Sometimes, cooking with kids is all about teaching them measuring, mixing and knife skills. We do this a lot. The kids and I talk about the different measurements we use and measure things out together. They are often the ones to whisk-shift dry ingredients for me or to stir together whatever needs stirring. But cooking with kids isn’t just about learning. It’s about having fun in the kitchen too. So other times cooking with kids is about letting go. I don’t do that nearly enough.

But I try. Last Friday, I’d been thinking of ordering a pizza all afternoon, but with the holiday season here and our budget already strained I just couldn’t justify spending the money. So, I did the next best thing: making homemade English muffin pizzas with the kids. Actually, Will and Paige did most of the doing and I just handled the oven, the hot tray and laying out the toppings.

See how happy they are? And they hadn’t even started doing anything yet. They love being in the kitchen and having a hand in whatever we’re eating. But they love it even more when they are super-hands-on for a meal, as with these English muffin pizzas.

With a simple, flexible ingredients list and a super-fast cooking time, these pizzas are perfect for an any-night treat. Of course, being easy doesn’t hurt either.

You start by spreading sauce on English muffin halves. We used honey wheat ones, but any variety works. Well, except maybe cinnamon raisin. That could be weird.

Then the kids topped their pizzas however they liked. Will did mozzarella on both and black olives on one. Paige did Romano cheese, olives, tomatoes and a little mozzarella.

Then you broil them really quickly. It only takes about 3-5 minutes for the pizzas to be done, so I highly suggest flipping the oven light on and watching them cook with the kids. They’ll love it. And you’ll make sure you don’t accidentally char them. Win-win.

What have you been cooking with kids lately?

Easy English Muffin Pizzas
perfect for cooking with kids
yields as many as you want

English muffins, fork split in half
pizza sauce
cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, or whatever you like)
toppings such as ham, bacon, sliced olives, sliced sausage, tomatoes, broccoli bits, onions, etc

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Start the oven boiler on high.

Have kids spread a little sauce on their English muffin halves. Top as desired with cheese and toppings.

Place all the English muffin pizzas on the baking sheet. Place under the broiler (about 6″ from it) and cook until the cheese is melted and golden in spots — about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to watch them closely so that they don’t burn.

Let cool slightly before eating.

Enjoy!

When Will stepped off the bus today, I was shoveling the mush at the end of my driveway (courtesy of the kindly town plows!) for the fourth time today. “Guess what, Mommy?” he asked. “What, Wills?” I answered. “I am going to go down to the house and get my snow stuff on and go right outside to play,” he answered. And off he went.

A few minutes later, I followed. And sure enough, when I stepped inside our hall, there were Will and Paige preparing for some fun in the snow. And who am I to say no to outdoor play? So off they went (I went outside too … there was still more shoveling to be done).

I love that my kids love to play outside. I love that they love it so much that they will take initiative and get themselves ready and out the door. And I love that they love to play outside together. I swear, sometimes Paige just waits for Will to come home to have that special play time together. I hope that never changes.

Tonight’s dinner was a Puffy Prosciutto and Tomato Pizza. Why is it puffy? Well, if you poke holes in the dough with a fork before adding the toppings, the center of the pizza doesn’t puff up … but if you skip that, you get this fabulously bready pizza that’s filling, firm and flavorful. This particular pizza uses diced tomatoes instead of pizza sauce, which is a practical thing … not only are the diced tomatoes sweet and lovely, but instead of only using a partial can of sauce, you use a whole (cheaper) can of diced tomatoes. (Remember, it’s winter here, so fresh aren’t really an option.) And the salty prosciutto is a lovely contrasting flavor … Yum.

Have a lovely weekend!

Puffy Prosciutto and Tomato Pizza
serves 4

1 pizza dough (from the deli section)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 slices prosciutto, torn into pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil.

Stretch the pizza dough to form a large rectangle and fit onto the cookie sheet. Spread the tomatoes all over. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over top, and then add the prosciutto — careful to get it all over the pizza.

Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Readers, I promised you a great post and here it is … Please welcome Chris from Mele Cotte, who is guest posting for me today with a recipe for this delicious Pasta Pizza. Doesn’t that look incredible?!?

There are so many wonderful blogs out there. I am always amazed at the many new ones, how seasoned that are, as the entire “brandings” look as though the foodies behind the computers are anything but professionals. Then, I reflect my early years some four years ago. I was so green, in all aspects, from reading blogs prior to starting my own, my own posts, recipes, and the pictures. (Oh, those terrible cell phone pictures…ha! ha!)

Even so, I was diligent in keeping up with reading my favorites blogs. One of the first blogs I came across was, in fact, Cucina Bella. In the Bloglight (not in existence anymore) spotlighted Sarah in all her fabulousness. A month later, I began Mele Cotte, and continued reading and bookmarking Sarah’s recipes.

It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to work with her and Cate on the Well Fed Network that I got to “know” her (virtually) a little better. While she and I have yet to meet personally, I can’t help but I think of her like Sandra Bullock. You know Sandra is every bit as fabulous as she appears both on and off screen. And, that’s how I imagine Sarah – not only an amazing (professional) writer, but just as genuine in real life as she is on Sarah’s Cucina Bella. So naturally, when she put out the call for guest posters, I emailed immediately. Me! Me! It would be my privilege to write for Sarah!

Once it was set, I pondered. What I would write about that represented Sarah’s Cucina Bella well, and with respect? With Sarah’s Cucina Bella’s great balance of sweet and savory deliciousness for the adult and young palate, I really like that the posts targeted for families/kids treat the foods with reverence. The flavor profiles remind parents, and demonstrate to the kids, that it’s okay it is never too early to season a sophisticated appetite. Therefore, I wanted this post here today to portray the same. Hopefully, I will do Sarah’s Cucina Bella justice.

Have you been able to catch any of the new line up of the Cooking Channel? Has it been picked up by your local cable company? Luckily, Atlanta began running it and I was glued to the new, fresh shows on Memorial Day. Simultaneously, while reveling in its back to basics non-celebrity-like appeal, I participated in several tweet exchanges about the various shows, and noted recipes I wanted to try along the way. One specific recipe that made me lift by eyebrow was simple, yet (it seemed) tasty. In fact, it was reminiscent of a dish my mom whipped when I was younger, potato and egg pie; a dish I have always had difficulty replicating.

The chef, David Rocco brought a refreshing face to his Italian cooking; I am not sure what it is, exactly. Maybe his appeal was that he was in Naples. Maybe it was because he cooked with the fervor of my grandma. I don’t know. What I do know is that I bookmarked several recipes Dolce Vita recipes, including his Pasta Pizza.

Who doesn’t have left over pasta after a meal at home? Okay, me, but that’s only because I don’t eat pasta much anymore. Nonetheless, as an Italian girl, I loved how easy the Pasta Pizza recipe looked while being cooked on my TV screen. I thought, “I am ready”. Ready for what? Ready to try the “flip” technique again that has been the bane of my failed attempts as I unsuccessfully completed mom’s potato and egg pie. Luckily for me, and kudos to David, I flipped successfully.

I did tweak the recipe from its original specifications, adding my own Mele Cotte spin, and was delighted with the end result. Woot! Woot! Should you choose to try this recipe, which is extremely adaptable for any palate, I bid you a happy and healthy consumption. Finire di mangiare!

Sundried Tomato Pasta Pizza
Adapted from David Rocco’s Dolce Vita

1 1/4 cup cooked whole wheat elbow pasta
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup diced sundried tomato (that were packed in oil) plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoons the sundried tomato oil
1/4 cup fresh Basil Pesto
Salt

In a bowl, beat eggs with freshly grated cheese before tossing with leftover spaghetti. Make sure the spaghetti is fully covered with the egg. Add a dash or two of salt, to taste, noting that the leftover spaghetti is already seasoned with salt.

