Chicken Pizza with Broccoli, Kale, and Lemon

25 May

Today I spent an hour cleaning only half of the refrigerator and let me tell you, it was not a pretty site. We’re talking spills of who knows what that must have occurred who knows when. These spills had overtime created a nice crevice to cake onto and into. I was on my hands and knees scrubbing away at the mess, taking shelves out, getting sprayed by my own sink, slipping on the water that dripped onto the floor.

Today I found a hidden mold creature in my backpack. After taking a closer look I realized that it was a dried apricot from 2 months ago that somehow got stuck to the bottom of the backpack and had begun growing a rancid-smelling and deep gray-green mold. I quickly zipped up the bag and threw it in the corner. I am still contemplating whether I should just suck it up and clean my backpack or just throw it away and never look back.

Today I took a walk to the farmer’s market. I am sort of in this in-between phase where I don’t want to buy too many groceries because I am skipping town for good in 4 days but I need just enough to get me by until then. Anyway, I bought some kale and broccoli and then I made a pizza for myself for dinner. I ate my pizza alone in my empty (literally no furniture except my bed and desk) apartment, staring blankly into my computer screen.

Of course while I was making this beautiful pizza I felt so inclined to munch on everything in site. And then after I ate this beautiful pizza I proceeded to eat a bowl of cereal after. Why? For silly reasons of sheer boredom, laziness, and comfort.

I love food. I love sharing food. I love the idea of food. But sometimes, actually a lot, I feel the need to shove my face for emotional reasons. I’m trying to work on that. Let’s just say its an ongoing process that has its ups and downs. I’m sure many of you can relate. Or not. Whatever. I’ll beef it up with myself.

Well as the old saying goes, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Make this pizza, try not to munch while its baking, enjoy it at a table and not on the floor of your deserted apartment, enjoy it with a friend or a family member, and drink a beer with it instead of a bowl of cereal. Ok?

Great. Because this pizza really deserves more credit than I gave it tonight. It is easy to prepare (especially with Trader Joe’s amazing already made pizza dough). I guess that lately I’ve been into the whole approximating of ingredients (aka lazy method) cooking and recipe writing. Again, whatever, that must mean I’m a good enough cook, right? And you should be, too.

Chicken Pizza with Broccoli, Kale, and Lemon

makes 1 pizza

*Note 1: As you can see below, I really just approximated everything

**Note 2: If you really want to impress, check out the Pioneer Woman’s BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredient Ideas

1 breast of chicken

barbecue sauce

1 pizza dough (from Trader Joes, homemade, or whatever you prefer)

some sauce

some cheese (I used pepper jack and Parmesan)

Some sliced garlic

Some curly kale

Some broccoli

Some lemon zest

A squeeze of half a lemon

Preparation Ideas

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Salt your chicken breast. Coat the breast with barbecue sauce on both sides. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. When done, chop it into bite size pieces.

2. Turn the oven up to 475. Stretch your pizza dough into a nice shape and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet sprinkled with a mix of flour and cornmeal (I love the crunch of the cornmeal on the bottom of my pizza crust, mmm!).

3. Spread your dough with some sauce, cheese, veggies, more cheese, chicken, lemon zest, and lemon juice squeeze. Bake for about 10-15 minutes.

A Cast-Iron Cutie: Cherry Clafoutis, Round 2

22 May

Cherry season. Is upon us.

I’m bringing this beautiful cross between a custard and a pancake to an afternoon party in Napa Valley today.

Check the perfectly browned edges, please. With the lightest, airiest, subtly sweet-and- studded-with-cherry fruit-center. Now this is a pancake that’ll get you up in the morning.

While the clafoutis was in the oven, I whipped up some pasta.

Rigatoni with sauteed onions, cauliflower, and pattypan squash. Fresh pesto made in my mortar and pestle. Almonds. Cheese. I ate too much. It was worth it.

A cherry clafoutis was one of the first recipes I ever posted to my blog. 2 years ago. Dang.

Well here I go again. Cherry clafoutis, round 2.

Cherry Clafoutis

serves 8

adapted from 2 recipes: Saveur magazine and Joy of Baking/figsinmybelly

Once again, I keep the pits in the cherries for two reasons:

#1 It is easier and…
#2 The pits give the clafoutis a subtle almond flavor when baked.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter

2-3 cups cherries, washed and stemmed (no need to pit them)

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or 1 tsp. almond extract)

6 eggs

5 tbsp. sugar (I used brown sugar because I ran out of granulated)

1 1/4 cups milk

2 tbsp. kirsch (optional: I omitted it because I did not have any on hand)

Pinch salt

3/4 cup flour

Confectioners sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a blender or whisking by hand, combine your vanilla (or almond) extract, 6 eggs, 5 tbsp. sugar, milk, kirsch, and salt and whiz for a few seconds until blended. Then add the flour and blend for one more minute until smooth. Let the batter rest while you prepare the cherries.

3. Melt the butter in your cast iron skillet (or any oven proof skillet or pan), making sure to coat the pan and the sides very well. Once the butter starts bubbling, add your cherries, coating them and cooking for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and continue cooking for one more minute.

3. Pour the batter over the cherry mixture. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven midway through baking. Pull the pan out after 30 minutes, you should have a nice puffed, browned clafoutis. Let it cool for a few minutes then dust with confectioners sugar. Slice and serve.

Tags: , , , , , ,

No Cook Recipe: Summer Fruit Salad

20 May

Peel, chop, slice. Eat. Repeat.

