Hot Pockets

by AnitaAh...Hot Pockets...I remember coming home from High School around 3:30pm every day and ravishing with hunger. What else does one teenage grab for, pop in the microwave, and burn their tongue on?? HOT POCKETS! Well, fast forward to now and I realize how fake and processed Hot Pockets are as well as half of the freezer/convenience section. It definitely takes a much longer time to make these than the 2 minutes in the microwave oven but these are beyond easy once your dough is ready. My refrigerator was running low on ingredients but I had a bell pepper from our Green B.E.A.N. Delivery (which inspired me for some of these recipes) and I wanted to use it inside a recipe somehow. A random desire to use my bell pepper turned into a pizza pocket of goodness that was all vegetarian. Whole wheat pizza pockets make this REAL food recipe something that can be your go-to for a quick dinner and great leftover as well with a side of marinara sauce and a salad. This recipe can be turned into a meat lovers heaven, a cheese head's paradise or vegetarian's oasis so get creative and have a pizza pocket party!

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA POCKETS

Serving Size 4 - 6 (pending on your dough outcome)Food processor or mixer needed

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups whole wheat Flour
• 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 1/4 cups fresh mozzarella or shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• OPTIONAL Fillings I used: Sauteed green bell pepper, green olives, onion, garlic. Also try another time: sauteed sausage, ground turkey, BBQ chicken, flank steak. Add pesto, BBQ sauce, cilantro, pineapple, caramelized onions or shallots, basil, spinach, eggplant, zucchini, goat cheese, or sprouts. 
• Pizza sauce or marinara sauce (I used Muir Glen Organic Garden Vegetable Pasta Sauce)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Pour the 1 cup warm water in a glass measuring cup, heat up if necessary. Put in the 2 teaspoons of Dry Active Yeast and let it rest for a minute.
3. Once the yeast foams a little add the salt and olive oil and stir.
4. In a food processor with a dough blade/hook add 3 cups of flour. Pour in the water mixture and start the mixer until the dough forms a ball in the processor. 
5. Coat a large bowl with olive oil and add the pizza dough ball and cover with plastic wrap so that it can rise (20-30 minutes) while you prep the filling ingredients. *You can also make the dough earlier in the day or day before to have it ready to go.*
6. In a separate bowl, put the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses in and mix together. 
7. Chop/dice the other filling ingredients (bell pepper, onion, garlic, and green olives) and saute in a pan on med-high heat.
8.  Divide the dough into 4 or 6 pieces and shape each into a ball. With a rolling pin, flatten them but not too thin since you need enough dough to fold the pockets. 
9. Place a spoonful of the cheese filling, then sauce, and then the veggies in the middle of the flattened dough.
10. Fold the dough up and seal the edges as best as possible (some ingredients might come out on the sides). You can seal up like a square or circular pocket. 
11. Place the dough seam side down onto a greased baking sheet and pierce the top of the dough with a fork to avoid a cheesey mess while baking. 
12. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes; remove and let cool for a minute.
13. Enjoy with a little marinara sauce, salad, and broccoli as well as some Chianti wine.

The flour and the yeast -- what a beautiful marriage to make tasty dough.

Dough in it's beginning stages of rising...it took a lot of patience for me to wait. 

The cheesey goodness with Mozz, Ricotta, and Parm

The greenies in my dish: basil, bell pepper, and olives

Sauteeing those veggies for the filling

The 4-pack pizza pocket

Ohhh the satisfaction of cheese oozing out is bliss!

Holy Meatball!

by Anita


There are some days when you want a meatball. "Ahh tasty ahh meat-ah-balla" (said in in my best Italian accent). Well, as a part of the "Real Food Challenge" that I have tried out (with some success), the first day of my challenge I made a simple, yet delicious whole wheat pasta with a red sauce and homemade meatballs. The end result was a healthy and nutritious dinner that can stretch your dollar for a few days if you make the whole pound of pasta. Leftover pasta is always the best!


To check myself and to be honest with you, eliminating all processed foods is a process in itself but if you have a partner in crime to take on that challenge then it can be done as long as you have the right snacks in place. HA! My boyfriend took on the challenge with me and went to the grocery store on his own to gather the ingredients for our dinner. One minor road bump was the search for WHOLE WHEAT bread crumbs--prepared--and ready to purchase. That was not found at our grocery store. So we got creative and just eliminated bread crumbs all together from this recipe to eliminate the "un-real" foods for the night. We also steamed some fresh broccoli to have as a side dish.


Enjoy this for dinner by yourself or make it with some friends with a delicious glass of Malbec, Pinot Noir or Chianti. 

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE & MEATBALLS 


Ingredients:

• 1 lb whole-wheat pasta
• Red pasta sauce (Organic Tomato Basil Sauce)
• 1 lb ground beef (Laura's lean beef)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; and extra for garnish.
• ½ cup carrot bits (diced and chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce (Gluten Free used)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (Substituted with dried Oregano, Thyme, Sage, Onion Salt, Pepper)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Whole wheat noodles take longer.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
3. Mix together ground beef and next 8 ingredients. This is where you get your hands dirty to mix all the ingredients. :)
4. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil to cover the pan.
5. Roll the beef mixture into meatballs the size of golf balls. Place them in rows onto the greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until brown all the way through. 
7. Ready to eat? Serve meatballs on top of cooked pasta and warm pasta sauce. 

Serves: 5 

The base ingredients for the meatballs: beef, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic, cheese,  & carrots (omit bread crumbs)

Some of the tasty liquids: Tomato Basil pasta sauce, Red Wine Vinegar & Soy Sauce used in the meatballs

Don't watch the water boiling or else...

In a bowl, mix all of your base ingredients and liquids along with the diced carrots

Down and dirty with the meat balls!

The rolled up and baked meatballs ~ about 1 - 1.5 inches

A quick and easy side dish: steamed chopped broccoli. Add some extra grated Parmesan cheese on top! 

Mix your baked meatballs in with your warmed up pasta sauce and  cooked whole wheat pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese for a garnish.

My taste tester LOVES his broccoli!

 This dinner was a quick and super easy meal to prepare and you can certainly make a big batch of meatballs and freeze them for that lazy dinner day. Bon Apetito!