Chicken Curry in a Hurry

I think this is one of the recipes that people have requested from me the very most. It is so easy and delicious, especially your second time :). You don't have to use a rotisserie chicken, it just makes things faster. It says on the car that "I sometimes substitute coconut milk" for the heavy cream . . . but I ALWAYS do. 

I have added asparagus, mini sweet peppers, broccoli, carrots, even potatoes to this curry--it's a no fail!  And, as always, you can substitute kefir for the plain yogurt.

Best Pizza Sauce (and topping) Ever

You can't go wrong with fresh basil.  And fresh mozzarella.  And homemade pizza sauce.  Mmmm.  No wonder I make pizza so often--just writing this is making me hungry.  I love this sauce because it is easy, cheap, and packed with flavor.  (Use Best Pizza Dough with this recipe--the tomatoes can drain while the dough is rising).

*You really do need to let the tomatoes drain in a fine mesh strainer after you puree them--then the sauce is nice and thick.  When I don't have fresh basil, I use liberal amounts of dried basil in the sauce.

I made yummy "grownup" pizza tonight,
with ham, tomato, and fresh oregano

Grilled Pizza

My sister Bonnie first told me about cooking pizza on the grill.  Then my husband got interested and looked up a bunch of methods on the Internet.  His first attempts were "blackened" more than "grilled" . . . which is the nice way to say that they were burnt to the point of inedibility.  Even our chickens turned up their beaks at those carbonized scraps . . .

So, I gave it a go and mine have never looked black I have never looked back.

Nothing makes me feel more like a chef than grilling pizza outside.  The best part is that it's actually really easy and super delicious.  Your pizza will have a crispy thin crust, and your cheese and toppings get a smoky, brick-oven flavor that can't be beat.  Right now we are seeing record-breaking temperatures and I have zero desire to turn on my oven, so the grill is my best friend.

I use my regular pizza crust and homemade sauce recipes for grilled pizza.  The only difference is that because you roll the crust so thin before placing it on the grill, the dough recipe actually goes a lot farther!  I usually make 5-6 twelve-inch pizzas with one dough recipe.

The main trick to grilled pizza is to be FAST.  You want to preheat your grill on it's highest temperature with the lid closed so it will simulate an oven, then you turn the burners all the way down to low before putting your dough on the grill (so it doesn't burn).  Have your toppings ready to go right by the grill.

After you make your dough, shape it into 5-6 balls and let them
rise for a half hour, then roll out each ball on cornmeal into a thin crust

Turn your preheated grill all the way down to low, then place
your thin crust DIRECTLY on the grating of your grill.  You do
not need to spray with nonstick or otherwise oil your grill---it will
not stick.  Close the lid and let one side of your dough cook for 2-3
minutes The first crusts sometimes puff up because the grill is so hot.  

Turn over crusts with tongs or pizza peel.  Now comes the most
essential part of grilled pizza: you need to quickly spread your
sauce, cheese, and toppings on the cooked side of the crust, then close
the lid so that the cheese will melt and the toppings will cook before
the bottom of the crust burns.

Sausage needs to be pre-cooked, I also saute my mushrooms or
onions so they will be pre-cooked, too.  Ham and pepperoni are
already pre-cooked and can be placed directly on the pizza.
ALWAYS use fresh mozzarella (it comes in a one-pound, shrink-
wrapped ball), it melts better and tastes a thousand times better.
I also never make any pizza without chopped, fresh, basil, and
I cannot recommend it strongly enough.

Hawaiian and pepperoni before the lid is closed . . . 

Let your cheese and toppings slowly grill for 5-7 minutes, until
cheese is melted all the way.  Use a pizza peel to slide the cooked
pizzas onto a platter or stone, then cut and serve.

Sausage and basil grilled pizza

Hawaiian is my favorite kind of pizza . . . and if you serve it with a
yummy summer salad from your own garden, you have officially
reached a state of Summer Zen.

