Family Bites

Super Bowl Sandwich Spread

Last weekend, I threw the second of three birthday parties I’m in charge of hosting in January/February. It unintentionally became the easiest, most popular party we’ve hosted in a long time, and the fact that it also happened to be a no-cook meal that cost less than $100 (to feed 23 people) only reaffirmed that this is a party menu everyone should know about.

Jackson is very invested in his birthday parties, often declaring them his favourite day of the year, so he has big thoughts and feelings about the cake and what we should (and shouldn’t!) serve for the meal. When we sat down to plan what this year’s celebration would look like, we immediately knew it needed to be a lunch event. He’s in the middle of first semester exams, and midday meals usually don’t last as long as evening ones. One day last week, during a much-needed study break, we were debating the merits of both mac and cheese and tacos, when he suddenly bolted upright and declared he would have a build-your-own-sandwich bar for his birthday celebration this year.

Shrimp Burgers with Old Bay Mayo

In my books, summer is the season for sandwiches and burgers. Juicy, cheesy beef burgers; barbecued pork burgers topped with coleslaw; turkey burgers smeared with avocado relish; maybe even shrimp burgers dressed up with a coastal-inspired mayonnaise, and fresh vegetables like avocado, tomato, and broccoli sprouts.

The last one in the list above is what I made for dinner last Tuesday night. Jackson was away for the week, and whenever he isn’t around for a day or two we use it as an opportunity to make and eat seafood because he can’t seem to stomach the stuff. In these instances, I usually cook up a side of salmon, but I’ve been eyeing a recipe for shrimp burgers since last summer and used the absence of the shellfish-adverse to make them for those that I knew would enjoy the dinner. 

While shrimp and burger are two words that don’t usually get lumped together, trust me when I say you won’t regret making these. Similar in texture to a crab cake, the patties take less than 10 minutes to cook making this an easy weeknight dinner that’s definitely impressive enough to serve to your weekend guests. I’m already hatching a plan to put them on the menu again, and think it might be wise to serve them with a charred corn salad.

Oh, and that mayo mixture I mentioned at the beginning of the post? You’d want to slather it over everything you make in the coming weeks, it really is that good.

Shrimp Burgers with Old Bay Mayo

Makes 4

For the mayo:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning

For the burgers:

• 400g medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ cup safflower oil
• 4 hamburger buns, lightly toasted
• Lettuce leaves
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• Broccoli sprouts

1. To make the mayo, in a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise and Old Bay seasoning to combine. Refrigerate until needed.

2. To make the burgers, place half the shrimp in the bowl of a food processor and add the egg, panko, green onion, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder. Pulse until smooth. Add the remaining shrimp to the bowl and pulse a few times until it’s coarsely chopped. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Using damp hands, shape the shrimp mixture into four patties.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until this shrimp is opaque throughout.

4. Spread the buns with the mayo mixture, add the burger and top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and broccoli sprouts. Serve immediately.

Only slightly adapted from Endless Summer by Katie Lee

Shrimp Banh Mi

By now, you probably know that Rob and I have an at-home date night once a week. It’s something we’ve been doing since the summer of 2000 when three-month-old Ben left us feeling a little desperate for some adult-only time, despite how enamoured we were with him. By the time Jackson came along, those precious few hours we carved out for each other every week were practically required in order to keep our sanity intact with two kids under two, and now that we live with two teenagers and a toddler you can only imagine how much we look forward to our time together on Thursday nights.

