Shrimp & Pesto Pizza

I read in a Martha Stewart Home Living issue that cast iron skillets are the perfect medium for making pizzas at home. Now even though I am a pizza fanatic, I never really thought about making my own pizzas until I read her article and then discovered that my local grocery store sells pizza dough. So I picked up some dough and decided that homemade pizzas had to happen. I may not have a pizza stone or even a pizza roller but I had a skillet and pre-made dough so I was set!

But then I kind of forgot about the dough and realized it's expiration date was approaching right before a snow storm. I didn't have time to run out and get what I needed to make my favorite kind of pizza (margherita) so I decided to just use what I had on hand. I discovered some store bought pesto right next to a bag of shredded mozzarella. Seemed pretty legit. But what would I top it with? I opened the freezer hoping to find some chicken or sausage but all I had was shrimp. When I thought about shrimp and pesto, it sounded good to me so I got busy. The results?? Well you see the picture! It was so simple and delicious, yet unique. Plus I got lots of assistance from the grocery store so this pizza came together in minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal! Do try this!

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1lb store bought pizza dough

3 heaping tablespoons store bought pesto

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled, deveined (if large, give them a rough chop)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for brushing and sautéing 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

Special Tool: Cast Iron Skillet

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Once oven is hot, place your cast iron skillet in the oven to warm up (this step is optional but will help create a crispy crust) While skillet is heating, sprinkle shrimp with salt and fresh cracked black pepper and, in a small sautéed pan, cook shrimp in a tablespoon of olive oil for just a few minutes on each side (barely cooked through). Remove from heat and set aside. 

Then, on a cutting board, roll out your dough into a circle about the same size as your skillet. You can use a rolling pin if you have one. I didn't so I used my fists to press it out. 

Right when you're ready to assemble your pizza, remove the hot skillet from the oven (using a pot holder of course). Brush the pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and place the dough into the pan, pressing it out to the edges of the pan if necessary. 

Then use the back of a spoon to spread the pesto onto the dough leaving about an inch around the edges for the crust. Next, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the pesto, but don't get heavy handed. You want a thin layer of cheese and you even want to see some of the pesto peeking through. Next arrange the cooked shrimp over the cheese in an even layer and sprinkle red pepper flakes over the entire pizza. Brush the crust with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, place the pizza into the oven and bake for 20 mins. 

Remove the pizza from the oven and, using a spatula and tongs, gently move the pizza from the skillet to a cutting board. Immediately cut the pizza into 8 slices using a pizza roller or sharp knife and serve!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe for Stuffed Chicken Breasts came about one blah weeknight.  I was too tired to really cook and planned to simply grill some boneless skinless chicken breasts, throw them on a salad and call it a night.  But once I discovered the goat cheese and peppers in the fridge, (both of which I probably would have added to my salad anyway) I decided to use them to stuff the chicken.

My dinner came out great and because I felt like it was such a simple and delicious way to transform chicken breasts, which everyone always has on hand, I decided to send the recipe to Ebony.com.  Click HERE to view the recipe or scroll below to see the process.  When I took the pictures, I was actually trying to do a Roulade or roll the breasts around the filling.  But that was kind of a disaster so the next time around, I stuffed the breasts as the directions explain.  Enjoy!

Ingredients: (makes 4 servings)

·       ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

·       4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

·       ½ Red Bell Pepper, sliced

·       ½ Small Red Onion, sliced

·       2 Cloves Garlic, minced

·       Salt & Pepper, to taste

·       Oregano or Italian Seasoning

·       Paprika, to taste

·       4 ounces Goat Cheese or Feta Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make the filling by sautéing the red bell pepper and red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle veggies with salt and pepper to taste, a few pinches of oregano and stir to combine.  Then, Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.  Remove filling from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, season both sides of each chicken breast generously with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika.  Then, insert a pairing knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast and slice lengthwise until you have made a 4 inch long and 3 inch deep pocket.  You want to be able to lift and fill the pocket, but not completely split the breast in half.

Now the pepper mixture should be cool enough to handle. Divide it into 4 portions and do the same with the goat cheese or feta.  Then, stuff each chicken breast with a portion of the pepper mix and top with a portion of the cheese.  Try to press the mixture into the pocket leaving nothing hanging too far out.

Side Note: Another cooking method for this recipe, as you see pictured above, is the roulade where you roll the filling inside the chicken breast.  However, if you do this method, I would suggest using toothpicks to hold everything together because all of mine fell apart, except for the breast that's sliced and pictured.  Oops!

