During the torrential rainstorm today, I drove 3 hrs each way to a job interview.  Consequentially I spent most of the day looking like a drowned rat in a business suit.  When I got home (aside from changing into my PJs and drying my hair) all I wanted was some comfort food and a nap.  We had lots of leftover chicken on hand and some leeks, so I decided to make a chicken pot pie.  This recipe caught my eye because it appeared fairly straightforward.  I made a few modifications, mostly because I didn’t have tarragon or grainy mustard (and as I was in my PJs, could not really go out to procure tarragon or grainy mustard…) and I also used skim milk because we didn’t have whole milk in the house.  It was a great way to end a very long and damp day.

Ingredients:

12 oz cooked chicken (I used a combination of boneless skinless chicken breast and thighs)

2 tablespoons butter

1 leek, sliced lengthwise and then into 1/2 inch strips

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon mustard (I used dijon)

1/4 cup flour

1 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon reserved skim milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

Salt & pepper to taste

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

Directions:

Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat.  Saute the leek and onion until the onion becomes translucent – about 4-5 mins.  Add the mustard and the flour.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.  Add the chicken broth, 3/4 cup skim milk and cream.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken.  Add the chicken and spices to the skillet and mix well.  Let the mixture cool.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place into a deep pie dish.  Roll the pastry out to a size able to cover the pie dish and press it over top, sealing it to the dish.  I used the extra bits of pastry dough to decorate the top.  Beat the egg and tablespoon of milk together and brush over top of the pastry crust before baking.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown and puffy.

Now that fall is upon us, I’ve been wanting to try some savory pumpkin recipes in addition to my usual standby cookie and quick bread recipes. I made some tasty pumpkin chocolate chip cookies a week ago and with the leftovers decided to try making some pumpkin risotto. I decided to try a variety with chicken in it but I am sure this would be equally tasty as a vegetarian dish as well. It came out really creamy and flavorful, despite the healthy label the original posting site gave it. Risotto always seemed complicated to make – but aside from taking a little bit of time standing at the stove, it’s really not hard! It would make for an interesting addition to Thanksgiving dinner, or a nice tasty dinner for a cold November evening as we enjoyed it!

8 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
2 cups short grain Italian rice (such as Arborio)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
8 ounces chopped skinless chicken
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 – 3/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions: Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. In a separate deep heavy duty skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter until it is translucent but not carmelized. Stir in the rice and toast the rice while stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, chopped chicken breast, nutmeg, and 2 cups of the simmering chicken broth. Stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add chicken broth, about 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice a minute or two to absorb the liquid each time before adding more. After about 15 minutes of adding liquid, taste the rice – if it is too hard, keep adding liquid until it is soft. When the rice is soft, remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and other tablespoon of butter.

One of my favorite dishes is quiche, yet for some reason we rarely make it! Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time studying for a big upcoming exam – so in order to procrastinate more effectively, I decided to spend a few hours making quiche…crust from scratch and everything. I picked up some zucchini at a local farm stand, and was inspired to find some other ingredients that went with zucchini well. I used a variety of recipes for inspiration – although this one does not have a crust, it did have a great combination of veggies and flavors. My husband usually protests if we have too much vegetarian food, so I threw in a bit of sweet italian sausage for him – but I imagine this would taste great without it. I made a pastry crust from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. I tweaked the amount of eggs included and the cheese a bit, as I didn’t have any monterey jack on hand. The quiche was great…and hopefully I’ll still pass my big exam!

Zucchini and Sausage Quiche

Crust Ingredients:

5 oz flour (1 and 1/8 cups)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

3 tablespoons ice water

Filling Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, sliced thinly

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic

2 links of sweet italian sausage

5 eggs

1/2 tsp dried basil and dried marjoram

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese

To make the crust – Preheat oven to 425. place the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cut-up butter to the dry ingredients and pulse repeatedly until the butter and flour is well combined – it will look a little like cornmeal. Place this in a bowl and sprinkle water over the flour/butter combination and then combine to form a ball. Chill the ball (wrapped in saran wrap) in the freezer for 10 minutes. Dust the chilled dough with flour and place the chilled dough between two layers of saran wrap. If it becomes too soft, chill again! Put the crust into a pie plate and pierce all over – cover with foil and fill with pie weights (or dried beans – cheaper!) and bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes.

To make the filling – Set oven for 325 degrees. Saute the zucchini, onion and garlic in a medium skillet until softened, then put aside. Remove the sausage casing and brown the meat until no longer pink at all. In a bowl, beat 5 eggs together with the marjoram, basil and parmesan cheese until combined. Stir in the zucchini/onion mix, cheddar cheese and sausage. Place the mixture in the prepared pie crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes – until the center is set. Enjoy!

My husband I love grilling pizza because it’s quick, easy and the topping possibilities are endless. I first made this Southwestern Chicken Grilled Pizza when I was faced with leftover Tomatillo Salsa, Tequila Lime Chicken and lots of fresh cilantro.

