Grilled Chicken & Caramelized Onion Pizza

Um, hi.

Been awhile.

Sorry about that. Life, and stuff - you know?


But pizza! Pizza with grilled chicken, and caramelized onions, on a parmesan-garlic-Italian herbed crust!

It was passable. I thought it was maybe a bit too sweet but Matt loved it, and the Bear ate half of one of those pieces shown in the picture (for a 3 year old who practically lives on a diet of soup and beans and eggs, this is a triumph).

Caramelized onions rock my world, for serious. Halve an onion and slice into thin half moons, saute 15 minutes over medium heat with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of sugar to encourage caramelization...hello. I toss in a bit of chicken broth after they've softened, just for a bit of body, and right near the end of cooking I drizzle them with just a few drops of red wine vinegar. Come to Mama.

For the crust, I looked up an easy-ish bread maker pizza dough recipe because I didn't feel like kneading. It called for grated parmesan, a fresh clove of garlic and a hefty amount of Italian herbs. If I use this recipe again, I might pre bake the crust before topping it - I found it a little too bready and would have preferred a crispier crust.

Grilled Chicken & Caramelized Onion Pizza
Serves 6

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (we used Kraft's Chicken & Rib)
1 onion, halved and sliced into thin half moons
1 cup mozzarella
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 recipe pizza dough (we used this one)

Season chicken breasts with pepper and grill until juices run clear and chicken is cooked throughout. Chop into bite sized pieces; set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saute or fry pan and add onions. Separate rings as onions cook and soften; about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until onions begin to brown and caramelize; takes about 15 minutes total. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine tomato and BBQ sauces; set aside.

If using a pizza stone, preheat oven to 420F and heat stone prior to applying crust. Otherwise, sprinkle a large baking sheet with cornmeal and press out pizza dough to desired thickness.

Spread with tomato-BBQ sauce, then onions - use your fingers to separate clumps. Sprinkle with chicken and then cheese. Bake until crust is golden and cheese has melted and browned, about 20 minutes.


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Chicken Souvlaki

I love Mediterranean food: it's typically light and fresh, healthier than not, and it's just delicious. Plus - pita and tzatziki? Hello.

This recipe is one of the best souvlaki recipes I've tried to date. It tastes like souvlaki is supposed to taste. We used a cast iron grill pan on the stovetop this time but have previously used an outdoor BBQ with fantastic results.

Chicken Souvlaki
Williams-Sonoma
Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 bay leaves, broken or chopped into tiny pieces
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
lemon wedges for garnish
flat leaf parsley for garnish

In a bowl, stir together the oil, wine, lemon juice, onion, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a cast iron grill pan. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water. Remove chicken from marinade and drain bamboo skewers, if using. Thread chicken onto skewers and grill, turning once, until chicken is opaque throughout, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to platter and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley. Serve.

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Chicken Strips

In an effort to sway the Bear's opinion on chicken strips (he doesn't like them - whaaaat??), we tried this simple, kid-friendly recipe and accompanied them with homemade honey mustard dip and french fries (he likes french fries!). To add a bit of 'healthy' to the meal, I threw together a broccoli salad.

There's nothing fancy about these chicken strips - you'll notice a distinct lack of herbs or spices, and the coating is also very simple. They are perfect for choosy kids or for a quick, easy meal. Don't skimp on the buttermilk marinating time - it renders the chicken moist and tender instead of dry and tough. Don't have buttermilk? Add a half tablespoon vinegar to a half cup regular milk and allow to sit for ten minutes.

We found that baking wasn't enough to brown the coating. The chicken cooked through moist and juicy but the panko crumbs stayed an anemic pale color. Since we had a pot of oil going for the french fries anyway, we gave them a quick fry to crisp and brown the coating and that worked well.

Don't forget to serve some sort of dip alongside the strips - plum sauce, ketchup, whatever you like!

Side note - these would make fantastic appetizers. Cut the chicken smaller than you would for dinner portions, thread onto a skewer and bake as below. They could be served set in small glasses of your chosen dip or set out with a selection of dipping sauces for guests to choose from.

Chicken Strips
Simple Bites

1 lb chicken, fillets or breasts cut into strips
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup corn flakes, crushed into fine crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs

In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, salt, pepper and paprika. Add chicken and marinate at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F. Combine corn flakes and panko, season with salt and pepper (plus any other herbs or spices you desire) and place on a plate. Coat one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the breadcrumb mixture and place on a greased wire rack on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and golden.

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Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

We'd purchased a jar of real maple syrup for our we-three Christmas breakfast, as a treat. It's been used a few times since but I wanted to try it in a savory application as well, and this recipe prompted me to do just that.

We really enjoyed all of the contrasting flavors in this recipe. There is sweetness from the maple syrup, the woodsy scent and flavor of the fresh thyme, and coarsely ground sea salt and black pepper to round out the seasonings. The chicken itself is tender and, thanks to the maple syrup, covered in a roasted glaze. Not one of us - not even the Bear - left behind any onions or sweet potatoes; they had been roasted to an almost candy-like perfection.

Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
Real Simple
Serves 4

3 1/2 to 4 pounds chicken pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped into 1 inch wedges
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons maple syrup
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400F.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Arrange chicken, onion and sweet potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Drizzle with maple syrup and arrange thyme over top.

Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until chicken is cooked through - about and hour and 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.


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Sauteed Onions & Chicken with Spinach Fettucine

Matt and I, as part of a concentrated effort to drop a few pounds before an upcoming vacation, made this for dinner last week and goodness gracious. It was unbelievably good - and good for us.

The breast of chicken, although just gently seasoned, serves as the perfect vehicle for the onions, which caramelize to candy-like proportions. Plate on top of spinach fettucine and trust me - eating healthy has never been tastier.

Sauteed Chicken With Caramelized Onions
ChangeOne by Reader's Digest
Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs medium onions
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 to 5 ounces each)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Cut onions into 6 wedges each. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Coat skillet with cooking spray. Add 2 tsp olive oil and heat over medium high heat for about 30 seconds. Add chicken and saute until browned, about 3 minutes on each side; transfer to plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add remaining oil. Saute onions, 1 tbsp sugar and remaining salt and pepper until onions turn golden brown and caramelize, about 8 minutes. Stir frequently, breaking onions apart as they cook. Add broth and boil until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Stir in rosemary, thyme and remaining sugar. Return chicken to skillet and sprinkle with vinegar. Cook uncovered until juices of chicken run clear, about 4 minutes.

Divide into 4 portions. One serving equals one chicken breast half topped with about 1/2 cup onions and served over 2/3 cup spinach fettucine.
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