Heat the oil in a saucepan. To test oil temperature, drop a piece of spaghetti into the pan. If it sizzles upon contact, the oil is ready. Pour the spaghetti mixture into the pan and flatten it out like a pancake.

Fry for 2 minutes on high heat, or until golden brown. To flip the pasta, cover the pan with a plate larger than the pan, and hold it covered. Flip the pan and plate together to transfer the pasta onto the plate, then slide the uncooked portion back into pan and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove the pizza pasta from the pan and place it on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Serve warm or cold, topped with pesto and sundried tomato slices.

Ever wonder what two food loving gals who write about their favorite recipes every week would eat if they got together? Okay, maybe not, but seriously, it is an interesting thing. When food writers and bloggers get together, what do they eat? And when they aren’t blogging, how do they eat?

Last year, when I spoke at BlogHer Boston, I joined a group of food bloggers for a lovely dinner at Legal Seafood in Burlington, Mass. I had a lovely salad – Tortilla, Apple and Goat Cheese With Chopped Avocado and Shrimp. It was delicious. What was more interesting though, was seeing how everyone else ate. Sorry, I am not going to spill their eating habits though …

But me? I love desserts, particularly ones that involve moist cake and creamy frostings. I drink a lot of water, but have a serious Diet Coke addiction that I try to control. I love martinis and gin and tonics, but am more likely to order a glass of red wine — pinot noir or merlot, usually.

So what did Cate and I eat for dinner when I spent the weekend at her house? Pizza. But not just any pizza – a fab Pesto Shrimp Scampi Pizza. Cate devised the recipe on the fly — and it was amazing.

It started with some shrimp scampi. She whipped up the recipe so quick, using help from a Giada De Laurentiis cookbook, that I didn’t even have a second to ask her how to deshell shrimp (yes, it’s true — I have no clue how to do it).

The only thing I contributed to the pizza was rolling out the dough. With a cup, per Cate’s style (turns out that it really does work fabulously) — I can’t take credit for anything else.

It’s always interesting to see how other people cook. When it comes to making pizza, I am a toss toppings on and go sort of girl. Not Cate. She was very precise in arranging the shrimp on the crust. It was impressive, to say the least. And it ensured that every bite had a little bit of everything.

As for the final step? Cambozola cheese. It was a truly ingenious thing to trade in the typical mozzarella for the zesty, creamy Cambozola. So, so good.

Now, you need to head over to Sweetnicks to read about Cate’s take on her mouthwatering pizza.

Oh, the things I could say about pizza. It’s a family favorite around here. Will’s and Paige’s eyes light up when they see a pizza box. Heck, sometimes Will even requests pizza (the answer isn’t always yes, though). In any case, it’s something we enjoy together.

When I was planning this week’s meals, I realized that the extra chicken from our grilled chicken would be fantastic on a fresh mozzarella pizza. Onto the meal plan it went, and I set about to make it last night. When Will and Paige saw this pizza cooking on a pizza stone in the oven, there were shouts of sheer joy. I swear.

Usually I make pizza crust from scratch. I have two go-to recipes –one for a perfect thin crust and a cheese infused pan pizza crust that is wonderfully flakey. But this time, I went for speed, using a premade dough from my local grocery store. It’s a good substitute in a pinch.

The fresh mozzarella comes from a Norwalk, Conn., bakery and is handpulled. If you’ve ever used fresh mozzarella on a pizza, you know that it can make it watery. The secret to preventing that though is to drain the mozzarella on paper towel before using it. It only takes 5-10 minutes to get the cheese significantly less watery.

For the sauce, I have recently discovered Muir Glen’s Pizza Sauce. It’s got a good balance of herbs and flavors — not bland, but not overwhelming either.

As for the chicken, it’s leftovers from the other night when I broke down the chicken successfully. The basil comes from my garden. I tear it into strips by hand. So yes, this was pretty local.

