Veggies

A meal of roasted chicken and polenta left me feeling a bit 'blah' on Sunday afternoon so I decided to go with something light and simple.  I was also surprising my ladyfriend with dinner while she was surprising me with pizza.  We had a lot of food.  Her cupboards tend to be a little sparse but I have been coaxing her into buying a new spice each month which has given me some tools to work with.  I went to task armed with garam masala, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Ingredients:

3 Baby Indian Eggplant

3 cloves garlic

1.5 yellow Squash

1 Tomato

1 Handful Mushrooms

1.5 Red Onion

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Garam Masala

Black Pepper

Olive oil

To do:

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan

Saute onions and garlic until the onions are translucent

Add remaining vegetables

Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, and garam masala.

Saute until vegetables are soft.

Serve with rice.

White Wine Pasta with Curry Chicken

If I could only eat one thing during all of my remaining days, it would be pasta.  I have a few go-to recipes but pasta with a white wine sauce and curry chicken is my favorite by far.  Now, I am not a fan of measurements unless I am baking.  Cakes tend not to appreciate me 'winging' it but pasta does not seem to mind.  Therefore, all measurements provided are approximation and can be easily changed to your liking.

What to buy:
1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil, plus a teaspoon for cooking chicken
A few splashes of white wine (I prefer a dry wine for this recipe but have used a moscato when it was open in my fridge.  No complaints)
Teaspoon of butter (optional)
Rosemary
Oregano
Basil (fresh is better)
Thyme
Parsley
Red Pepper Flakes
Black Pepper
Cajun Powder
2-3 tablespoons Curry Powder
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1-2 Chicken Breasts
                                                                 Spaghetti noodles

What to do:

Chicken

If you are using frozen chicken breast, and I suspect you are, boil it for 25-30 minutes or until the salmonella has been annihilated.  Remove chicken from water and shred it (I use two forks because I prefer not to get my hands dirty and because it is piping hot).  Shred it, don't cube it.  My recipe, my rules.

Put a tablespoon (or so) of olive oil into a large stir fry pan and heat it on high.  Add your now shredded chicken into the pan once the oil is hot.  Throw as much curry powder and black pepper as you heart desires onto the chicken as you saute it.  Saute the chicken until it is blackened/ becomes crunchy on the outside, this may require firmly pressing it against the pan.  It makes it better, trust me..  Optionally, you may also add some Cajun or creole seasoning to the chicken.  Once cooked, remove and place it in a bowl as you make the sauce.

Noodles
Begin boiling water in a sauce pan.  Add the noodles once it begins to boil.  They will take approximately 7 minutes to cook.

Sauce

Add the remaining olive oil into the pan and allow it to get hot.  Feel free to your garlic as you wait.  I recommend fresh garlic because I am a garlic kind of girl but the pre-minced canned varieties turn out okay.

Add your garlic and saute for a minute or so.  Turn down the heat to avoid burning it.  Once that is all set, add your herbs, red pepper flakes, and more pepper (and butter if you so choose).  Finally, add a few splashes of wine.  Allow the wine to simmer for several minutes.  You will know the sauce is done when it stops tingling your nose when you lean over the pan.

Finale

Place the now cooked noodles into bowls, add the chicken that had been set aside (reheat if necessary), and pour your sauce over the top.

I recommend adding fresh basil once it is done because basil makes everything better.

Pizza on the BBQ

The only benefit to the ungodly heat we experience in the summertime is that it is warm enough to be outside.  This means it is also warm enough to cook outside.  The best pizza I have ever had outside of Italy (and pizzas cooked in a brick oven) is pizza prepared on a BBQ.  Timing is essential when doing this.  Do not make the mistake I have made in summers past which involves trying to dice vegetables while the crust is going through its initial cook session.  It will come out black and may even be foot shaped.  It happened.

Okay so first thing is first.  Pizza is not pizza without a crust.  Many stores provide prepared pizza dough which is extremely convenient.  I approve.  If you do not have this option or you want to be able to enjoy pizza during a zombie invasion and therefore view dough making as a survival skill, here is a recipe:

Dough

1 package active dry yeast
I cup warm water
3 cups bread flour
1.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 teaspoons olive oil


Combine the olive oil, salt, water, and yeast in a large bowl.  Stir well until the yeast has dissolved into the liquid.  Set aside for five minutes.  After the five minutes are up, ad half of the flour to the mixture.  Stir it well.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes adding additional flour as needed to make it dough-like.  Lightly oil the outside of the dough.  Cover with a damp towel, store it in a warm place, and let it rise.

Once it has risen (it takes approximately one hour), roll it out an inch thick.  I love a super thin crust as much as the next girl but the BBQ will turn it into a burnt cracker.  An inch thick seems to work.

Sauce

I make a homemade sauce that is incredibly simplistic.  It involves crushed tomatoes, herbs, black pepper, and olive oil.  Sometimes I throw in a little curry powder just to jazz it up.  Basil, oregano, and rosemary are a must.

BBQing

Allow your BBQ to heat up to 350 degrees. Oil the grills without lighting yourself on fire.  Lay your dough directly on the grill and let it grill for a minute or so until it becomes less pliable. Flip it over and repeat for the second side.  Keep an eye on it.  It is sneaky when one side is already toasted. I grill the second side briefly.

  Once both sides are cooked Pull it out, put your sauce, cheese, and toppings on the side you cooked first.  Put it back in the BBQ and cook until your cheese is melted and dough is completely done.







Plate it.