Tag: creme fraiche

Thin-Crust BBQ Chicken Pizza

There are only a few recipes that I know by heart, and pizza is one of them. I am always so impressed by people who can whip up a perfect meal without even looking at a cookbook. No matter how many times I cook a certain recipe, I rarely memorize it. My iPad is always at my side when I am in the kitchen!

I have been wanting to try a BBQ chicken pizza recipe for a while, but the problem is that I don’t like red onions, and my husband doesn’t like cilantro, two ingredients you usually find on BBQ chicken pizzas! Instead, I came up with my own version and used thin slices of yellow onion and green onion. I also used creme fraiche for the base, which you don’t typically find on traditional BBQ chicken pizzas, but I thought it went really well! If you want to make a lighter version, leave out the creme fraiche and just spread a thin layer of olive oil on the dough before topping with light shredded mozzarella cheese. I LOVE thin crust pizzas because they get nice and crispy in the oven, and by making thin crust pizza you cut down the carbs quite a bit.

I can’t believe it is Monday already! The weather was pretty gloomy this weekend in the city, so we had a relaxing weekend at home (except for a fun trip to IKEA today for some “window shopping”). Have a great week!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Thin-Crust BBQ Chicken Pizza

Prep time

2 hours

Cook time

20 mins

Total

2 hours 20 mins

Type: Main

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 tsp dry RapidRise yeast (or 1 package)
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2¼ to 2½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup BBQ sauce
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
7.5 oz creme fraiche
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

Instructions

Add yeast, sugar and warm water to a large bowl and allow yeast to proof for 7 minutes (should turn foamy).
Add salt, olive oil, and flour and mix with a hook attachment on a stand mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, adding the flour in a little at a time until the dough does not stick to the bowl anymore.
Knead with floured hands on a floured surface for 10 minutes, then return to the bowl and cover for 1 hour.
Punch the dough down and let rise while preparing the chicken.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Add chicken breasts to a baking dish and pour ½ cup BBQ sauce evenly over the chicken breasts.
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.
Cube the chicken breasts and set aside.
Divide the dough in half and roll each half on a floured surface as thin as you can.
Stretch the dough over a greased large pizza pan, then repeat with the other half of the dough.
Evenly divide the creme fraiche among the two pizzas, then top with pepper and mozzarella cheese.
Evenly divide the green and yellow onion over the two pizzas, then top with the cubed BBQ chicken.
Drizzle with extra BBQ sauce, if desired.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are crispy and golden brown.

Makes two large pizzas

3.2.1753

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It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Friday: Sweet Potato Spears with Lemongrass Dip

Do you know your trigger foods? I learned about them from my friend Roberta who does Weight Watchers. Trigger foods are the ones you just can’t stop eating. They trigger your binge reflex, or something. Usually they are foods that contain some combination of refined sugar, fats and salt, and theoretically if you can identify your problem foods, you can eat healthier by keeping them out of your life, and your cupboards, as much as possible. They can be a specific food, like Fritos, or a larger class of food, like ice cream.

Ive known for a long time now that one of my little problem areas is chips. Chips of all kinds. I don’t stop until the bag is empty, and if you set a bowl of them in front of me, I’ll embarrass myself. Although I’m pretty good about not buying them, I make an exception when we have friends over. And sometimes I think I might even invite people over on a Friday night just to have an excuse to buy a few bags. (sick, isn’t it?) So in my case these crunchy sweet potato wedges are a little bit of delicious rehab.

Sweet potatoes are available in several colors, ranging from deep orange, to pale creamy yellow. Sometimes the dark orange variety is mis-labeled as yams, but they are actually sweet potatoes. True yams are a large starchy white root vegetable and you pretty much have to go to Africa to find them. You can use any color sweet potatoes for this recipe.

Raw sweet potatoes are surprisingly dense; you’ll need a large heavy knife to slice them into wedges, and be careful!

Dips can get so predictable, but the bright lemongrass and ginger flavor of this one sets it apart. The inspiration recipe calls for a base of creme fraiche, but oddly my store didn’t carry it, so I substituted Crema Mexicana, which is basically the same thing. You could easily use Greek yogurt or sour cream, too.

