Sunday, October 25, 2015

hawaiian BBQ chicken pizza... 1 hours and 35 minutes


the goods:

dough:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3/4 cup barbecue sauce, divided
4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped or torn
1 clove garlic, minced

 To make dough: pour 1 and 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated. Gently stir the yeast/water mixture and slowly drizzle it into the flour mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Drizzle a little olive into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough into the bowl and turn over to coat in oil. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Brush both sides of chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, rotating once halfway through, and brushing with 3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce during the last 1-2 minutes of grilling. Remove from grill and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
 Stretch or roll the dough to desired shape, size, and thickness on a floured sheet pan. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic. Brush entire surface of dough with oil and let rest 10 minutes. Cut chicken into cubes. Brush dough with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, then top with chicken, pineapple, and bacon. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake in oven on a pizza stone until crust is golden, about 11-13 minutes. Slice and serve topped with cilantro.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

sweet strawberry chicken salad... 15 minutes


the goods:

6 cups baby mixed greens
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup candied pecans
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

strawberry balsamic dressing:
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
4 large strawberries, hulled and sliced

In a food processor, add all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, grilled chicken, strawberries, and blueberries. Top with pecans and blue cheese crumbles. Drizzle with strawberry balsamic dressing.

Friday, October 23, 2015

brisket tacos... 8 hours

the goods:

2-4 pound beef brisket, trimmed of fat
2 ounces liquid smoke per pound of meat
2 bay leaves
12 ounces beer
flour tortillas, warmed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
finely grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and limes, for serving

Season brisket with salt and pepper. In a slow cooker, place brisket, bay leaves, liquid smoke, and beer. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the brisket and shred the meat. In a large skillet over low heat, add canola oil. Cook onion slices for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent. Season with salt and balsamic vinegar, and cook another 2 minutes, stirring to combine. Serve brisket with warm tortillas, caramelized onions, and other toppings.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

grilled pineapple pork sandwiches... 8 hours


the goods:

2 pounds pork shoulder or butt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, and diced
1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
8 Hawaiian sandwich buns
1 pineapple, peeled and cored
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
 BBQ sauce, for serving

Place pork shoulder, garlic, onion, peppers, jalapeno, pineapple juice, and soy sauce in a slow cooker. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Shred directly in the slow cooker with two forks. Cover a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use tongs to transfer meat to baking sheet, letting the extra juice drip off back into the slow cooker before transferring. Arrange meat in an even layer and bake for 15 minutes or until some pieces turn golden brown. Remove the meat from the oven and gently toss with tongs. Drizzle with juice from slow cooker if too dry.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the pineapple into rings, then cut the rings in half. When the skillet is hot add the pineapple slices and sear them for a few minutes on each side.
Arrange the meat on each bun, top with pineapple slices, sprinkle with cilantro, and add BBQ sauce to the top bun if desired.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

garlic panko salmon... 25 minutes


the goods:

4 salmon fillets
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 and 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley


Preheat oven to 440 degrees. In a small bowl, combine dijon, and honey. Place salmon fillets, skin-side-down, on a greased baking sheet. Spread the mustard mixture over each fillet. Bake for 13-15 minutes depending on fish thickness.
While salmon is cooking, in another bowl, toss together panko breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute breadcrumb mixture until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. When salmon comes out of the oven, top with panko mixture and serve with lemon wedges.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

chicken chow mein... 20 minutes


the goods:

1 pound chow mein noodles
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1 and 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
4 scallions, chopped
1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil

Prepare noodles according to package directions. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil; set aside. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and celery and cook until chicken is halfway cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, scallions, and ginger and saute until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes, adding garlic during last minute of cooking. Toss in pasta, then pour sauce mixture over top and toss to coat.