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Monday, July 29, 2013

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza with 10 Minute Pizza Crust

 
Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza with 10 Minute Pizza Crust
Ingredients
    Crust
  • 3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 envelope Fleischmann's® Pizza Crust Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1-1/3 cups very warm water (120 to 130°F)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Additional flour for rolling
  • Additional oil for grilling
  • Toppings
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
  • 8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup ranch dressing
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or chopped green onion
Instructions
  1. Start charcoal fire or preheat gas grill to medium-high heat.
  2. Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Add very warm water and oil; mix until well blended. Approximately 1 minute.
  4. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Dough should form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
  5. Knead on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic. Approximately 5 minutes. (I use the dough hook on my mixer and it works beautifully. Just continue adding flour as necessary.)
  6. Divide dough into 6-8 portions.
  7. Pat or roll dough on a well-floured surface until they reach the size and thickness you desire. You want these pizzas to look rustic. I.e. not perfect.
  8. Brush both sides of pizza crusts with olive oil.
  9. Lift each crust carefully with hands and place on grill.
  10. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until bottom is lightly browned and top looks done.
  11. Remove crust from grill and place on a cutting board or baking sheet grilled side up.
  12. Spread barbecue sauce over crust. Top with onions, chicken, and bacon.
  13. Evenly sprinkle cheddar cheese over toppings.
  14. Repeat with remaining pizzas.
  15. Carefully slide each pizza onto the grill.
  16. Cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes until bottom of crust is browned and cheese is melted.
  17. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro or green onions.
  18. Drizzle ranch over the top of the pizzas if desired and serve immediately.
Thanks to: http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/06/grilled-bbq-chicken-pizza-with-10-minute-pizza-crust/

Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie



Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie                      
Prep 30 min
 
Cook 10 min
 
Ready 40 min

Ingredients Serves 1

  1. 1 cup white sugar,
  2. 2 tbsp all-purpose flour,
  3. 3 tbsp corn starch,
  4. 14 tsp salt,
  5. 1 12 cup water,
  6. 2 lemon, juiced and zested
  7. 2 tbsp butter,
  8. 4 egg yolk, beaten
  9. 9 in baked pie crust,
  10. 4 egg white,
  11. 6 tbsp white sugar,

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
  3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

You know the saying, “Don’t dress for the job you have; dress for the job you want”? I like to adapt that statement for my own ridiculous purposes on occasion.
The other day it was roughly 40 degrees outside, which is basically winter-in-Antarctica weather for me (some New Englander with a snowdrift the size of a Hummer outside their door is about to beat me up). Despite being pathologically repulsed by cold weather, I was too lazy to put on a coat. I ran out in a gauzy t-shirt and jeans to pick up some dinner.
When you make a wardrobe choice like this, you can’t curl up in a ball on the sidewalk, acknowledging defeat. You have to grit your teeth and pretend your choice was appropriate for some secret reason only you are aware of. I therefore ignored my goosebumps and impending hypothermia as I walked along the sidewalk to the restaurant, swinging my arms as if enjoying a gentle summer breeze. Upon noticing a guy in a t-shirt clearly doing the exact same thing, I gave him a nod. “We’re dressing for the weather we want, not the weather we have. It’s strategic!” I yelled toward him.
He responded, “Exactly. And it’s only 40 degrees. We’re not even cold, right?”
“NOPE, not one bit.”
I also often bake for the weather I want, not the weather I have. Naomi at Bakers Royale just acknowledged she sometimes uses out-of-season produce, so I might as well make my confession, too, though I might get excommunicated from the blogosphere. I promise I do care about being green and supporting local business. But sometimes I also want raspberries. My lifestyle is admittedly imperfect.
Now that we’ve gotten that admission out of the way, I can tell you that I’m baking for spring.
When it’s cold and rainy like it has been in Charlotte lately, my already sun-sheltered apartment windows let in an even more dreary landscape than usual. The courtyard of my apartment complex, where the grass has stubbornly refused to take root, becomes a muddy landslide. My morale slides right off into the stormdrain along with the river that forms in my parking lot.
On days like this, I need some lemon. And some bright summer berries. (And a sunlamp and some vitamin D and maybe a tropical vacation, but I digress.)
Since I first made Savory Sweet Potato & Chorizo Cinnamon Rolls and Buttery Coconut & Almond Morning Buns, I’ve been looking for new ways to use my favorite overnight yeast dough. I could’ve just made buttery lemon-glazed rolls, but I decided stuffing some tangy lemon cheesecake in my morning buns was a better idea. This yeast dough is a cinch to whip up and is so forgiving — and its second proof takes place overnight in the fridge. The resulting rolls are soft, buttery, and tangy. They almost have the texture of a flaky bread pudding. And needless to say, they’re delicious. I served them with some raspberries and a tall glass of cold milk. Enjoy!

Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns


Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 24 buns
These morning buns could easily double as dessert. They are fluffy, gooey, tangy, buttery, and beyond delicious. I hope you’ll find a space for these rolls on your breakfast or brunch table. They definitely belong in the spotlight.
Roll Ingredients:
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups milk minus 2 tablespoons, room temperature
2/3 cup cold shortening
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 cups flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for after baking
Filling Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon (reserve a little for topping)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg, room temperature
1 stick salted butter (or 1 stick unsalted butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt), melted
Glaze Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 table lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
about 1/4 cup milk
extra lemon zest
Directions:
Note on proofing: This yeast dough proofs for a couple of hours after you mix it up, and then the assembled rolls proof in the fridge overnight, so allow for this when planning to make this recipe. With most cinnamon rolls recipes you could switch this and proof in the fridge overnight and then assemble and proof on the countertop, but I opted to switch that method with these because I didn’t want the cream cheese filling sitting out too long.
Note on yield: I don’t recommend halving yeast recipes; instead, if you don’t want 24 rolls at once, consider freezing some for later.
Note on freezing: To freeze some of the unbaked rolls, just wrap them well before the second rise and freeze them. Once frozen, pop them out of the pan all together and store in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap and in a zip top bag or wrapped in foil. When you want to bake them, stick them back in a greased pan, thaw them in the fridge overnight, proof for the instructed amount of time, and bake like usual.
Mix the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and let the yeast foam for about 10 minutes. Put 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a measuring cup and then add milk up to the 2 cup line. Set this aside. In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and cut the shortening into the mixture with two knives or a pastry cutter until the shortening looks like small peas. Stir yeast mixture and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well, kneading just a few turns. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly sprayed with cooking spray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and proof in a warm, draft-free place (such as a closed, turned-off oven), for around 2 hours or until doubled in size.
After proofing the dough, lightly spray two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray. Cream the softened cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy before adding lemon zest, sugar, lemon juice, and the egg. Mix together until well combined.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick (I carefully cut the dough in half and worked with half at a time to make it more manageable; if you do this, just spread on half of the filling ingredients for each half you roll). Spread the melted butter over the surface of the rolled dough and then dollop the cream cheese mixture all across the surface, spreading gently to create an even layer. Gently roll the dough up into a spiral (I find using a bench scraper to encourage the dough to roll up during this process incredibly helpful) and cut it into 2-inch rolls, placing them close together in your prepared baking dishes (at this point, you could wrap and freeze the rolls for later if you wanted).
Cover the rolls let them rise in the fridge overnight (they will have nearly doubled.) When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, letting the rolls rise on top of the preheating oven covered by a clean dish towel. Bake them for about 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top (don’t underbake or they’ll still be doughy in the center). Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and return to the oven for 1 more minute. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls. Sprinkle with reserved zest and serve immediately.


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Cup Clips-Love this!

Not a common favorite-I love Brussel Sprouts!

What it took for 4:
* 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 Tbs. butter
* 1 pound brussel sprouts, washed, ends trimmed and thinly sliced (then you shred them with your hands)
* 4 thin slices of prosciutto, torn into strips
* 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
* 1 lemon
* 1 Tbs. poppy seeds
* coarse salt and pepper
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the prosciutto strips and sauté until crisp, 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and chop it all up. Kind of like bacon bits! But with prosciutto.
Back in the skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high. Add the brussel sprouts and sauté until they start to brown and soften, 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and sauté another 2 minutes.
Toss in the prosciutto bits and poppy seeds. Toss, toss.

