Greek Pizza for Foodie Friends Friday

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Just another version of awesome pizzaness!

Toppers: Chicken, Baby Arugula, Onion, Peppers, Garlic, Tomato slices, Feta Cheese

First get your dough ready:

Dough Recipe

Oven should be the highest it can go- mine goes to 550 degrees F.  Let it preheat, along with your pizza stone if you have one (and if you don't just use a pizza pan or baking sheet)

Ingredients

• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into small bite sized pieces
• 1 large tomato sliced
• 2 large handfuls of baby arugula
• 1/2 pepper, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• a fist sized piece of feta cheese, crumbled
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a skillet saute the chicken breast and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
2. When cooked through remove from skillet and reserve.  Then add half an onion, half a pepper (I used green bell pepper) and garlic.  Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. When the dough is ready roll out and lay on your stone/pan.  Then layer your sliced tomatoes, chicken, pepper onion mixture, arugula and then finally the cheese.
4. Cook for about 12 minutes and always keep an eye on it- because sometimes it will cook faster or slower depending on crust thickness and oven temps.
5. When it came out I drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and let cool a couple minutes then slice and serve!

You can also top with some olives- yum.

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Please check out my fellow Friday Foodie Friends…

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom
Robyn at Robyn’s View
Angie at A lil Country Sugar
Wayne at Passione Per Cucina
Sarah at Everything in the Kitchen Sink
Michelle at From Calculus to Cupcakes
Marlys at This and That
Lois at  Walking on Sunshine
Erika at Chef Picky Kid and Me
Lindsey at Family Food Finds
Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings
Skye at A Virtual Essence
Sheri at Homemade Served Here
Keira at Luscious Delights
Amber at Mama’s Blissful Bites
Rhiannon at Baked In The South
Brianne at For the Love of Food (and Eating!)
Pooja at Saffron N Appetite

Last Weeks Top 3 Voted Recipes

1. Marlys at This and That with her Lemon Lime Sugar Cookies

2. Spatulas on Parade with Fish Tacos 

3. Spatulas on Parade with Sock It To Me Cake

Last Weeks Top 3 with for Most Clicks Are:

1. Spatulas on Parade for the Sock It To Me Cake

2. Chef Picky Kid for the Teriyaki Pulled Chicken

3. Country Girl at Home with the Chocolate Gravy

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Stuffed Mini Meatloafs w/ Veggies and Goat Cheese

These were so good and perfect little portion size.  Serve it up with this easy brown rice because they basically cook for the same amount of time.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of lean ground turkey
• 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 2 small grated carrots
• 1/2 onion, 1/4 grated and 1/4 sliced or chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 handfuls of parsley, one for the meat, one for the rice
• 1 small zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 roasted red pepper
• 4 handfuls of arugula
• about 2 oz of goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. In a bowl combine the first 9 ingredients (use the grated 1/4 of the onion).   
3. In a small skillet cook the zucchini and sliced 1/4 onion until soft. Set aside and let cool.
4. Roast your own red pepper on the stove top or used jarred. Slice into thin strips. 



From start to beginning

5. The meat should make about 4 baseball sized portions.  On a cutting board shape the meat flat and top with the cheese (reserving about a tab or small spoonful if making the rice as well), arugula, zucchini, onions and roasted red pepper.
6. Roll up the meat and then seal the edges.  Don't be afraid to get a handle on it and smoosh it around, just reshape into a small oval.
7. Place on a baking sheet coated with non stick spray and then spray the meat loaves as well.  
8. Cook for 45 mins to an hour or until cooked through and browned.

Brown Rice

Cook off the brown rice as directed, when done add the other handful of parsley and last tab of goat cheese. Stir until combined.

DIY Italian Bistro Lunch & Cocktails

So to celebrate my Mom's 39th birthday (again) she wanted some Italian themed food.  I like when the whole family comes to our house instead of going out- we can relax, stay as late as you want, drink as much as you want and most importantly watch the Giants game ;)  There are 6 of us usually and they come with the booze and I'll cook up the meal- having a great time + saving money + everyone pitching in = a normal family gathering for us.

My mom is a bruschetta fanatic- it is always a must have.  So to change it up I made homemade focaccia bread instead of just regular Italian bread- which came out perfect and is oh so good.  Here's the menu run down:

Appetizer

Homemade Focaccia with Bruschetta
Romaine and Fennel Salad
Raspberry Bellinis

Main Lunch

Paninis!
Caprese- Homemade pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes on Italian artisan bread
Proscuitto, arugula, and provolone on roasted garlic artisan bread
Genoa Salami, hot capicola, homemade roasted red peppers, provolone and arugula on whole wheat artisan bread

The last panini combo was the favorite!

Dessert

(Healthy) Lemon Semifreddo with raspberry and almond topping



Wow- this seems like such a lot of work when I actually typed it out! But it really wasn't- just some good planning and prep can make your party easy and enjoyable.

