Butter Chicken Pizza

What could be easier than this quick assemble, dreary Sunday afternoon, lunch favorite?

All that’s required is some left over Butter Chicken, restaurant bought, or home made.

• some Naan bread
• some melty cheese ( I used smoked cheddar for extra zing)

 

Place Naan on a baking sheet.

 

 

Generously cover with the left over butter chicken

 

 

 

Sprinkle with cheese

 

Bung into oven.

Simple as THAT!!

I didn’t have any but you could top the finished product with some chopped fresh cilantro or finely chopped red onion……..or whatever you find that you have around.  Make different ones if you like!

Makes a great lunch or light dinner paired with a side salad……

The Journey North

Well after a week of over indulgence in the South it was time to set our sights on the journey North. 

I almost want to say that I was a little tired of eating altogether, but luckily that wore off.

We packed up all of our loot, hugged the relatives good-bye and set off North.  Our big concern for the next few days was to get through the Cascade mountains without meeting up with any snow.  That’s why we had taken the coast on the way down, to avoid any such unpleasant weather as the mountains are prone to have this time of year.  Our only goal was to make it to Seattle by New Years Eve because we had plans that we had to get to.

But unlike the trip down, we hadn’t plotted any particular culinary stops on the way back and were just going to have to take our chances.

I’m afraid that this first day was a bust when it came to eating.  We stopped somewhere outside of Sacramento because we were starving and could go no further.  We had been looking for a Sonic Burger, because of the many American burger chains available, I have always found that one to be my favorite.   But instead we had to settle with an IN/OUT burger.  I had heard good enough things, but, I regret to say that I found it most average.  I will give it the benefit of the doubt in that we were pretty much over eating in general and so anything may seem a chore, but unfortunately that is the way things turned out.

We stopped for the night in Redding California.  That is the last sort of “real” place on the I-5 before heading up into the mountains.  It was getting dark so we figured we would get a fresh start in the morning to tackle Mount Shasta.

We had no dinner plans but we happened to pick up a flyer in the lobby of the hotel for a near by restaurant.  I was very excited at the prospect, it was called ” Dill’s Southern Style Barbecue”.  Now I love BBQ and this place sounded like a “joint” which usually always turns out to have the best stuff!

But sometimes that can be furthest from the truth!

Now I am usually of the thought that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all, but I’m afraid it is my civic duty to warn you NOT to waste your vacation or eating pleasure on this place.  It is just plain bad.  I can’t even make any excuses for bad days on their part or ours.  It felt like eating in the back room at your garage while you are waiting for your oil change.   Bright fluorescent lighting, absolutely no decor, indifferent service and the food was microwaved and  awful.   Sorry Dill but I won’t be back!

The next morning when we got up it was pouring rain!!  Hopefully it wouldn’t be coming down as snow in the mountains.

Mount Shasta - photo courtesy of Blooming Rose Press

This is a picture of Mount Shasta on a clear day when it is quite spectacular, but on our day passing by we couldn’t even see her for the fog and rain.  

I’ve never actually stopped for any reason,  in the town Weed, which is high up in the mountains,  but the exit sign gets me every time!

Finally we made the trek through the most threatening part of the mountains and decided to stop for lunch in Eugene, Oregon.

I’ll admit that I have never stopped there either.  Usually when I am heading up the I-5 it is alone and I am on a mission to get to the Canadian border and don’t have time to stop and explore the towns along the way but we were in no immediate hurry so we ventured in.  Eugene is in a ways off the highway and not just an exit on the highway.

We had a hankering for some pizza and would have been happy with just a pizza parlour type scenario but instead we lucked out with a place called “La Perla“.

La Perla Eugene Oregon

What a wonderful surprise this was!  The have those wonderful Neopolitan style pizzas with handmade dough and then cooked in one of those fancy dome ovens for 90 seconds at 1200 degrees!

We split the Caesar Salad and then I had the Capricciosa which consisted of:

Pomodoro San Marzano, artichokes, mushrooms, olives, fresh house made mozzarella, prosciutto cotto and Parmesan.

The Chef had the Campagnola topped with:

Pomodoro San Marzano, fresh house made mozzarella, Italian sausage, porsciutto cotto and Calabrese salami.

They were fresh and delicious!   If you are ever in Eugene, this place is worth the stop!!

Looking for Johnny in Santa Rosa

After our long day down the Oregon Coast we ended up in Eureka California.

It was a shame that it got dark so early because we had to drive through the Redwood forest but weren’t able to see too much.

The plan for Eureka was to check out a joint called Porter Street BBQ.  There are apparently more than one location but regrettably by the time we rolled into town it was too late and the location we found was closed.  We were tired and hungry and so we ended up at Denny’s.

Much like the hotel breakfast buffet, don’t be so quick to turn your nose up at the thought of the venerable chain, the place is clean, the food reliable, oh yeah and it was OPEN!!  But to be honest, I don’t even really remember what I ate.  A chicken and avocado sandwich perhaps?   Whatever it was, it did the trick and I was refreshed enough to be on our way.

