BBQ Chicken Pizza by Kayla

Last night I decided to experiment, and it was a success! Enjoy my BBQ chicken, red onion, mushroom and cilantro pizza!

You will need:

• A pizza crust. I bought a pre-made Boboli Pizza crust for convenience, but you can use whatever kind of crust you like. (They also make a thin crust version.) 
• BBQ sauce (I used and highly recommend Hutches brand Hot BBQ sauce) 
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Red onion
• Sliced mushrooms
• Fresh cilantro
• 1 chicken breast (completely thawed for easy cutting)

Prep instructions:

1. Start heating your oven so it's ready by the time you are done prepping. (Boboli was 425 deg, but follow instructions for whatever crust you are using.)
2. Cut your chicken breast into small chunks. To do this, I cut the chicken long ways, then in half again to make two long pieces and then cut strips into small pieces.
3. After cutting up the whole chicken breast into pieces, place in a pan with a little bit of water (about 1/4 cup. Just a little bit of water is needed to cook the chicken and keep it moist.) When the chicken is done, add some BBQ sauce to coat the chicken.
4. To cook your mushrooms, you can use the same pan as the chicken. (after you have put the chicken onto the pizza. Don't cook the chicken and mushrooms together.) I used white mushrooms in the bag, but you can use any kind of mushrooms you like. I put about half of the bag into the pan with some BBQ sauce to coat them while cooking. Cook until mushrooms are tender, but still a little firm. (they will cook in the oven also.)
5. Cut your red onion into thin slices, then into quarters to give you long thin pieces.
6. Cut your fresh cilantro. Give it a few rough chops to break it up.

To assemble the pizza: 

• Spread a layer of BBQ sauce on the crust
• Sprinkle a generous layer of the Mexican cheese blend over the BBQ sauce
• Place chicken pieces on top of the cheese layer
• Add red onion to your liking (more or less onions)
• Add your sauteed mushrooms
• Sprinkle a thin layer of more cheese on top (This will help keep everything in place)
• Cook in oven approx 10-12 minutes, or until crust is brown and cheese is melted.
• Once you take the pizza out of the oven to cool, sprinkle fresh cilantro on top.

Your pizza is ready to eat! *Nom nom nom* :)

Savory Sausage Tart

Deviled eggs, Veggie tray, Cheese and cracker tray, all are good appetizers for any event. But my new favorite appetizer came from Rachel's mom, Lynne at our Easter Dinner! 

Now, when I first heard "Sausage tart", I have to admit that I was a little turned off...but figured, "I love sausage, so I'll try it". And I am so thankful I did! It was sooooo AMAZING! I'm definitely making this for our next gathering. It's different and delicious! Try for yourself!! Seriously, try it!

Thanks again, Lynne!

You will need:

1 Box of Refrigerated Prepared Pillsbury Pie Crust (comes with 2 crusts), allowed to come to room temperature

1 large yellow onion (finely sliced into long slivers)

1/2 Stick Butter

1/4 to 1/3 Cup Soy Vay Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade (or Trader Joe's Soyaki Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade)

1 Package Maple or Brown Sugar & Honey Breakfast Sausage (links or ground sausage), thawed, crumbled or diced

1 Tub of Rondele or Alouette Garlic Herb Cream Cheese Spread

Shredded Parmesan Cheese (about 1 & 1/2 cups)

Garlic Flavored Olive Oil (About 2 Tbsp.)

Dried or Fresh Rosemary (About 2 Tsp.)

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 

In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium to medium-high heat, then add the slivered onions when the butter begins to sizzle.  Cook until the onions become translucent.  Add the Teriyaki Sauce, mixing the sauce and onions thoroughly.  The sauce should bubble and start to evaporate a bit.  You want the onions to "caramelize" but you don't want them to be soggy.  Transfer the caramelized onions to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

 

Using the same frying pan (do not rinse it out or wash it), brown the sausage over medium heat until thoroughly cooked.  Drain off any fat.  Add the cooked sausage to the caramelized onions and mix well.

 

Spray a round cooking pan (such as a pizza stone or pizza pan) with non-stick cooking spray.  Unfold one of the pie crusts and lay it on the center of the sprayed pan. Spread enough garlic herb cream cheese on the pie crust to completely cover the crust (not too thick, but don't make too thin, either).  Next, distribute the sausage-onion mixture evenly over the garlic herb cream cheese layer.  Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top of the sausage-onion layer (saving a little bit for the top crust).  Unfold and place the remaining pie crust over the top of the tart.  Fold the bottom crust edges together with the top crust edges to seal the tart, then press the edges together with the tips of a fork to make ridges in the crust.  Brush top crust with the garlic flavored olive oil, completely coating the crust from edge to edge.  Sprinkle the dried Rosemary evenly over the tart, then sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. 

 

Easter Preview - by Rachel

For Easter, I took inspiration from Selland's Easter Take-Out Menu. I love imitating some of the great chefs of our region, and Randall Selland is definitely one of them.

Menu:

Appetizer -

• Deviled Eggs: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/deviled-eggs-four-ways-00000000012929/index.html

• Greek Yogurt Biscuits: http://www.relish.com/recipes/yogurt-biscuits/ (I am thinking of adding in some goodies like green onion, cheese, and bacon pieces.)

