Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Chicken, Sweet Onion & Bacon

While living in Crystal City, Virginia, my husband and I would frequently go out to eat. There was a plethora of amazingly diverse restaurants within walking distance to our apartment and it would have just been wrong to not try them out.  ;) But the main reason we’d go out so often was because I worked late almost every night (P.S. It’s an urban myth that teachers work only from 9-3).  By the time I got home it would usually be 7 or 8 PM and I wouldn’t feel like cooking—especially when I was pregnant! One restaurant we would go to periodically was California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) and there was one visit in particular to CPK that I will never, ever forget!

It was the Friday after winter break so it was especially hard getting back into the swing of things, and at the time I was also 6 months pregnant. I had just gotten home late (again) from work and there was no way I was about to stand on my swollen, pregnant feet to make dinner. So naturally we decided to go out. I suggested CPK because it was relatively close (only about 150 yards from our apartment) and they had that yummy Spinach-Artichoke Dip I was craving. We leisurely walked to CPK, hand-in-hand while discussing our day/week. Once we were seated at the restaurant I suggested we share an appetizer and an entrée (something we did quite frequently), I then proceeded to say I was pregnancy-craving the Spinach-Artichoke Dip so I’d pick the appetizer and he could pick the entrée. Without skipping a beat Curtis looked me square in the face and said “No”.

………………Whaaaaat?!?!?!?!?........................

I was like a deer in the headlights! I proceeded to turn and look all around because surely Curtis didn’t say no to me! To date he had said no to me maybe 2 other times…and certainly never while I was pregnant! But I was mistaken, he definitely said no! Once I was able to pick my chin up off of the table and gather my thoughts I probed him for answers. As it turns out, Curtis had just finished his first week of Professional Negotiations and was testing out some techniques he had learned on me…so not cool to do to a pregnant lady! (And to set the record straight, we ended up ordering the Spinach Artichoke Dip and 2 entrees and left with a lot of leftovers.)

Anyhow, this Strawberry Chicken Pizza totally reminds me of something you’d get at CPK (and the unforgettable “no” I received from my hubby while there). The combination of flavors is so right-on and delicious. To speed up the pizza-making process, I suggest picking up a dough ball from your local supermarket. I picked mine up at Safeway, and I know other stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods sells them as well.

Balsamic Strawberry Pizza with Chicken, Sweet Onion & Bacon

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:

½ C strawberry jam or preserves

¼ C balsamic vinegar
1 t sriracha chili sauce, or any other chili sauce(chipotle would be yummy)

For the Rest of the Pizza:

1 ball pizza dough, your favorite recipe or on purchased form the store
1 C diced or shredded chicken breast, from rotisserie chicken or left over chicken of any kind
½ C bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces, cooked until crispy and drained

½ C thinly sliced sweet onion
12 ounces shredded Italian blend cheese
¼ C fresh cilantro, finely chopped
¼ C fresh strawberries, diced

Directions:

Place pizza stone or an inverted sheet pan on middle rack of oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 4-5 minutes, or until reduced to half the original volume and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Add strawberry preserves and sriracha chili sauce and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Pat or roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface to approximately a 14 inch circle. Place a piece of parchment paper, slightly larger than your dough on a pizza peel or an upside down sheet pan. (The parchment paper will make your transfer of the pizza to the oven so much easier!) Sprinkle parchment paper lightly with cornmeal. Fold dough in quarters and place on parchment paper, then unfold.

Combine chicken with 2 tablespoons of the balsamic-strawberry mixture and mix to coat all chicken with sauce. Pour rest of sauce onto pizza dough and spread to cover. Leave a 1 inch border all around the edge.

Place about 3/4 of the cheese on top of dough and spread to cover sauce evenly. Scatter chicken, bacon and sweet onion over cheese to distribute evenly. Scatter remaining cheese over this layer.

Slide parchment paper with pizza on top onto stone or cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Watch carefully, at this temperature it is easy to burn the pizza!

Remove from oven and let cool slightly, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and fresh diced strawberries.