The weather is heating up. Time to start freshening up your food plan. Cold, crisp fruits and crunchy nuts are the perfect summer snack or end to a meal. You can spoon this salad over some chilled yogurt or you can enjoy this salad as is with a mimosa in hand and a foot in the pool.

I love the addition of an herb such as basil or mint. This just adds to that refreshing cool. Some cinnamon and a squirt of lemon + zest also add a nice touch to the salad. For a savory kick, you could even thinly slice some red onion or shallot and toss it in. Cucumbers and tomatoes? Some chopped avocado? A dash of chilli powder? Endless possibilities await you.


Today I used a fruit combo of kiwi fruit, cuties (aka mini oranges), cherries, banana, grapes.

I threw in some cashews and almonds as well as some dried cranberries, cherries, and figs.

Top everything off with some cinnamon, lemon juice, and a basil leaf.

No measurements needed, just add the amounts to your liking. No cooking needed, just find a pretty bowl and a dainty fork. Oh, and please and thank you don’t choke on a cherry pit. My heimlich skills are a bit rusty.

Bottoms up!

I’ve Got A Special on Bananas: Bananas Foster Bread

20 May


I had a special on bananas.

A banana bread bake-off thus ensued.

Alongside my go-to Peanut Butter Banana Bread, my fellow baker friend Amy and I also decided to try out Cooking Light Magazine’s Bananas Foster Bread.

I think the consensus was that we both have a new go-to favorite banana bread recipe. Let’s just say that if it includes rum in the recipe, it is already a winner 😉

Bubbly Bananas, Dark Rum, Butter, and Brown Sugar Goodness

This Bananas Foster Bread is packed with good-for-you ingredients like nonfat plain yogurt, ground flaxseed, bananas, and cinnamon and allspice. There is an appropriate balance of butter and brown sugar to tenderize and sweeten the bread just the right amount. And the smell of the warm rum mixture is simply to die for.

Oh yes, and after baking, an easy glaze of more rum, powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of butter is poured over the warm bread.

Amy and I have decided that we loved the edges of the bread because they taste just like French Toast soaked in a boozy batter. Ooo yeah baby!

I’ve had such a great day hiking, eating lunch from my favorite sandwich shop at the top of Mt. Tam, and baking my now two favorite banana bread recipes with my good friend Amy.

Left: Bananas Foster Bread Right: Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Bananas Foster Bread

makes 1 loaf

From Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
  • 1/4 cup cognac or dark rum, divided
  • 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter, and 3 tablespoons cognac in a nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat; cool. Place banana mixture in a large bowl. Add yogurt, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and eggs.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in the walnuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack.

4. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter, remaining 1 tablespoon cognac, and powdered sugar; stir until well blended. Drizzle over the warm bread.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2010

Nutrition Information:

Serving (1/16th of a loaf=1 slice)

  • Calories: 194
  • Fat: 5.8g
  • Saturated fat: 3g
  • Monounsaturated fat: 1.5g
  • Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
  • Protein: 2.9g
  • Carbohydrate: 31.1g
  • Fiber: 1.5g
  • Cholesterol: 34mg
  • Iron: 1.1mg
  • Sodium: 181mg
  • Calcium: 32mg



Tags: , , , ,

Green n’ Yellow Risotto

19 May

I’ve been on a short cooking hiatus. I’ve been busy traveling to New York and back. I’ve been busy graduating from college. I’ve been busy hanging with the family. I’ve been busy dipping into the hot jacuzzi. I’ve been busy listening to the rain drip and the seals bark in Monterey Bay. I’ve been busy eating–eating out for every meal is exhausting. I’m ready to prepare my own meals.

Have I mentioned that I’m moving? I’m moving out. 1 week to go. I am trying to use up the miscellaneous items in my pantry. I’ve been working on using up my wheat germ. Tonight I finished up my jar of Arborio rice.

An ear of corn, a bunch of red chard, one pattypan summer squash, and a few ribbons of basil later, I had myself a fine dinner. Green n’ yellow, yellow n’ green. Creamy yet tastefully textured.

Green n’ Yellow Risotto

adopted from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food (see my post on Asparagus Risotto)

Serves 4

Cut off from the stems and chop 1 bunch red chard

Slice off the cob 1 ear of corn

Thinly slice 1 large yellow pattypan squash

Set aside for later.

Melt in a heavy-bottomed 2 1/2 to 3 quart saucepan over medium heat:
2 tablespoons butter

Add:
1 small onion, diced finely
Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes

Add:
1 1/2 cups risotto rice (I used Arborio)
Cook the rice, stirring now and then, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not let it brown.

Meanwhile, bring to a boil and then turn off:
4-5 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)

Pour into your simmering rice:
1/2 cup dry white wine

Cook, stirring fairly often, until all the wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm broth and cook at a vigorous simmer, stirring occasionally. When the rice starts to thicken, pour in another 1/2 cup of the broth and add some salt (how much depends on the saltiness of the broth). Keep adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, every time the rice thickens. Do not let the rice dry out. After 12 minutes stir in the prepared veggies. Cook until the rice is tender but still has a firm core, 20 to 30 minutes in all. When the rice is just about done, stir in:
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir vigorously to develop the creamy starch. Taste for salt, adding more as needed. Turn off the heat, let the risotto sit uncovered for 2 minutes, and serve. Add a splash of broth if the rice becomes too thick.

Top everything off with basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →