Thai Chicken Pizza

I will sum up this pizza in one word: addicting. The kind of addicting where you’re full after eating two slices but go on to eat two more. Even after that, you’ll still be thinking about this pizza before you go to sleep. Anxiously waiting for lunch time tomorrow to eat the leftovers.

You may even think to yourself (albeit briefly) “carrots aren’t so bad… when they are on top of an incredible cheesy, peanutty, pile of delicious". Yes, it’s true. My carrot-hating self didn’t even mind them on this pizza. I may have even enjoyed the crunch of them. Just a tiny bit.

Thai Chicken Pizza (adapted from allrecipes.com)

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

Pizza Dough

• 2/3 cup warm water (120 degrees F)  
• 1 packet pizza yeast
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tsp sugar

Pizza Sauce

• 3 tablespoons RF peanut butter 
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons lower sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame chili oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons honey

Pizza Topping

• 1 boneless chicken breast half, cooked and sliced into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 small fresh green chile pepper, finely chopped  
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Make pizza dough according to yeast packet directions. I used a package of pizza dough yeast which does not require time to let dough rise. 
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Roll out or press dough on a floured surface. Place on lightly oiled pizza pans (I actually cooked my pizza on a pizza stone but use your preferred method).
4. To make the peanut sauce, place peanut butter, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a bowl. Add chili oil, ginger, and honey; whisk until smooth.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, sesame seeds, paprika, chile peppers, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the peanut sauce. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Spread the remaining peanut sauce evenly over pizza dough. Top with chicken, green onions, and cheese.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Garnish with carrots and cilantro.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Creamy Tomato Orecchiette Pasta

There was a serious sale on chicken a few weeks back and I went crazy. I bought about 5 pounds. And since I am the only one living here that eats chicken, or any meat at all, I froze each piece of chicken individually. Perfect for dinners for 1.

Did I mention I got a food processor for my birthday? Well, I did. And life hasn’t been the same. I made my own fresh breadcrumbs tonight. I took a slice of Nature’s Pride Honey Wheat and broke it up into pieces, threw it in and pulsed a few times. Oh, how exciting. And I did the same with my parmesan cheese because I wanted grated and all I had was shredded. Fancy. Big things are happening here.

It took me a while to figure out how to spell “Orecchiette” without looking at the box. This shape of pasta is great for catching sauce. Creamy Tomato sauce. So yum and so simple.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken (for one)

• 1 chicken breast, pounded thin
• 1/4 slice bread, processed into crumbs
• 1-2 TBSP grated parmesan
• Egg white
• Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 450. Dip chicken in egg white then dredge in bread crumbs mixed with parmesan. Spray both sides with cooking spray. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until done (depends on thickness of chicken).

Creamy Tomato Orecchiette Pasta (for one)

• 1/3 cup uncooked pasta (cooked according to package directions)
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce
• 2 TBSP whipped light cream cheese
• 1 TSP dried basil

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Warm tomato sauce on stovetop. Put sauce into food processor with cream cheese and pulse until completely mixed. Pour sauce into pan with cooked pasta and mix. Enjoy.

This meal had ALL of the taste of something that took a lot longer but didn’t take much time at all. And the chicken is perfect for soaking up every last bite of the creamy tomato sauce.

*Thank you to everyone that has voted for my recipe over at the Marx Foods blog. I really appreciate it! If you would still like to vote, please do!! The poll is open until Monday 11/15. Vote here.*

Voting is happening NOW!

If you recall, a week or so ago I posted my submission to Marx Foods and Joanne’s (of Eats Well with Others) Recipe Impossible Challenge. Well voting was supposed to start on 11/1 but the poll wasn’t working. NOW IT IS! So please, if you like what you see, go vote and check out the other great entries!

Here’s a link to my original post: Pumpkin Wontons with Pumpkin Mascarpone.

VOTE HERE!

 

Good to be back…

I guess that’s a bit deceiving because I haven’t been gone. My internet connection has just been really lousy and blogging has been impossible. It’s been super frustrating because one thing I enjoy doing on the weekend is catching up on blogs. Boo. Well I pretty much threw in the towel but gave my modem one more shot. And here we are. At a “normal” speed. Cross your fingers.

My weekend was good. I enjoyed some time out with friends on Saturday night. And Sunday I was up and out early for a quick trip to the mall. But when I got there, the mall didn’t open until 11 and I had about 45 minutes to kill. Yay for Target being open. A new Target just opened in Braintree at the Plaza and they sell groceries. Like as in, meat and produce and I was psyched to score a 5 pound bag of sweet potatoes for under $3!

When I got home I whipped up some sweet potato, spinach and onion “hash”. It was super delicious. I also made an egg & cheese (feta!) on a sandwich thin. It was a fabulous brunch. I was on such a high until I realized I forgot my new cookie sheet I bought at Target! Ugh. Bummer.

Luckily I didn’t need it to make these guys. Chickpea Blondies. Yea, they sound weird. But they are yummy. And they are definitely complemented by the M&M’s I crushed on top. Can you think of a better way of using up that Halloween candy?