The goal for the next day was to visit the restaurant of a celebrity Chef.

It would all depend on which route we took.

If we took the route through the Napa Valley California, the plan was to stop at Food Networks celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello’s  Bottega Restaurant.

Michael Chiarello has long been a staple on the food channels with his “easy  Napa entertaining” style cooking show, but more recently was one of the finalists “The Next Iron Chef”.

The other route would take us through Santa Rosa California, where we would have TWO choices of restaurants  from another Food Network celebrity Chef Guy Fieri, host of “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”  and “Guy’s Big Bite”.

We had to choose between Guy’s restaurants in Santa Rosa,  Johnny Garlic’s and Tex Wasabi but they are both quite different in style.  What to do?

But first we had to drive a long a part of the highway called The Avenue of Giants where the trees are super tall.

Here is a glimpse, but believe me, the picture can’t capture just how crazy tall these trees are!!

Avenue of Giants

A choice had to be made so we went with Santa Rosa and decided on Johnny Garlic’s.   Mostly because it was the easiest to get to, just off the highway.

To be honest, it is in a sort of strip mall with a Sizzler across the street.  I was kind of surprised at the “averageness” of the location.  But this was Guy’s first restaurant opened 13 years ago before he was a celebrity Chef, so you have to start somewhere.

Equally average was the interior and decor.  I’m not sure what I was expecting but the inside was as “strip mall” as the outside.

But we were greeted promptly and led to our seat and the host was very keen to know if we had been before and when we said we hadn’t he went into his spiel about the history of the place and Guy himself.  But it was in a genuine way, not like he was paid to say it, but rather he was quite proud of letting us know.  And we appreciated that.

The waitress was extremely knowledgable and confident and didn’t make us feel like she was just some student making some cash in between classes, she was very professional and steered us through the extensive menu.

What to eat?  What to eat?

We started with a drink, I had their famous lemonade and the Chef had the ice tea.  Very refreshing and neither too sweet nor too tart.  And then the waitress brought some wonderful bread with olive oil and balsamic for dipping.  We gobbled it down because it was so good, but were smart enough to refuse and second helping because we would spoil our lunch!

Then we started by splitting  a full portion of the:  

Sonoma Salad

 

Spring Mix, Dried Cranberries, Honey Almonds, Stella Blue Cheese Crumbles + House Balsamic Dressing

Then the Chef ordered the:

French Pig Pizza

Brie, Pancetta, Green Apples, Leeks + Extra Virgin Olive Oil

French Pig Pizza

And then I had the lunch special which was a half order of:

Cajun Chicken Penne

 Blackened Chicken Breast, Sun Dried Tomatoes + Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Cajun chicken pasta and Sonoma salad

And some more of the Sonoma Salad cause it was so good!  The Cajun Chicken pasta is a signature dish that has been a favorite at Johnny Garlic’s since it opened.

I can see why.  It was delish!!

Obviously we didn’t have any room for dessert at this point and we still had a full afternoon of driving to stay awake for!

I’d say if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, whether you are a Guy Fieri or not, it was a very good lunch.  So there.

Corn bread Pizza

It’s Friday night pizza time again.

This week the Chef whipped up a surprising treat!  Pizza with a corn bread crust!

I was delighted and what a wonderful surprise this was.   Very flavourful and a great texture and no waiting for the dough to rise!

So you can use your favorite corn bread recipe or try this:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup of corn meal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup of milk ( what ever kind)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion ( green onions would work too)
• 1/2 of a finely chopped jalapeno pepper ( or one tsp crushed chili flakes)
• 1 cup fresh or canned corn nibblits
• 1/2 cup grated smoked cheddar cheese

Mix these all up thoroughly until you get a nice thick goopy batter.  Then on a baking sheet lined with parchment ( to make things easy) turn out the batter.   Spread it evenly to the corners and then bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes till it starts looking a little done.

Corn bread pizza crust

Let cool till it is nice and firmed up and then top with your favorite toppings.  On this evening we had:

• Roasted veg
• green olives
• pine nuts
• Boursin cheese

But you can top with whatever you have around.  I wish we had have had the corn bread crust when we had the pulled pork pizza!  Note to self!

Veggie corn bread pizza

 

Eat as is or add some little sides to round it off.    The Chef always likes a little meat with HIS vegetarian meals!

 

Corn bread pizza with grilled chicken and salad

 

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Friday Pizza night

I don’t know what it is about Friday nights and Pizza that just go together well?

Perhaps it is a nice reward for wrapping up another work week, the kick off to the weekend?  Or perhaps just tired of thinking of things to eat all week, it’s good to have a plan already in place?

We like to change it up at our house.  Sure we have our old standards but every now and then we take it up a notch.

How bout PULLED PORK pizza?

