Tag Archives: chicken

Barbecue Chicken and Smoked Gouda Pizza

A new brewery/restaurant opened near my house over the summer and it is now my favorite place to go because of a) the proximity to my house (I can walk there!) b) the beer is good and c) the food is fantastic.  So far, one of my favorite items I’ve eaten there was a barbecue chicken pizza with smoked Gouda, green pepper, red onion, and bacon (which I 86’d).  Being a lover of smoked Gouda, I decided I could easily try to make something similar in my own kitchen.  The result was this Barbecue Chicken and Smoked Gouda Pizza.

At the time I made this, I couldn’t remember what the restaurant included in their pizza so I didn’t include any veggies of any kind but you could easily add on anything you like here.  Since you could put smoked Gouda on a piece of cardboard and I would probably eat it, it’s no surprise I love this pizza. And barbecue chicken? I mean, come on, really? What’s not to like?  Since I used store-bought pizza dough and pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, this pizza came together in a flash.  With so many different kinds of barbecue sauces out there, you can get as creative as you want. I used plain old basic barbecue sauce but a spicy or mesquite barbecue sauce would be excellent here too.

Barbecue Chicken and Smoked Gouda Pizza (6-8 servings)

  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons store-bought barbecue sauce
  • 8 oz. shredded cooked rotisserie chicken or precooked chicken strips, chopped (such as PERDUE® SHORT CUTS® Carved Chicken Breast)
  • 2/3 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese (about 3 ounces)
  • 2/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces)
  • 1 package store-bought pizza dough
  • 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
  • Fresh cilantro, basil or parsley for topping, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Unroll pizza dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake according to package directions, approximately 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine shredded chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce until chicken is lightly coated. Spoon remaining barbecue sauce onto pizza crust and spread evenly. Top with shredded chicken and red onion (if using).  Sprinkle shredded smoked Gouda over chicken, followed by shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with chopped cilantro, basil or parsley (if preferred).

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The ingredients:

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Unroll pizza dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake according to package directions, approximately 8 minutes.

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Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, combine shredded chicken with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce until chicken is lightly coated. Spoon remaining barbecue sauce onto pizza crust and spread evenly. Top with shredded chicken and red onion (if using).

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Sprinkle shredded smoked Gouda over chicken, followed by shredded mozzarella cheese.

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Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with chopped cilantro, basil or parsley (if preferred).

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Chicken Stir-Fry with Corn, Pineapple and Red Pepper

If you’ve read my blog for a little while, you might have noticed that I have thing for stir-fries. When I’m trying to eat healthy, my brain goes right to chicken and vegetables.  And since sitting down with a plain plate of baked chicken and steamed veggies doesn’t really get my blood pumpin’, I’m more likely to chop everything up and turn it into some kind of stir-fry.  The thing is: I’m pretty boring when it comes to stir-fries. If it were left to my creativity, I’d make chicken and broccoli stir-fry every time. But that is exactly why I have this blog and why I have so many recipes tucked away waiting to be made.  This Chicken Stir-Fry with Corn, Pineapple and Red Pepper is exactly the type of stir-fry that never would have occurred to me to make on my own.

Chunks of boneless chicken breast are stir-fried with sweet corn, crispy red pepper and tangy pineapple in a flavorful sauce of ginger, cumin and chicken stock. A dash of Sriracha added at the end adds a kick to the whole dish which helps to balance out the natural sweetness of the produce. This stir-fry slightly reminds me of a healthy sweet-and-sour chicken mostly because of the juxtaposition of the sweet and spicy. It never would have occurred to me to mix these vegetable together, let alone paired with pineapple. I’ve never considered throwing together a stir-fry without any green veggies or soy sauce but now I realize that nearly any combination of fruits and vegetables could work together.  Nectarine, asparagus and pea?  Why not? Plum, cauliflower and spinach? Sure!  My mind is officially blown.

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The ingredients:

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In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry over moderately high heat for 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.

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Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Add the red pepper, cumin and stock, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, for  4 minutes.

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Add the corn, pineapple and Sriracha and stir-fry over moderately high heat until hot.

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Add the chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute.

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Season with salt and pepper; serve.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Red onion

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Food & Wine magazine

Pickapeppa Chicken and Mango Kebabs

Sorry for my month long absence! I wish I could say that I’ve been off doing something fun but I’ve really been doing nothing more than living everyday life. Anyway, I hope to get back into a normal routine here so thanks for being patient and thanks for coming back! My favorite season is here so it’s got me itching to do some serious cooking again. But before I break out the soups, apple and pumpkins, I held on to summer for one more day and made these grilled Pickapeppa Chicken and Mango Kebabs.

Chicken is marinaded in Pickapeppa sauce (also considered Jamaican ketchup and usually found near the marinades and steak sauces in the grocery store) and garlic before being threaded onto skewers with chunks of mango and fresh red pepper. A quick trip to the grill (indoor or outdoor) and you’ve got a flavorful kebab that is great with a side of veggies or salad. Even if summer is over, kebabs can be made anytime of year and are a great way to jazz up plain old chicken and veggies. If you’ve never tried Pickapeppa sauce, pick up a bottle and try it with just about anything. You’ll probably be hooked.

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The ingredients:

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Combine chicken, Pickapeppa sauce, and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal bag. Refrigerate 2 hours.

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Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken, mango, and red bell pepper ­alternately onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers.

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Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning ­occasionally.

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Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light magazine

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