Pass it On Week 4: Chicken Pesto Pizza

Well, it's my fourth and final week of Pass it On.  Whether you passed these recipes on or not, as long as you cooked more this week then you did the week before, then I'm happy!  Just get out there and do some of your own healthy home cooking!

You may remember me mentioning a pizza place down the road from us, that Chris and I venture to on occasion.  (if not, that's ok too!!)  They have this killer pesto pizza that we each and every time we go.  We are definitely creatures of habit!  We go in there with every intention of trying something new and each time, we end up with the same thing.  It's just that good!  This is my attempt at recreating the master piece we so very much enjoy!  It definitely did not look as pretty...they squirt the pesto on at the end in this wonderful spiral pattern that I just couldn't duplicate.  I also did not get the dough stretched out like I could/should have.  AND I under cooked the dough just a tad big (Ugh, don't you hate it when you do that?)...BUT.. if I had another shot or two I just KNOW I could perfect it!

Anyway, I could ramble all day, but I won't.  I made this pizza on the grill.  You can use the oven if you prefer.  I'd recommend using a baking stone if you have it, and bake it at about 450-500 degrees.  This is a fun recipe to pass on too.  You can get the whole family involved in the creating process. 

Chicken Pesto Pizza (on the grill)
Ingredients:
1 ball of your favorite pizza dough (or 1/2 of this simple pizza dough recipe here.)
4 oz pesto 
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup pizza sauce 
1-2 cups shredded cheese (your choice, I used an Italian blend)
olive oil 

Directions:

Preheat grill (or oven) to 400 degrees.  Gently roll out or stretch the dough to desired shape/size (i did about a 12-14" round).  Brush both sides with olive oil.

  

At this point you can either place the dough directly on the grill or you can do what I do and pull out a piece of aluminum foil big enough to hold the dough, spray it with non stick cooking spray and place on a cookie sheet.  When ready to put on the grill just slide the aluminum foil off of the sheet onto the grill, when you are ready to take it off, slide it right back onto the cookie sheet.  Grill on one side for about 5-8 minutes, you want that side crispy and nicely browned (you want the dough cooked half way through, but you don't want to burn it, so keep on eye on it).

Remove from grill and flip over.  Spread the sauce on top of the cooked side of dough, layer the cooked chicken, then the cheese and return to the grill for 2 minutes.  Add the pesto in a circular-type pattern and cook until the crust is brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

 

  

Pass it On Week 3: Brava Steak

Once again, this recipe is not from Jamie Oliver, but I'm sure he would still be pleased.  This is all about getting more people to not only cook, but to cook with more fresh ingredients.  This recipe does just that!!  This one is actually from one of my favorite chefs, Rick Bayless.  I use to watch his show, Mexico-One Plate at a Time, all the time.  I loved it!  He was just so informative, it made his show fun to watch.  Just recently, I watched him take the winning seat on the TV show, Top Chef Masters.  He makes some amazing dishes using very fresh, very local ingredients.

So what is Brava anyway?  Well, in Spanish, Brava means rugged and wild.  And boy oh boy is this steak wild!!!  The puree that the steaks marinate in is made from garlic and serrano peppers. (I tried to get a picture of it, but to no avail).  If you are not a spicy food lover, this will be far too hot for you.  Never fear, you can use another level of pepper.  If you want it a bit less but still like the kick, use one jalapeno.  If you want it even less spicier then that, use 1/2 a pablano.  Even less, use an anaheim.  I think what I'm saying is, use the pepper that best suits your spice level.  I think if you find the right pepper, you will very much enjoy this steak.  Even with using 2 serrano peppers, it was spicy, but not unbearable.  It had a kick, but it didn't kick your butt.

So, go ahead...Pass It On!