Heat the remaining quarter cup of olive oil a skillet (can be the same one you cooked the veggies in) and when the oil is hot, gently add in each breast and sear for 5 minutes or until brown.  Using tongs and a spatula gently flip each breast over and sear for 5 minutes more. Transfer the breasts to the oven to finish cooking (about 12 minutes).  Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve each breast whole or for dramatic presentation, use a sharp knife to make 2 inch slices at an angle.  Then, fan out the slices when plating.  I served my breasts with a lightly dressed salad, keeping the dinner carb-free yet satisfying. 

The Best Roast Chicken Ever

Best Roast Chicken Ever

It was the Wednesday before payday, checking account balance was super low and I just wanted to make a dinner that would get me to Friday.  I decided to roast a chicken because whole chickens are usually on sale at my grocery store and the leftovers can be very versatile.  So I enlisted the help of one of my Instagram followers who always posts amazing looking roasted chicken.  He shared his rub recipe with me and then I turned to Julia Child for some roasting tips.  With both of their help, my chicken came out perfect and worthy of the title: “The Best Roast Chicken Ever.”

These ingredients totaled $21! Served the rice & asparagus on the side. Reeses for dessert!

There was no way I could keep the recipe for the “The Best Roast Chicken Ever” a secret.  However, I learned the hard way that roasting a chicken is a lengthy and involved process (not sure what I was thinking doing it on a weeknight) and I felt that, if I am going to share my process, I have to REALLY share it.  In other words, break it all the way down!  So that’s what I do below; I give you every ingredient, every spice (my IG follower may sue me), every trick, every technique.  It’s all there below so that you too can make “The Best Roast Chicken Ever."

To start you will need a whole raw chicken (mine was a little less than 5 lbs) and a hot oven. Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees.

"Clean" the Chicken

While holding the chicken over the sink, take it out of the wrapper, pour off excess liquid, remove the giblets and place the chicken on a plastic cutting board.  At this point, some suggest that you wash the chicken but I have heard so many chefs and food professionals say not to. They say that when you do, there are so many opportunities to spread bacteria around your kitchen. So I don't wash, I simply pat the chicken dry with paper towels and dispose them.  Then I allow the chicken to come to room temperature while preparing the other ingredients.

Prepare the "Stuffing" and Rub

For the stuffing you will need:

Rub on the left, aromatics for cavity on the right!

• 1 head of garlic,
• 1 carrot (I had baby carrots on hand and just used a few of those)
• 1 stick of celery
• 1 lemon
• 1-2 sprigs of rosemary
• 2-3 sprigs of parsley.  

Prep these items by slicing the top off the garlic, cutting the carrot and celery in thirds and cutting the lemon in half.  
Then, in a small bowl, mix together the rub:

• 2 tbsp fresh thyme (1 tbsp if using dried)
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp paprika 
• 1-2 teaspoons salt
• 1-2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon (couple pinches) cayenne pepper

Season the Chicken

Start on the inside by sprinkling a generous amount of the rub into the cavity of the chicken.  Then move to the outside and rub the rub (ha!) all over the chicken, being sure to get into all the nooks and crannies.  Lift the wings, the legs, and gently lift the skin to rub some seasoning directly on the breast (be careful not to rip the skin).

Now stuff the prepared items into the cavity. (celery, carrot, garlic, lemon, rosemary and parsley) 

Truss the Chicken

Ok this is the part where I let you down.  I definitely trussed this chicken but I cannot explain to you how I did it.  One thing I can say is that I once read that the goal of trussing is to bring all of the pieces as close to the middle or carcass of the chicken as possible.  If you look at a chicken that's not trussed, the legs and wings are hanging away from the middle, so you have to use the kitchen string to bring it all in. This is basically what I did and had beginner’s luck I guess.

Seasoned and trussed bird before the oven.

But if you really need instruction, I recommend you watch a trussing video on youtube (I actually watched one to learn how to carve) OR you can simply tie the legs together and wrap a string around the tail end of the chicken to tuck the wings in and tie it at the bottom.

Prepare Chicken for Roasting 

Ok before you roast the chicken, you have to figure out what you're going to roast it in.  Thanks to my roommate, I had a roasting pan with a rack.  If you don't have one, you can use a glass baking dish, or even a skillet (oven safe or cast-iron) but you have to find a way to keep the chicken from sitting on the bottom and roasting in it's own juices.  

Alot of people spread root vegetables on the bottom of the pan and set the chicken on top (it's a win because you can eat the vegetables).  Another option (that I saw a New York City chef do) is slice a crusty loaf of bread into 2 inch slices and place the chicken on top of those (and again, you can eat the bread).

Once your chicken is arranged in the center of your roasting pan or skillet, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the chicken, and on the bottom of the pan. 

Roast the Chicken

Now is the part where you throw the bird into the oven and I wish I could tell you that you can forget it, but in order for this bird to turn out good, you are going to go be busy for the next 90 minutes.

