What's for dinner? - English Foods

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In case you hadn't guessed by my sparse updates, I have moved back to England!  Woo! 
There has been a steep decrease in fancy breakfasts as well, as this is about as fancy as it gets now:

To be fair, who wouldn't want to eat a cereal with actual pieces of dark chocolate in it (O MY GOD!).

Moving back to England also means eating like a student again.  Unfortunately, eating like a student basically looks like this:

Not gonna lie, I do love me some Chinese Chow Mein ramen-style noodles.
Now if I could just get one of the house's two blenders to work, I could make No-Bits Broccoli and Potato Soup for dinner!  On a side note: we have four can openers, all of which are broken.  WHY ARE THEY STILL HERE?!

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Sweet n Salty Trail Mix

This colorful concoction is a grab bag of stand-alone snacks.  Though not exactly high-class, there is something very aesthetically appealing about the bright and earthy colors contrasting in a bowl.  These same items work, taste-wise, for the same reason... as the salty plays off the sweet, and vice-versa!  There is no perfect recipe for trail mix, as it really depends on your personal taste.  Though trail mixes often contail small chocolate pieces, dried fruits, mixed nuts, and/or some sort of crunchy bread.

My trail mix includes:

• Mini M&Ms
• Dark chocolate M&Ms
• Pretzel sticks
• Caramel popcorn
• Mini marshmallows
• Sun-dried California raisins
• Honey-roasted peanuts

Made vegetarian by removing the marshmallows.  Damn cow marrow.  *shudder*

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Easy Mint Meringues

You will need:
4 egg whites
4 drops of lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 tsp mint extract
1 1/2 granulated sugar

1. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until white and frothy.

2. Add 4 drops of lemon juice, salt, and mint extract.  Slowly add the sugar while beating.

3. Beat mixture until it is able to hold stiff peaks and does not slide out of the bowl if held at an angle or upside-down.  This may take a while, but is very important.  After mixture has thickened is a good time to preheat the oven to 225 °F (about 110 °C)

4. Add mixture to a large pastry bag (or strong plastic bag with a corner cut off to act as a pastry bag).

5. Pipe out in a spiral (see top photo).

6. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 225 °F. Leave the meringues in the oven for another hour without the heat on. Do not open the oven until after this hour.

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Heart-Shaped BBQ Chicken Pizzas and Mini Pepperoni Pizzas

Scroll down for homemade pizza dough recipe...

Heart-Shaped BBQ Chicken Pizza

For toppings you will need (in this order):

BBQ Sauce, thinned slightly with water

Cooked or grilled chicken pieces

Shredded mozzarella cheese

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Mini Pepperoni Pizzas

For toppings you will need (in this order):
Jar of pizza sauce (or make your own!)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepperoni slices

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Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

You will need:
1 packet quick rise-dry yeast
1 cup water
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour

1. Combine dry ingredients: salt, sugar, flour, and yeast in a medium bowl.

2. Heat water to 130 F, immediately add water (once heated) and oil.  Stir until thick.

3. Turn dough onto floured surface, kneading for 5 minutes.

4. Return dough to bowl and cover with kitchen towel, let sit for 5 minutes.

5. Roll out dough, keeping in mind it will rise to nearly twice its height (mine are thick-crust).

6A. For heart-shaped pizza, there is no real trick.  Simply (and carefully) traced the shape of a heart using a sharp knife.

6B. For mini pizzas, find a suitable-sized cookie cutter or makeshift circle to trace (upside down bowl or cup works fine as well).  Place down on dough and cut around.  Roll out scraps to form 1 last pizza.

7. Grease pan and arrange pizzas.

8. Use fork to poke holes in dough.

9. Cover with kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 F.

10. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes.  Be sure to have toppings ready.

11. Remove pizza crusts from oven, and cover with toppings.

12. Replace in oven, generally 5-10 minutes, or until cheese has melted or slightly browned.

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