Brava Steak
Recipe courtesy of Rick Bayless
Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 serrano peppers (or pepper of your choice)
2 Tablespoons lime juice (1 lime)
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 chuck tender steaks (equaling 1lbs.) - or steak of your choice

Directions:
In a small ungreased skillet, roast the unpeeled garlic and peppers, over medium heat, turning occasionally, until both are soft blotchy brown/black in places, about 5-10 minutes.  Cool, then peel the garlic.  Place the garlic, along with the pepper, lime juice, oil, and the salt in a food processor.  Process until the mixture is as smoothly pureed as possible.  Place the steaks in a Ziploc bag and pour the puree over them.  Seal the bag and let the steaks marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

On a preheated grill or grill pan, cook the steaks 10-20 minutes or until they are cooked to your liking, turning only once.  Let steaks rest a few minutes before cutting into them....then ENJOY!

Pass it On Week 2: Garlic Lime Chicken

Ok, so this is not a Jamie Oliver recipe, but I believe that Jamie would give his approval for using this as my next Pass it On recipe. (If you are unfamiliar with the Food Revolution movement, check out my post from last week here)  If you want simple, if you want light, if you want healthy, if you want DEEE-licious...then you must try this recipe. Four ingredients (all fresh by the way) bring this flavorful dish together.  Other then the marinating time of 1-2 hours, this dish can be on your plate in less then 30 minutes...a perfect weeknight meal!!

The directions in this recipe call for you to run the garlic through a press if possible.  If you do not have a garlic press, then smash the clove first and chop it up as fine as you can...this will help release the oils which will help flavor the chicken.  And, if you didn't have lime or don't like lime, you can always use one small lemon instead.  This chicken is so moist (as long as you don't over cook it) it is perfect just by itself.  That's right, the sauce girl is saying this chicken needs no sauce!!  mmmmmmm....I wish there was just one more piece.....

Did I mention mmmmmmmm?  Oh yea, don't forget to "Pass it On"..........

Garlic Lime Chicken
Ingredients:
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 limes, zested and juiced
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
salt & pepper

Directions:
Place chicken in a Ziploc bag.  In a small bowl combine the olive oil, juice, zest and garlic.  Pour over chicken, seal bag, and marinate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat a grill or oven (400 degrees).  Remove chicken from bag and through out marinade.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle. Enjoy!   

Pass it On: The Best Barbecued Sticky Chicken with Lemon & Garlic

 

First...Chris and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend an event last night called World of Flavor, Taste 2010.  Thanks to a wonderful kick back from the company I now work for, we got to taste some of the most amazing food and wines.  I mean they had everything from amazingly tasty shrimp tacos, to sushi (my favorite), to ribs, to pizza and pasta, to the best tasting cannoli I've had in a long time (courtesy Grimaldi's Pizzeria). This event benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Phoenix.  If you are unfamiliar with the Boys & Girls Club, they are about inspiring and enabling all young people, especially those who need "them the most", to reach their full potential as productive, responsible citizens.  This event began as a small dinner party and now 36 years later it attracts about 6,000 guests annually. Anyway.... it was AMAZING.  We would have never been able to actually afford to go on our own, so it was a great opportunity and so appreciated!!

Now..it's time.... for my first "Pass it On" recipe!!!  I'm so excited!!!  This dish turned out to be simple and absolutely delicious!  Wanna know another nice thing about it?  The entire meal I made cost only $11!!!  And when I say entire meal I mean, the chicken and all the ingredients (minus the olive oil and salt and pepper), potatoes, zucchini, and bread.  It was a ton of food for very little money (psst, and it actually was enough to feed 4, we had plenty left over).  If you missed Saturday's post, you probably have no clue what I'm talking about.  In short, I'm joining Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and I'm asking that you join with me.  All you have to do is take this recipe, or any recipe of your choice, for that matter, make it, and then pass it on to someone else.  The object is to get more people not only cooking, but cooking healthy things.

As I was saying, the dish... I believe it's the best chicken dish I've had in a long time.  Honestly!  The thighs got so moist and juicy.  They just sucked up all the lemon and garlic while it roasted in the oven and then again as it quickly browned on the grill.  The flavor was light and zesty and sweet.  The garlic, because of the roasting, was subtle, yet sweet.  The combination was perfect.  So now the goal here is to have you, my loyal reader, re-create this recipe and then pass it on to someone else...have them make it and then pass it on to someone else....and so on and so on.  So, are you up for the challenge?  If you do end up making it, drop me a line letting me know what you think.  If you make it and have a blog, please bog about it and encourage others to...Pass it On!

