BBQ Pizza, step by step

If you've ever even thought about bbq'ing a pizza RUN TO YOUR LIBRARY, take home this book, and learn the technique. Flip through the pictures for some ideas, and admit that you'll put whatever you want or have on your pizza anyways. If you're already salivating, head to a mom and pop pizza shop and ask to buy a pizza's worth of dough off them. If you have a game plan and a couple days, make The Pioneer Woman's Pizza Dough with garlic infused olive oil. This is truly all you need!

A Culinary Milestone for the two of us. So much fun!

1st attempt: arugula and prosciutto



2nd: classic thin crust pepperoni



10 second instructions:

1. Roll out your dough on a clean dry surface dusted with polenta. BBQ on direct med-high heat about 4 minutes, until bottom has grill marks and is solid/not doughy.

2. Remove from your BBQand bring inside. The cooked side will be the top of your pizza. Dress with olive oil and then your toppings.

3. Return to BBQ over indirect heat. Close the cover and don't even think about opening it for 10 minutes. Now peek, and decide if it needs more time.

Lunch Time

What else do I eat? My go to ingredient (besides garlic) is Chickpeas. Cecci. Garbanzo. Whatever you call them; i love 'em. I have them almost every day on my salad. Here's a typical lunch (when I'm out of greens).

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad



Ingredients
1 Can Chickpeas, drained
4-6 Sundried Tomatoes (packed in oil preferred)
4-6 Olives, sliced
Chives or green onions, chopped fine, to taste
Basil or mint chiffonade
lemon juice & olive oil*
Salt & pepper
Extras/substitutions/options: leafy greens, small bits of broccoli or julienne carrots, sliced hard boiled egg, nuts, tofu, your favourite viniagrette

Method
1.Combine all stuff, adding or removing to personal taste
2.Adjust vinaigrette to taste, and combine.

my favourite thing about this salad is how hearty, healthy and portable it is!

Roasted Che

Here's a great dinner for company, or a cozy night in! Roasted Chicken with Veg



So here we have it! Roasted Whole Chicken (a la Pioneer Woman) with Pan Seared Asparagus and basmati rice. You can find the chicken recipe here, and rice is simply boiled, then covered and simmered with a dash of salt, smashed garlic and olive oil at a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice. Here's the asparagus:



Ingredients
Handful of Asparagus
1 Lemon
Olive Oil
S & P


Method

1. Trim the bottom ends of your asparagus, only selecting crisp/firm stalks
2. Heat pan on medium high heat, add olive oil and allow to heat up. Add asparagus in a single layer.
3. Allow asparagus to cook 2 minutes, pour lemon juice over top of asparagus, and season with salt and pepper
4. Cook until bright green - this is when they're at their best. Plate and serve immediately, before you nibble them all away

Roast Chicken is the sexiest food ever.


what a georgeous bird, yumm!


My Mexican, doing what men just love to do.

Impressive Chicken Caesar Salad

Everyone loves a Chicken Caesar Salad, but they're so much better when you make them from scratch!



Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic infused olive oil or Garlic butter
Pancetta or Prosciutto
Old bread (any kind)
Anchovy Paste
Garlic
2 Eggs
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Grated Parmesan
Romaine Lettuce

Method

1. Pan roast, poach, or grill chicken breasts, cut or slice as desired. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cut bread slices into cubes for croutons (I use kitchen scissors) and brush with garlic infused olive oil or garlic butter and arrange on baking sheet. Place cooling racks on second baking sheet, and lay pancetta or prosciutto across. Bake together until each is nice and crispy.
3. Using a food processor combine anchovy paste, garlic, eggs, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and parmesan until emulsified.
4. Tear romaine lettuce, loosely crumble pancetta. Combine with croutons in a large salad bowl. When ready to serve toss with dressing, using small amounts to begin with! once plated top with warm chicken.

YUM!

PERFECT Home Cut Fries

So everyone craves fries, we can admit that. and if you have already cut them, they're great when entertaining, since they require very little babysitting. Don't they look delicious?!

Ingredients

Russet (or any) Potatoes
Olive Oil
Paprika
GARLIC (or garlic powder)
Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425. Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-2cm slices, then again into large french fry style matchsticks.
2. Let potatoes rest in cold water for half an hour (this keeps them crunchy!). Make sure you dry them off REALLY WELL (I think you'd be safe to bag and freeze them at this point if you wanted)
3. Drain potatoes and toss with remaining ingredients. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet, and cook for 15 minutes, turn and cook another 15 minutes, or until nice and crispy.


*Serve with mayo mixed with the spiciest hot sauce you have; we use a Caribbean pepper sauce!

Snow, Chicken and Squash

Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts with Butternut Cubes.





Ingredients

Olive oil & butter
2 skin on chicken breasts
Salt & pepper, thyme
1 butternut squash
maple syrup
chicken broth

Method

1.Slice squash width wise and then into cubes
2.Toss with olive oil and bake at 400 until squash passes the fork test with an F (firm)
3.Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with s & p, melt 1 tsp each butter and oil in an oven proof pan over medium high heat
4.Cook chicken skin side down about 5 minutes, until golden brown. Flip chicken, and place in pre-heated oven until internal temp reaches 170.
5.When chicken is getting close, combine a 1:1 ratio of maple syrup and butter in a small sauce pan, boil and reduce to create a glaze; and salt to taste
6.toss squash with thyme, salt and pepper and saute on high heat until browning occurs
7.Drizzle maple syrup glaze everywhere, and enjoy



*the butternut cubes came from here
*OOOH one last thing - Do you read Questionable Content? you should. trust me and start at the beginning. You'll love me forever.

Classic Mac & Cheese (no veg allowed)

Have you heard of Ree? Drummond? THE Pioneer Woman? Well, she has perfect mac and cheese with the tempered egg; something I never thought of. Anyways, I adore Ree Drummond, and certainly agree that you must pick your battles with healthy substitutions; mac and cheese will never be healthy! And I'm ok with that! Alright, if I DO bake my mac (which I usually do), I'll crumble kale chips over it instead of bread crumbs. However, I've decided to make this a completely veg free post, so forget everything green and ogle the ooey gooey cheesiness.

Here's my take on her mac, with a mix of fresh Canadian mozzarella and friulano (by Saputo)