Source: Adapted from this recipe

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
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Today’s Creative Blog

Basil Spaghetti with Breadcrumb-Topped Tomatoes

I made this for dinner last week and since I’ve made it two more times! It is SO easy and SO delicious; to me this is summer on a plate! Home-grown basil and tomatoes would send this dish over the edge! I think this recipe would be a great way to dress up eggplant, too. I’ll have to try that soon and let you all know how it went!

The beautiful tomatoes...I can seriously eat them on their own!

Basil Spaghetti with Breadcrumb-Topped Tomatoes

I didn’t make any adaptations to this recipe, so head on over to Circle B Kitchen for the recipe!

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
Tip Me Tuesday
Today’s Creative Blog

Snickers Cheesecake Brownies

Snickers, cheesecake, and brownies…can it get much better than that? This is another treat I made for my hubby LSAT students. Luckily I stashed one aside for myself and I am so relieved that I did! They were super yummy, and almost reminiscent of the Snickers cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. This is definitely my favorite brownie mix redux to date.

Snickers Cheesecake Brownies

For the Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix (I personally love the Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate

   brownie mix from Costco)

Directions: 

Line an 8” x 8” pan with foil, and make sure to leave some foil hanging over the sides (this will make your life a lot easier when it comes time to cut the cheesecake brownies). Spray the foil with cooking spray.

Make the brownies as per the directions on the box. Once the brownies come out of the oven, place the pan in an ice bath until they are cooled.

For the Snickers Cheesecake Layer 

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 T pure vanilla extract

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 C plus 2 T powdered sugar

8 Snickers (fun size, 4.62 oz.), chopped into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

To make the cheesecake layer, add the egg, vanilla, cream cheese, and powdered sugar to a medium bowl and mix with beaters until well combined. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of cooled brownies and smooth to make an even layer.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Cool until they are just warm and then press chopped Snickers into cheesecake layer.

Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Using the extra foil hanging off the sides of the pan, lift the brownies from the pan. Using a long, sharp knife slice the brownies to the desired size. You may need to wipe the knife after each cut to ensure cleaner cuts.

Source: Adapted from Bakers Royale

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
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Today’s Creative Blog

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken & Coconut Rice

Recently we celebrated my mom’s 60^th birthday by having a luau-themed murder mystery dinner. I picked up a murder mystery kit at a local games store and it included everything that was needed for the game: the premise, character descriptions with costume ideas, scripts, evidence cards, etc. It was SO much fun!

So, to match the theme of the party I decided to make Hawaiian grilled chicken with coconut rice. Both dishes were amazing, especially the coconut rice…it was so easy to make and so yummy!

My fam all dressed up as their characters for the murder mystery dinner.

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken & Coconut Rice

For the Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I didn’t have thighs on hand

   so I used breasts)

2 C soy sauce (I used Kikkoman’s low sodium, if you use the original, then

   do 1 ½ C soy sauce and 2 ½ C water) )

2 C water

1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
1/4 C of a white onion, chopped
1/2 t minced garlic
1 t of sesame oil
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk

Directions:

Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat. Mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk in a large bowl. Add the chicken and marinade for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done. If you do not have a grill you can use a indoor grill pan.

Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

For the Rice

Ingredients:

Your favorite rice (Basmati, Jasmine, long-grain, etc)

Coconut milk

Water

Toasted Coconut (optional)

Directions:

Basically you follow the direction on your rice package, but replace ½ the water with coconut milk. Garnish the toasted coconut.

Source: adapted from The Girl who Ate Everything

I’m linking this post up at:
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Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
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Today’s Creative Blog

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

This was such an easy (just like the name suggests) and tasty summer-time recipe. I’m sure just about now many of you are bogged-down with zucchini and summer squash from your garden; this is such a great way to use up some of those! Enjoy!

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

I didn’t make any substitutions/changes in this recipe, so please visit Kalyn’s Kitchen for the recipe!

