Pizza

Thin crust.
Red sauce.
White onions, banana peppers, shrimp or chicken, pineapple

About Marinade

Trent’s Ten Favorite Homemade “Nickel” Marinades
Here are ten homemade marinades that cost just pennies and can each really improve the flavor of your food. Using these marinades can transform an ordinary cut of meat in ten drastically different ways, from spicy to sweet, from sharp to subtle, from Mediterranean to Asian. Just mix the ingredients together, put the mixture on the meat in a bowl, and let it soak according to the times below – when it’s done, cook the meat as you normally would and enjoy some distinctive and delicious flavors!

Simple Marinade 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon oregano, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper

Flexible Marinade 1 cup any kind of fruit juice you have on hand, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt

Apple Marinade 1/2 cup apple juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon ginger (this is fairly low acid marinade, so leave it on for twice as long as listed below)

Asian Marinade 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 1/3 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 cloves garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Balsamic Marinade 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1/4 cup minced onion, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Donkey Marinade 2/3 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Lime Marinade 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon tarragon, 1 teaspoon onion salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mediterranean Marinade 1 1/2 cups olive oil, 1 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons oregano, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sneaky Marinade 3/4 cup orange juice, 4 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon anise, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons tarragon

Spicy Marinade 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon oregano

Teriyaki Marinade 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 oz. soy sauce, 1 clove garlic or one teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 cup pineapple juice (this is fairly low acid marinade, so leave it on for twice as long as listed below)

(Oops… did I include eleven marinades?)

How Long Should I Marinate?
If you marniate a meat too long, the meat will become soft and mushy from the effects of the natural acids in the marinade. If you don’t leave it on long enough, the meat won’t gain enough extra flavor. Here are some starting numbers to use – obviously, times may vary depending on the size of your meat, but these should get you in the ballpark.

Beef roasts 2 hours
Beef large steaks 1 hour
Beef small steaks 40 minutes
Chicken with bones 1 hour
Chicken without bones 40 minutes
Fish 30 minutes
Lamb chops 40 minutes
Pork chops and tenderloin 40 minutes
Pork roasts 2 hours
Shrimp 15 minutes

Additional Tips
First of all, don’t toss the marinade when you’re finished soaking the meat! I like to pour the leftover marinade directly on the entree just as it goes on the grill or into the skillet. This packs an additional punch of flavor. However, do not save the marinade and use it later in the cooking process – a marinade must be cooked just like the meat is, and if it is not, you run the risk of ingesting unhealthy proteins.

Another use for the marinades: they make great mix-ins for burgers. Make up a batch of your favorite, then add it directly to ground beef or ground turkey, roughly 1/2 cup per pound of meat. It can really change the dynamic of the burger!

From: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2009/05/29/the-art-of-the-marinade-making-inexpensive-foods-dazzlingly-tasty-for-pennies/

Cranberry Walnut Power Bars

1. 1 1/4 cups walnut halves (5 ounces)
2. 1 1/2 cups puffed brown rice cereal
3. 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
4. 1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
5. 1/2 cup oat bran
6. 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
7. 1 cup brown rice syrup (see Note)
8. 1/4 cup natural cane sugar (see Note)
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
10. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly spray an 8-by-11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and golden, about 9 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Transfer the walnuts to a large bowl. Add the puffed rice, rolled oats, cranberries, oat bran and ginger and toss well.
2. In a small saucepan, combine the brown rice syrup, cane sugar and salt and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the syrup into the rice-oat mixture and toss to coat thoroughly. Transfer the warm mixture to the prepared baking dish and pack lightly with a spatula greased with cooking spray. Let cool for at least 45 minutes before cutting into 16 bars.

MAKE AHEAD The cranberry-walnut bars can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper and kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days. NOTES Natural sweeteners, such as brown rice syrup and natural cane sugar, are available at specialty- and health-food shops. One Serving192 cal, 6 gm fat, 0.6 gm sat fat, 32 gm carb, 3 gm fiber.

From:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cranberry-walnut-power-bars

Migas

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1/2 loaf of day-old European-style bread, torn into small cubes
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 lb. chorizo, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add garlic to pan and cook until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove garlic with slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add chorizo to skillet and cook until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the garlic.
4. Add bread and stir to coat with oil. Sprinkle bread with a handful of water to moisten it a bit. Cook, mashing it with the back of a spoon so that it crumbles into smaller pieces, until golden and crunchy, about ten minutes. Add more oil if pan dries out.
5. Add garlic and chorizo to pan and stir to until heated through, about a minute.
6. Serve on plates topped with a fried or poached egg.

From: http://www.culinary-studio.com/search/label/breakfast

Granola (basic)

6 cups oats
1/3 cup canola oil
mix well

then add to taste:
honey
brown sugar
and/or maple syrup

1 t or more vanilla or almond extract
chopped nuts

Mix well. Bake at 350 until desired doneness – allow to cool then store in airtight container.

raisins or other dried fruit can be added after baking

Here's another: 
Granola recipe: 6 cups oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Stir oats and brown sugar together. In separate bowl stir syrup, oil and salt together. Add to oat mixture. Stir very well until thoroughly mixed. Pour mixture into two sheet pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve even color and crunchy texture.

From http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/homemade-granola-bars/


And another: 

Crunchy Granola for Dirty Hippies and Everyone Else

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsps. cinnamon
1-2 tsps. salt
Nuts of your choosing
Dried Fruit of your choosing

1. Preheat oven to 325. Combine oil, honey, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add oats and toss to coat. The mixture should be sticky, but not dripping with liquid.

2. Spread the granols in a thin layer on  a wax or parchment paper line baking sheet or dish. (I used a dish, which I liked because I could easily spread and mix the granola without spilling any.) Place in oven.

3. Cooking time is about 25-30 minutes, but there’s plenty of wiggle room. Take the pan out every ten minutes or so and mix the granola around to prevent sticking. Taste regularly, keeping in mind that things will crisp up when it cools. The granola shouldn’t brown, and the pan on the right above is actually overdone. It was still really good.

4. If your nuts are untoasted add them toward the end of cooking so that they have time to toast but don’t burn. Add toasted nuts and dried fruit after you remove the granola from the oven.

From: http://foodjunta.com/2009/03/31/breakfast-briefs-granola/

Granola Bars!

No-Bake Granola Bars

Yield 4 servings

Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
• 3 cups any good, not-too-sweet granola

Method

• 1. Put the honey, brown sugar, and oil in a small pot and bring to a boil. Put the granola in a large bowl and pour the sugar mixture over the top while mixing; stir until the granola is well coated.
• 2. Press into an 8- or 9-inch square pan and let cool in the fridge. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Variations

• Dried Fruit Bars: Use just about any dried fruit here; dates or dried figs are great, as are dried apricots, raisins, plums, pears, and more: Substitute 11/2 cups dried fruit for the honey and brown sugar. Put the dried fruit and oil in a food processor and purée until smooth, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides if necessary. (Add small amounts of water if the fruit is dried out and not processing.) Proceed with the recipe.
• Orange-Spice Granola Bars: Add 1 tablespoon chopped orange zest, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each ground cardamom and ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
• Nutty Granola Bars: Substitute 1 cup mixed or single toasted roughly chopped nuts and whole seeds for 1 cup of the granola.
• Peanut (or Any Nut) Butter Granola Bars: Practically a power bar: Substitute peanut or any nut butter for the brown sugar.

From http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/04/homemade-granola-bars/

Strawberry Cheesecake Doughboy Smoothie

This version of the Dough Boy tasted like melted strawberry cheesecake ice cream! Just look at that fluffy texture!

Ingredients (1 smoothie)

• 5 strawberries
• 1/3 cup raw rolled oats
• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt (Whole Foods organic)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp chia or flax seeds (optional)
• No banana!!!! (Which helped make this taste the most cheesecakey, I think!)
• Pinch of salt
• Sprinkle cinnamon

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Do not blend. Put blender in the fridge overnight. In the morning, blend!
• Pour into bowl and top with berries and the most delicious granola you can find!

From http://www.katheats.com/recipage?recipe_id=6001862