Homemade Pizza with Swiss Chard Pesto and Toppings

Yay to pizza! Thank you Niki for choosing No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough and Topping Pizza for this Food Matters Project Monday! In my book, homemade pizza is not junk food at all… It’s a perfect all-in-one meal: grains, vegetables, protein, and dairy.

Making pizzas at home is a special thing between DFJ and me. The first few times we started hanging out, he would make pizzas on Friday nights and we would devour an entire thing or even two with wine. It’s one of the best ways to say goodbye to a grueling week and start celebrating the weekend.

So, Mark Bittman recommends not overloading your pizza with too many toppings because it can affect the doneness of your dough. There are too many things that I want on my pizza and I want them all! The solution to my problem was simple: combine all the other things that can be put together and turn it into pesto. Hello Swiss chard, tomatoes, garlic, and smoked gouda! The first flavor that you taste in this pesto is the gouda, then you get the slight bitterness of the Swiss chard, and a peppery kick at the end. This pesto can serve as a dip for crackers, bread, crudités, chips, what have you. The No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough with just this pesto and some fresh basil as a topping will be enough to make me one happy camper.  

Swiss Chard Pesto (enough for 2 medium sized pizzas)

1 tbsp olive oil

3-6 cloves garlic, pressed
12 grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 Swiss chard leaves, roughly chopped
¼ tsp salt
pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup smoked gouda, shredded and firmly pressed in cup

Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant. Toss in the tomatoes and cook until their juices start coming out, about 2 minutes. Toss the Swiss chard and cook until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and the gouda and stir together for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and move everything in a bowl to cool down. Puree in a blender or food processor and set aside to use as a pizza sauce. 

Let’s talk about the pizza dough…

Having made this dough once before, I was iffy about making it again because it didn’t turn out very well the first time. Oh, it was totally worth my while giving it another try! The reason why this dough failed to impress the first time was because I added too much water. Make sure to add water 1 teaspoon at a time until the right consistency is achieved. I actually added a little too much water again but countered this by adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Also, this is supposed to be a no-knead dough, but baking bread has trained me to have to touch and feel the dough, so I did it anyway and it didn’t hurt. *Wink.* When I was ready to bake, I cut the dough in half and formed one half into a ball. Then I poured about 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the palm of my hand and spread it on the pizza stone and the outside of the dough ball. I placed the dough in the middle of the pizza stone and gently spread the dough. Since I used a pizza stone, it took 14 minutes for the pizza to be done in an oven preheated to 500 degrees F.

This dough is soft, chewy, thin but not floppy, and has a lovely sour tang, the result of having it sit for 10 hours… so if you like a sourdoughish pizza dough, give this one a try! Visit Niki’s blog for the full recipe of this yummy dough and visit the Food Matters Project website to see the pizza creations that the other members did.

These are the toppings that went on my pizza:

a generous layer of Swiss chard pesto (recipe above)

mozzarella cheese pieces, torn
portobello mushroom slices
red bell peppers
shallots
chorizo (on the other half, for DFJ)
fresh basil leaves (torn and scattered all over after the pizza was baked)

Hers...

His...

Reveling in life’s simple delights… homemade pizza. Thank you, Mark Bittman!

A Go Chu Jang Recipe

I first discovered Korean food when I taught ESL at a language school back in the Philippines. My love for Korean food increased ten-fold after a trip to South Korea a couple of years ago… kimchi, bibim bap, kim bap, sam gyeop sal, give me! 

Here’s an awesome recipe that I have been waiting to share with you… This dish has been a go-to for me when in a time crunch and need to throw something together fast. It is easy, delicious, and comforting… also healthy in my book! A good mixture of meat and vegetables and some carbs on the side. When making this, feel free to use or add any vegetable you think would go well with this: spinach, zucchini, cauliflower, radish, potatoes, the choices are endless. This dish is something that will make you think of home and your mom…  

There is a secret ingredient here: go chu jang = red pepper paste, which is made from red chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. Different flavors play all at once: spicy, sweet, and salty. Go chu jang is great for flavoring stir-fries, making meat or vegetable sauces, dipping sauces, a condiment to complete bibim bap, soups, stews, and anything you can think of. Seek it out at an Asian store near you… it’s addicting! 

