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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Kitchen Play: Onion-Bacon Salad with Warm Crème Fraîche Dressing

Whoa. This Kitchen Play thing? Very cool. Have you been following the monthly menus?

Kitchen Play: each month a Progressive Party is hosted. Six food bloggers are assigned one of the following courses: cocktail, amuse bouche, salad, appetizer/soup, entrée and dessert. All six bloggers are challenged to incorporate the same product or kitchen tool into six different courses.

I was expecting this opportunity to challenge me, and challenge it did. I was given the salad dish and the secret ingredient was...


...onions. Fresh dry bulb onions. As opposed to storage onions. Because apparently there is a difference...I wasn't even aware there was a difference!

From the Onions USA website:

Onions can be divided into two categories: spring/summer fresh onions and fall/winter storage onions.

Spring/Summer Fresh Onions
Spring/summer fresh onions are available in yellow, red and white throughout their season, March through August. Fresh onions can be identified by their thin, light-colored skin. Because they have a higher water content, they are typically sweeter and milder than storage onions. This higher water content also makes them more susceptible to bruising.

With its delicate taste, the spring/summer onion is an ideal choice for salads and other fresh and lightly-cooked dishes.

Fall/Winter Storage Onions
Fall/winter storage onions are available August through April. Also available in yellow, red and white, storage onions have multiple layers of thick, dark, papery skin. Storage onions have an intense flavor and a higher percentage of solids.

Storage onions are the best choice for savory dishes that require longer cooking times or more flavor.

When I received information about my Kitchen Play challenge, it was just at the tail end of last season (August), so I was able to acquire the fresh dry bulb onions before storage onions made their way into my produce store. Then just for kicks, I really paid attention to the condition of my fresh onions and, when storage onions came in, I made comparisons. Well. The above descriptions? Bang on. Crazy. Shows how much attention I pay.

But - salad! I hope you like what I've come up with. It was inspired by an Alsace tart I read about in an old issue of Bon Appétit.

I served the salad in bread bowls I made with mini tart shells and one of my favorite pizza dough recipes. I've provided a Martha Stewart pizza dough recipe below but feel free to use any recipe you'd like.

You may wonder about the lemon juice-onion mix: lemon juice takes any sting out of the onions so their flavor remains without being overpowering. We found that the fresh onions are indeed milder than fall storage onions so go with your instincts - taste a slice and make your to lemon or not to lemon decision then!

Onion-Bacon Salad with Warm Crème Fraîche Dressing

Serves 2

dressing:
2 tablespoons crème fraîche (I found some in store but you can make your own as well)
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

salad:
6 ounces bacon, cooked and roughly chopped, divided
1 small fresh onion, halved and very thinly sliced
juice of half a lemon
4 cups field greens mix

Peel onion. Stand onion on its end and cut in half. Slice onion into very thin half rings using a mandoline or a sharp knife. Place in a small bowl and toss with juice of half a lemon.

Blend crème fraîche and sour cream in a small heavy bottomed saucepan over very low heat till warm. Stir in 1 ounce of the chopped bacon. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Toss salad greens with onions. Place onto 2 serving plates or in bread bowls. Drizzle with warmed dressing and garnish with reserved 5 ounces bacon. Serve.

Pizza Dough Bread Bowls
Makes four 4 1/2 inch tart shells
Martha Stewart

1/2 cup warm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir water, sugar and yeast in a bowl until yeast is foamy.

Measure flour into a large bowl and stir in salt. Add the oil and the yeast mixture. Stir till flour is incorporated and dough becomes stiff. On a lightly floured surface, knead several minutes till dough becomes smooth. Shape dough into ball.

Place dough into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot till doubled, about 45 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, punch down dough. Fold dough into itself a few times and leave smooth side up. Let rise a second time till doubled, about 45 minutes.

You can also use a breadmaker: measure the water, sugar, yeast and olive oil into the bowl of your machine. Add the flour and salt. Set to 'dough' and press Start. Once the cycle is complete, proceed as follows:

Punch down dough and place on clean work surface. Cut into 4 equal pieces. Loosely cover 3 dough pieces with plastic wrap.

Roll out each dough piece into a 5 inch circle. Fit into tart shells, lightly pressing dough to fluted sides. Leave any overhang. Prick with a fork several times and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake till lightly browned.

