Easy and Quick Pizza Crust

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 35 Min

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Pat dough into pan or on to a pizza stone using fingers dipped in olive oil. If desired sprinkle basil, thyme or other seasonings on crust. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven.

We brush minced garlic directly onto the crust, then top with low-fat Italian cheese blend, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Penne Arrabiata

Made this pasta dish yesterday, and loved it - it's even good without the meat (and I never say that!) or you can sub in grilled chicken/shrimp to avoid breading. It would also go well with extra veggies, esp. zucchini. I use much less penne b/c I like a saucy pasta - as it is, it's not too saucy:

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I use 1 tablespoon, b/c I love the kick!)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 (12 ounce) package dried penne pasta
1 egg
2 cups bread crumbs (I use panko for extra crunchiness)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 pound thin chicken breast tenders

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, and cook for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Stir the garlic powder, salt and pepper into the bread crumbs. Dip chicken cutlets into the egg, then press into the bread crumbs until completely coated.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken until the coating is a nice dark brown color.
Stir the cooked penne into the sauce, simmer for a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad

FYI - I'm going to post this last recipe, since I'm not sure anyone's even reading this anymore! If you are, let me know and I'll keep posting recipes!

This salad was a huge hit at a bbq we just had:

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 bunches spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup raspberry balsamic vinaigrette
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, toss together the spinach and strawberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Pour over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat.