Monday, March 19, 2012

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love making Homemade pizza, crust included. You can make any creation that you want. This is my Husbands favorite pizza. I really like it too. Although I pick off the red pepper. But he likes it and I like him, so I put the red pepper on. The crust is just perfect.
Mix all your crust ingredients together (sorry I didn't get a picture of the crust process, but it is really straight forward). Press into a pan and sprinkle with a little more seasoning. I like to put foil on my pan and then spray with Pam (or any non-stick spray)
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Just until the crust is cooked through.
Slice your onions, pretty thin.
Carmelize them with Butter. I like to add alittle brown sugar at the end.
Slice your pepper and fry, just until they are a little soft. If you like crunchy peppers on your pizza then don't fry them, just put them on pizza.
Cut and fry your chicken breast. When it is fully cooked add enough BBQ sauce to give the chicken a nice coat of sauce.
Spread BBQ sauce over your cooked crust. Don't go light. Your crust will soak up some of the sauce and so if you don't have enough on there it will almost be too dry when you eat it. You want to be able to taste the BBQ sauce.
Sprinkle with a little Mozza.
Then load on all your toppings.
Cover with cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Until all the cheese is melted.

Slice and serve!!!!
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Dough
2 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 heaping tbsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
4 1/2- 5 cups flour
1-2 tsp italian seasoning
Mix water, sugar, yeast, salt, seasoning. Add oil and flour and mix. Let rise 15 minutes. Then press into greased pan. Sprinkle with more italian seasoning. This make enough for 2 round pizzas or one large pan pizza. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Until crust is cooked through.
Turn up the oven temp to 425 degrees.
Pizza
2 chicken breasts
2 medium onions
2tbsp butter (maybe more)
1 tbsp brown sugar (more if you want it sweeter)
1 red pepper
BBQ sauce
Mozza cheese
Cover your crust with enough BBQ sauce for a nice 'saucy layer'. Sprinkle with a small amount of mozza cheese.
Slice your onions and add to pan along with butter. Caramelize your onions. You may need to or want to add a little more butter. You can add brown sugar if you want them sweeter. They will turn a nice caramel color and be soft. Remove from pan and place on pizza
Slice pepper thinly. Add to pan and cook until tender. Like I said, if you want crispy peppers, don't cook them. I just like the peppers soft. Place on pizza.
Cube the chicken breasts and cook in pan until cooked through. Add BBQ sauce to pan and coat chicken cubes. Add to pizza.
If you want you can use 3 different pans and cook them all at the same time, but I like to just use one pan. Less dishes.
Cover the pizza with Mozza Cheese.
Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

I found this recipe on Pinterest. The original recipe is from Our Best Bites. As I am typing this blog I can't get my link to work, so I will have to put the whole address for you at the bottom of this post. I made a few slight modifications from what they have and I actually think that it made it better. But the orginal recipe is good too.
Whisk together flour baking soda and salt.
In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar. Add egg, banana, sour cream, apple juice or milk, vanilla and lime zest of 1 lime.
Add flour mixture and mix till just combined.
Stir in coconut.
Pour into prepared loaf pan.

Add the coconut to the top.
Bake at 350 degree.
I don't know if my oven is not hot, but it took almost 1hour and 10 minutes for this to bake.
Let the loaf cool. While cooling prepare your glaze.
Combine lime zest, lime juice, and powdered sugar.
I prepared mine the night before serving, so I actually poured a little glaze over the top and let that soak in over night.


In the morning I transfered to a plate and then poured the remaining amount of glaze over top.
Honestly the glaze was the best part, so feel free to make double and make sure that every inch of your loaf is covered in glaze!!!!!
Coconut Banana Bread with lime Glaze
2 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sugar, additional 2 tbsp for pan
1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt
3 Tbs apple juice or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C coconutTopping: 2 Tbs additional coconut
3 limes, zested
Glaze: 1/2 C powdered sugar whisked with 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, sour cream or yogurt, apple juice (or milk), and vanilla. Add the zest of 1 lime. Beat until blended.
Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 C coconut.
Spray a 9X5 loaf pan with non-stick spray. Combine zest from 1 lime and 2tbsp of sugar and sprinkle around the sprayed pan. If you need, add more sugar to the pan. This will give the bread a nice sugary crust.
Pour batter into loaf pan. Sprinkle additional 2 Tbs coconut on top.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Note: Check bread after about 40 minutes. If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil. Continue baking until done.When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan.
Whisk powdered sugar, lime zest, and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top. Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Fruit Soup