First things first: food shopping the day before.  I basically made the deli counter lady crazy.  I ordered all the meat and cheese pre-sliced so all I needed to do was put on the bread and fry.  I also picked up frozen bags of raspberries because they were on sale and of course all the other fresh ingredients I needed.

When I got home from food shopping I made the pesto, roasted red peppers (you can also just pick up a jar of them no biggie), and the lemon semifreddo.  By the way, semifreddo is like an Italian sherbet.

Fast forward to the day of- I made the focaccia in the morning (which you could have done the night before but I wanted it super fresh and it made the house smell wonderful), pureed the raspberries in the blender, and made the bruschetta (which could also have been made in advance).  When we were all done with the appetizers I just assembled the sandwiches and fried them up. Simple!

So the focaccia recipe is again Anne Burrell's but I this time I used a bit less flour and a bit more yeast.  Can't deny the fact that this is a great simple recipe.

Then you slice the small squares again through the middle and make a small little bruschetta sandwich!

Pesto

• 1 big bunch of basil leaves (about 1-2 cups)
• handful of parsely
• 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese (Or pecorino)
• 2-3 tablespoons of pine nuts
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Throw everything into a food processor or blender except the oil.  Get everything chopped then slowly add the oil to make a pesto as thin or thick as you like. Freezes wonderfully- but mine never makes it to the freezer ;)



Bruschetta Recipe

• 4 large tomatoes, diced (I have also used canned diced tomatoes before- just drain them well)
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 1 bunch of basil, torn or chiffonade
• Extra virgin olive oil- about 1/3 cup
• salt to taste

Combine everything and let sit to marry the flavors.

Romaine and Fennel Salad
I wanted something light and crunchy to go along with my focaccia and bruschetta

• 2 heads of romaine, sliced
• 1/2 bulb of fennel (aka anise), sliced paper thin- save a couple fronds for garnish (the green leafy stuff on the top of the bulb)
• orange zest (optional)
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt and pepper

To make the dressing combine the lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper, then whisk in the oil until it looks like a dressing.  Toss the romaine and fennel together and zest the orange on top for garnish as well as the fennel fronds.  I served the salad undressed, then had everyone pour the dressing on their own salad.  Just don't overdress the salad or it will make the lettuce heavy.  (I also made the salad ahead- if you do this definitely do not add the dressing).  Thinly sliced red onion would be nice in this salad too.

Raspberry Bellinis

So a Bellini is a classic Italian cocktail made with peach and prosecco.  I decided to change it up with raspberries. 

• 2 bottles of good Prosecco (or any sparkling wine/champagne)
• 1/2 bag of frozen raspberries
• 1/2 cup of triple sec (this is really just to help the raspberries in the blender- you could omit or just use water or another flavored liquor)

Blend the raspberries with the extra liquid of your choice until it is a puree.  You can choose to strain out the seeds and pulp- I was in a rush and forgot but they were still good.  You can either make the drinks individually by adding a bit of puree to the bottom of each glass or (like I did) make a pitcher- one bottle at a time.

Panini

Panini is just a hot squished sandwich.  I do not have a panini press- but I do own a cast iron skillet.  If you don't own a heavy pan you can just weigh it down with whatever you have- a large can of beans or tomatoes etc.  One thing about paninis is that it is a good idea to make sure you have a piece of cheese directly on the bread on BOTH sides- so it acts like glue to stick everything together

Caprese: is the classic combo of basil, mozzarella and tomato.  Just slice the bread, slather both sides with pesto, top with cheese and tomato and put in a skillet with a bit of oil and pop the cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich to weigh it down. 

Prosciutto: I used sliced prosciutto, provolone and arugula in this sandwich on a roasted garlic bread. Same technique as before

Salami: This one was the best! And everything you can get right at the deli! Genoa Salami (which is a sweeter salami), Hot capicola is another type of salami-which is from the shoulder or neck- they even have sweet versions, Roasted red peppers , arugula and provolone.  Pile everything up, squish down and fry until the cheese is melty and delicious!



Did this the night before. Oh and check out my new magnetic knife holder I got for Christmas!

 Onto the dessert....

Ok so I basically followed Anne Burrell's Lemon Semifreddo recipe but of course I forgot to buy heavy cream- so I had to improvise (and pray it worked) and then when it did work out I got to call it "healthy" hehe.  This needs to set for AT LEAST 6-8 hours- so I suggest you do this the day before.

• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• other half a bag of frozen raspberries left over from the bellinis
• 8 eggs- yolks and whites separated
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 3 lemons, zested and juiced
• 2 pinches of salt

Start by prepping the pan- take a loaf pan or even a small casserole dish and line with plastic wrap (for easy removal later!) then in the bottom (which will eventually become our top) coat with crushed raspberries and nuts. 

