My son and I saw this recipe one night on Cook's Country and I knew I just had to give it a try. I had never heard of St. Louis-style pizza, but they are great! Thin and crispy, they remind me of the Tomato Pies so popular in the Trenton, NJ area. Plus these pizzas are SO easy to make - no yeast required - just baking powder as the leavening which give them a crunchy cracker-like crust. With no rising to wait for, they  come together in no time. Apparently the other thing that sets them apart is the type of cheese: Provel - a smoky, soft white processed cheese invented in St. Louis that is said to be a mix of cheddar, Swiss and provolone. I had never heard of this type of cheese and don't think I would have been able to easily track it down where I live in Pennsylvania. Luckily, the Cook's Country recipe I used actually called for a mix of white American and Monterey Jack cheese. So far I have used varying mixes of mozzarella, mild cheddar and provolone which seemed to work fine, especially since this last time I also added a little smoked paprika to the sauce (as a sub for the suggested liquid smoke). I will definitely try to get some liquid smoke for next time, but the smoked paprika really was a delicious substitution. When I rolled out the dough tonight it just happened to form the neat heart shape you see in the picture above - a nice surprise!

I was really in the mood for spicy Indian food on Friday.  Maybe it was because of the torrential downpours we had - cooking up a bright infusion of flavors just seemed the perfect foil to the dark rainy skies. I had some yellow lentils on hand so I knew I was going to include dal as part of the meal, but when I decided to pair it with tandoori shrimp - that did require a dash to the store to get some fresh shrimp. Not fun with the wet weather, but I'm so glad I did!
On epicurious I found a yummy recipe for tandoori shrimp and mango salad. I liked the fact that it was not overly complicated and I actually had many of the ingredients on hand already. And it didn't call for the traditional clay oven (which I sadly don't have - yet anyway!) so I was in luck. The mung dal recipe from about.com also required minimal effort - a key factor on a Friday after a busy week.
Toasting the spices to make the marinade was fun and permeated the house beautifully. The rich-smelling dal bubbled away on the stove. I could (almost) pretend it was pouring outside!

Tandoori Shrimp and Mango Salad
Gourmet  | August 1996
Serves 6 as a main course

For dressing
·       1/2 cup Major Grey's chutney
·       2/3 cup fresh lime juice
·       1/2 cup vegetable oil
·       1 teaspoon cayenne

For tandoori marinade
·       1 tablespoon paprika
·       2 teaspoons ground cumin
·       2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
·       4 garlic cloves, crushed
·       a 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped
·       2 fresh serrano or jalapeño chilies, seeded and chopped (wear rubber gloves)
·       3/4 cup plain yogurt
·       1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest (about 1 lime)

·       2 pounds medium shrimp (about 50), shelled and deveined
·       1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying
For salad
·       6 cups packed tender watercress sprigs, washed well and spun dry
·       1 cup fresh coriander sprigs, washed well and spun dry
·       3 red bell peppers, cut into julienne strips
·       2 firm-ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into julienne strips
 
Make dressing:
Force chutney through a sieve into a bowl and whisk in lime juice, oil, cayenne, and salt to taste. Dressing may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring dressing to room temperature before using.

Make marinade:
In a large non-stick skillet dry-roast paprika, cumin, and coriander seeds over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and several shades darker, about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn them, and transfer to a bowl. Cool spices and stir in remaining marinade ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Pat shrimp dry and add to marinade, stirring to coat well. Marinate shrimp at room temperature 15 minutes. Alternatively, shrimp may be marinated, covered and chilled, up to 1 day.
In large non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté shrimp in batches, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer shrimp as sautéed with tongs to paper towels to drain and cool slightly.
In a large bowl gently toss together shrimp, watercress, coriander sprigs, bell peppers, mangoes, and dressing.

Vegetarian Mung Dhal Recipe 

  Ingredients:
·       1 cup mung dal
·       2 cups water or vegetable broth
·       1 tsp turmeric
·       dash cayenne pepper (or more, if you like spice!)
·       1/2 tsp salt
·       2 tbsp margarine or olive oil
·       1 onion, diced
·       1 tsp cumin seeds
·       2 whole cloves
·       black pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large soup or stock pan, combine the mung dal or yellow lentils, vegetable broth, turmeric, cayenne and salt. Bring to a slow simmer. Cover partially with a lid and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes.

In a separate skillet, sautee the onion, cumin seeds and clove in margarine or olive oil for just a few minutes, until onions are soft.

Add the onions and spices to the mung dal or lentils and allow to simmer for a few more minutes, stirring well to combine. Sprinkle with a dash of black pepper and add extra salt to taste, if needed. Serve plain, as soup, or over rice.

Source: About.com

These waffles are my kids' favorite weekend breakfast. I have tried different recipes, and this is the winner. I like it because it is pretty easy and I always have the ingredients on hand.

The whole-wheat flour isn't overpowering and actually gives the waffles a nutty flavor, plus the milk and yogurt provide calcium and protein. Feel free to substitute vanilla yogurt for plain (just don't include the three tablespoons of extra sugar). Sour cream or buttermilk are also good swaps. 

My kids like to add a few chocolate chips or nutella for serving, and fresh berries or banana are also a nice touch. Or top with ice cream/ whipped cream for a dessert! Freeze any leftover waffles for quick weekday mornings.

Whole Wheat Yogurt Waffles 

Makes 4 large waffles (or 16 individual)

• Cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose white flour (unbleached)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt (or use vanilla yogurt and don't add extra sugar)
• 3 tablespoons sugar (if using plain yogurt)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups skim milk

1. Coat waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk egg and egg white until frothy. Whisk in yogurt, sugar and oil until smooth. Whisk in the milk. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.
3. For 8-inch waffles, ladle about 1 cup of batter onto waffle iron and bake according to machine instructions. (Adjust the amount of batter for other sizes). 
4. Repeat process with remaining batter.

Source:  American Medical Association Family Cookbook