Despite our enthusiasm, these days our dates see a little less cooking than they used to, and instead of prepping a meal for each other we either a) drink beer and eat pizza or b) drink wine and eat cheese, in front of whatever Netflix show we’ve deemed binge-worthy that week. To be honest, we also use the night as a way to rest up for the weekend, as we get very little sleep between when we wake up Friday morning and when we finally get to bed on Sunday night. Our teenagers are quite social and we either have kids over until midnight or thereabouts on Friday and/or Saturday nights, or we’re picking up the boys from their friends’ houses around midnight (or thereabouts) on Friday and/or Saturday nights. We also have a baby who rises with the birds, so it’s not uncommon for us to be curled up with him, a warm bottle of milk and the Mother Goose Club between 4:30 - 5:00am. If you do the math, we really don’t sleep for more than a few hours each night and fully admit that right now, in this life stage, the weekends are kicking our you-know-whats just a little.

A few weeks ago I decided that I really didn’t want date night to become code for “let’s be lazy “ so I tucked Matthew into bed and returned to the kitchen to turn a bag of frozen shrimp into a dinner we can’t stop talking about. We’ve made it twice in as many weeks and have declared it our new favourite, something we do every three months or so if you’re paying close attention. I even made a version of the sandwich for Ben last week while Jackson was out at an eighth-grade graduation party, and he whole-heartedly endorsed the dish, so you can assume that with a few tweaks if necessary this is something that could probably work on your family dinner table this summer.

Shrimp Banh Mi

Although we suggest that this makes 4 sandwiches, we're also confident that if each sandwich was cut into three pieces this would make an awesome pre-dinner nibble or party snack. 

Makes 4 sandwiches

For the cabbage and carrots:

• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ small red cabbage, shredded
• 10 baby carrots, cut into matchsticks

For the basil mayonnaise:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 basil leaves, sliced into thin ribbons

For the shrimp:

• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
• Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sandwiches:

• 1 baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces
• ½ English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
• Fresh cilantro leaves

1. To make the cabbage and carrots: In a medium bowl whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to combine.

2. To make the basil mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, lime juice and basil. Stir to combine.

3. To make the shrimp: Place the cornstarch in a small cereal bowl, beat the egg and water together in a second bowl, and dump the coconut into a third bowl. Season each bowl with salt to taste, and stir to combine. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it's hot and shimmering. Dredge the shrimp in the cornstarch, dip it in the egg, and coat all sides with the coconut. Fry until golden brown, about one and half minutes per side.  Repeat with the remaining shrimp, and place them on a paper towel lined plate when cooked.

4. To assemble the sandwiches: Preheat oven to 350°F and slice baguette pieces in half lengthwise (don’t cut all the way through). Place on baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Spread two tablespoons of the basil mayonnaise on each piece of bread and divide the cucumber evenly among the sandwiches, layering it on top of the mayonnaise. Add a quarter of the cooked shrimp to each sandwich, top with an equal amount of cabbage and carrots, and garnish with jalapeño slices and fresh cilantro.

Note: These would also be great made with toasted hot dog buns. 

Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough

I’m popping in early this week to let you know about the pizza dough that has completely transformed a few of my recent meals. It’s not a new method, or a new recipe for that matter, but it wasn’t familiar to me when I came across it, and I’ve made three pizzas in four days just to prove to myself that it is in fact as good as I think it is.

It’s supposed to be a two ingredient pizza dough, but since I don’t keep self-rising flour on hand, it’s actually a four-ingredient recipe in my house. Since two of those are salt and baking powder, I think we can agree that this still qualifies as one of the most succinct recipes you’ll ever make. Are you ready? Here goes: to make a 12x14-inch pizza dough you’ll need: 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder + ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt +1½ cups all-purpose flour + 1 cup Greek yogurt. That’s it.

Can you believe it? I doubt it because when I first read about it I couldn’t either. The fact that flour plus yogurt could equal pizza dough was hard for me to imagine, but it totally does. In fact, it makes a mighty fine pizza dough that doesn’t require any rising time and can be mixed, rolled and ready for toppings in the time it takes your oven to preheat. I bake mine at 500°F for 12 minutes, which results in a crisp bottom crust topped with golden melted mozzarella cheese.