Alternatively, you could drape each rolled out piece of dough over a bowl-shaped heat-tolerant item. I did this with a small brioche pan for one of my bowls, just to see how it would turn out. I found the fluted aspect didn't come through as well as I would have liked though.

Lucky for you, this year's fresh onions are most likely on the market already, till August, so go pick some up and after you've tried my recipe (you'll try it, right??), come back and let me know what you think - and don't forget to enter the blogger contest for $100! All you have to do is try the recipe - even if it doesn't work for you or you don't like it - and then you can enter!

Onion Prep Tips

Prepare onions as close to cooking or serving time as possible.
An onion's flavor deteriorates and its aroma intensifies over time.
Refrigerate onions 30 minutes before preparation to prevent tearing.
To remove the smell of onions, rub hands and equipment with lemon
juice or salt.
Store your onions in a cool, dry ventilated place – not in the refrigerator.
Lack of air movement reduces storage life.

For more information on onions of all kinds plus recipes and more, head over to the National Onion Association's website!


I was compensated in cash to create my own recipe using the secret ingredient 'onions' however I purchased all ingredients for the recipe myself.

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Blueberry Crisp

BLUEBERRIES.  Dessert.  Snack.  Grab a spoon, keep it next to the dish and just sneak bites when you need a pick me up.

Blueberry Crisp
Serves 8
Martha Stewart

filling:
6 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375F.

Make the filling: mix blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt in a bowl. Transfer to an 8 inch square baking dish.

Make the topping: stir together flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and fluffy. Stir dry ingredients into the butter. Using hands, squeeze topping pieces together into clumps.

Sprinkle topping evenly over filling and bake until bubbling in center and brown on top, about an hour. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.

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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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Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

There has been a jar of mini M&Ms in my baking cupboard since just before Christmas. I cannot, for the life of me, remember why I bought them. They catch my eye every time I open that particular cupboard and I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them. Peanut butter M&M cookies? Yes please!

A peanut butter cookie is only as good as it's texture. They should be soft, but not overly chewy; firm but with a bit of crumble. Am I peanut butter cookie snob? Don't answer that...

These didn't quite meet my criteria, but the M&Ms were a fantastic addition. Perhaps a shorter bake time next go-round will improve the texture for me. I'm not sure I'll be able to make peanut butter cookies without M&Ms now. Matt thought the cookies were great and the Bear, well, if it's a cookie, it's awesome. He approved.

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
Pennies on a Platter
Makes 2-3 dozen

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening or butter for a flatter cookie
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 large bag M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl, set aside. With a hand or stand mixer, cream the shortening (or butter), sugars and peanut butter. Stir in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix till just combined. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in the M&Ms.

Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets and lightly press down with a fork to barely flatten cookies. Bake 10 minutes; let cool on wire racks.

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Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I spotted Tracy's post about broccoli-cheddar soup (with mustardy croutons!!) and decided to give it a try for dinner a few nights ago.

This isn't an unhealthy soup, I promise. There's all of that broccoli of course, and to thicken? Just a couple of potatoes. A few healthy glugs of chicken broth, a fistful of cheddar, a good grainy mustard to season and combined with the usual onion and garlic suspects...soup! Next time I'll try a bit less garlic as we found it overpowered the flavor of the broccoli, but overall a delicious recipe.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Shutterbean
Serves 4-6

croutons:
6 ounces whole wheat bread torn into pieces, about 3 cups worth
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
sea salt

soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
pinch salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
1 large head broccoli, chopped into florets
3/4 cup freshly grated aged cheddar
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
paprika, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix melted butter with olive oil and mustard. Stir well and add bread. Mix until all bread chunks are coated. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt and bake till croutons are nicely browned, about 10-15 minutes. Stir the croutons once or twice during baking.

In a large stock pot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute the onions and shallots with a pinch of salt until translucent and softened. Add the potato and continue cooking another 4 minutes. Cover the pot. Add the garlic and broth and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add broccoli and cook another 4-5 minutes until broccoli is tender.

Remove soup from the heat and puree with a blender or immersion blender. Add half of the shredded cheddar cheese as well as the mustard. Continue blending and add remaining cheese. Serve soup in bowls garnished with cheddar, croutons and a sprinkling of paprika.

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