Separate the egg yolks and whites into two separate bowls- set the whites aside.  Add the sugar, lemon zest and juice and one pinch of salt to the yolks and whisk to combine.  Now we need to set up a double boiler.  In a sauce pot, that will snugly and comfortably fit your bowl with the yolks (obviously the bowl must be glass or metal), fill the pot with just an inch of water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Put your yolk bowl on top and continuously stir the eggs until the temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.  This takes about 10 minutes.  DO NOT STOP STIRRING or you will end up with scrambled eggs.  When it reaches the correct temperature take off the heat and set aside. 

I didn't use a snug fitting bowl and it took SOOOOOO long- don't let the steam escape!

Back to egg whites: Add the other pinch of salt and beat until tripled in size and have stiff peaks.  You beat the eggs until it becomes like a whipped cream almost.  Stiff peaks refers to the fact when you dip your whisk in the egg whites, pull it out, hold vertical over the bowl for a second, then turn horizontal, and what is on the end of your whisk should look like small little mountain peaks of egg white foam.



Staight Old School- with Grandmas Hand Crank Egg Beater



Combine the egg whites with the egg yolks in three installments.  The first installment try to cut the whites into the yolks with a spatula.  Next two installments gently fold in the whites as to not let all the air out of them.

Fill your loaf pan- I had a bit left over- don’t worry I'll show you a dessert you can make right away with the extra for the cook ;) After you fill your loaf pan wiggle it around so there are no air bubbles and everything will freeze evenly.  Pop in the freezer over night until solid but still soft (like a sherbet!)

To serve- use the plastic wrap to help you pull it out of the pan and then slice and serve! Super delicious, refreshing and pallet cleansing!

Try one or try them all! Buon appetito!


Oh so back to the extra left over from dessert- now this is not brain surgery- but you are going to have to eye ball it- depending on how much egg mixture you have left- sprinkle some flour into the batter- mix as gently and as little as possible to incorporate the flour (sifting would really help here).  Mix until the batter looks like it has a thicker texture.

Now in another loaf pan or I used these cute ramekins- grease the pan, pour mixture in and top with raspberries.

Pop then into a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden on the edges.  Depending on how much flour you put in you might not be able to rely on the "toothpick method" but hey whatever comes out is at least going to taste good for a quick dessert.  It came out almost like a really moist sponge cake.  I think I baked it for about 20-30 minutes.

Before she went in the oven

Obviously we all had a great day!

Pan Fried Chicken w/ Arugula Pesto Pasta

Pesto is such an awesome basic recipe to know.  There are so many ways you can switch it up! It is great for fresh herbs that are about to go bad.  I had about 2 cups of arugula that was on its way out and some parsley as well, so I decided on pesto.  Classic pesto is a mixture using basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese blended with olive oil.  Essentially pesto means to crush or pound which is how it is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle.  Now-a-days food processors make easy work of it.  So here are the basic essentials when making a pesto of any kind:

-fresh herbs
-garlic
-a nut
-Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
-oil

Sometimes I leave out the nuts because I don't have any, not the end of the world.  I also love to add lemon juice and zest into my pestos too.  I like pestos because they are not rocket science, as you will see from the recipe I don't have exact measurements on a lot of things because I just throw everything in a food processor, taste at the end and if it needs more of one thing I just add it and blend up again, taste and repeat if necessary.  Also, pan frying chicken with a quick and easy pan sauce is impressive and tasty.

Arugula Pesto

• 2 cups of arugula
• handful of fresh parsley
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
• handful of almonds
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
• freshly grated pepper
• pinch of salt (easy on the salt, the cheese is very salty, taste to make sure)
• about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until a loose paste.  Sometimes I add just a bit of water to make it more loose (instead of using more oil)

Boil up your favorite pasta and top/toss with the pesto!

Pan Fried Chicken

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (butterflied in half to make them thin cutlets for quick cooking)
• 1 tbsp salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• about 1 cup of flour
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• oil

1. In a skillet heat some oil on medium low with the smashed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes.  Try and keep the garlic in large pieces so we can remove it easily later.
2. Don't let the garlic burn, keep heat on a low setting until we are ready with the chicken. 
3. While the oil is infusing with the garlic and chili flake, combine the flour, salt and pepper on a plate or shallow bowl (I use the leftover Chinese take out containers, they work perfect). 
4. When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove the garlic from the pan and discard.  Turn the heat up to high/med-high.  Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excessive.  Put chicken in the pan.  We are cooking it only a couple minutes on each side, just until they are brown and golden.
5. When all the chicken is browned on both sides (don't worry it doesn't necessarily have to be cooked through) take out of the pan and reserve. 
6. Add about 2 more tbsp of oil to the pan and then add the onion.  Cook the onion a couple minutes until soft and translucent.  Then sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the flour left over from dredging the chicken on the onions (if you don't feel comfortable doing this, use fresh flour).  Cook out the flour for about a minute. 
7. Add the wine and stock to the pan and whisk until all combined.  Add the chicken back into the pan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Coat the chicken in the sauce and now you just have to keep warm until ready to serve.
8. Plate the chicken and top with some extra sauce.

I served this all alongside my Lemon Garlic Broccoli Sidedish Yum!