Grilled Pizza

Our family LOVES pizza cooked on the grill. I bet we have it at least once a week! We let everyone put their own toppings on, which my girls think is the greatest thing ever! Obviously this dough and sauce recipe can also be used as oven baked pizzas! As a thin crust this makes the perfect amount of dough for our family of 4. 

This is the easiest pizza crust recipe!! I also like to stir in some dried herbs and seasonings that will compliment the pizza toppings. So for our normal pepperoni pizza, I add some garlic powder and oregano. If I'm doing a taco pizza, I'll add some chili powder, cumin and cilantro.

Grilled Pizza

Sauce

6oz tomato paste

1 beef bullion cube

1/2tsp garlic powder

1/2tsp italian seasoning

1/2tsp dried parsley

In a small saucepan combine all ingredients with 2T water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for at least 10 minutes. If sauce seems too thick, add small amounts of water until it reaches your desired consistency. 

Dough

3C all purpose four

1 envelope (or 2 1/4 tsp) quick rise yeast

1T sugar

1T salt

1C warm water

2T olive oil

In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Stir in the olive oil and about 3/4 of the water. Mix until everything is combined and a dough ball has formed, adding more water as needed. Place dough in a greased bowl. cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in size, about one hour.  

For Pizza

dough

sauce

your favorite pizza toppings

Preheat your grill to 450*-500*. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to desired thickness. Add the sauce and toppings. I've found with grilled pizza, a thin layer of sauce and toppings works best! Place the pizza, carefully, on the hot grill. Close the lid and cook until cheese is melted and crust is a nice golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. A pizza peal would be great for this. We don't have one yet, and just get very creative with some large spatulas!!

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Grilled Italian Chicken Salad

A perfect summer salad! Our AC was broke for several very long, hot, steamy weeks. We ate a lot of salads during that time, this being a favorite! The chicken I used was actually leftover from the night before. This Grilled Italian Chicken is my most loved way to eat chicken, it's so juicy and has a nice tangy flavor from the marinade. The salad itself is great - there is a nice spicy kick from the peppers, a good crunch from the veggies and the hard boiled eggs add a nice creamy texture.

Grilled Italian Chicken Salad

Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1c Italian dressing

Salad

1 large head romaine lettuce - chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper - thinly sliced

1 medium carrot - peeled & thinly sliced

1/4c sliced pepperonchini's

1/2c shredded parmesan

1c croutons

2 hard boiled eggs - thinly sliced

Dressing

1c ranch dressing

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp Italian seasoning

 

In a large re sealable bag add the chicken and Italian dressing. Marinate for at least four hours. Remove the chicken and place on a medium high grill. Cook, turning once, until chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Let chicken cool and thinly slice.

In a small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients.

In a large bowl combine all the salad ingredients. Place the chicken on top and drizzle with the dressing.

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Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a simple pasta salad with just a few ingedients but full of great flavor! I love the basily (is that a word?!) of pesto! This is perfect for BBQ's or picnics (just keep it cold because of the mayo) but would also be cute for St. Patrick's Day. Green sauce, orange carrots and white cheese! 

I've noticed with pasta salads, the amount of dressing you use can vary. Some days the noodles are thirsty than others! If you have extra dressing from this recipe, it is a great pesto mayo for chicken sandwhiches. 

Pesto Pasta Salad

1lb rotini pasta - cooked according to package directions and cooled

2 medium carrots - peeled and sliced thin

1C mozzarella cheese -  cut into small cubes

2C mayo

1 packet dry pesto mix (I like the Knorr brand)

In a small bowl combine the mayo and pesto. In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, carrots and cheese. Stir in enough pesto mayo to make the pasta salad nice and creamy. Chill at least an hour before serving. 

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Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Fettuccine with Bacon & Parmesan

This was so good!! The sauce is rich & creamy and so full of flavor! This would be perfect for a crisp fall day. We got butternut squash in our co-op food basket and I'd never cooked with it before. If/when we get them again I'll be making this for sure!!!

Roasted Butternut Squash & Leek Fettuccine

2 small butternut squash

1/2C leek - washed & sliced thin

2 cloves garlic - minced

2T butter 

1tsp rubbed sage

1 1/2C chicken stock

3/4c heavy whipping cream

4 strips bacon - cooked & crumbled

1C shredded parmesan cheese

1lb fettuccine

Preheat the oven to 425*. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds & fibers. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place skin side up on a baking sheet. Roast until tender, 30-40 minutes. While the squash is cooling, in a large skillet melt the butter. Add the garlic & leeks. Sauté until leeks are tender. Scoop out the squash into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Add the squash to the leeks. Stir in 1 cup of the chicken stock and the sage. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions. Stir in the heavy whipping cream to the squash mixture. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a bit more chicken stock. Stir 1/2c parmesan cheese into the sauce. Toss with the hot pasta. Garnish with bacon & remaining cheese.

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Potato, Carrot, Leek Soup

I've recently started using Bountiful Baskets (www.bountifulbaskets.org) and LOVE it! I love it for so many reasons, one being it forces us to try new fruits and vegetables! Like leeks - never had, never cooked with them. I knew enough about them that they had a mild onion flavor and were very sandy so needed cleaned well. Using them in soups seemed to be the most popular way to eat leeks so that's what I tried. This soup was great! Hearty, quick and easy! I wish we had had some bacon to crumble on top - that would have been the perfect addition!

Potato, Carrot & Leek soup

2T olive oil

1lb leeks - trimmed, sliced thin & rinsed

1/4tsp chili flakes

2 garlic cloves - chopped

4c chicken stock

2 medium potatoes - peeled & chopped

4 medium carrots - peeled & chopped

1 pint heavy cream

1/2stick butter

1T dried thyme

In a large sauce pot heat up the oil over medium heat and add the leeks, chili flakes & garlic. Sauté until the leeks have wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes. Pour in the chicken stock. Cover and bring to a low boil. Boil until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender) purée the soup until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, butter and thyme. Simmer for 5 more minutes. If the soup seems thick, thin it out with a bit more chicken stock. Garnish with shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon.

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Coconut Chicken Strips with Creamy Mango dipping sauce

I followed this recipe exactly - that never happens!! I usually tweak them, change them up to make them my own. But this seemed so simple I didn't change a thing! This was sooooo good!! Sweet and crunchy with just a tiny bit of heat. The dipping sauce is fantastic, goes perfectly with the chicken! 

http://thecozyapron.com/a-cozy-appetizer-coconut-crunch-chicken-strips-and-letting-love-be-the-inspiring-guide/

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Roasted asparagus with Balsamic Butter & penne

Ok. Every time I see a recipe with a balsamic vinegar sauce the noodles never look as dark as mine turn out! No idea why sooooo while this looks like pasta with mud sauce it's actually VERY good!! It's a great, easy meatless dish. The sweetness of the balsamic butter goes great with the saltiness of the cheese! My daughter was working on tastes (salty, sweet, bitter,ect) at school so this went hand in hand with that! 

Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter with Penne

1lb asparagus - trimmed & cut into 1in pieces

1/2c balsamic vinegar

1/2tsp brown sugar

1 stick butter - cubed

1/2c shredded mozzarella

1lb penne pasta - cooked according to package directions 

Preheat the oven to 425*. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, bring the vinegar to a low boil. Boil until reduced and thickened. Stir in the brown sugar. In a large skillet add the penne, asparagus, balsamic vinegar & butter. Stir & cook over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir in the cheese.

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