I hope you give it a go. I’ve tried it with two different brands of Greek yogurt just to be sure it wasn’t beginners luck the first time I made it, and I can say for certain this pizza dough really does work. While I won’t let it always replace the yeasted variations we’ve come to love, I do think this version has a permanent place in my recipe repertoire for those nights and mornings when pizza is the answer to the last-minute question “what’s for dinner/lunch?” today.

Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough

• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 500°F and oil a large rimmed baking sheet.

2. Place the baking powder and salt in a 1-cup dry measure. Add enough all-purpose flour to measure one cup, and dump into a medium mixing bowl. Add an additional 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and whisk well to combine.

3. Add Greek yogurt and mix together with a rubber spatula. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted work surface, and knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until smooth to the touch. It shouldn't be sticky at all, so add more flour as needed.

4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x14-inch rectangle and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

5. Cover pizza dough with desired toppings and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute before cutting.

Chicken Parm Sliders

When Rob pushed his chair away from the table last night, he sighed contentedly and thanked me for making something new. I know my dinners have been sitting at a dead-end lately, but what I didn’t realize is that everyone else knew it, too. Yikes.

Maybe that’s why Ben’s asked to cook this week, or Jackson’s decided he’s taking over Saturday morning summer breakfasts on the weekends we’re at home. Clearly, our meals are in need of a little makeover, and fortunately the motivation I’ve been looking for has arrived in spades. I’m happy to say I foresee a week of noteworthy dinners ahead of us, and the first creation hit the table last night in the form of these Chicken Parmesan Sliders, a four-thumbs-up family-approved dinner everyone at the table – cheese-hater included - enjoyed.

To get started, I slowly simmered some homemade marinara sauce in the afternoon while I kept busy with the kids. This definitely isn’t a requirement to successfully making this meal, and if store-bought tomato sauce is more your thing, by all means, please feel free to use it. Just be sure to choose a flavourful sauce because you’ll use it twice in the dish: once as a flavour booster to the meat mixture, then again as a condiment on top of your cooked slider.

Speaking of sliders, I made mine out of ground chicken, and covered the outsides with a light coating of panko to add a touch of crispiness to the dish. Fresh mozzarella cheese and basil leaves round out the toppings and the result is an Italian-inspired bite-size burger that tastes a little like homemade pizza. How bad could that be?

Chicken Parm Sliders

Makes 8 sliders

• Olive oil
• ½ Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. ground chicken
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup marinara or tomato sauce
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 8 slider buns, halved
• 8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil leaves

1. Warm one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion, oregano and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Set the skillet aside.

2. Add the chicken, Parmesan, ½ cup marinara, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix well with your hands. Shape the meat mixture into 8 slider-sized patties.

3. Pour the panko onto a dinner plate and coat the sliders with the crumbs, lightly pressing them into the sides. Refrigerate sliders for 10 minutes.

4. While the meat is chilling, arrange the buns on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to broil.

5. Return the skillet to the stovetop and set over medium heat. Drizzle another tablespoon or two of oil into the pan, add the patties and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through, turning once.

6. Place a patty on each roll and top with a teaspoon or two of the reserved marinara. Cover with a slice of cheese, add a little more marina and broil for 90 seconds or until the cheese melts. Garnish with basil leaves and top halves of buns.

Inspired by Cooking Light

Cook Once, Eat Three Times: Spicy Honey & Soy Pork Butt

When it comes to feeding my family, I have a few rules I try to employ in order to make the job easier. For starters, if I know what I’m making for dinner by the time breakfast hits the table then I’m guaranteed to get a good meal made that day. If I try to decide what I’m going to cook that night at 3pm, our evening eats are never as nice.

I also like to implement the “cook once, eat twice” school of thought when determining the quantities that I cook. If I’m making a roast chicken for dinner, I never bake just one. Last Sunday, we made three of them, and used the leftover meat throughout the week for lunchbox sandwiches and after-school snacking. While I’ll always think about cooking this way, lately I’ve been inspired to improve upon my methods and here’s what I’m doing instead: I come up with one item I can cook in bulk and three possible meals using the dish before I even begin cooking. It can be three dinners, or, better yet, a dinner, breakfast, and lunch, as is the case with today’s recipes.

