Sausage and Italian Barley Salad

While visiting my parents, my Mum awakened Justin's passion for barley. Since then, he'd been asking for me to make barley salad, so I finally did! Barley is a great source of fiber and a little protein. To cook barley, cook one cup of barley in 2 1/2 cups of water for 35-40 minutes.
Once the barley is fully cooked, toss with olive oil and red wine vinegar (to taste). Add salt, freshly chopped garlic, and basil. Throw in some tomatoes, I prefer the baby heirloom tomatoes because they add a sweetness. :)
I paired the barley with a mild Italian sausage so the acidity of the barley will be cut by the richness of the sausage. Any marinated meat would work as well! :)
Just an easy dinner tonight!

Pizza Night

If you are like me, you are also disappointed with frozen pizzas. The crust tastes like cardboard, it doesn't have enough cheese or it has too much cheese, or there isn't a pizza with just your favorite toppings. However - frozen pizza is a convenience. But if you have an hour of time one night, you can make your own pizza exactly the way you want! :)
Since my s/o has a milk allergy, his pizza must be dairy-free. Obviously this means no cheese, but if you get enough toppings you won't even miss the usually essential part of a pizza. For the dairy-free pizza, Justin usually has a ton of pizza sauce, then a layer of veggies, topped with at least two sausages and 1/3 lb of pepperoni. I'll give you some tips about making homemade pizzas, especially when it comes to the dairy-free variety!
What you will need first, is to find fresh dough. You can find these at higher-end supermarkets but double-check that it is dairy-free! I prefer the whole wheat dough for fiber. :) One way to really flavor up your dough, especially if you don't care for the taste of whole wheat, finely mince garlic and herbs (like rosemary) and knead it into your dough to mask the taste. Let your dough rest for about 20-30 minutes while you prepare your toppings. For the dairy-free pizza, sausage is a great alternative to cheese (or so Justin tells me). To ensure that your pizza isn't drowning with fat from the meat, remove sausage from the casing and drain the fat after cooking.
I take my risen dough and split it in two to make two personal pizzas. Use a rolling pin, or your hands to stretch out your dough. Top off your pizzas and place in a greased pan at 425 or 450 degrees F. To brown your crust, brush olive oil over the pizza crust. For a thin-crust pizza, cook for 12-15 minutes but for a thick-crust pizza, cook for 15-18 minutes.

For a cheese pizza, here are some combinations you should definitely try!
Low Calorie:
Skim mozzarella with low fat feta cheese for a tangy combination
Skim mozzarella with fresh sliced tomatoes and basil for a traditional pizza
Not Counting Calories:
Mozzarella with regular feta cheese
Mozzarella with goat cheese

These are some of my favorite combinations! By choosing skim or low fat cheeses you can create a tasty combination without piling on the calories :)

Summer Pasta with Sausage

This is a late post since I've been feeling kinda sick - but thankfully when I'm feeling ill, I love to munch on a light pasta. Talking to my friends, I feel like there is often a misconception about pasta. There is pasta topped with marinara, bolognese, or alfredo and then there is pasta tossed with butter. I get bored with these limited options - especially since alfredo and butter are not possibilities!
This pasta is a refreshing option that lets fresh ingredients like basil and lemon shine.
Take your favorite pasta, I used linguine as a medium between my favorite (spaghettini) and Justin's (any thick pasta). Cook the pasta al dente while you cook your sausage in garlic and shallots. I prefer to remove the sausage from the casing and my favorite is sweet italian because it melts in your mouth like butter. When the sausage is 3/4 of the way cooked, add spinach to your pan to cook. When the pasta is finished, drain and toss with olive oil and a light amount of balsamic vinegar. Toss in your sausage and spinach mixture, add lemon zest, and fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste. Add basil for a refreshing, light summer pasta!

Tonights dinner is homemade pizzas! It seems I've been craving Italian as the past couple meals have been following the theme :)
I'm also looking for a Moroccan or Indian dish thats milk free if anyone has suggestions?

Parents Weekend!

Justin and I headed back home to see our parents this weekend - which means some amazing home cooked food :)

It's kinda nice to not have to worry about planning and cooking sometimes - although I think I have it pretty easy most of the time since Justin helps me out in the kitchen whenever he can! :) And sometimes he will even make dinner for us when I'm out of commission! :)

My Mum made this wonderful dinner, a dairy-free calzone with homemade marinara sauce and an arugula salad. First, my Mum made the dough and let it rest in the oven to raise. You can use any dough recipe you like, and if you don't have the time (like me!) you can pick up pre-made dough in the fresh or frozen aisle at pretty much any nicer grocery market (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, ect). Check the ingredients in the dough, but all of the stores I've been to have been dairy-free. Next, my Mum cooked mushrooms, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper and put it aside. She then cooked uncased sausage until 3/4 brown and then re-added the vegetables. She then added the mixture to the risen dough and folded the dough to cover the mixture. Stick the calzones back into the oven until golden brown and serve with your favorite marinara or bolognese sauce! The secret to a really great complementing sauce to your calzone is a bold red wine! You can also play on garlic, basil, or your favorite herb :)

Hope you all had a great weekend and enjoy this traditional dairy meal that you can now make dairy-free! This dish also can be made without meat for any vegans out there :)