***Cooks Note:  My mom asked me if you could use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs...and yes, I believe chicken breasts would work just fine....but you are going to want to make sure it's bone-in, skin on..because what the sauce does to the skin is what makes the dish.  If you choose to use chicken breasts, you are going to want to roast the chicken and garlic and lemon for at least an hour, depending on the size of the breasts.***

The Best Barbecued Sticky Chicken with Lemon & Garlic
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Ingredients:
4-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
kosher salt and ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 small bulb of garlic, whole
2 lemons
5 sprigs of rosemary, tied together

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Use a double layer of aluminum foil and place the chicken into the middle of it with the garlic.  Cut one lemon in half and add that too.  Close up the foil and place on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven.  (COOKS NOTE:  after further reviewing this recipe, you should actually put the bulb of garlic in the foil first, drizzle with oil, and let it roast about 15-20 minutes, THEN add the chicken and lemon to the foil, drizzle with more oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and allow to roast the 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.)  

Preheat your grill to medium-high.

Carefully remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the softened bulbs into a food processor.  (for an easy way of doing this, chop the root end part of the bulb off)  Remove the lemons and carefully squeeze the juice into the processor too.  Pulse a few times until the garlic is smashed.  Add about 2-4 Tablespoons of olive oil and pulse a few more times.  You should have a paste.  Add the juice of the other lemon and pulse to combine.

Place the chicken on the grill and baste with the sauce, turning at least twice for about 5-8 minutes or until the skin has browned.  Remove from grill with tongs and enjoy!

Special Weekend Post: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

I don't know if any of you have noticed the link to Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution that has been added to my side bar, but if you haven't...now's the time to take note. 

Jamie Oliver, also know as the Naked Chef has started a campaign in America ...and the UK.  Jamie's challenge was to see if he could get a whole community cooking again. He worked with school lunch ladies and local families to get everyone back in the kitchen, making tasty meals with fresh ingredients – no packets, no cheating. He has started a Food Revolution: "to get people all over America to reconnect with their food and change the way they eat."

(That's Jamie...picture courtesy jamieolvier.com)

Now I'll admit to you, I knew of his "revolution", but had never seen the actual show.  I was shocked, though, to hear what Andrea (The Kitchen Witch) had to say about it...

"The show takes place in a small town in West Virginia in a town that's been identified as the "most unhealthy place in the world" based on CDC statistics. I've only seen the 1st episode of this program so far but it was very powerful. Poor Jamie, I don't think he really knew what he was getting into - this town has NOT welcomed him. In fact they are quite hostile towards him and his ideals. The saddest part of the show for me was when he brought a bunch of tomatoes into the lunch room and asked kids what they were. No kids could identify fresh tomatoes. One child got close, calling them potatoes. Close but no cigar."

Ouch!!  Well in addition to him trying to change the lunch program, he also has a "pass it on" pledge:  he will teach four people how to cook a dish...those four people will teach four more...and so on and so on.

So I'm joining Jamie's Food Revolution!  I would love to hook up with the pass it on week that Andrea and Megan at Tomato Tots are starting/participating in, but I will say that some of the dishes have things neither Chris or myself will eat.  So, I'm going to do things just a bit different and start my own pass it on month.  Each week, for a month, I will make a special recipe and ask that at least one of you recreate it and then pass it on to someone else.  If you have a blog, I ask that you then blog about it on your site too.  I'll use the freshest ingredients and I promise they will be tasty!  It's simple really....you gotta make dinner for the family, right?  Why not make something that is healthy and nutritious for your family.  If you are gonna spend time in the kitchen, might as well come out of it with something unforgettable, right?

Ok...so here we go...my first recipe will be Jamie Oliver's - the best barbecued sticky chicken with lemon and garlic.  I will make it tonight and post it on Monday.  Then it's up to you, my loyal readers, to "Pass It On".

Oh.. and in case you are interested, Jamie's show is on Friday nights on ABC 9pm/8 central.