Beef, Vegetables, and Go Chu Jang (Makes 6-8 servings)

1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp hot chili sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 lb ground beef
4 tbsp go chu jang (Korean red pepper paste… if you haven’t tried it, go get a tub… ASAP!)
3 carrots, diced
6 kale leaves, roughly chopped
1 small head of broccoli
1 bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp salt
8 stalks green onions, white and green parts minced

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the beef and cook until it turns light brown. Mix in the go chu jang and stir well. Throw in the carrots and cook for a minute. Toss in the kale until the leaves wilt, about a minute. Add the broccoli, stir, and let cook for about 2 minutes. Add the diced bell pepper and jalapeno, stir well, and cook for about 4 more minutes. Season with the soy sauce and salt, stir well. Turn off the heat and add the green onions. Stir for another minute.

Serve with rice. Also good in a lettuce burrito… I used Romaine here, but my favorite is Boston lettuce.     

Enjoy! Go chu jang does a lot of magic here!

Portland Love

Our Spring Break in Portland was quite memorable, as all other trips with DFJ are. This was something different though because most of the trips we take usually involve hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, and roughing it. DFJ’s ankle injury made us decide to just enjoy exploring Portland, eating to our belly’s content, watching shows, shopping, and relaxing.

We hardly ever go out on dates (unless you count bike rides and hikes)… we eat out once or twice a month, have only been to the movies once, and maybe three concerts and a play. This time, we decided to spoil ourselves silly and splurge a little. If you didn’t already know, many restaurants in Portland serve amazing food for fairly inexpensive prices. Also, Portland has no sales tax, so that’s always a plus for shopping!       

Day 1 (4-3-12):

We stayed at The Georgian House Bed and Breakfast in the quaint, historic NE district. Our stay was lovely… Willie, our hostess, was very nice and accommodating and her house is beautiful. Breakfasts were delicious and enormous! I love bed and breakfasts, staying in one gives me a feel for what it’s like to live like a local in the place I’m visiting.      

Click here if you’re interested to know what we were up to that day.

Day 2 (4-4-12):

The People’s Yoga – I went to an early, 75 minute, Hatha Yoga class and loved it. This studio is unpretentious and has a friendly, community feel to it.  It is also very affordable, $8 for a drop-in class.  The instructor, Devon, was very nice and caring.

Walked around Broadway and NE15th: I fell in love with Kitchen Kaboodle and wanted to buy everything I laid my eyes on.  

Lunch at Blossoming Lotus – This restaurant is very impressive… The food was delicious, interesting, new (to me, at least), and very healthy. We had to wait for the lunch crowd to thin out, but it was worth it. As soon as we were seated, the food came fast and disappeared fast too.

lentil soup and live nachos

spicy bbq sandwich... soy curls marinated in red onion+whiskey ginger bbq sauce

Widmer Brothers – One of the best microbreweries in the Pacific Northwest. If you see their beers sold at your local stores, do give it a try!

Mint – This bar is very urban, classy, and serves delicious drinks with fresh fruit juices.

Le Happy – This cozy, little restaurant is sweet and funky… the dim lights create a relaxing and romantic atmosphere. They have a nice selection of delicious savory and sweet crepes.

Powell’s Bookstore – This is one of my favorite places in Portland! Be prepared to get lost in this huge bookstore that occupies an entire city block. It took a lot of effort to limit myself to just four books.

Day 3 (4-5-12):

Root Whole Body – This studio was quite spendy, $17 for a drop-in class, but it was totally worth it. The studio is very nice and clean. My butt was kicked in an awesome Power Vinyasa class at 6:00 in the morning. The instructor, Shaney, was very patient and stood over me, correcting poses and such. 

Shopped at Lloyd Center

Got lunch at the Food Carts in Downtown Portland – There are so many choices, you would have a hard time making up your mind! Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, English, American, Hawaiian, Malaysian, Sichuan, German, Mexican, Donuts, Frozen Yogurt, and so on…

Stumptown Coffee  - These guys know how to make coffee the right way!

Cirque du Soleil, OVO – My first Cirque experience and it was quite the show! Incredible display of human strength, grace, balance, and discipline. Mind-blowing!

Bar Lolo – We had a late night date at this nice bar on funky Alberta Street. The drinks were great and the empanadas were delicious!