Instead of shoving the leftovers into the fridge and hoping that inspiration will strike, I’m intentional with what I want to do with them, which also takes the guesswork out of a few more meals for the week. It’s important to note though, that if you have older eaters in the house, you may want to label the food with a sticky notes that states “please don’t eat” because if you don’t, any meat you stash away is likely to disappear before you have the chance to use it again.

I’m going to make this concept a new series here, and will post three recipes or ideas for one item every few weeks. I figure if I need the help than surely someone else might, too, and even if you only want to make one dish out of the three, that’s okay, also. The photos will always include at least one of the main dish I made, and I’ll add in the secondary pictures when possible, even if they come from Instagram instead of my DSLR camera.

I picked up a pork butt roast last week. Usually, I would automatically turn this into a large pot of pulled pork, one of my guys’ favourite foods. I wasn’t feeling it this time though, and wanted to make something a little more special, but that was just as quick and easy to assemble as my go-to porky provisions. I also knew that I wanted to use the leftovers in Cubano sandwiches, an excellent weekend lunch option. Lastly, whatever meat was left could be tossed into a rice and egg stir-fry, because in our house, leftover rice always becomes breakfast. So there you have it: three meals made from one cooking session that took me ten minutes to prepare and a few hours of hands-off time for the cooking to take place.   

Slow-Roasted Pork with Spicy Honey and Soy Sauce

 Serves 4-6 (with leftovers)

• 1 – 5-7lb. boneless pork butt roast (or pork shoulder)
• 2 cups liquid honey
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sambal oleak (chili paste)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Place the pork in a large roasting pan or baking dish. Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, chilli paste, and ground ginger and pour over the pork. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours, turning the meat frequently.

2. Preheat the oven to 250°F or prep your slow cooker for use. Remove the meat from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and transfer the pork to a Dutch oven or the slow cooker; pour the sauce over the top.

3. Cook for 7-8 hours, occasionally basting the meat with the marinade.

4. When cooked, transfer the pork to a platter and place the pot on the stovetop. Bring the marinade to a boil and cook down until it’s thick and syrupy and reduced by half. If you are using the slow cooker, pour the marinade into a medium saucepan to reduce it.

5. Slice the meat thinly and pour some of the sauce over the top, serving the extra on the side, or store it in the fridge for another use.

Cubano Sandwiches

Makes 4

• 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 8 slices thick-cut sourdough or French bread
• 4 slices ham
• 4 slices slow-roasted pork
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4-8 sandwich pickles

1. Mix the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard together and spread it evenly over the bread slices.

2. Top four pieces of the bread with a slice of ham, a piece of pork, a pickle(s), and cheese. Cover with another slice of bread, placed mustard-side down, and butter the outsides of (top and bottom) of the sandwich.

3. Heat a panini press and place the sandwiches inside, cooking until the bread is golden brown and crisp and the cheese has melted.

Note: If you don’t have a panini press, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat and place the sandwiches in the pan. Place a second skillet on top to press the sandwiches down and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and press them down with the second skillet again, cooking until the bread is golden brown and crisp and the cheese has melted.

Pork Fried Rice with Eggs

Serves 4 

• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil (safflower, canola, grapeseed)
• 4-6 cups cooked rice
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups chopped leftover pork
• 1/4 cup leftover spicy honey soy sauce
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps by rubbing the grains between your fingers, and cook until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.

2. Make a well in the centre of the pan and add the beaten eggs. Stir them with a wooden spoon or spatula to slightly scramble the eggs, mixing them into the rice as you go. Stir in the pork and honey soy sauce and cook until warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. Garnish with green onions and serve.  