This is a recipe that I got from my Granny (my mom's mom). A few years ago I was staying at her house for the weekend and she made this for breakfast. I had to have the recipe. I wrote it down on a note pad that read "A note from Joyce Tulk" . I have written out the recipe on a card of my own to fit in my recipe box, but I still can't get rid of that piece of paper.
My parents were visiting this weekend I wanted something for breakfast that wasn't cereal and wasn't pancakes. I knew that Fruit soup was the answer.
In a pot heat tapioca, sugar, salt and water. Heat to boil.
It will thicken. Pour into a large bowl.

Stir in orange juice. Cool 15 minutes.
Cut up fruit into small bite-sized pieces and mix into orange juice mixture.
After the fruit is added you can cover and store in the fridge overnight.
If you are using bananas, pears, apples, etc. don't cut them the night before, cut and add them before serving.

So fresh and so yummy. I love it.
Fruit Soup
3 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2tbsp sugar
shake of salt
2 1/2 cups water
6oz (1/2 can) frozen orange juice
Fruit- 2 peaches, 1 banana, 1 orange, 1/2 cup grapes, blueberries, kiwi, other
1tsp lemon juice
In pot heat tapioca, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of water. Heat to full boil. Stiring constantly. Pour into large boil. Stir in orange juice until melted.*** Add reminaing 1 1/2 cup water. Cover and chill. Cool 15 minutes. Stir in fruit and lemon juice.
***I used premade orange juice. So I used the first 1 cup of water to make the tapioca but swapped the frozen orange juice and 1 1/2 cup water for 2 cups of premade orange juice.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Mexican Chicken Alfredo


I know, I know. It has been so long again since I have blogged on here.

All my hopes of cooking were dashed when my husband started working out of town, I stopped cooking, and then got pregnant. So most of our meals for a few months were simple and out of a can. Even my Christmas baking plans turned into me sitting on the couch feeling gross.

But now we have moved, I'm not sick anymore and we are back in business for making dinner and yummy baking.

This Casserole was really yummy and really easy. The best part is that because my family only needs a 9X9 pan, I was able to divide this and freeze one for later. Love that. As I have confessed before, my deep love of cooking magazines. This recipe I found in a Taste of Home mag called "Casseroles". It has some really good looking recipes in it.


Fry up some onion and pepper.

Let me also mention that in house new/rental house there is a gas stove. Still not really convinced I like it. But getting used to it.



Add boneless skinless chicken breast. I used rotissary chicken (because it is way easier), but the recipe calls for chicken breast. Use whatever you want.







Stir in 2 jars of Alfredo sauce.







Add salsa, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, milk, taco seasoning








Mix cooked pasta and chicken mixture together.







Divide between 2 greased 8 or 9 inch baking pans (or if needed 1 9X13 pan)




Cover and freeze one pan up to 3 months.
(sorry about the picture, I couldn't get it to flip- annoying)








Cover and bake remaining casserole.






Sprinkle with cheese and ENJOY!!!









MEXICAN CHICKEN ALFREDO




1 pkg (16 oz) gemelli or spiral pasta

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp oil

2 jars (15oz each) Alfredo sauce

2 cups cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup medium salsa

1/4 cup 2% milk

4 tsp taco seasoning



1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions


2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken, onion, green pepper in oil (because my chicken was precooked, I cooked the onion and green pepper and then just added my chicken after). Once chicken is no longer pink, stir in Alfredo sauce and bring to a boil.


3. Stir in 1-3/4 cups cheddae cheese, parm cheese, salsa, milk, and taco seasoning.


4. Drain the pasta and toss with the chicken mixture. Divide between 2 8 or 9 inch pans (or 1 9X13 pan).


5. Cover and freeze one casserole. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 5 more minutes.




*** to use the frozen casserole. Thaw in fridge. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.