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
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Pina Colada Cupcakes

♫”Do you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain…”♫

I know you all know this classic summer-time/escapism song and I apologize if it’s stuck in your head now…but I definitely don’t apologize for these cupcakes! I made these for my hubby’s LSAT students and they were a huge hit. One guy said he didn’t even like cupcakes, but he does now! Score! I was able to stash one away for myself and I am so glad that I did! I really suggest making these with coconut oil instead of vegetable oil because it adds another layer of subtle flavor to the cupcakes. Enjoy!

***Cook’s Note: If you plan to pile on the frosting like I did, I suggest making a recipe and a half of the frosting.

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Cake

2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 eggs
1 3/4 C sugar
1 C coconut oil (vegetable oil could be substituted for coconut oil)
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 C sour cream
1 1/2 C canned crushed pineapple (drained slightly)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and a light cream color (about 2 minutes).

On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended.

Add in the pineapple and sour cream and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the flour mixture and blend until just combined and smooth.

Fill each paper liner in the muffin tin to about 2/3 full.

Bake cupcakes for about 22 minutes.

Remove the cupcakes from tin and cool on wire rack.

Frost with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).

Makes 24-28 cupcakes

For the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

½ C butter, at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 t vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
1- 1 ½  t coconut extract (this all depends on your taste)
4 C powdered sugar
1 T heavy cream (milk will do if you don’t have any cream)

Toasted coconut (optional)

Directions:

Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.

Add vanilla extract, coconut extract and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.

Slowly add the heavy cream or rum.

Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.

If you want to pipe the frosting on your cupcakes, you may need to put the frosting in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to firm up.

Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.) 

For added flavor and texture, top frosted cupcakes with toasted coconut.
(To toast coconut- lay about 1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 375*F about 4-5 minutes).

Garnish cupcakes with toasted coconut, fresh pineapple, maraschino cherries or paper umbrellas…you can basically make these as festive as you’d like!

Source: Adapted from Glorious Treats

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
Tip Me Tuesday
Today’s Creative Blog

And the Winner is...

Congratulations! Comment #5, Amy, you are the winner of the Uprinting.com customized labels giveaway! I will e-mail you shortly!

Thanks to Uprinting.com for hosting the giveaway and for all of you for entering!

Note: I picked the winner via Random.org

Layered Mediterranean Ravioli Salad w/ Parmesan & Herbed Bread

I was so excited when I was contacted to take part in Pasta Prima’s “Reinventing Ravioli” promotion. The idea essentially is to toss the sauce and come put with a new way of eating ravioli. To help in the process, Pasta Prima sent me 3 of their fresh ravioli varieties: Butternut Squash, Organic Spinach & Cheese, and Grilled Chicken and Mozzarella. All were completely delicious, but the Chicken and Mozzarella ones inspired me straightway to make this recipe!

I absolutely love this recipe. It’s the perfect marriage between pasta and antipasto salad. The ravioli are perfect in it; they make the salad so filling and they really round out the Mediterranean vibe I’m going for! I think this salad would be awesome for summer entertaining and could easily be made in advance, because the longer you let the salad sit in the fridge the better it gets.

The yummy ravioli I used for this recipe.

The cutest sous chef ever!

Layered Mediterranean Ravioli Salad w/ Parmesan & Herbed Bread

Ingredients:

For the Salad

1 package (8 ounces) Pasta Prima Grilled Chicken & Mozzarella Ravioli

5 T of your favorite Greek or Italian dressing, divided

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 1/2 C crumbled feta cheese, divided

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 C chopped fresh basil, divided

1 1/2 C sliced cucumbers

1 can (about 14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered (about 1 1/3 cups)

1 C Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Ground black pepper

For the Bread

1 loaf (about 14) rustic French bread from the bakery/grocery store

4 T butter, softened

Parmesan & Herb Packet from the Pasta Prima Raviolis

Directions:

For the Salad

Prepare the ravioli according to package directions; rinse in cold water then drain well. Place the ravioli in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing; toss very gently to coat.

Place the tomatoes in large glass serving bowl; drizzle with 1 tablespoon salad dressing. Top with half the raviolis, the feta cheese, red onion, cucumber and half the basil. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons salad dressing and top with the remaining ravioli, artichokes, garbanzo beans, olives, and the remaining feta cheese and basil.

Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Season with freshly ground pepper and serve.

For the Bread

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cut the loaf of bread in half length-wise. Spread the softened butter evenly over the bread and sprinkle it with the contents of the Parmesan & Herb packet from the raviolis.

Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let the bread cool for 2 minutes, slice and then serve.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Both recipes are a Food, Folks, and Fun original!

Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

I love making pasta salads during the summer; they’re cool and refreshing…and those two are musts when you’re in the thick of a Phoenix summer. This would be a great recipe for luncheons or showers and it comes together in a flash and it’s very tasty.

Cook’s Note: Some leftover rotisserie chicken would be perfect in this recipe, but I didn’t have any on hand so I just cooked up some chicken tenders in the oven that were seasoned with salt and pepper.  

Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 box (12-16 oz) of your favorite shaped pasta

2 C chopped cooked chicken

1 bunch chopped green onion

1/2 C toasted and then chopped almonds

1 (6 oz) package dried cherries or cranberries

1 1/2 C of your favorite creamy poppy seed salad dressing

Directions:

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to cool it down. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until mixed.

Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings

Source: Adapted from Heat Oven to 350

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
Tip Me Tuesday
Today’s Creative Blog

Customized Labels Giveaway!!!

I am so excited to host this giveaway! The fantastic folks at UPrinting.com are giving one lucky reader 250 customized labels that are 2″ x 3.5″ with 70lb label matte, front only printing, with a 4 business day turnaround! Valued at about $40!

Examples of the Customizable Product!

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The Label Templates that Uprinting provide make it so easy to get a professional-looking product. I love that they offer their templates in a variety of platforms (Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Publisher, etc) so you can use the one you feel most comfortable with!

Besides labels, UPrinting.com offers business cards, business card magnets, brochures, and more…go check them out!

*Now for the Giveaway*

One winner will receive–250 Labels: 2″ x 3.5″ 70lb Label Matte, Front Only Printing, with a 4 Business Day turnaround. Valued at about $40!
The Giveaway ends on Sunday, 8/14 at 11:59 PM PST. I will announce and email the lucky winner on Monday, 8/15.

Mandatory Entry:
*Leave a comment telling me what you’d use these fabulous, customized labels for. 

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*Follow UPrinting on Facebook and leave a comment below telling me so.
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Restriction: Limited to US residents, 18 years old and above only.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive labels for hosting. Check out standard label templates at UPrinting.com.

Blueberry Scones

I am so ecstatic about how this recipe turned out, because it’s essentially the first pastry that I’ve made that actually came out well! These scones had the best texture, and were even better than those yummy ones you can get at Starbucks! This is a recipe I’ll make again and again, enjoy!



Mia enjoying a piece of scone. =)



Blueberry Scones

Cooks Note:

It’s crucial that you don’t over-work the dough…you actually want to work with it as little as possible. Be careful when working with the butter, it should be frozen solid before grating. Also, don’t freak out that this recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter; you will actually only use 10 tablespoons of it. Frozen berries work just as well as fresh ones, but don’t defrost them. If you’re feeling adventuresome substitute blueberries for an equal amount of raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries.

Ingredients:

1 C unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above)

1 1/2 C fresh blueberries

1/2 C whole milk

1/2 C sour cream

2 C unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface

1/2 C sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling

2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t table salt

1 t grated lemon zest

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425° F.

Score at the 4 tablespoon mark each stick of butter, and remove half the wrapper from each stick. Grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed.

The scored butter

The grated butter

Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

The flour mixture with the butter tossed in.

Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

The milk and flour mixture combined.

The kneaded dough.

Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.

My attempt at a 12-inch square.

Dough folded into thirds.

Dough folded into thirds again and ready for the freezer.

Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes (if you can wait that long) before serving.

The dough ready for the oven.

To Make Ahead:
After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 8 Scones

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

I’m linking this post up at:
Metamorphosis Monday
Menu Plan Monday
Skip to My Lou
Tip Me Tuesday
Today’s Creative Blog