Now as you know, I am a fan of making my own dough, because then you know exactly what is in it!  ( click here to check out home made pizza dough recipe ).

But sometimes you simply just don’t have the time.

On this occasion we are just making our pizzas on flat bread.  The ones we have come in this 9 x 9 square and I think are popular for making Panini sandwiches.  We happened to get our’s at Costco but I am sure you can get these most places.

And so we begin:

Instead of a tomato sauce I started with a home made onion relish that I happened to have already made but you could skip that if you don’t have any.

Flat bread with onion relish

Then I just went through the fridge and collected what ever happened to be kicking around.

Pizza fixens

Here we have the pulled pork and some diced chicken, mushrooms, spinach, peppers, corn, chopped garlic, cheese and bar b que sauce!

Once you’ve got everything together, start building to your little hearts delight!

Pizza fully loaded

Once you’ve got on all your fixens, drizzle with a bit of bar b que sauce then pop em in the oven till the cheese melts down.

Actually these would also work well on the bar b que because essentially everything on them is already cooked, you are just melting the cheese.

Enjoy!

 

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Pulled pork pizza

 

 

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Black Mission Fig pizza

Okay.

We’ve been SO good that I think it’s time for a treat.   But this is still a perfectly healthy choice if done the right way.  And is a GREAT summer dinner, snack or entertaining food.  It is particularly impressive when made on the Bar B que.

Let’s start with our old pizza dough recipe from before ( click here to see it ).

But if you don’t have the time or inclination to go to the trouble of making your own dough ( this time) then you could use a good quality whole wheat pita bread or a plain ol wheat tortilla, but would work just fine.

Pizza Dough

So once you have your base of choice, start by schmearing it with some caramelized onion or home made onion jam ( we’ll tackle that project another time).

Caramelized onions are super easy.  Slice up a good size onion into thinly sliced rounds or nice big thin slices.  Pot em in a frying pan with some olive oil and cook until they get sweaty and limp looking.  At this point you can turn down the heat and just keep cooking slowly till they get brown and goopy.  OR you can cheat and give them a shot of soya sauce or Worcestershire sauce or a good shot of brown balsamic vinegar which will give them a nice brown colour and a bit of sweetness.

So after the caramelized onions we’re going to add the beautiful Black Mission Figs  ( click here to read about them)

Black Mission Fig

Slice them into let’s say 8ths, thin enough but not too thin.  Add them to your pizza.  Next we will crumble some good quality blue cheese just to give them that tangy bite against the sweetness of the onions and figs.  Then sprinkle with a few pine nuts or chopped raw walnuts and you are DONE.

Black Mission Fig Pizza

Simple yet elegant.

Pop them in the oven or onto the bar b que and bake them until the crust crisps up and the cheese melts just a little.

For a little added taste and nutrition, just before serving hit them with a little baby arugula.

Black Mission Fig Pizza with carmelized onions and blue cheese

These make a great starter at your party or served with a side salad a nice light summer supper.

Yumm-eee.

Friday Pizza Night

So now it’s Friday night, you’ve got yourself some pizza dough in the fridge, time to make some PIZZA!

Where we last left off, we rolled out the dough, sprinkled the tray with a little cornmeal, put the dough on the tray and drizzled with a little olive oil.

Pizza dough ready to go

There is nothing more fun than a pizza party.  Whether for a gang or just Friday night hangin at home.

Go in your fridge and drag out all you favorite things to eat and then chop them up, or grate them or do what ever needs done.  Then put them in little bowls if you are being more formal, or just make piles of stuff on a cutting board and then start to create!

Pizza dough with sauce

You can start with a little sauce.  Either your favorite jar or canned version, or like ours was just some tomato paste mixed with some dried herbs and garlic.

I then like to put a loose layer of cheese ( if you choose to use) because I find it helps everything else hang on.

Then pile her up with your favorite toppings.

Build your own pizza

I had peppers, red onion, mushrooms, spinach, prosciutto and fresh garlic.  And then some blue cheese and mozzarella and then some parma at the very last minute.  I also added a few sprinkles of hot chili flakes and some oregano.

Pizza ready to go

But as you know, now a days, the toppings are endless.  Chicken or nuts or lately I’ve even been seeing pull pork on pizzas!  Or you can make it completely meatless.  That’s what’s great about a pizza party is that everyone is happy because they have exactly what they want on it.  No fighting.

Bake them up at 400 degrees in the middle of the oven so the bottom doesn’t burn.  Bake until the cheese is melted and everything looks nice and melded into each other.  Yum-eee!

Pizza with meatballs

Then dish her up!  You could have it with a side salad and all that, to make it healthy and all.  But what I do, mostly because at this point I am really ready to get on with it, is I will plot of handful of baby arugula right in the middle of my piece of pizza.

The rocket lettuce adds a nice peppery zing and of course is your “live” thing with your meal.

Everyone’s happy!

Homemade pizza topped with arugula