Anyway, the result was a wonderfully crispy, thin crust pizza with a good amount of flavor infused throughout. The kids devoured it. Shawn and I did too. Total hit all around. We ate this with a nice green salad, tossed with blueberries and blue cheese. Mmm…

What’s your secret for a good homemade pizza?

Chicken Basil Pizza
serves 4

corn meal
1 pizza dough (homemade or store bought)
pizza sauce (amount varies — I use about 1/3 cup on a 12″ pizza)
fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch discs and drained on paper towel
grilled chicken, cut into strips
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
olive oil
kosher salt

Preheat a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven for at least 25 minutes.

On a pizza peel, sprinkle corn meal all over. Stretch the pizza dough by hand into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. If the pizza dough is tacky, dust it with flour before handling. Once stretched to a round and thin circle, place it on the corn meal-topped pizza peel. Poke the dough liberally, all over, with a fork — piercing it.

Spread the pizza sauce around the dough, getting close the the edge. Top with the fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with basil and chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt

Slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until browned. Use the pizza peel to remove it from the oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

• My favorite basic thin crust pizza dough @ Sarah’s Cucina Bella
• Whole Wheat Pizza Dough @ Eating Well
• Garlic Herb Pizza Dough @ What’s in {Your} Oven
• Parmesan Pizza Dough @ TriniGourmet

I love – LOVE – the ease of food that can do double duty. For instance, a roasted chicken like the one mentioned on the Everyday Food blog today can be Sunday dinner, Monday chicken tacos, Tuesday chicken and rice and Wednesday chicken salad. Talk about a blessing for a busy, harried mom — or any uber busy person.

That’s why I love this beef recipe. It doesn’t take long to throw together and it can feed a family of four for three meals. It’s adapted from a cookbook that I’ve had for several years, but rarely used, called Better Food for Kids. My version makes it a bit fresher and more to my style/taste.

Since you use it in different dishes, we didn’t get bored eating ground beef three times in a week. Will and Paige gobbled up the shepherd’s pie and devoured the beefy calzone that I made with this (see below for directions). And the bolognese was a huge hit too.

The recipe makes three cups of beef — three dinners worth. Now, I know, you are wondering how you can stretch three one-cup portions into three full meals for a family. Right? Actually, it’s pretty simple. Just forget the notion that protein needs to be the biggest thing on your plate. Toss that idea completely out.

Done? Okay.

Now, get used to the idea of using more vegetables and some good carbs too. It’s all about keeping meals well-rounded. A trip around the food pyramid, if you will.

So what can you do with this beef?

• Shepherd’s Pie: Mix one cup basic beef with two cups al dente vegetables in a casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes (garlic mashed, preferably). Cook in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes begin to brown very lightly.
• Beefy Calzone for Four: Stretch one prepared pizza dough into a large rectangle. Spread one cup of cheese along the center length of the rectangle. Top with a single layer of sliced tomatoes (down the center only) and one cup of beef, then a second layer of 1 cup of beef. Cook in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
• Bolognese Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine one can of tomato paste with 1/2 cup of water and two large tomatoes, diced. Season with salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Add one cup of basic beef. Heat through. Serve over pasta with a salad.

Beyond these ideas, you could make beef quesadillas or burritos, serve it with rice and lots of peppers and onions, make sloppy joes . . . the possibilities are only limited with your imagination.

Enjoy!

Basic Beef
yields 3 cups
adapted from Better Food for Kids

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 large tomato, diced
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef. At the same time, combine the garlic and onion in a food processor and process until chopped to a fine and uniform chop. Add to the beef and cook until the beef is browned. Pour off any excess fat.

