My Culinary Blog

BBQ Chicken Pieces

10 oz. boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. favorite BBQ sauce

For the Pizza:

1 recipe Thin Crust Dough
Cornmeal, semolina, or flour for handling
1/2 cup favorite BBQ sauce (a spicy−sweet sauce works best)
2 Tbs. shredded smoked Gouda cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 small red onion, sliced into 1/8−inch pieces
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chopped fresh cilantro

To make BBQ Chicken:

In a large frying pan, cook the chicken in olive oil over medium−high heat until just cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Do not overcook. Set aside in the refrigerator until chilled through. Once chilled, coat the chicken with 2 Tbs. BBQ sauce; set aside in the refrigerator.

To make the pizza:

Place the pizza stone in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees F. for one hour before cooking pizzas. Use a large spoon to spread 1/4 cup BBQ sauce evenly over the surface of the prepared dough within the rim. Sprinkle 1 Tbs. smoked Gouda cheese over the sauce. Cover with 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella. Distribute half the chicken pieces evenly over the cheese (approximately 18 pieces). Place approximately 18 to 20 pieces of red onion over the surface. Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup mozzarella over the top of the pizza. Transfer the pizza to the oven; bake until the crust is crisp and golden and the cheese at the center is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. When the pizza is cooked, carefully remove it from the oven; sprinkle 1 Tbs. cilantro over the hot surface. Slice and serve.

DOUGH:

1 Package active dry yeast
2 teas. Sugar
1 1/4 cups Warm water
2 3/4 cups All−purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tbls. Olive oil
1 teas. Salt

TOPPING:

1 cup Pizza sauce
12 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. Ground beef, crumbled, cooked
1/4 lb. Italian Sausage, crumbled, cooked
1/4 lb. Pork Sausage, crumbled, cooked
1/2 cup Pepperoni, diced
1/2 cup Canadian bacon, diced
1/2 cup Ham, diced
1/4 lb. Mushrooms, sliced
1 small Onion, sliced
1 Green bell pepper, seeded, sliced
2 oz. Grated Parmesan cheese

1. For dough, sprinkle yeast and sugar into warm water in small bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix flour, cornmeal, oil and salt in a large bowl; make a well in the center and add yeast mixture. Stir to form a soft dough, adding more flour if necessary. Turn onto a floured board and knead until dough is supple and elastic, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and let rise in a warm spot until dough has doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down.
3. Roll dough to a 13−inch circle. Transfer to an oiled 12−inch pizza pan, folding the excess over to make a small rim. Spread with pizza sauce; sprinkle with all but a handful of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with meats and vegetables. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Let rise in a warm spot about 25 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 475 degrees. Bake pizza until crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

6 Slices Bacon, cooked
Pizza Dough for 12″ Pizza (try Thin Crust recipe)
2 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4″ thick
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 teas. ground black pepper
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 500F.
Prepare dough according to recipe found in this book. Divide in two and roll out into two circles about 6 inches in diameter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Arrange tomato slices on dough. Sprinkle cheese on tomatoes leaving a 2−3 inch well in the center (to hold the egg). Place bacon on top of cheese around the outside. Bake the pizzas for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and crack an egg into the center of each. Sprinkle with pepper and return to oven. Bake until the egg is set and the crust is browned, about 10 minutes more.

28 oz. of crushed tomatoes
3 oz. of tomato paste
4 tbsps. Pecorino Romano
1 tsp Oregano
2 tbsps. minced fresh garlic
1 tbsp. black pepper
3 tsps sugar
2 teaspoons of basil

Whisk all together. Allow flavors to blend for one hour before using.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
3 Italian Plum Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
3 oz. Tomato Paste
2 1/2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper
1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter, Cut in Pieces

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and saute 1 minute. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add butter pieces, stirring. When butter is half melted, remove skillet from heat and continue stirring until thoroughly incorporated.
Yield: 1 1/3 cups

2 packages fast−rising dry yeast
2 cups tepid water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup salad oil
1 teaspoon table salt
5 1/2 cups unbleached white bread flour
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil for topping
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Dissolve the yeast in tepid water. Add the sugar, olive oil, salad oil, and table salt. Mix in 3 cups of flour and whip until the dough begins to leave the sides of the mixing bowl, about 10 minutes. Mix in the remianing flour by hand or with a dough hook and knead the dough until it is smooth. Allow the dough to rise twice in the bowl, and punch down after each rising.
Oil two baking sheet, each 11 x 17 inches, and divide the dough between the two pans. Using your fingers, press the dough out to the edges of each pan. Cover and allow to rise for about thirty minutes, and brush with a mixture of the crushed garlic and oil reserved for topping.
Sprinkle with rosemary and kosher salt.
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

3 1/2 cups Zucchini; coarsely grated
Salt
1/3 cup Flour
3 Eggs; lightly beaten
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese; grated
2 tbls. Fresh basil; (2 to 3 leaves) or 1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place zucchini in bowl and lightly salt. Let sit for 15 minutes and squeeze out all the water that is rendered. Roll in a towel and twist again. This is to remove all possible water. Mix with rest of ingredients in a bowl. Spread on a well−oiled baking pan and bake in a 350F oven until top is dry and lightly browned (20 minutes).
Remove from oven, add desired sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Return to oven and bake at 350F until done, about another 20 minutes.

1 Tbls. sugar or honey
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1 pack (1/4 ounce) dry yeast
1 1/4 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Dissolve sugar in water and add yeast. Stir gently until disssolved (about 1 minute). Let stand until the yeast foams slightly (about 5 minutes) to insure that the yeast is effective. Combine 3 cups of the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and oil if you are using it. Begin kneading the mixture, gradually adding enough of the remaining 1/4 cup flour so that the dough is no longer sticky. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic (another 10−15 minutes by hand). Shape dough into a ball and put in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat it with the oil.
Let rise until doubled in bulk (45 minutes to 1−1/2 hours, depending on the yeast and the temperature). Punch down the dough and shape
into 1 or 2 pieces. The entire recipe will make two 12 inch pizzas. Shape the dough either by hand or with a rolling pin, stretching out as necessary to achieve a thin dough. For a lighter crust, let the dough sit for a half hour after shaping before constructing pizza and baking.

(makes a 17 1/2″ X 11 1/2″ Pizza)
4 cups All−Purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsps oil
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water (105F)

Mix yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup water in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let rise for 15 minutes. Stir to deflate. Mix 2 cups of remaining flour with salt, 1 cup cool tap water, and oil. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour. Knead 15 minutes on a floured surface (10 minutes in a machine) until smooth. Place dough in bowl dusted with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours). Punch dough down and put in ziploc bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 500F.
Remove dough from refrigerator when ready to shape into crust. Punch down dough thoroughly and roll out dough on a floured surface.
Lightly oil (olive) a 17 1/2″ X 11 1/2″ X 3/4″ pan. Place dough in pan and push to stretch evenly leaving a lip up against sides of pan.
Let rest for 10−15 minutes (while you prepare toppings). Stretch out dough again (it will have receded) and place desired toppings.
Cook in center of oven until crust is golden brown.