Meals for Movers

Today I'm moving all of my belongings from my apartment into a house. This means that I'm fighting a losing battle to use up all of the remaining food in my fridge. Moreover, Mike decided that he needed to go home the other day. The only positive thing that came out of this decision was that the food I had left would be more likely to be eaten. While it seems surprising, because he eats so much, given the kind of food I have left, it would be more likely to be eaten by me than him, anyway.

I have lots of bread left, and while the thought of eating nothing but whole wheat sandwich bread and strawberry jam is enticing, I figured it was a less than practical approach to my situation. So after work I picked up some eggs, which I have been using to make egg toast, with a side salad, which has also helped in using up all of the balsamic vinegar I still have. It is a healthy meal, providing protein, fiber, complex carbs and vitamins and minerals from the greens. It is also a cheap one, which makes my wallet as happy as it makes me ($1 for a 6-pack of eggs, $2.50 for the loaf of bread, $1.99 for a bag of salad greens, you do the math).

I've been obsessed with vinaigrettes lately, so I decided to do a 3 olive oil : 1 balsamic vinegar, rather than my 2/3 vegetable oil, 1/3 olive oil : 1 balsamic vinegar ratio. Then, as an emulsifier, I used my pest-amole mix. Don't be afraid, it's simple mixture of the spinach pesto I had made earlier and some guacamole. I got an amazing vivid green color and it tasted divine. As an emulsifier, it wasn't as good as the dijon, but it provided a more muted, yet flavorful element that you could really only get from avocado, definitely a contract from the strong, vinegar-y dijon.

Another way that I have been using up left over ingredients is by making calzones. I make the dough (see my earlier post on making your own pizza dough), mix up the cheeses, prep the toppings, bake and freeze for future lunches and dinners that cook quick. Here's a list of some of my calzone creations (resulting in 14 total calzones):

Pepperoni
Pepperoni and Pesto
Onion, Spinach and Cheese
Red Onion, Spinach, Tomato and Cheese
Bacon, Onion, Spinach and Cheese
Bacon, Red Onion, Spinach, Tomato and Cheese
Pesto, Red Onion, Spinach, Tomato and Cheese

Pesto, Bacon, Red Onion, Spinach, Tomato and Cheese

Bacon, Onion, Mushroom and Cheese

Pesto, Bacon, Onion, Mushroom and Cheese

Beef and Mexican Cheese

Pest-amole, Beef and Mexican Cheese

Pes-amole, Black Beans, Beef and Mexican Cheese

Make-Your-Own Pizza.... Dough

I finally picked up a copy of Ratio by Michael Ruhlman, as I'm sure I've mentioned many times at this point. He focuses for a large part on bread and dough ratios as they are some of the most dynamic of all the cooking ratios. According to Ruhlman, the basic bread dough is 5 parts flour : 3 parts water, plus a pinch of yeast and from there the magic begins; you can make an olive-walnut dough, or a rosemary-garlic dough, or a chocolate-cherry dough. The point of ratios is to provide a framework, and from there flavor it however you want. I've tried to present my recipes in the same sense, showing you what I do, but providing alternatives and emphasizing that it can be amended according to personal tastes.

Anyways, I'm also a big pizza/calzone person. They are quick and easy to make and always so satisfying. Part of the ease of pizza/calzone is the ability to walk into Trader Joe's and buy ready made pizza dough for $0.99, enough to yield 4 servings between Mike and myself. However, Ruhlman has shown that pizza dough is so simple to make that even $0.99 for a pound of dough may not be the best savings you can get. Mixing the dough by hand is therapeutic and allows you to invest even more into a meal that otherwise would not be that special. So, here is a dough recipe. It should yield enough for a medium pie or for 3-4 calzones, depending on how large you shape them.

Ingredients:
20 oz flour
12 oz water
1 pinch of yeast (if it is active dry yeast, dissolve in the water before adding to the flour)
1 dash olive oil
1 t salt

Method:
(if you have a scale, this would be the best method, otherwise a cup of flour is about 4-6 oz)
Mix together all of the ingredients until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Allow the dough to rise to about twice it size sitting in a bowl on the counter at room temperature.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead it to get rid of excess gas and redistribute the yeast, then let rest for 10-15 minutes.

If not baking immediately, refrigerate. It can also be frozen for 3-5 months.