Using tomatillo salsa in place of traditional tomato sauce gives this pizza a light, fresh taste. The flavors of the tangy, bright salsa, smokey chicken and mellow caramelized onions blend beautifully. The pizza is full of flavor, but not overly spicy, so it will appeal to a wide variety of palates.

Southwestern Chicken Grilled Pizza

Pizza dough
Corn meal
Olive oil
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced thin
1/4 – 1/2 cup tomatillo salsa (store-bought or homemade)
1 grilled chicken breast, chopped (I used Tequila Lime chicken)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
2-4 tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro

1. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions for 7-10 minutes or until soft and translucent.
1. Place pizza stone on cold grill. Preheat grill on high for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stretch your dough by hand or roll it out on a lightly floured surface.
3. Sprinkle pizza peel liberally with cornmeal. Place stretched dough on top of cornmeal-covered peel.
4. Spread tomatillo salsa over the dough.
5. Distribute chopped chicken and sauteed onions evenly over the salsa.
6. Top with shredded cheese.
7. Reduce grill heat to medium-high. Slide prepared pizza onto preheated stone,close lid and grill for 8-10 minutes (for thin crust) until crust is golden and slightly crispy. Thicker crusts will require more time.
8. Remove pizza from stone and allow stone to cool on the grill.
9. Sprinkle chopped cilantro onto finished pizza.

For several years, I found the concept of grilled pizza intriguing, yet intimidating. I shuddered at the thought of placing pizza dough atop the grill grates, picturing globs of stuck-on dough or whole pizzas lost in the flames. Despite assurances to the contrary, I just couldn’t bring myself to try grilled pizza, until my co-blogger Lisa taught me how to grill pizza using a baking stone.

A baking stone makes grilling pizza amazingly simple. While some companies sell expensive stones that are specifically designed to withstand a grill’s high heat, I’ve had pretty good luck with the basic, inexpensive stones that can be found at Amazon, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond and similar retailers. Baking stones are more likely to crack if exposed to sudden changes in temperature, so it’s important to allow the stone to preheat on the grill and to give it plenty of time to cool. It’s also worth noting that baking stones should only be cleaned using a scraper and hot water, as they can absorb dish soap. Over time your stone will become stained and discolored; this is completely normal.

If your grill is too small to close completely when a pizza stone is placed on the grate, you can still grill your pizza. Simply allow the grill cover to rest on the protruding stone and keep in mind that you may need to adjust your grilling time. Since grills can vary so much in temperature, you’ll probably need to keep a close eye on your pizza to determine exactly what heat setting and times work for you.

When grilling a pizza in this manner, the only items you absolutely need are a baking stone, corn meal, and a portable preparation surface. The pizza must be prepared on a separate surface before being transferred to the preheated stone. A pizza peel is the ideal tool, although a rimless cookie sheet or large cutting board will work in a pinch. I have two peels, and my favorite is a large, smooth bamboo one that was a great find at Christmas Tree Shop. Before stretching the dough, it’s important to liberally sprinkle corn meal on the pizza peel. This will prevent the stretched dough from sticking, and make it easier to slide the prepared pizza from the peel to the stone.

Pizza dough is more relaxed and easier to work with when it’s at room temperature. Remove the dough from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you plan to use it (Since I like thin crust, I usually buy a large ball of unstretched dough from Bertucci’s and use it to make two pizzas). Unwrap the dough and set it on a lightly floured work surface. In a pinch, I have found that placing dough in a zip-top bag and then placing the sealed bag in a bowl of hot water allows the dough to relax more quickly.

Grilling your own pizza allows you to make the perfectly customized meal. It has become one of our go-to summer treats, and provides for an endless array of possibilities. Stay tuned for some of my favorite pizza recipes!

Grilling the Pizza:

1. Place pizza stone on cold grill. Preheat grill on high for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stretch your dough by hand or roll it out on a lightly floured surface.
3. Place the stretched dough on a pizza peel covered with a generous layer of cornmeal.
4. Reduce heat to medium-high. Slide prepared pizza onto preheated stone, close lid and grill for 8-10 minutes (for thin crust) until crust is golden and slightly crispy. Thicker crusts will require more time.
5. Remove pizza from stone and allow stone to cool on the grill.

Quick and easy comfort food does not have to be plain! This isn’t much of a recipe, but it’s a fun twist on classic grilled cheese. My friend Carolyn served this to me once during a mid-week lunch date, and I was hooked!

Grab your favorite hearty bread (Arnold’s Oatnut or 9 Grain are staples in my household) and apply butter to one side and slather pesto to the other. Sandwich a hearty slice of mozzarella between the two slices, grill on the stove and serve.

It’s been quite awhile since I last posted. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been spending much of my spare time working in the yard. I’m thrilled with the way everything is turning out; the flowers are beautiful, my herbs and starter plants are doing well and my newly-decorated deck looks great. The yard definitely deserves its own post at some point.