First, allow the chicken to roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then, using a spoon, baste the chicken with the juices that have already began to gather in the pan.  Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast the chicken for 1 hr and 10 mins more (70 mins), basting the chicken with it’s own juices until the last 15 minutes.  For the last basting round, use melted butter for extra golden and crispy skin.

After a full 90 minutes, the chicken should be done but you're looking for your meat thermometer to read 158-160 degrees when inserted into the thigh.  You'll also know it's done when all of the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh.

Let the Chicken Rest

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for at least 15-20 minutes or longer if you’re not serving immediately. 

Carve the Chicken

Like I said above, I learned to carve a chicken from this wonderful YouTube Video from the French Culinary Institute.  I don’t have the chef’s fork so I used another knife and even though it was a struggle, I got the pieces off the carcass and had a lovely platter of roast chicken ready to serve.

My birdy all carved up!

So that’s it! As a footnote, I have to shoutout one of the best chef’s on Instagram @chefpornardee for sharing the rub with me.  And even though this process wore me out, I realized the importance of every step and how they all contributed to The Best Roast Chicken ever.  For example, I always wondered: Why do you stuff the cavity with all the aromatics?? Well, when I was basting and saw the juices coming out of the cavity, I realized they were being flavored by the carrots, celery, lemon, garlic on the way out.  THEN, when basting, I was pouring those same juices back over the chicken and I knew that it was all an amazing process that ends in The Best Roast Chicken Ever.  

Not sure who we have to thank for this technique (probably the French) but I hope you all give it a try.  Do it the next time you have company! Your whole place will smell amazing and the platter of carved chicken definitely has that wow factor.

Seafood Paella

[RECIPE] Seafood Paella

This recipe for Seafood Paella is such a gem that I knew I had to send it to my editor at Ebony.com  She posted it recently and now I'm so excited to be able to share it here.

There are so many ways to make Paella and so many recipes out there, but I am especially proud of this one because I think it's simple enough for the average home cook.  You don't need a special pan or special rice; just a few ingredients that can be found in most grocery stores.  And when all these ingredients come together, you have an amazing dish that is sure to spice up any weeknight.  This Seafood Paella is also good for entertaining because it presents beautifully and appears to be challenging but is actually quick and easy.

So please do me and your taste-buds a favor and hop on over to Ebony.com to get the recipe and give this dish a try!

Pico and Guac

With playoffs here and Super Bowl around the corner, you may be on the lookout for great dips and snacks.  Well, I'm here to share my recipes for 2 dips that no game day should be without: Pico De Gallo and Guacamole.  

There are thousands of recipes out there for Guacamole but I happen to like mine nice and chunky which is why I add fresh pico de gallo to it.  Sure you can grab store bought pico and use it in this guac recipe, but I actually like to make both.  Some people don't like guacamole and even thought that makes them crazy, I like to give another option so I make the pico, use some in the guac and it's a win/win.

Even though I give measurements here, when it comes to the seasonings, just do it by taste.  I like to use alot of cilantro and lime and I also enjoy garlic in my guac.  But you can adjust the seasonings to your own taste.  AND if you really want to kick your guacamole up a notch, check out my Seafood Version.

Pico and Guac use pretty much the same ingredients!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients: (Makes about 2 Cups)

5 plum tomatoes, seeded, diced

½ cup red or white onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Juice of ½ a Lime

Salt & Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:

After you have removed the seeds and diced your tomatoes, add them to a bowl.  Then add the finely chopped onion and cilantro and stir to combine.  Next squeeze half a lime over tomatoes and season liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Give mixture a final stir, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.  Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, eggs, you name it!

Guacamole 

Ingredients:

3 Ripe* Hass Avocados

2 Limes, juiced

1/2 cup Store Bought or Fresh Pico Gallo (see above) 

1-2 cloves garlic, grated using a micro-plane

Salt & Fresh Black Pepper, to taste

*A ripe avocado is dark green and soft to the touch when you squeeze it gently. If your avocados are bright green and hard, they will need 2-3 days to ripen by simply leaving them out on the kitchen counter.

Directions:

Grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand. With a large, sharp knife in the other hand, cut the avocado lengthwise around the seed. Open the two halves to expose the pit.  Remove the seed by scooping it out with spoon or using a knife to cut into the seed and twisting it out. Then, using a spoon, scoop the flesh of the avocado out into a small bowl. Roll the limes on the kitchen counter to release their juices, cut the lime in half and squeeze all of the juice onto the avocados. Next, mash the avocado using the spoon until to combine with the lime juice (this will keep it from browning). Lastly, add the salsa, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a final mix and serve immediately with chips.