There is really nothing to see in this picture other than Griffy sitting politely on the floor hoping that these are for him. Sorry pup. Oh my he needs a haircut.

Chickpea “Blondies” adapted from here

Non-stick cooking spray
15 ounces (1 can) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup strawberry or other all-fruit spread
1/4 cup crunchy natural peanut butter (or tahini)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup + 4 tablespoons AP Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350°F . Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking pan with spray.
In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blend until perfectly smooth, scraping sides often.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Top with M&M’s (if you wish). Bake for 30 minutes.
Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool completely before placing in the fridge and slicing.

These came out super-moist. You cannot taste the strawberry spread in mine so don’t go too crazy with decided what kind of spread to use. Whatever you have is fine. And of course, the whole time I was thinking, “I bet I could put pumpkin in these…”

Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

Have I ever mentioned how much I detest peeling vegetables? Probably not. It really hasn’t been an issue here before. Last time I was visiting my parents I told my mom I don’t eat potatoes often because I hate peeling them. She sent me home with a peeler. Gee thanks. I still hate peeling vegetables.

Stirring? I can do that. Pressing the button on the food processor? I’m a pro. But anything that involves peeling, grating or the likes, I just hate doing. Do I do it? Of course. I love potatoes and cheese and I do what I gotta do for the things I love.

But sometimes I curse a lot when I’m doing said peeling and grating. For the record, peeling a single carrot for these cookies has left me with an orange left hand. The dog ran in my room and hid from me. It must have been the yelping and confetti like shreds of carrot flying through the air. Second thought, it was probably the yelping. The angry grunting. 

And I don’t love carrots. So my dedication and determination to including them in their namesake cookie was pretty tremendous. For clarification, carrots are okay in things when they are the thing. Is that still vague? Further explanation. I can eat them raw WITH hummus or dip. I can eat them cooked WITH seasoning/butter/glaze. By themselves… ick.

The idea of a cookie for breakfast is such a happy idea. Don’t you think so? I couldn’t even wait til breakfast to try one. It’s that quality control I always speak of. They passed. I’ll save the other 7 for breakfast. Tomorrow’s breakfast.

I picked a small one to try. Because it was 7 pm and not breakfast time. Long story short… if you hate peeling things, grating things, etc. make these. You won’t regret it. They are worth it. Even if more carrot ends up on your floor and in your hair and on your clothes than in your measuring cup.

Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies

1 cup flour (I used 1/2 cup AP and 1/2 cup WW)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup natural applesauce (or 1/3 cup vegetable oil)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 cup oats, old fashioned
2/3 cup shredded or grated carrots
1/3 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside

In a large bowl, mix together the apple sauce, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar and vanilla. When well mixed, add the egg and beat for another 20-30 seconds. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until flour is absorbed. Stir in oats, carrots, coconut and almonds.

Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop up big mounds of dough.

Place on ungreased or Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 8 big cookies

Sausage, Chickpea & Kale Pasta

Well, November brought with it my first nasty cold of the season. Literally. My birthday was Halloween and I woke up on Monday morning with a full-blown head cold. Luckily I had the day off anyway, though I had anticipated it involving activity rather than naps and tea. Though I am a coffee girl through and through, I did find a tea that I LOVE.

After days of tea and soup, naps and rest, I’m feeling much better. I was feeling so much better in fact, I welcomed the idea of dinner and a movie. And with Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage thawing, I knew what a portion of dinner would be. Then I stumbled upon this recipe. It sounded absolutely perfect; hearty, warm and a nice change from soup. (even though the pumpkin soup was super yummy!)

Sausage, Chickpea & Kale Pasta (adapted from Bitchin’ Camero)

I started by removing the sausages from their casings. This was 8 links of sausage. When it was cooked through, I removed it from the heat and drained it. Set aside, I warmed my pan to medium-high heat. I also started my water to boil for the pasta. I then added about 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil and about 4 cloves minced garlic to warmed pan. Soon after I added back in the sausage and the chickpeas and cooked until they both started to brown (about 8-10) minutes. Meanwhile, I  Then in the pan went one can of fire roasted tomatoes (not drained) and about 6 cups chopped kale. Once the kale was mostly wilted, I added in the pasta (drained). I mixed everything together and kept stirring until the kale was wilted. I served it with grated parmesan on top.

 Recipe (4-6 servings):

• 1/2 box whole wheat pasta (I used penne)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 links Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (removed from casings)
• 1 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chopped kale (washed, stems removed)

Pecorino or Parmesan cheese for grating.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Yep, I’m still on my pumpkin kick. Sorry for the redundancy but I just cannot get enough of the stuff. But I think you’ll really like this one.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup sweet corn
• 1 can Rotel (or salsa)
• 1 TBSP minced garlic
• 1 TSP chili powder
• 1/2 TSP ground cumin
• 1/2 TSP cayenne pepper
• Optional toppings: sour cream, greek yogurt, shredded cheese, guacamole

Directions:

Spray a medium pot with nonstick spray and bring to medium heat. Place garlic in pot. Stir and cook for about a minute. Add broth, chili powder, ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer.

Add pumpkin and mix well. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Top with any of the optional ingredients before serving.

Makes about 4-6 servings.