Sweet Potato Spears with Lemongrass Dip
serves4
oven to 400F
3 sweet potatoes (try to find evenly shaped ones, not too twisted or crooked)
olive oil for brushing
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
3/4 tsp sea salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 Serrano or jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
for the Lemongrass Dip:
1 stalk lemongrass
3/4 cup creme fraiche, Crema Mexicana, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
zest and juice of 1 lime
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1/2 tsp sea salt

Wash the potatoes, but leave the skin on. Cut each one in half lengthwise, and then into half again, lengthwise. Cut the four wedges in half again, leaving you with 8 long wedges.
Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the wedges with olive oil, and then sprinkle with the coriander, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, salt and pepper.
Roast for about 25 to 30 minutes, until you can easily pierce the potato with a sharp knife.
Scatter the hot pepper rings around the spears and serve with the sauce alongside.
To make the sauce: Peel the outer layers from the stalk of lemongrass. Trim off the root end, and the green ends, so you are left with a short pale yellow piece of the stalk. Rough chop it and then put in the bowl of a small food processor. Put the ginger in with it and run the machine until both are as finely ground as you can get them. Stir in the lime juice and zest, creme fraiche, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if you need to.

—this is adapted from a recipe from Plenty, by Yotem Ottolenghi

Let’s be clear, though, I’m not guaranteeing that you will be able to stop eating these. Make them at your own risk.

One year ago today—

Pan Fried Trout with Herbes de Provence

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Wild Mushroom Soup

The famously bland stuff in a can has given mushroom soup a bad name. This Wild Mushroom Soup doesn’t even remotely resemble that gloppy mess. When you make it yourself it’s savory, full-bodied, gutsy, earthy… all great qualities in a winter soup. I love the color, too. That woodsy brown comes from the fresh cremini and shitake, along with the dried mushrooms. The wilder the better. Don’t expect to get anything like it if you only buy white button mushrooms. But the good news is that most stores carry several different varieties of fresh mushrooms, as well as dried, right there next to the boring pre-sliced white ones. So you have no excuse, be brave and reach for the unfamiliar ones. Just remember to keep your mushrooms in paper bags, not plastic, and in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. They need the air circulation to stay fresh or they’ll go all slimy on you.

This soup is pureed, but not overly thickened, with a minimal amount of cream added. I think my way emphasizes the flavor and color in an appetizing way, without being too heavy. If you want more texture you could also add sauteed mushrooms in at the end of this recipe, just saute them in a separate pan and add them after pureeing.

What You Will Need

1/2 oz package dried wild mushrooms (I used porcini)
1 26-oz container of chicken stock (about 3 cups)
1 lb fresh mushrooms (I used cremini, button, and shitake)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 large shallots, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/3 cup cognac (or dry Sherry)
handful of fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed
1 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper to taste (plus more to taste)
1/2 cup creme fraiche, or heavy cream

for the garnish

sliced cooked mushrooms
more cream or creme fraiche
thyme leaves

Instructions

Soak the dried mushrooms in 2 cups lukewarm water for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and chop them, reserving the soaking liquid. Strain the reserved liquid to remove any sediment.
Brush the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp cloth, then trim off the ends of the stems, and slice.
Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot and saute the shallots for a few minutes, stirring often.
Add the fresh mushrooms to the pan, and saute until the mushrooms start to soften and brown, about 15 minutes.
Add the flour to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute. Add the cognac and the chicken stock to the pot, stirring to combine. Add the reserved soaking liquid from the dried mushrooms, the thyme, salt and pepper. Bring up to a simmer and then simmer for about 30 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup, either in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender. Add the cream or creme fraiche, reheat the soup, and then check the seasonings. Add more fresh thyme, salt and or pepper as needed.
Serve hot, garnished with a few cooked mushrooms, a drizzle of cream or creme fraiche, and a few thyme leaves.

Notes

2.2

http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2013/12/wild-mushroom-soup.html

*Recipe from [The View from Great Island|http://theviewfromgreatisland.com] All images and content are copyright protected. If you want to use this recipe, please link back to this page.

I made this soup smack dab in the middle of a busy week as a respite from all the stress, and because I need to remind myself that one does not live by sugar alone. I’ve been up to my elbows in cookie dough and I needed some good old fashioned sustenance. Can’t you just see yourself sitting down to a cup of this with your favorite sandwich, in front of the fire. Your tree is decorated, your gifts are wrapped. Your cookies are packaged…you don’t have a care in the world. (…or just fake it.)

I’ve got one daughter in the air right now, on her way home from college. The other follows soon. Clean sheets, a new bottle of bubble bath by the tub, a plate of cookies, a groomed dog… those are the little luxuries that await them. The rest is all fluff.