Recipes Perfect for Cinco De Mayo!

Cinco De Mayo is Sunday and I just wanted to share a few recipes for anyone who may be entertaining or simply trying to be festive.  I, like most people, happen to love Mexican food so these recipes weren't written with May 5th in mind.  But they're perfect for the holiday and if I was entertaining this Cinco De Mayo, I would definitely make one, if not all of these!

Why am I not hosting a taco and tequila filled fiesta this Sunday?  Well, I've discovered that all of my entertaining has put a slight strain on my budget so I need to chill for a bit.  AND one of my friends invited me out to a party. And I need some fun!  So YES I will be partying but NO I won't be cooking. Which is why I'm posting some recipes in the hopes that YOU will do the cooking. ;-)

However, I only have a handful of Mexican recipes (all amazing though).  First is my Healthy Fish Tacos that I wrote recently for Ebony.com.  The beauty of this one is that inside that recipe is a Pico De Gallo recipe and a Cilantro-Lime Cole Slaw recipe in addition to the tacos. So you get 3 Mexican inspired dishes in one!

Then there's my Seafood Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips.  The tortilla chips are a fun snack to make, especially with little ones! And the seafood guac is so good, that is becoming my signature dish among my family and friends.  It is TO DIE FOR.  Especially if you love seafood.  But if you don't, I've included a classic "semi-homemade" Guacamole recipe as well.

Make one or make them all!

Healthy Fish Tacos w/ Cilantro-Lime Slaw & Pico De Gallo

Seafood Guacamole w/ Baked Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

April's Lasagna

This recipe is called "April's Lasagna" but let me start by saying that it isn't exactly MY recipe.  A while back (and I mean a couple of years ago) my Mom called me and told me she made the best lasagna EVER and I had to try it.  Turns out it was The Barefoot Contessa's Lasagna with Turkey Sausage.  I can never get enough of Ina Garten so one Sunday I made the lasgana, and Mom was not lying.  It's an amazing dish!

However, it contained ALOT of cheese.  And don't get me wrong, I love cheese.  AND I'd never seen a lasagna recipe that called for goat cheese and this just seemed genius.  But it also seemed immoral!  I mean I do have a figure to watch and including 4 types of cheese in any dish can be so fattening, not to mention expensive.  So when I went to make it again, I modified it by cutting out most of the cheese and here we are!

I make this lasagna all the time and recently when I made it and posted the pictures on Instagram, alot of my followers asked me for the recipe.  And though Ina is the true author, I decided to go ahead and write my version because 1. I think it's better (sorry Ina) and 2. it is different from hers in a few ways.  There's the cheese thing, also the meat thing (I use HOT Italian sausage instead of sweet-way better!) and then there's the noodle thing. I'm not sure when the "no boil" lasgana noodles were invented but to me, they are the best foodie creation since sliced bread! So I included them in this recipe because no one should ever boil a lasagna noodle again.

So here's MY recipe! A while back I wrote a great Vegetable Lasagna recipe that you should check out, but if you're looking for the traditional, comforting lasagna with meat sauce, this is it!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. Hot Italian Sausage or Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
1 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes
1 6oz can Tomato Paste
6-8 Basil Leaves, chopped
1/4 cup Parsley Leaves, chopped, divided

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (dried)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 15oz container ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 bag shredded mozzerella cheese
1 box "no boil" lasagna noodles (easily found in the pasta isle)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a pot or large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat, add in diced onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes.  Next add in the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.  Then, one at a time, remove the casings from each sausage and add the meat to the pan.  Use the edge of your spatula to break up the sausage, and cook until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes.

Once the meat is done, add in the can of crushed tomatoes, followed by the can of tomato paste. Season with the dried herbs and salt and pepper to taste, then bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, and then stir in the chopped basil and half of the chopped parsley.  Remove the sauce from the heat.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Then add in the ricotta cheese, the rest of the chopped parsley (I reserve just a little parsley to sprinkle on top), 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir everything to combine and set aside.

To build the lasagna, ladle a little bit of the sauce into your glass baking dish, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Then, cover the sauce with the no-boil lasagna noodles, breaking them as needed to fit.  Cover the noodles with 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce, 1/3 the ricotta and then sprinkle a little mozzarella and Parmesan on top (it's ok if the meat sauce is peeking through in the first 2 layers, you're reserving the largest amount of shredded cheese for the top). 

Repeat the layers, noodles, sauce, ricotta cheese, and shredded cheese two more times, except the final layer of cheese, needs to completely cover the meat sauce (see picture). 

Garnish with the last little bit of parsley. Then, cover lasagna with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more. 

Allow lasagna to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. This lasagna freezes well and is even better the next day so feel free to make in advance.