take more time than a mix does, but it’s worth it!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour (note: I now use 2 cups whole wheat flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 pkg. instant yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
8 oz. warm (110 degrees) water
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray (not usually needed if using an AirBake). Combine all dry ingredients, except whole wheat flour, in a large mixing bowl. Next, add liquids and gradually add whole wheat flour until dough mixture becomes stiff and hard to stir. You may not have to use all the whole wheat flour. However, if needed, you may add more flour to make the dough less sticky. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and set aside for 20-25 minutes, allowing the dough to rise. Empty dough out onto a clean, floured surface. Knead by hand 6-8 times, adding flour to the surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Roll into desired shape and thickness. Place rolled dough onto prepared pizza pan. Bake crust (by itself) for 5-6 minutes. Remove; top as desired. Continue baking pizza for additional 15-20 minutes (depending on crust thickness), or until crust is thoroughly done and cheese has melted.

P.S. Here are some of our favorite toppings (we don’t use a sauce):
– cheddar cheese
– mozzarella cheese
– Italian cheese blend
– garlic salt (just a sprinkle!)
– fresh spinach
– tomatoes
– bacon
– chicken
– ham
– mushrooms- sauteed onions and/or red peppers

I found this recipe in an old issue of Real Simple. (I hit a huge magazine sale at the library last week and picked up every back issue of RS I didn’t have… for less than the price of 2 new issues!)

It is a great (cheap!) recipe for either lunch or dinner and can easily be adapted with different vegetables, etc. to suit your tastes. The best part… you really don’t have to measure! And it’s definitely “double-able” for more people!

Easy Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients
1 pkg. chicken ramen noodles
about 1 Tbsp. canola oil
about 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use two small or one big)
one small onion, sliced like you’d slice an apple, and separated into “petals”
one or two carrots, sliced in discs
a green veggie, if you have one on hand (green bell pepper, broccoli, etc.), cut up
extra soy sauce, if desired

In a saute pan, heat oil, soy sauce, and half of the seasoning packet from the ramen noodles (save the rest for the next time you make this recipe). Cut the chicken into pieces and saute until starting to brown. (You may add more oil and/or soy sauce as needed.) Add the vegetables (you may want to stagger the cooking of the veggies, since onions take longer to cook than already-cooked leftover broccoli). In the mean time, cook the noodles (try not to overcook). Once the veggies have all cooked, drain the noodles, toss into the pan, stir, and serve immediately. Serve with additional soy sauce on the side, if desired.

I recommend eating all of this at one meal, since in my previous experiences I have not known ramen noodles to store well in the fridge.

This recipe generously serves one hungry husband and one pregnant wife. 🙂