Add tomatoes, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper to the beef mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Knowing that my husband would be working tonight, I decided pizza would be our dinner of choice. At first I was just going to order a pie from our favorite place here in town, but then at work I started thinking about how easy it is to make. Even the dough is a cinch in the Breadman. So, after my doctor’s appointment today, I came home and threw the ingredients into the bread machine. I was reading through my go-to pizza dough book, The Best Pizza is Made At Home, when I noticed that this recipe actually makes enough for two 10-inch pizzas. So, I made sure to separate the dough and refrigerate one portions – yea for an easy dinner later.

Unfortunately, there were a few minor disasters on the way to the table. For one, the pizza stone developed this bizarre burnt section (it had appeared clean when I put it in there) leading me to believe that someone forgot to wash it last time. That’s the only explanation I can think of that makes any sense. Anyway, now I will be replacing that.

Onward and upward, I decided to use a nonstick baking sheet instead. No problem. Except that I let the pizza cook for about 5 minutes too long (Will was in the bath!) and it burned a bit on one side. Fortunately, it wasn’t ruined, just overcooked. And Will still enjoyed it.

To cook this pizza, top as desired and cook for 12-18 minutes in an oven preheated to 500 degrees. Let cool slightly before cutting.

2/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp active dry yeast

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a bread machine in the order listed. Set to dough (or pizza dough, if you have it) cycle. When it’s complete, divide and mold into pies. Freeze any unused dough.

At one point when we were dating we wanted to try whole wheat pizza dough but couldn’t find any premade to try. Enter The Best Pizza Is Made At Home. Of course, I made it once or twice (actually, the husband-then boyfriend- never even tried it) and then grew tired of it. The book was resigned to the bookcase to gather dust.

Years passed. We got married. We had a baby. I quit my job to stay home for awhile with Will (aforementioned baby) and freelance. Of course, money was tight. Really, really tight. Then I started cooking more (it saves so much money). And then I began digging through my library, trying whatever I could so that we could have a variety of homemade goodness.

That’s when The Best Pizza Is Made At Home reentered my attention. It costs only a few dollars to make pizza at home as opposed to $10 or more for a good pie around here . . . The result was a number of great pies, some of which were dished about here (yes, bad pun).

The Parmesan crust is among my very favorites. The deep dish is flaky and good. And of course the plain crust is great too. I am still looking forward to using a number of the other recipes – like the herb dough.

The point? If you love pizza and love to cook and want to cook pizza, then get this book because it is filled with a wealth of wonderful variations on pizza dough.

Using the Breadman made the process so much easier. If you decide to do this, then be sure to allow enough time to make the dough and let it rise twice. The kneading and first rising in the Breadman took about 1 1/2 hours. The second rising was another 30 minutes. Plus it takes 20-30 minutes to cook. Obviously, this isn’t a quick dinner.

To cook my pizza, I have an older model pizza oven. I’ve looked online for a new one, since ours is starting to show signs of age and found a few models. I am not sure if I want a new pizza oven though or just a pizza stone. The jury is still out on that. I might buy a pizza stone to have and see how it goes in terms of usage before I decide.

If you are interested in a home pizza oven, here are a two links to ones I’ve located and am considering. I do not endorse any of these products, as I have never used them, so please be aware that I cannot atest to their functionality. This one is most similar to the one that I own. This one looks quite interesting as well. I wonder how the openness of it would work and if it would take longer to cook as a result.

Anyway, I like the taste of homemade dough better than the stuff you can pick up in your local supermarket deli or bakery. But then, I like most things I create myself at home. It’s just a me thing.

With a deep dish pizza, according to The Best Pizza is Made at Home by Donna Rathmell German “Layer ingredients in this order: cheese, meats, sauce, vegetables and seasonings. Leave a 1/2-inch border around the rim of the pizza.”

Here is the recipe for the dough I used.

Pizza is one of those foods that I just love. When I lived in Arizona briefly, that was the one thing that I missed most: good New York style pizza. Back then, I didn’t know much about making it and didn’t try. But these days, I know better and can work a dough with the best of them.

Sorry, there isn’t any exact accompanying recipe for this post.