I do try to include at least one thing currently on the "eat" list for each child - and that list shifts faster than the current "it" list! There have been some disaster dinners along the way though. You know, the ones where nobody likes anything and there are tears involved.
But one dinner that always works, providing that perfect place beteween mom-directed and kid-desired, is do-it-yourself pizza.
We've tested a variety of crusts including ready-made, frozen and homemade. I have my favorite homemade dough, but it does require remembering to make it the night before. Since this is a rescue dinner, we keep a couple of balls of premade dough from the local store in the freezer. I can usually remember to take one of those out the morning, when I realize there's nothing ready for dinner.
I also try to stash some frozen mozzarella (those shredded bags go right into the freezer) and frozen pepperoni so we have the basics on hand. We never use a whole pepperoni so I cut it into disks and toss the extras in a freezer bag - it lasts quite a while. Everything else is up to the current state of the pantry and crisper!
Canned mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, shredded basil, some fresh mozzarella, spinach, onions, garlic, anything goes in the name of experimental pizza!
For sauce, I find the easiest thing is to put a 14oz can of chopped tomatoes in a small pan with some garlic and simmer it while you're making the dough and getting the toppings ready. That thickens it a bit and lets the garlic cook. We like our garlic squeezed through the garlic press. Some people add a little sugar to cut the acidity of the sauce, even a spoonful of sugar makes the sauce less sweet than canned.
If there are no tomatoes on hand, we've used leftover pesto, parm and olive oil to make a flatbread-like pizza instead.
We could probably use some help learning how to make those nice round shapes.....
Then about 15 minutes later (at 400* F), custom pizza is ready!
(Collective *sigh* of relief!)
No comments:
Post a Comment