Pork recipe adapted from Mad Hungry

Pizza of the Week: Deep-Dish Bacon and Mushroom Pizza

Part of my new approach to meal planning is that I’m designating specific nights to eating certain types of food, and it’s making getting dinner on the table a lot easier than I originally thought.

Friday nights are now officially pizza nights. We’re trying new variations and toppings, and it completely takes the guesswork out of wondering what to make for dinner that day. Ben always has a hockey game that night, so we eat pizza and then head to the rink. It’s a pretty good routine to get into for the fall and winter months.

Saturday night is when we eat out or order in. We may go out as a family, or just as a couple, or we might arrange for take out and eat it while watching movie. It’s the official no-cook night of the week and what we eat changes often depending on who’s home and what the teenager has planned.

Sunday is now known as Family Supper Sunday and it’s a big meal with our extended family members. Last week, I made shepherd’s pie and kale Caesar salad, and yesterday I served roast chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, and buttered green beans. No two weeks are the same, and the meal is usually one that might be too time-consuming for your average Monday night.

Speaking of which, for the meals I need to make during the week, I’ve narrowed it down to a soup and sandwich night, a pasta night, and a meat-lovers night (this could also include fish). The remaining weeknight is left open so I can cook whatever strikes my fancy that day. I might serve something I need to cook for work, something I’ve wanted to make, or something from a new cookbook I’ve been sent. It’s my day to play in the kitchen and it’s usually a surprise, even to me, what ends up on the table.

Last Friday night, I experimented with a homemade deep-dish pizza. Everyone declared it a new favourite, and I can’t say I disagree. The only downside to this dinner is that one pizza is definitely not enough to feed my family so I suspect I’ll be heading out this week to purchase a second springform pan for the future (side note: the next one will definitely be a 10-inch which is what the recipe calls for. I only have a 9-inch pan and the crust was a tad too thick). Small portions aside, I think we could all agree that the billowy crust was the ideal surface for the various toppings, and the slices held their shape nicely making this easy to eat with hands. 

Next on my pizza-esque list of recipes to try are Stromboli, calzones, and panzerotti. Do you have a particular pizza you’re fond of? Are you more partial to thin or thick crusts? And lastly, what is your must-have pizza topping?

P.S. This no-knead pizza dough is still our go-to recipe for our weekly pizza dinner.  

Deep-Dish Bacon and Mushroom Pizza

Makes one 10” pizza

For the crust:

• 1 ¼ teaspoon yeast
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¾ cup warm water
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for oiling the pan
• 2 – 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the filling:

• ¾ cup marinara or pizza sauce
• ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon
• ½ cup cooked mushrooms or caramelized onions
• 1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese
• ¼ grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer and let rest for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.

Add the oil, 2 cups of the flour, and the salt to the bowl. Mix at medium-low speed with a dough hook until smooth. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, gradually adding in as much of the remaining flour as needed.

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with the olive oil. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using your fingers, press the dough into a 13-inch circle. Carefully lift the dough and place it into the prepared pan, pressing it into the bottom and halfway up the sides.

Spread the pizza sauce over the dough and top with the crumbled bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Scatter the oregano over the entire pizza. Bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes, release the pizza from the pan by removing the outer ring. Cut into 6 wedges and serve.

*Pizza dough recipe adapted from Cooking Light 

Flatbread Five Ways

Everyday after school the boys bolt through the house to the kitchen in search of food. Their shoes are still on, the backpacks haphazardly tossed into the middle of the hallway, and they arrive with toques in hand and jackets only slightly undone. And everyday I ask them to at least remove their shoes and wash their hands before they stuff their face with food. The roll their eyes, retreat to the hallway, and begrudgingly strip themselves of their outside clothing before they devour whatever they can find in the fridge.

