Around here while the hubby was cooking, it largely equalled more pizza. It was not necessary a bad thing. As I hopefully have proved with our list of recipes, homemade pizza can be pretty good. Recently, we've been repeating some of the old favorites, but this is a new one the hubbs ran across to throw into the mix.
The original recipe is from Cooking Light. We've made it a couple times already, with a few variations on the original. As written, the recipe calls for marinara sauce for the crust. The first time we used actual spaghetti sauce, but we found it to be too liquidy as the crust in the center of the pizza never cooked through. Our favorite thus far, pre-made brushetta topping from Trader Joe's. It is chunky enough to avoid the problems we encountered with the marinara, and man that stuff is good!
As far as the cheese goes, we've made it both with fresh mozzarella and bagged pre-shredded mozzarella. My favorite is probably the fresh, but either works well :) Enjoy
(Printable Recipe)
Grilled Vegetable Pizza
Adapted from Cooking Light June 2012
Ingredients:
1 lb. pizza dough (homemade or from store)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 (4oz) zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 (4oz) yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 small onion, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce (or try a pre-made Brushetta)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
6 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut and/or torn into small pieces
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Also, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the stone pizza pan in the oven while it is preheating if you are using one.
Thread the onion pieces onto a skewer so that the skewer pierces each ring. Brush both sides of all the vegetables with olive oil. Grill vegetables for 3 minutes on each side or until crisp-tender and grill marks appear. Remove from the grill and coarsely chop into medium-sized pieces.
Roll out the pizza dough onto a pizza peel or a piece of lightly floured parchment paper. Spread sauce over the crust. Top with vegetables and pieces of mozzarella cheese. Remove the pizza pan from the oven and transfer the pizza (either via peel or on top of the parchment paper) onto the stone. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the crust begins to brown on the edges. Cut into slices and enjoy.
I have a confession to make. The hubs and I have developed quite the hummus addiction. All kinds really, but our hummus of choice is currently the white bean and basil hummus from Trader Joe's. Seriously. Between the 2 of us, the container will not last 2 days in this house. I want to try to make a copy-cat version at home as we are going there several times a week to get it. Will share if we are successful with the recipe!
These wraps fulfill 2 requirements for us right now - 1) they contain hummus, 2) they are super quick. This is really more of a method than a recipe as you could use any veggies or any hummus that you desire. The recipe is written for onions, red bell peppers, and eggplant, but you could certainly swap in any veggies you would like to grill (like zucchini rather than eggplant). One tip I have for grilling onions - slice them thick (1/2-inch) and thread them onto a skewer. When the onion cooks, it shrinks, and this prevents the rings from falling all over the grill. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2012
Ingredients:
4 (1/2-inch) slices red onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch slices (other veggies if desired)
Non-stick spray
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 (8oz) container of your favorite hummus
4 flatbreads or large whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
Heat a large grill pan or an outdoor grill over medium heat. Thread the onion slices the long way (through all the rings) onto 2-3 skewers to make it easier to grill. Spray vegetable pieces with nonstick spray. Add to preheated grill, turning at 2-3 minutes until softened and slightly charred. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly and roughly chop. Combine vegetables, olive oil, parsley, and salt. Toss to combine.
Spread hummus over each wrap leaving a 1/2-inch boarder around the edges. Divide vegetables and Feta cheese amongst the wraps. Tuck in the ends and roll up the wraps. Enjoy whole or cut in half.
April might be a little early to start thinking about grilling season. But if any of you are like we were when living in the Midwest, when there's a will, there's a way. We've even been known to scoop the snow off the top just in order to use ours (of course this wasn't in AZ!).
This is a kebab recipe that I've been making since before I was even blogging. In fact, I can distinctly remember the first time we made it because the weather was quite the opposite that night. We had tornado warnings rather than snow :)
Crazy weather aside, let's talk about the food. The term "favorite" in this recipe comes from the original recipe, although I would certainly say this is on the top of our grilling list. There are quite a few steps in this recipe, but the end result is worth it. We have adapted it through the years in both ingredients and methods to match what works best for us, and you can certainly swap the vegetables for others that you prefer others. My only piece of advice would be not to leave out the pineapple!
Break out the grill early this year, and try this out. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Favorite Pork and Vegetable Kebabs
The Cookin' Chemist Original
Ingredients:
6 small red potatoes, halved
1-1/4 cups canola oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. prepared mustard
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 medium ears sweet corn, cut into 2-inch wheels
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 large green or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pkg. cherry tomatoes
1-1/2 cups cubed fresh pineapple (can use canned)
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
lg. foil roasting pan
skewers
Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until starting to soften, about 10-12 minutes (this will depend on the size of the potatoes). You do not want to cook them completely through as they will go on the grill later. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, parsley, pepper, and garlic. Pour half into a large resealable plastic bag; add the pork. Pour the remaining marinade into another plastic bag, add the vegetables and pineapple. Seal both bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate and marinate for 1-2 hours.
Drain and discard the marinade from the pork. Thread the pork pieces through skewers. Drain the vegetables, reserving a couple tablespoons of marinade. Place the vegetables in the foil roasting pan and add the reserved marinade from the vegetables. Heat the grill over medium heat. Place the entire pan of vegetables and the pork skewers on the grill. Grill until the pork has cooked through and the vegetables have softened. Serve over rice with some of the reserved liquid in the vegetable pan.
