Asian Chicken Pizza

I've really been enjoying making pizza for my family every Friday night. I might even be ready to *gasp* try making my own dough!

When deciding on take-out, my husband usually chooses pizza while I tend to gravitate towards Chinese. This collaboration, however, satisfies us both. Oh, the deliciousness; another keeper from Stephanie Cooks!

Asian Chicken Pizza

from Stephanie Cooks

• Pizza dough
• 5 ounces of chicken, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (less or more depending on how hot you want it)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tbsp. honey
• 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• 2 tbsp. sliced green onion

Preheat the oven to 450.

Combine the red pepper flakes, garlic, soy sauce, honey, and vinegar. Stir well, set aside.

In a small skillet cook the chicken. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Heat over medium heat until it thickens and becomes syrup like, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, toss well.

Form the dough. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, rubbing to coat the dough.

Top with the chicken/glaze mixture. Make sure it's evenly coating the dough.

Top with the cheese and sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Top with green onion. Serve hot.

Crunch Bar Pie

This is crazy overdue! I participated in a recipe exchange months ago... I made the recipe right away but didn't get around to blogging it... and then totally forgot. Picture me hanging my head in shame.

Now picture me with a big dorky grin on my face, because that's pretty much what I looked like when I made this awesome pie. I took some shortcuts and made some changes (this was originally based on Andes mints) but the results were unbelievable. There's still plenty of summertime left, and this would be perfect for a barbecue.

Crunch Bar Pie

adapted from Laurie's Kitchen

• 1 prepared chocolate pie crust
• 2 cups whipping cream, divided
• 10oz mini Nestle Crunch bars
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Over low heat, use a double boiler to bring 1/4 cup cream to a simmer. Turn off the heat.

Add about half of the Crunch bars (reserve a couple of tablespoons for garnish) and stir until melted and smooth.

Leave a tablespoon or two aside and spread the sauce along the bottom of the pie crust and place in freezer.

Over low heat, use a double boiler to melt the marshmallows in milk, stirring constantly. Add the other half of the Crunch bars (remember to keep aside the garnish!) and stir until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until COLD.

Once the marshmallow mixture is cold, beat 1 1/4 cups whipping cream until stiff; fold into the cold marshmallow mixture.

Spoon into pie crust and drizzle with reserved chocolate sauce (you may need to reheat it in the microwave to soften).

Refrigerate until chilled.

Before serving, whip remaining 1/2 cup cream and sugar; pipe or spoon over filling. Sprinkle with reserved chopped Crunch bars.

"Chicken" Bacon Ranch Pizza

It's Pizza Friday! This is another awesome pizza from Stephanie Cooks. There should be chicken in here too, but yours truly forgot to defrost the chicken in time. The accidental omission didn't matter, however; the pizza did just fine without it (though I can't wait to try it again with the chicken). We ate this outside on the patio and my husband repeatedly requested that I make two of these next time.


Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
from Stephanie Cooks; originally from Annie's Eats

• 1 batch of pizza dough
• Olive oil
• 1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
• 4 ounces grilled chicken, diced small
• 3 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and diced small
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced small
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450.

Prepare your pizza dough, leaving a thicker edge around the side for the crust. Prepare it on either parchment paper or on a pizza peel topped with corn meal. Drizzle olive oil lightly over the crust and rub it all over the dough, over the edges as well. Bake for 7 minutes.

Top with the ranch salad dressing, spreading evenly over the crust.

Next, arrange your chicken, bacon, and tomato evenly over the dressing.

Top with the cheddar cheese. The sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over top.

Transfer the pizza to the stone. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden.

Top with the green onions as soon as you pull it from the oven. Serve hot.

Roasted Asian Veggies

I'm really not a huge side-dish-during-the-week kinda person. If my main dish doesn't already have a veggie in it, I'll throw a frozen bag into the microwave and call my meal balanced.

Now that I'm on summer break, however, I'm trying to be better about serving fresh vegetables and this one from weelicious is just perfection. It takes barely any effort, and as long as you have the time it takes to roast in the oven, you're good to go.

I would never ever have thought to infuse broccoli and cauliflower with Asian flowers, but I'm glad somebody did. This was awesome, and my kids inhaled it. I combined the leftovers with some couscous and grilled chicken for a perfect lunch.


Roasted Asian Veggies
from Weelicious

• 2 Cups Broccoli Florets
• 2 Cups Cauliflower Florets
• 2 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place florets on a greased baking sheet, top with soy sauce and sesame oil, and toss to coat evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve.

Summer Cookout Veggie Burger

I'm for sure no vegetarian (I could never live without chicken or turkey!) but I try to eat vegetarian several times a week. In the past, though, "eating vegetarian" meant pasta. Delicious, yes, but not exactly protein-packed or very healthy.

So you can imagine, of course, that I was happy to come across Leslie Sarna's Veggie Burger. I've always been intrigued by this concept; a burger? Made without MEAT?! Really? But why not, right?

These were SO easy to make, and I was able to throw some into the freezer for quick lunches and dinners. I gave my husband and kids their burgers on a regular bun, but I put mine on a deli flat and then put it on the panini press. Perfection.


Summer Cookout Veggie Burgers
from Leslie Sarna

• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup rolled oats (non-instant Oatmeal)
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I like to use Panko also called Japanese bread crumbs if you can find them)
• 1 tsp. (or more) chili powder
• 1 tsp. paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• about 3 tbsp. chopped chives
• 1 egg
• olive oil
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 4 oz. mushrooms, finely diced
• 6 sun dried tomatoes, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

In a medium frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers and a pinch of Salt. Let cook 2 minutes on a lower heat. Add mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes; let cook another couple minutes. Let cool when cooked. While the veggies are cooling, in a large bowl combine the Beans, Oats, Bread Crumbs and all the spices and chives. Toss a little and add the egg. Using your hands to mix the mixture until it's slightly sticky and about 3/4 of the beans are smashed. Add in the veggies. Continue to work with your hands. If the mix feels a little dry, add water by the teaspoon until right. If it's too wet, add bread crumbs : ) Form 8 burger patties. Refrigerate for about an hour. (you can also place these pouches in a ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of weeks) To cook, unwrap the burgers from the plastic and cook in a heated skillet with cooking spray or olive oil in the bottom. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side.

PS these should always be cooked on a skillet or frying pan. Unfortunately, they can fall apart if cooked on the bbq.

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pancakes

I've mentioned many times that my husband is the pancake expert in our house. I can never ever get them to come out right and usually end up frustrated, but when he requested pancakes for his Father's Day breakfast, I knew I had to suck it up and do it.

So I did.

I added some chocolate chips and food coloring, and I really think the cake flour made a huge difference. As usual, the Pioneer Woman didn't disappoint, and we happily enjoyed some special pancakes!

(Sidenote: my youngest is currently obsessed with Eric Carle's Pancakes, Pancakes! and kept yelling his toddler version of "Let's make a pancake!" and laughing hysterically at himself.)


Perfect Pancakes
from The Pioneer Woman

• 3 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 cups Milk
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• Extra Butter
• Maple Or Pancake Syrup

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl.

Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.

Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.

Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup.

Tomato Alfredo Pizza

I mentioned a few days ago that I've been making pizza every Friday. As I prepare my menu for the week, I go directly to Stephanie Cooks. Here, my friend Stephanie has an incredible pizza variety and I have bookmarked nearly all of them. Do yourself a huge favor and go check out her pizza collection.

This honestly tasted like a gourmet pizza. My husband and I inhaled the whole thing and, I must confess, I would have eaten more had there been any.

(Disregard the photo - I snapped some pics but then ended up baking it again for another minute or two and forgot to take new pictures.)


Tomato Alfredo Pizza
from Stephanie Cooks

• Pizza crust
• 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tbsp. flour
• 3/4 cup skim milk (or cream if you don't want to take the light approach)
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce (I used sliced tomatoes instead)
  

Preheat the oven to 450. Stretch out the pizza dough on your stone or pan and bake for 7 minutes.

In a small saucepan melt the butter. Add the flour, stirring until it forms a paste.

Pour in the milk, stirring constantly.

Bring to a low boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the sauce is somewhat thick, add the romano cheese, stirring well.

Cover the pizza crust with the alfredo sauce and add sliced tomatoes if using.

Top with the mozzarella cheese. Drizzle the tomato sauce over the cheese.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp.

Pesto Chicken Thighs with Italian Cream Sauce

I have been trying very hard to significantly cut back on the amount of processed foods I serve my family. However, when Philadelphia introduced their new line of cooking cremes, I admit I was intrigued. This curiosity only increased when I saw this recipe on Picky Palate.

My sauce didn't really come out like hers, but this was still a delicious dinner (and the leftovers for lunch were just fab). The flavors just exude summertime, and this meal was filling and satisfying without being heavy.


Pesto Chicken Thighs with Italian Cream Sauce
from Picky Palate

• 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, fat removed
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 2 cups cooked couscous
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme

Place chicken thighs and pesto into a large ziplock bag, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chicken thighs onto a large baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Place cooked couscous, olive oil and parmesan cheese into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Reduce to heat to low.

Warm Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme into a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed. Reduce heat to low.

To serve, place couscous onto a serving plate and top with chicken. Drizzle with warm cooking cream.

Makes 4 servings

Taffy Apple Salad

I have had this recipe for years... well before my oldest son was born. I make it multiple times each summer for barbeques and parties; I have NO idea why I've never blogged about it before.

I omit the nuts because my father and son are both allergic, but I think they'd be a wonderful addition. Even without, though, it's a refreshing and delicious side dish. The marshmallows somehow melt away to meld with the rest of the ingredients and the fruit combinations are endless. I've subbed fresh pears for some of the apples or canned for the pineapples. Mandarin oranges would work nicely as well - mix it up!


Taffy Apple Salad
from The Pampered Chef

• 1 8oz can pineapple tidbits in juice
• 2 medium red apples, cored and diced
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 4oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• additional chopped dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Whisk cream cheese into juice until smooth. Stir in whipped topping; mix until blended.

Add pineapple, apples, peanuts, and marshmallows to cream cheese mixture; mix gently. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with additional peanuts if desired.

Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff - Revisited

A few months ago, I participated in a really fun blogging event - the March Madness of crockpot cooking, hosted on 365 Days of Slow Cooking. One of my assignments was to make Chicken Stroganoff, and I loved it - but I really wanted to try to find a lighter version.

So, with some help from some ladies on an online forum, I adjusted this a bit to include a little less guilt without losing the flavor. Then, instead of egg noodles, I served it over some Israili couscous. Yum!

• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup low-fat or fat free milk
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 8oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup plain lowfat Greek yogurt
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir constantly until the flour is incorporated and the mixture is bubbly and thick. Add the milk and broth and stir until thoroughly combined, heated, and thick.

Combine the chicken, onion, mushrooms, broth mixture, and tomato sauce in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours. Shred the chicken and add in the parsley, yogurt, and and season with salt and pepper. Stir and turn to HIGH. Let sit without lid for 10-15 minutes. Serve over couscous.