Main Course -

• Old Fashioned Ham: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Old-Fashioned-Ham-with-Brown-Sugar-and-Mustard-Glaze-241636

Side Dishes -

• Potatoes Au Gratin: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/scalloped-potato-gratin-recipe/index.html

• Spring Ragout: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spring-ragout-recipe.html

Dessert -

• Lemon Coconut Cake: http://www.redbookmag.com/recipefinder/lemon-coconut-cake

The Food Hangover - by Rachel

Everything turned out delicious! Thanks to Kayla for taking some pics for me...after beer 6 I started to forget to take them. Cheers to good friends and good food!

There were a couple of changes to the method as well as a recipe addition.

I made a second type of bread, Beer Bread, from a recipe a dear friend passed on from her work potluck:

-Preheat oven @ 375 degrees.

 -Use non-stick spray inside loaf pan. 

-Mix 3 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup Sugar In the Raw, & 12 ounce beer in a bowl (I used Sapporo).

 -Mixture will be sticky, pour into loaf pan and bake 55 minutes.

-The last 3 minutes remove from oven and brush top of bread with melted butter and return to oven to bake for 3 minutes.

 As far as the method goes, I decided to do the veggie braising a tad differently. First I melted the butter in the Le Crueuset on medium high, then threw in the bacon and rendered it all down. Then I added the onion, carrot, and cabbage and sauteed the mixture just enough to coat the veggies in the fat. Finally I added the beef broth, nestled the potatoes in the mix, then seasoned with salt and pepper. I simply put the top on and braised on the stove top for approximately one hour. You will get the same result as the other method, but with all of my bread baking my oven was ocupado.

I can't wait until Cinco de Mayo!! Ay ay ay!!

St. Pat's Menu Preview - by Rachel

I'm not Irish. Or at least I don't think I am. But in the good ol' USA we're all mutts, right? Whether or not I have mashed potatoes and Guinness running through my blood, I still FREAKING LOVE the fare. Corned beef brisket (*mmmm*), braised cabbage and carrots (*sigh*), and ANY sort of potato (*wipes drool from chin*)...BRING ON THE FEAST!

Here is a preview of the veritable pots o' gold that will cover my counter top:

-Irish Soda Bread: http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/stpatricks/sodabread/recipes/food/views/White-Soda-Bread-1907

*PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY IRISH BUTTER TO GO WITH THIS BREAD. Seriously. Do it.

-Corned Beef Brisket: Go to Trader Joe's, buy the item below, and follow instructions on the package. (You think I have time to brine this stuff myself?) I like to Crock Pot it up. Slow cooking corned beef makes it sooooo tender.

-Rachel's Secret Sauce: Consists of whole grain mustard, creamy horseradish, sour cream, and mayo. That's all you need to know.

-Braised Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrot, and Onion: Preheat oven to 325degF. In a dutch oven, combine 1 coarsely chopped head of savoy cabbage, 6 whole red potatoes, 1 lb. peeled and cubed carrots, 1 chopped yellow onion, 2 cups of beef stock, 1/4 c. Irish butter, and 3-4 strips of uncooked diced bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Just throw it all in there. Braise for 1 hour or until potatoes are fork tender (this does not mean mushy). I suggest prepping the night before. Let's face it, you will be consuming adult beverages, so reducing the margin for error is key.

I might also try to figure in a dessert, but sweets and green beer don't really mix.

Erin Go Bragh!

Hot Turkey and Pest-Oh! Sandwich by Kayla

I love me a good sandwich! Making this sandwich on a cold winter day hits the spot every time, and is a hit with everyone! This recipe is a little of everything I love on a sandwich all put together. Just follow these step by step instructions to a delicious lunch!

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400deg. 
2. Place bread on a foil covered cookie sheet and spread pesto onto both sides of the bread. (I use a butter milk bread if it is all I have at home, but I suggest using focaccia bread.)

3. On one side of the bread, add 2-3 slices of turkey. 

4. Cover the whole piece of bread with slices of Havarti cheese.

 5. Bake in the oven until the cheese is translucent and all the way melted. You also want to check the bread for "toasty-ness". You want a nice toast on the pesto side to hold up to the avocado. 
6. Take out of the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. 
7. After cooling, spread avocado over the pesto side of the bread. 
8. Add thinly sliced red onion and green leaf lettuce on top of the cheese side.

 9.  Put the avocado half on, and enjoy!!

Pickled Holla-peños! - by Rachel

If you know ANYTHING about Kayla and I, you know we like it H-O-T. So naturally, pickling jalapeños is right up our alley. Canning these spicy treats is a labor of love, as Kayla and I spent nearly 3 hours on prep, cooking, and processing.

You can find the recipe we used here: http://patismexicantable.com/2009/06/pickled-jalapeno-kind-of-gal.html If you have never browsed the site, Pati's Mexican Table will thrill you with Mexican culinary expertise and MUY tasty recipes. Pati Jinich's recipes are constants in my kitchen.

Suggestions for this recipe:
-Leave the seeds in! Otherwise you lose nearly all of the spice.
-Cauliflower and (LOTS OF) garlic are nice additions to the vegetable blend.
-To make the recipe yield enough for eight (8) QT. jars, double the veggies, and quadruple the pickling liquids.

If you are lucky, MAYBE we will give you a jar.