Day 4 (4-6-12):

Explored Nob Hill Area – This neighborhood is very trendy… lots of cafés, restaurants, boutiques, and quirky shops. We found a prAna store and I indulged and bought a scarf and a pair of hiking knickers. The best part about this store is the free happy hour yoga classes that they offer pretty much every day from 6:00-7:00. These awesome things really make me want to move to Portland!   

We stopped for some pizza at Pizzicato – The pizza was good and the place has a very nice, friendly neighborhood and family feel.

Moonstruck Chocolate Café – A very pretty café, with an array of truffles, chocolate barks, macaroons, pastries… they even make their own chocolate! We brought home truffles and macaroons and they were truly heavenly! 

St. Honore Boulangerie – This neighborhood bakery is very busy and you will know why as soon as you get a bite of their breads and croissants… I wish, I wish, I wish I could have taken this bakery home with me.

Clear Creek Distillery – We were each given a “Passport” to taste their Eau de Vie, Grappa, Pot-Still Brandy, Whiskey, and Fruit Liqueurs. Boy, what a fun way to learn about the distillery craft!

Just to be on the safe side, we decided to take a walk and buy some sushi at Dr. Sushi & BBQ (Happy Hour Sushi All Day Long, 50% off) and ate it at a park on Nob Hill before driving back to Washington. The sushi was pretty good considering how cheap it was. But what I loved most was enjoying a very sweet date with my boy.   

We needed some coffee for our long drive home and stopped at the cozy Dragonfly Coffee House and Bakery, where I accidentally used the men’s restroom and left my purse in there too. Fortunately, DFJ needed to use the restroom too and brought it out for me. What a disaster it would have been if we got all the way to Washington without my purse.


There’s still a long list of places I want to see in this city and restaurants I want to try… but that will be for next time.

P.S. It rains on and off in Portland, with glimpses of sunshine here and there. So, be prepared but don’t be daunted… it’s part of the fun!   

Next Time, I Will Follow Directions

Happy Food Matters Project Monday Everyone! To all who celebrated Easter, I hope you had a great time with family and friends. This week’s recipe, Fish Nuggets Braised in Rhubarb Sauce, was chosen by Camilla. Visit her blog for Mark Bittman’s original recipe and check out her other delicious dishes too! 

I made an entirely different version of this recipe because there were no rhubarbs at the grocery store and the fish did not look appetizing at all. Growing up in a tropical country, where I got spoiled with fresh seafood all the time, anything that is frozen and pre-packed just does not do it for me.

So, what did I do? Before we left for Portland, I took out some frozen fruits from last summer and made some sort of jam for a rye pop tart that went in our snack bag for the road trip. The jam was a combination of frozen peaches, frozen raspberries, juice of an orange, zest of the orange, and some honey. There was plenty of this left and so I decided to use it for my sauce. As for the meat, I decided to go with beef that I sliced thinly and marinated with the juice of two limes, some salt, and pepper.

I heated the sauce, threw in chopped onions and jalapenos and cooked them until they were soft and then added the marinated beef. The result? Ok, but not great. My sauce was delicious and fresh-tasting (even though everything, except the orange, was frozen) and the beef was well-flavored and well-cooked. However, the flavors of the sweet sauce and the lime-marinated beef were too strong and just did not go well together. I’m bookmarking Mark Bittman’s original recipe to try one of these days as soon as I get my hands on some rhubarb and good fish. Do check out the other FMP members’ take on this recipe... they always add their own creative spin that leave me drooling.

As my version of this recipe didn’t go over so well, let’s talk about my side dish instead, which would work as a stand-alone, healthy meal. This is another one of the growing quinoa recipes out there, but it’s worth a try… I promise, it will not disappoint!

Quinoa with Sweet Potato and Kale (Makes 4 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium sweet potato, grated
1 small bunch kale, roughly chopped
2 cups quinoa, cooked
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garam masala
½ cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
 
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, throw in the garlic and cook until it turns golden brown. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sweet potato and stir occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon of salt. Throw in the kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Mix in the garam masala and cayenne. Add the quinoa and stir occasionally for about 4 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

This dish is simple and earthy with a flavorful blend of spices. The slight bitterness of the kale is a tasty accompaniment to the sweet potatoes. I recommend shredding the sweet potatoes because this allowed for faster cooking and for the flavor to be infused in every bite.             

P.S. Our Portland Spring Break was super fun! I will share details (restaurants, places to visit, shopping, yoga, activities, etc.) in my next post in the hopes that it will entice you to visit Portland in the near future.