Just as house projects change with the season, so does my cooking. With spring in full swing and summer on the way, I’ve been doing a lot of grilling lately. Since a few days last week felt more like March than May, I pulled out my Crock Pot to make an warm, easy dinner.

I used this recipe from Recipezaar as a guide, but modified the liquid content slightly. There’s a bit of chopping involved, but the recipe goes together quite quickly. The chicken is fall-apart tender and infused with so much flavor. Served atop whole grain pasta, this makes for a filling, comforting and healthy dinner.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Yields 4 Servings

28 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp celery powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

2 large chicken breasts
1 large onion, thinly sliced
10 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pepper, finely chopped

1. Pour tomatoes into Crock Pot.
2. Season with garlic, oregano, basil, celery powder, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Add chicken breasts and cover with sauce.
4. Add onion, mushrooms and pepper. Stir to combine with sauce. Ensure that the chicken is covered with sauce and vegetables.
5. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

The last time we grilled, I wanted to do something other than the usual BBQ sauce. A Mexican inspired marinade sounded good: tequila, lime, cilantro… something along those lines. A quick search of allrecipes.com produced this recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken.

The original recipe includes instructions for baking the chicken, and for an accompanying Mexi-Ranch dressing. I was only interested in the marinade. Based upon recommendations of reviewers and my personal tastes, I changed a few of the proportions. Since it is Tequila Lime Chicken, I increased the amount of tequila to 1 teaspoon, and will probably add more next time. The recipe produced an ample amount of marinade and would easily work for more than the suggested four chicken breast halves.

The chicken was delicious and tender! It had a tangy, smokey flavor that went very well with the cilantro lime rice I made that night. The leftover chicken was delicious on it’s own and on grilled pizza. This marinade will be added to our regular grilling rotation this summer!

Tequila Lime Chicken

1 cup water
1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp lime juice (juice of 1 lime)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp tequila
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Combine all ingredients, except chicken, in non-reactive bowl. Mix well.
2. Add chicken and turn to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
4. Grill chicken.

I made my first quiche last November based upon this recipe for Easy Broccoli Quiche. Since I first made the quiche, I have changed the filling a bit and eliminated the crust.

I’m not a huge fan of pie crust, and removing the crust cut the calorie count in half. The filling in this new version is puffier, thanks to an additional egg and more milk. I probably add more than 1 cup of chopped broccoli, as broccoli, eggs and cheese has become one of my new favorite food combination. While it may sound fancy and indulgent, this is a healthy, filling meal.

We frequently have breakfast for dinner. Served with a slice of whole grain toast and some fruit, this quiche makes a delicious, filling meal. It also reheats well – perfect for a quick, mess-free breakfast or dinner leftovers the following night.

Crustless Broccoli Quiche

Yields 4 servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 cup shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese
4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup skim milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If using frozen broccoli, thaw before chopping.
3. Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-low heat.
4. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft.
5. Whisk together beaten eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in vegetable mixture and cheese.
6. Spray 9-inch pie pan lightly with cooking spray.
7. Pour egg mixture into pie pan, and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until center has set.

Monday night marked our first grilled meal of the year! My husband was quite excited to pull the cover off and fire up the grill. With the unseasonable warm weather we?ve been having, it felt just like summer!

A local grocery store chain sells ?gourmet burger? patties during the summer months. These consist of a relatively lean ground beef combine with various mix-ins. Standard burgers include ones with Italian spices, pepper, mushrooms and cheese? the list goes on. My husband and I planned to serve these for a birthday celebration last summer, but my jaw dropped when I saw the price. I figured that they couldn?t be too hard to make.

Since I hadn?t had much luck forming burgers by hand (mine crumbled too easily), I scoured local stores in search of a burger press. After striking out there, I sprung for a pricey one from Amazon, and still came out ahead. That thing paid for itself in one weekend! If you?re looking for a burger press, I am really happy with this one. I haven?t had any of the problems that other viewers refer to. I like that the press is non-stick (lined with silicone) and can be easily disassembled and thrown in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

Mixing vegetables, spices and cheese into burgers add a fun kick to this summer staple. I use ground turkey and ground beef interchangeably, although this time I used 93% lean ground turkey. I typically just eyeball the mix-in ingredients, but I measured this time so that I could provide details here. In the past I have used garlic powder, but I found that the freshly minced garlic made quite a difference. I served these burgers topped with sharp cheddar cheese and sauteed mushrooms.

Making these burgers also gave me the opportunity to use my newest kitchen gadget: a digital food scale. While it?s not a necessity (I made burgers for a year without one), it does make it easier to divide the meat into uniform portions.

Since burger making is rather messy, I frequently make a large batch using two packages or meat and then freeze the extras. When freezing the burgers, I separate them with slices of wax paper, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag

Gourmet Burgers

1 package (1.25-1.33 lbs) ground turkey – I used 93% lean
? cup finely chopped mushrooms
? cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp bread crumbs
? cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Mix well to combine.
3. Divide into 5-6 equal portions and shape into burger patties.
4. Grill or freeze.