Coconut-Vegetable Curry (with optional shrimp)

This is a vegan recipe, and is also salt-free and contains only 1 tablespoon of oil (coconut oil, which is pretty much the healthiest fat in the world).  If you are not a vegan, you can add some protein and flavor by including shrimp--which always pairs well with coconut.

I prepared my brown rice in my rice cooker (3 cups brown rice + 5 cups water) with a whole tablespoon of Mrs. Dash (garlic and herb blend) and it was a lovely alternative to salt.  I prefer it, in fact--it made my house smell heavenly while it cooked.

The dish is aromatic, savory, and spicy (but not HOT spicy--just herb-spicy), and is very forgiving if you substitute whatever veg you have on hand.  The first time I made it, I used broccoli instead of red bell peppers, and it was delicious.

In addition to being absolutely yummy and satisfying, it's also ridiculously healthy.  Bonus.

Cantonese Light Sauce

I love sesame oil!  This sauce uses just a little bit,
but the warm nutty flavor goes a long way.

I got those cute little salt and pepper shakers at the D.I.--
my kids love it when they each have their own!
Oh, and the sauce over brown rice & stir fried veggies is yummy.

I like this sauce with a pork stir fry, but it's just as good with chicken. If you don't have fresh ginger, use a tablespoon of ground ginger. Also, I usually use green onions instead of scallions, because I always have them on hand.

Divine Chocolate Sauce

Julie knows her chocolate desserts.  Everyone at book club raved about this delicious sauce.

Grilled Chicken with Coconut Sauce

I don't confine my outdoor cooking to the summer months. Though this dish is delicious in the summer, it's also very comforting and tasty during cold winter months.

Coconut was never a flavor I enjoyed when I was a kid--maybe because I associated coconut with sweetened flakes on the top of those hideous pink Hostess snowballs.  Coconut milk, however, is another flavor entirely.  Many of my favorite recipes call for it (see Chicken Curry in a Hurry, Thai-Style Squash Soup, and Curry-Coconut Sauce).

This sauce has the perfect amount of heat--the jalapenos are not overpowering, but do add a spicy zip that is so delicious over chicken (over your rice, too).  You can use fresh jalapenos and grill and peel them, but I no longer do that: I just use two or three canned jalapenos and put them straight in the blender without grilling, then freeze the rest of the can for next time (I put 2-3 peppers in a snack Ziploc, squeeze the air out, then put all the Ziplocs in a freezer bag and date it).

When I made this over the weekend, it just so happened that my boys were at a movie and my daughter was taking a nap--so Allen and I were able to have a quiet and delicious lunch at home together.  I don't know that this has ever happened before.  I hardly knew how to eat without getting up to help kids or fill glasses or wipe up spills or set-the-timer-for-ten-minutes-for-a-certain-child-who-needs-a-deadline-in-order-to-finish-his-food.

Perfect lunch.

Alfredo Sauce

I don't know why anyone would buy Alfredo sauce in a jar.  This recipe is easy, about ten times more tasty, and probably less unhealthy (I'm not claiming that it's healthy, okay?) than that stuff in a jar, which is chock-full of trans fats and preservatives.

If you want authentic Alfredo, you can't go wrong with this recipe.  It goes perfectly with Spicy Chicken Romano Pasta.

Speedy Enchilada Sauce

I never buy enchilada sauce, because 1- this stuff is easy to make and I always have the ingredients on hand, and 2- I don't make enchiladas often enough to justify buying enchilada sauce.

Of course, it's not surprising that a homemade sauce tastes so much more delicious.  It's yummy with my spinach enchilada recipe.

Curry Coconut Sauce

Oh my, anything tastes good over rice if this is the sauce. I'm a fool for coconut milk, what can I say? I love having sauce recipes, because then I can stir fry whatever meat and vegetables I have on hand. With this sauce, I usually do some kind of chicken/broccoli combination, but I know it'd be good with a shrimp or pork stir fry, too.

I used this sauce over a yummy chicken stir-fry I made up with the veggies I
had on hand--onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and asparagus.  Yummers!

{If you haven't read it elsewhere on this blog, I am all about Jasmine rice--it's the yummiest rice out there}.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce