Pizza Dough

Makes 2 pizza crusts or 6-8 calzones

• 1 1/4 c warm water
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 2 tsp yeast
• 3 1/3 c flour (suggested combination: 2 c unbleached all purpose and 1 1/3 c whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried herbs or 1 Tbs fresh herbs, optional
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided

Pour the water into a large measuring cup; the water should be warm enough to notice when you dip your finger into it, but not so hot you need to pull your finger back out (really, you do not need a thermometer).  Stir the honey and the yeast into the water and set aside for about 3-5 minutes so the honey can feed the yeast.  

While the yeast is proofing, insert the dough blade into the food processor.  Add the flour(s), salt, herbs if using, and 1 Tbs olive oil.  Pulse a few times to mix it together.

Turn your processor on, give the yeast mixture a stir, and slowly pour it through the chute, allowing for the flour to absorb the liquid.  If the mixture seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of water until the dough forms a ball.  Once the ball has formed, process for an additional 30 seconds.

Place the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil into a large bowl.  Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn the ball to cover the ball in the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set aside to rise for about 45 minutes, or doubled in size.  

Preheat the oven (with the stone(s) on any rack from the middle to the bottom) to 500F.

Generously dust a pizza peel with cornmeal. 

Divide the dough in half.  Using a rolling pin lightly dusted in flour or your hands, roll or flatten and stretch the dough to a 12 inch circle for a thick crust, a 13 inch circle for a medium crust, or a 14 inch circle for a thin crust.  

Bake according to recipe.

For more pictures and information, please visit the original Pizza 101 - The Crust Blog Post.

Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce/Dressing

serves 6

• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 c whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 Tbs lemon zest (from an organic lemon)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs organic chicken tenders OR boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" strips
• 2 Tbs olive oil (for drizzling)
• Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, optional (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425F.  Lightly oil 2 baking sheets.

In a shallow bowl whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, water, mustard, and egg.

In another shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, lemon zest, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Dredge chicken in egg mixture, press into bread crumb mixture, turning to coat completely.  Place on prepared sheets.

Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake 13-15 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy and golden, and the breading does not stick when turned.  Flip them over and bake another 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce/Dressing

• 1/3 cup homemade (or very good quality) mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs raw honey
• 1 Tbs Dijon or stone ground mustard
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until well mixed.  Serve with chicken strips, or drizzle on salad greens.

Original Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips Blog Post

Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burgers

Makes 8-10 burgers

• 3/4 c walnuts
• 1 medium carrot, chunked
• 1/2 lg red onion, chunked
• 1 large clove of garlic (or 2 small ones)
• 1/2 c rolled oats
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 c provolone cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c cooked pinto beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 1 1/2 c cooked kidney beans (or 1 15-16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 egg whites, beaten

Place the walnuts into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and pulse until well chopped (but not ground).

Add the carrot, onion, and garlic; pulse several times until finely chopped.  Add oats, mushrooms, and cheese.  Pulse until well combined.

Add the rest of the ingredients through the beans, and pulse several more times to combine and chop most of the beans (you may need to stir the ingredients a few times between pulses).


In a large bowl, use a wire whisk to beat the egg whites until frothy.

Pour the contents of the processor bowl into the egg whites and mix well.


Shape each patty into the desired size (the size of your bun), keeping them each uniformly 1/2 thick.


Stove top:  Heat 1-2 Tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Season patties with salt and pepper, if desired.  Place as many burgers as will fit without being disturbed when the others are flipped (about 4 in a 12 inch skillet).  Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. *To prevent sticking, be sure there is enough oil for the release in the pan.


Oven:  Preheat oven to 375F.  Generously oil a baking tray with olive oil.  Bake patties 25-30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. *Not putting enough oil on the sheet will cause the patties to stick.  While I have never tried it (I use enough oil to not have a problem), I would think that oiling parchment paper and placing the patties on the paper would also help prevent sticking.


From frozen:  Pour 1-2 Tbs olive oil in cold skillet; swirl around to coat the bottom.  Place frozen patties in cold skillet and heat to medium.  Flip patties when the bottom is golden and releases easily; about 6 or 7 minutes.  Cook the other side 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and let rest about 1 minute.


Original Two Bean and Walnut Veggie Burger Blog Post

Easy Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese with Peas

serves 3

• 3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp stone ground mustard
• pinch nutmeg
• pinch thyme
• few good pinches of salt
• few grinds of freshly ground black peppe
• 4 oz macaroni shells
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 c whole milk

Place the cheeses, mustard, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Two minutes before the pasta is done, add the frozen peas.  Drain the pasta and peas and return to the pot.


While pasta is cooking, melt butter in another small pot over medium heat.  Stir in garlic, cook for about 30 seconds.  With a wire whisk, stir in the flour, and cook for about 30 seconds (or until the mixture is bubbly).  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Cook, whisking constantly, until the milk is thickened and bubbles begin to rise to the surface (do not boil) - about 4 minutes. Stir in half the cheese mixture until blended.  Stir in the other half of the cheese mixture until melted. 


Pour the pasta and peas into the cheese sauce and mix well.

Basic Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

serves 2-3

• 4 oz small macaroni shells or elbow noodles
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 c whole milk
• 1 c cheese of your choice, shredded (I prefer a combination of sharp cheddar and parmesan)
• salt to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in another small pot over medium heat.  With a wire whisk, stir in flour and cook for about 30 seconds (or until the mixture is bubbly).  Gradually whisk in the milk.  Cook, whisking constantly, until the milk is thickened and bubbles begin to rise to the surface (do not boil) - about 4 minutes. Stir in half the cheese until blended.  Stir in the other half of the cheese until melted.  

Pour the pasta into the cheese sauce and mix well.

Chili Beans

Makes about 7 1/2 cups

• 1 lb pinto beans, soaked 
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 2 cloves garlic, each sliced in half once  
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-8 c water (enough to cover the beans)

Place everything in a 6 quart slow cooker, cover and cook on high 6-8 hours.  When the beans are tender, drain over a pot or bowl, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid.  Remove and discard the onion chunks and bay leaf. Place the beans back into the slow cooker, stir in the sauce (recipe below), cover and cook on high for 30 minutes more.  Cool, place in them freezer containers and freeze (Note: about 1 1/2 cups equals 1 can).  Thaw when ready to use.

For the sauce:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 med onion, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (if you want less heat, remove the seeds)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced (about 3-4 cups)
• 2 c reserved cooking liquid from the beans
• 2 Tbs cumin
• 2 Tbs chili powder
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a 12" skillet over medium/high heat, saute the bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic in the olive oil until tender, about 5-6 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, stir in the tomatoes, and simmer uncovered about 10 minutes.  Add the reserved bean liquid and all the spices.  Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer about 5 minutes.  Add to the beans in the slow cooker and continue with the directions above.

Original Homemade Chili Beans Blog Post

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 1/2 c finely chopped mushrooms (portobello, cremini, or button are nice)
• 1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)                       
• 3 Tbs unsalted butter or olive oil
• 3Tbs flour* (either unbleached white or whole wheat)
• 1 c milk, ideally whole milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• pinch of dried thyme (optional)

In a small sauce pan, heat butter or oil over medium heat until melted.  Saute mushrooms (and garlic, if using) until tender. Stir in flour and cook for about 30 seconds.  Slowly pour in the milk - it will congeal quickly, so keep pouring and stirring. Stir constantly for about 3-5 minutes or until very thick.  Add the salt, pepper and thyme (if using) now.  Immediately remove from heat.

Use this soup as a substitute for the canned condensed soups whenever a recipe calls for it.

*NOTE:  If you are using a dry milled flour with the germ, you will only need about 2 1/2 Tbs instead of the listed 3 Tbs.