Easy Orange Rolls

 
Ingredients:
  • 2 tubes refrigerated biscuits (the smaller biscuits or the Grands biscuits)
  • 1 cube (1/2 C.) butter or margarine
  • 1 C. sugar
  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
Directions:
Combine the butter or margarine, sugar, zest, and orange juice in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted, stirring frequently.
You may use Pillsbury Grands! biscuits with the flaky layers.
You didn’t have to have a whole biscuit if you didn’t want to.  You could just peal off as many layers as you wanted.
 But they really would work just fine with the smaller biscuits too.
Using a fork or tongs, dip each biscuit into the sauce, scooping some of the zest onto the biscuit.  Place into a well-greased bundt pan.
Pour remaining sauce over the biscuits.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes.
When done, immediately turn onto a platter and serve.  I place the platter on top of the rolls, then flip the whole thing over.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Eating well during Business Travel


My business travel & eating in when the firm puts us on Per Diem and an under $200/night room rate

I welcome your advice, so please, enter your comments below. 
  1. I always try to get a room with refrigerator and microwave.  Then I seek out a nearby Whole Foods because I like to eat organic as much as possible.
  2. One of my great go to items is fill the little hotel fridge with Greek Yogurt, my favorite granola, apples, oranges, grapefruits when in season, Korean Green Iced tea, Almond Milk, regular Organic 2% for my coffee and bottles of water. 
  3. I like the Marriott, or Hyatt Residence Inn because they have a stocked kitchen.  When I cannot get booked there I bring my own eating utensils, and a bowl. 
  4. Lately, when I go to the Silicon Valley to work I stay in a hotel because traffic is brutal!  Since it is close to home I can pack up the car with some of my favorite stuff for the hotel kitchen. 
  5. I like my own Peet's coffee so I bring it with me in a little container to last the week along with my Coffee Press. 
  6. One other very cool thing I like to take along is my little size 4 cup Cuisinart rice cooker. 
  7. Here are some of my favs that with very little ingredients

Make vegetarian or with Chicken
Ingredients:
2-3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth-so it covers your ingredients
1 cup Arborio Rice or any rice that you like
1 boneless skinless chicken breast or Tofu
Vegetables:
1 Carrots or Parsnip
1/2 Sweet Potato
Slice small Onion, leek or scallion
Garlic
Spinach
Spice
Salt and Pepper
Add other spices if you like and cilantro lovers here is a chance to add that in too. Or, a little fresh basil.
Push the switch to on and it will be ready in 15 minutes
Mix and match ingredients for this recipe using your imagination.  I sometimes add a small can of beans, or 1/4 cup of Quinoa, even dried peas or wild rice with my Arborio rice (any rice will do)  I just happen to like Arborio because it makes the rice in this dish similar to Risotto.  And, if you want to use meat in this or other spice just be creative.  The best part of this for me is that it is small and the food is ready fast!


This is it!  I got mine on Amazon
In 15 minutes I can have a delicious one pot meal. 
I have been on a doctor's prescribed bland diet.  So, I adapted it to the approach below.  It is good for anyone that is hungry and does not want to go out for dinner after working all day.
 

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Swami's Acai Bowl

I love Acai bowls
(
pronounced ah-sah-EE)
There are not many places to get them in Northern California so I often make them at home.  I had my first one in Hawaii and was hooked!
 
Two place where I get my Acai bowls are (Blue Hawaii in San Francisco and Vitality Bowl in San Ramon or the Stoneridge Mall Vitality Bowl-Just outside JCP) 
This recipe goes in layers, starting from the bottom (Acai Smoothie pack first

In the blender
2 cups Acai Smoothie pack (in the freezer section at Whole Foods) some have cane juice they also have sugarless
mix in with acai MACA (mixed in with the acai) Hemp, flax, chia seeds, aloe juice (optional)
(blend frozen blueberries, boysenberries, bananas and strawberries)
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen boysenberries
handful of strawberries
 
Topping
2 tbsp bee pollen
1/4 cup coconut (optional)
coco nibs (optional)
granola 
1 banana
gogi berries (optional)
Swirl on some honey (optional)

Thursday, January 31, 2013

A lot of Smoothie Ideas

Jamba Juice Smoothies



ALOHA PINEAPPLE
10 oz. pineapple juice
1 scoop plain yogurt
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops pineapple sherbet
1 scoop ice

BANANA BERRY
12 oz. apple juice
2 scoops bananas
1 scoop blueberries
1 scoop frozen yogurt
1 scoop raspberry sherbet
1 scoop ice

BERRY FULFILLING
4 oz. raspberry juice
8 oz. enlightened base
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop raspberries
1 scoop blueberries
1 scoop ice

BERRY LIME SUBLIME
12 oz. raspberry juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop raspberries
2 scoops lime sherbet
1 scoop ice

BRIGHT EYED AND BLUEBERRY
12 oz. soymilk
2 scoops yogurt
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop blueberries

CARIBBEAN PASSION
12 oz. Mango-passion juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop peaches
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

CITRUS SQUEEZE
6 oz. pineapple juice
6 oz. orange juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

COLD BUSTER
12 oz orange juice
2 scoops peaches
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

KIWI BERRY BURNER
12 oz. Kiwi juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop raspberries
2 scoops raspberry sherbet
1 scoop ice

MANGO-A-GO-GO
12 oz. Mango-passion juice
3 scoops mangos
2 scoops pineapple sherbet
1 scoop ice

MANGO MANTRA
4 oz. orange juice
8 oz. enlightened base
2 scoops mangos
2 scoops peaches
1 scoop ice

MIGHTLY CHERRY CHARGER
4 oz. raspberry juice
6 oz. soymilk
2 scoops cherries
1 scoop strawberries
2 scoops frozen yogurt
1 scoop ice

ORANGE-A-PEEL
12 oz. orange juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops frozen yogurt
1 scoop ice

ORANGE BERRY BLITZ
12 oz. orange juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop blueberries
2 scoops pineapple sherbet
1 scoop ice

ORANGE CHERRY CHEER
6 oz. orange juice
6 oz. soymilk
3 scoops cherries
1 scoop frozen yogurt
1 scoop orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

ORANGE DREAM MACHINE
6 oz. orange juice
6 oz. soymilk
2 scoops frozen yogurt
2 scoops orange sherbet
2 scoops ice

PEACH PLEASURE
12 oz. peach juice
2 scoops peaches
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

PINA COLADA
12 oz. pineapple juice
1 Tbls coconut
1 scoop bananas
2 scoop frozen yogurt
2 scoops pineapple sherbet
1 scoop ice

PUMPKIN SMASH
8 oz soymilk
1 scoop pumpkin mix (from can)
4 scoops frozen yogurt
2 scoops ice

RAZANATAZ
12 oz raspberry juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

STRAWBERRIES WILD
12 oz. apple juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas
2 scoops frozen yogurt
1 scoop ice

STRAWBERRY NIRVANA
4 oz. apple juice
8 oz. enlightened base
4 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas
1 scoop ice

STRAWBERRY SURF RIDER
12 oz. lemonade
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop peaches
2 scoops lime sherbet
1 scoop ice

SUNRISE STRAWBERRY
12 oz. soymilk
2 scoops yogurt
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop bananas

TANGO TROPIC
12 oz. peach juice
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop peaches
1 scoop raspberry sherbet
1 scoop orange sherbet
1 scoop ice

TROPICAL AWAKENING
4 oz. pineapple juice
8 oz. enlightened base
2 scoops strawberries
1 scoop blueberries
1 scoop bananas
1 scoop ice

WHITE GUMMIE BEAR
12 oz. peach juice
1 scoop peaches
1 scoop of each: orange, lime, pineapple, and
raspberry sherbet and frozen yogurt
1 scoop ice

PINK STARBURST
6 oz. lemonade
6 oz. soymilk
1 scoop of each: pineapple, raspberry, lime, and orange sherbet
1 scoop frozen strawberries
1 scoop ice

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER MOO’D
12 oz. chocolate soy milk
1 T cocoa powder
1 heaping T peanut butter
1-2 scoops frozen banana
1 scoop frozen strawberries (optional)
2-3 scoops vanilla frozen yogurt
1 scoop ice

Chicken with Cashews


Slow Cooker Chicken with Cashews Recipe

You can prepare countless types of meals in the slow cooker, including Chinese chicken with cashews. This recipe does require a little work because you need to brown the chicken in the pan first. If you wanted you could just add the chicken raw into the slow cooker, but the sauce may not be as thick when it has finished cooking. The sauce uses delicious Chinese flavors such as soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic and ginger. The process to preparing this recipe is very easy—the chicken is first coated with flour, browned in the wok or frying pan and then placed into the slow cooker with the sauce and cooked on low for 3-4 hours. This dish goes great when served over white or brown rice. Enjoy. Adapted from
365 Days of Slow Cooking.

Ingredients:
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (cut into 1” chunks)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 garlic clove (minced)
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup cashews
½ cup green onions (sliced)


Cooking Instructions:
Step 1:  Add flour and pepper to a large sealable food storage bag or  sealable container. Shake to coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown for 2 minutes of each side. Remove from the pan and place the chicken into the slow cooker.
Step 2: In a small bowl combine soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Once the chicken has finished cooking add cashews and stir. Serve over rice and top with sliced green onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)


Blogchef recipe

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