Thai Chicken Pizza

Thai Chicken Pizza

Just made this for a team building class at work - everyone looked askance at the combination of peanut butter,  fish sauce, chicken and mozzarella cheese on a pizza, but OMG was it good!!  What a PERFECT appetizer for a party!  Here it is:

Thai Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

16 ounces prepared whole-wheat pizza dough (or pre-made crust like Boboli)
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

Pre Oven

1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. fresh ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 9 oz  package Perdue Short Cuts, pre-cooked chicken breast

1 leek, sliced thin and washed

1 pkg sliced Shitake mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

PREPARATION
Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

If using fresh dough, roll out or stretch dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 16-inch oval. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.If using a pre-made crust like Boboli, skip this step.

Meanwhile, whisk peanut butter, water, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a small bowl until well combined.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute 1 tsp garlic, bell pepper and leek and saute, stirring, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.  Add chicken and 1 tablespoon of the peanut sauce to the chicken; toss to combine. Set aside.

Remove the crust from the oven; spread evenly with the remaining peanut sauce. Top with the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Return the pizza to the oven and bake on the bottom rack until the crust is crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 11 to 13 minutes.

Italian Wedding Soup

This is a very simple soup to make, and very hearty!  The classic doesn't include the carrots and pasta and lemon zest, but I like all three in it - definitely adds a little oomph to the soup.  I have made this several times now in cooking classes - it is VERY easy to make, and REALLY tasty.  One note though - a LITTLE lemon zest goes a long way.  I love it in the soup - adds a little acid to cut the fat from the meatballs, which are cooked in the broth - but too much makes the soup too lemony - just a light tsp is plenty.  No pics unfortunately.... thought I took some but can't find them!  Enjoy the soup!  

Ingredients

Meatballs:

·         1 small onion, grated

·         1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

·         1 large egg

·         1 teaspoon minced garlic

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces

·         1/2 cup grated Parmesan

·         8 ounces ground beef

·         8 ounces ground pork

·         Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

·         12 cups low-sodium chicken broth

·         1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)

·         2 large eggs

·         1 cup sea shell pasta

·         ¾ cup diced carrot

·         1 tsp lemon zest

·         2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with parmesan cheese if desired.

Shrimp Etoufee - Pure Cajun Awesomeness!

 - Granted I am posting this on the Wednesday AFTER Fat Tuesday.... perfect timing as always - but this is a great dish anytime!  Take your time with the roux - let it develop a nice warm brown hue - SLOWLY!  The home made shrimp stock is easy, and really adds a bunch of great flavor to the dish!

"Shrimp Stock"

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of fresh Gulf shrimp shells and tails(if possible)
• 1/2 cup of chopped onions
• 1/2 cup of chopped celery
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 whole lemon cut into slices
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 cups of water

Instructions:

• Place all ingredients into a pot.
• Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Strain the liquid out and remove the sprigs and leaves (you want the liquid).
• You've just made your shrimp stock for the etouffee!

 Shrimp Etoufee 

      Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of real butter
• 1/4 cup of chopped onions
• 1/4 cup of chopped celery
• 1/4 cup of chopped bell peppers
• 1/2 can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes
• 3/4 cups of shrimp stock (see above)
• 1 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 bundle of thyme
• 1 teaspoons of Worcester sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of Tabasco ( or more to taste)
• 1/4 cup of chopped green onions
• 1 tablespoons of parsley
• 1 lbs. of fresh Gulf shrimp, peeled
• 1/2 tablespoon of salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper

Roux 
       The roux is the most important aspect of most Cajun food - it is very simple to make, and very simple to mess up if you are not careful!

• Ingredients: 
  1/4 cup vegetable oil
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
  Directions:
  Heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Gently stir in flour, whisking continuously.  Bring to a low simmer, whisking often - over medium heat.  continue to whisk for about 20 - 30 minutes until a dark mahogany brown - do NOT let it burn!  Color change should be VERY gradual.

Instructions:

• Mix the shrimp with the Cajun seasonings.
• Melt the butter in a pot and add the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Saute for about 10 minutes.
• Slowly add the shrimp stock while continuously whisking.
• Bring the pot to a boil, whisk in roux and then lower to a simmer.
• Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the shrimp) and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Add the shrimp and let it simmer for 10 more minutes.
• Serve over white rice and add some Cajun seasonings if needed.

Rosemary Steak Skewers with Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

½ cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbs half and half

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tsp prepared horseradish

1 ¼ tsp Kosher salt, divided

1 ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

1 ½ lb NY Strip, cut into ½ inch strips (about 18 strips)

3 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tbs chopped fresh rosemary ( dried works just as well, just crumble it up )

Directions:

1)      In a small bowl, combine cheese, sour cream, cream, lemon juice, horseradish, ¼ tsp salt, ¾ tsp pepper – and whisk thoroughly. Refrigerate sauce.

2)      Thread steak strips onto skewers.  If using bamboo, I highly recommend soaking them for an hour or two ( or until they sink) in water to prevent burning.

3)      Brush both sides with EVO, and sprinkle with rosemary.

4)      Grill for about 3 minutes per side, until medium rare.

5)      Serve with sauce.

Polenta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Winter Vegetables

Lynne made this last night – it was totally awesome!  Great winter meal, and really simple.  We used fresh beets, which while similar to the canned variety in color and texture when roasted, have a MUCH fresher taste! Be sure to crumble extra goat cheese over the top when you serve it.  Thanks to Ladies Home Journal for the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 beets

2 carrots, diced

½ red onion, sliced

½ large fennel bulb, sliced

3 parsnips, diced

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp dried thyme

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup quick cooking polenta

¼ cup goat cheese, plus some for garnish

¼ cup milk

2 tbs unsalted butter

Directions:

1)      Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Wrap beets in foil and roast for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, place carrots, red onion, fennel and parsnips on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.  Add to oven with beets and roast for 20 more minutes until vegetables and beets are tender.

2)      Peel and dice beets.

3)      In a large pot, bring chicken broth and 2 cups water to a boil.  Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat, and simmer until thickened – about 2 or 3 minutes.

4)      Remove from heat, stir in goat cheese, milk and butter until smooth.  Top with roasted  vegetables and goat cheese, and serve.  Serves 6.