Not surprisingly, they often default to something sweet. We’ve all experienced the 3pm snack attack that hits hard in the middle of the afternoon, but when you pair those hunger pains with the ferocious appetites of tween/teen boys you’re left with a meal-sized snack that’s mostly made of empty calories and sugar.

Which is why I’m making flatbread. 

Last weekend, I was invited to a lunch hosted by KitchenAid. Each invitee brought a guest, and as a group we cooked a feast with Canadian chef Lynn Crawford. While the entire meal was memorable, it was the flatbread that left a mark on me. I immediately thought of all the ways I could put my own twist on this delicious dish, when my friend Tess, who was my plus one, told me she made it for her boys for an after school nibble. I knew this was another stroke of brilliance in a long line of good ideas she has and committed to try it myself. 

The next day I prepped the dough, which took five minutes, gave it less than an hour to rise, and slathered the rolled out pieces with pesto, prosciutto, and fresh mozzarella. It was baked and bubbling when the kids walked in the door and to say they were pleased would be a gross understatement.

I made the dough again and served it as an appetizer for a dinner with friends. And then again, only this time I brushed it with garlic oil and paired it with warm pizza sauce for dipping. And finally, the golden grilled pieces were given a spring makeover with mashed peas, salty Parmesan, crisp radish, and crumbled bacon. When it works well for the kids, I’m thrilled. But if I can distort the details just a little, and make something that’s dinner party worthy too, well, that’s even better. Friends, I think I may have just found your go-to appetizer for spring. 

Flatbread Five Ways

Bread recipe adapted from Lynn Crawford

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Combine the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. In a glass measuring cup, stir together the water, yeast and honey and let sit for 10 minutes, or until mixture is frothy. 

Pour the yeast mixture into the flour; add the olive oil, and stir to combine. You should be left with a soft and smooth dough that's slightly sticky to the touch. If it seems a little dry, add a few more drops of water to achieve the desired texture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (alternatively, you can oil your grill pan and place it over medium heat). 

Divide the dough into four equal portions. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough into long teardrop shapes, about 4-inches wide by 12-14-inches long and 1/4-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let rest for 10-15 minutes. 

Cover the dough with desired toppings (see below for ideas) and bake for 10 minutes (grill for 2 minutes per side) or until the dough is puffed and the edges are golden brown. 

Serves 4 - 6

Topping Suggestions:

• Cover dough with pesto, thinly sliced prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and red pepper flakes and bake as per recipe instructions.
• Brush garlic oil (warm 2/3 cup olive oil, 1 minced shallot, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 sprig fresh thyme in a pot set over medium-low heat for 10 minutes) over baked flatbread and top with goat cheese, baby kale, and heirloom baby tomatoes that have been tossed with a teaspoon of the garlic oil.
• Brush garlic oil over dough, bake as per recipe instructions, brush another layer of oil over top of the baked dough and serve with extra oil or warm marinara/pizza sauce for dipping.
• Cover dough with grated aged cheddar, cooked bacon or pancetta and caramelized onions; bake as per recipe instructions. Garnish with fresh arugula or baby kale. 
• Bake dough as per recipe instructions. Smear sweet pea spread (pulverize fresh peas, parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper and mint in food processor until smooth) over the dough; top with thinly sliced radishes, crumbled bacon, and feta cheese.  

Breakfast-for-Dinner Pizza

So, dinner. Ours have been a little sketchy lately, mostly comprised of the post-holiday bits and pieces lingering in the fridge and pantry, which are then married to whatever quirky combination of food has been cooked in that day's recipe testing marathon. Case in point: one night we lapped up small bowls of soup served alongside lettuce wraps, pissaladiere, bits of leftover tartiflette, and bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese. The kids came to the table looking a little dubious – can you blame them? – but still managed to put together a plate for themselves. Thankfully, Rob took over last night, and the boys breathed a huge sigh of relief to see an actual meal on the table, and one that included lots of meat, which is the official stamp of an authentic dinner as far as they’re concerned.

We still have another three weeks of weird eating ahead of us, or so it would seem based on the list of recipes that need some final tweaking. To prepare, I’m tucking a few reliable yet simple meals in my back pocket for when it would be downright cruel, and possibly illegal, to serve the kids hot buttered rum and brandy-braised mushroom crostini.

Breakfast for dinner is about as easy as it gets, and this version takes on a new meaning when your favourite morning foods– crispy bacon and baked eggs - are scattered over a golden pizza crust and topped with gooey cheeses. Feel free to make individual pizzas in lieu of one large one, especially if you all like your eggs cooked to a different degree of doneness, and don’t hesitate to get creative with the toppings by adding breakfast sausage and potato pieces to the mix.

Breakfast-for-Dinner Pizza

Serves 4

• Homemade or store-bought pizza dough, enough for one 12” pizza
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Flour, for dusting
• 1/4 cup pizza sauce
• 1½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 3 slices bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Prepare the pizza dough as per the recipe or package directions and bring it to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 500°F, 30 minutes before baking the pizza. Invert a large baking sheet and brush the olive oil over the bottom of the pan. Lightly dust it with flour and set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, press the dough out to a 12” circle. Transfer it to the baking sheet and smooth the dough into a round shape. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the dough and top with the mozzarella cheese, bacon, oregano and half the Parmesan.

Crack the eggs in the centre of the pizza, season with salt and pepper, and cover with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown, the cheese is melted and the eggs are cooked through. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve hot.

No-Knead Pizza Dough (and Sausage, Ricotta & Spinach Pizza)

When I sat down to write out my list of 100 new dinners to make this year, pizza-based meals made up almost 10% of the inventory. There is no denying that it's a family favourite, and not just on the weekends, either. To be honest, I actually prefer making pizzas on a weeknight, and packing up the leftovers for lunch the next day. It’s two for one cooking, which is my favourite way to do it.

Buying store-bought dough is a completely acceptable way of starting off your pizza nights, but believe it or not, there are days when I'm feeling really lazy, and making it from scratch is far easier. This no-knead version takes two minutes, which is less than the time it would take me to bundle up for the store. Then I would need to go shopping, pay for my purchases, and come home again. I think I'd rather just give up two minutes of my afternoon (or early morning), wouldn't you?

Last night's pizza was topped with sausage, ricotta and spinach. To make it, I removed four sausages from their casings and browned the meat, breaking it up as it cooked. Simultaneously, I whisked together one container of ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, fresh ground pepper, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. I spread the ricotta mixture over the dough, topped it with the cooked (and drained) sausages, and sprinkled spinach over the top. I covered the spinach with 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and baked it as per the directions below. 

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Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Pizza Dough

This recipe makes enough for one large or two small thin-crust pizzas. Feel free to freeze it after the first rise, or divide the dough and use half now and half later. It keeps in the fridge for up to one day, and stores well in a zip-lock bag lightly coated with olive oil. I’ve also swapped some (not all!) of the flour for a whole-wheat variety and that’s worked well, too.  

• 3 3/4 cups flour

• 2 1/2 teaspoons instant or other active dry yeast

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon sugar

• 1 1/3 cup room-temperature water

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.

2. Add the water and, using the end of a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until blended. The dough will be stiff, not sticky. Knead for 1 minute. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in size, about 2 hours.

3. Shape the dough in a large ball and lightly dust the top with flour. Cover with a towel and let rise for an additional 30 minutes.

4. When you are ready to make a pizza, preheat oven to 500°F, roll out the dough and press it into an oiled baking sheet. Cover with toppings and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pizza dough is crisp and the cheese thoroughly melted. 

Updated: There were some questions about the size of the baking sheet that I used. I found a 13" x 18" worked best for one pizza. It resulted a medium-thickness crust with a crispy browned bottom. Also, my girlfriend tried this recipe with all whole-wheat flour  - she doesn't recommend it!