His mom has a tatoo that says, "Son"... When in Rome, they do as he does... If he says, it's not you, it's me. He's lying... Anyone else always cracked up by the Dos XX most interesting man in the world commercials? I love them...
Anyway, one thing those commercials always make think of is Mexican food. We love it in any form. Everything from simple ground beef tacos to the most elaborate enchiladas you can make. The recipe for these beauties comes from Laurie at Simply Scratch. She makes a great pico too! The tacos really require no more work that your average taco recipe. Only a little more time so that the meat has a chance to marinate. The result? Delicious, simple taco perfection. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipe)
Flank Steak Tacos with Cilantro Lime Marinade
From Simply Scratch
Ingredients:
2 lbs. flank or skirt steak
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 garlic clove, smashed
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly removed from the stems
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Ancho-Chili powder (I just used regular)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
aluminum foil
10-12 soft flour tortillas
lettuce, shredded or chopped
Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated
Pico de gallo:
4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced small
1 small red onion, diced small
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
3 green onions, white and green parts sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of Kosher salt
few grinds of black pepper
For the marinade, in a mini food processor, place the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice and pulse quickly until chopped. Toss the remaining ingredients up to the tortillas into the food processor and pulse until combined. Place the steak and marinade in a ziplock bag and marinate on the countertop for 30 minutes. Be sure the meat is at room temperature before grilling.
While the meat is marinating, combine all the ingredients for the pico de gallo. Toss to mix. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you finish the tacos.
After 30 minutes, grill the steak for 6-10 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. Remove from the grill and cover with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing so the juices in the meat can redistribute. Slice across the grain at a slight angle. Warm some flour tortillas, top with desired toppings, and serve with the pico de gallo.
I feel like we have really embraced avocados this year. Don't get me wrong. It's not like we didn't enjoy them before, but I never really cooked with them. In fact, I have a funny story regarding my husband and peeling an avocado, but I will spare him the details on here. Now that we are using them, I feel like we are buying them all the time. It has definitely been quite awhile since I have gone to the store without buying at least 1 or 2!
This recipe is the result of an idea that I took from allrecipes.com. The bones of the recipe were good, but it needed a little tweaking to work in our household. This includes the unwritten rule that if it is warm enough to grill, meat will be grilled not baked. I did end up using the broiler to melt the cheese but a couple minutes that it takes cheese to melt under the broiler does not count. The resulting chicken was great! It picked up quite a bit of flavor from the marinade and just gets better when topped with melted cheese and avocado slices. Pair it with a side salad for a great summer meal. Enjoy!
(Printable Recipes)
California Chicken
Original idea from allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. honey
1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 small avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
2-3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into slices
Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and place in a ziploc bag. Combine the marinade ingredients starting with the lime juice and ending with the pepper and place into the ziploc bag with the chicken. Place the refrigerator and allow to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You don't want to leave it too long or the acid in the lime juice will start to cook the chicken!
Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the chicken until cooked through. When the chicken is almost done, preheat the oven to broil. After the chicken has been cooked through, place in an oven-safe pan coated on the bottom with non-stick spray. Top each breast with slices of tomato, then slices of cheese. Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and just starts to look brown. Remove from the broiler and top with avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!
While we may be a few weeks out from the official "first day of summer," I think summer may have hit the country in the past few days. I am used to the 90's, but I saw them all across the weather map this evening on the news. The whole thing was red!
When it is warmer, I try to avoid making meals in the oven, especially anything that needs to bake longer than say 20-30 minutes, so we end up grilling out quite a bit. In fact, we've been grilling a lot this year including things that wouldn't be your traditional grill fare - vegetables, bread, and even some fruit. This was a recipe that landed in my email inbox from Cuisine at Home, and I think it was the launchpad for our current grilling obsession.
Happy first day of summer - doesn't that sound great! :-)
I don't know about you, but in my mind, summer is synonymous with grilling. There's just nothing like a great burger cooked on the grill. Add a beach into that equation, and you're getting pretty close to perfection in my book! To quote my father, "There's nothing quite like a beach burger."
So to celebrate summer, I'm sharing this burger recipe from the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light. This is actually another recipe that I made while I was in Arizona moving into our home. It's a really simple recipe, and the garlic-thyme additions really kicks these burgers up a notch. I love it when you can find simple things that take a good recipe up another level.
On a side note, this was definitely my first experience grilling tomatoes. We've grilled asparagus, all kinds of meat, and even pizza, but I don't think I ever would have thought of grilling tomatoes on my own. Now that I've tried it, I don't think we'll be making burgers again without grilled tomatoes. They were that good. The recipe calls for a beefsteak tomato, but I couldn't find any beefsteak tomatoes at the store. I subbed a standard, full-sized tomato, and it worked just fine. I think you'd just want to avoid any real watery varieties.
Sweet summertime wishes your way! Enjoy the burgers!
(Printable Recipe)
Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes
From Cooking Light
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 (1-1/2-inch) slices beefsteak tomato
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 whole-wheat buns
4 baby romaine lettuce leaves
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide mixture into 4 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty (I have a patty press for burgers that I use). Place patties on the grill; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
After flipping the burgers for the first time, add the tomato slices to the grill. Continue cooking until burgers are finished, flipping as necessary. The tomatoes will start to look "soft" when they are done.
Spread about 3/4 teaspoon of mustard over the bottom half of each bun. Top with a lettuce leaf, 1 patty, 1 slice of tomato, and the top part of the bun. Enjoy!
Yield: 4 burgers
