Thai Pizza

Thai pizzas seem to be all over the place now, so I thought I'd come up with my own version. I scanned a bunch of recipes over the internet for ideas, and ultimately ended up using a combination of bits from here and bits from there with a little "me" thrown in. I've broken the recipe into steps, which makes it look complicated, but it's really not as difficult as it looks.


Marinated Cucumbers
3/4 cup cucumbers, peeled and julienned
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
Drizzle cucumbers with honey and vinegar and set aside.

Garnish Toppings
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 julienned green onions
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Prepare veggies and measure topping then set aside

Pizza Base
Pizza Dough* (your choice)
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
Red pepper flakes
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Roll out and cook pizza dough on a pizza stone, cookie sheet or pizza pan for about 5 minutes until it just starts to bubble. Remove from oven, spread with Hoisin Sauce, sprinkle with red pepper flakes (to taste), top with red onion, bell pepper and mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and cook for about 15 - 17 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. While pizza is cooking, prepare the peanut chicken.

Peanut Chicken
1 Tbsp peanut oil
3 cups cooked chicken, cut or pulled into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp Thai sweet pepper sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
Several dashes of hot pepper sauce (to taste)
Water

Combine everything but the chicken. Stir, and add water until it makes a very thick sauce. Add oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Spread chicken over the bottom of the skillet. Top with peanut sauce and allow to heat until bubbly, turning over chicken carefully and heating through without breaking up pieces (otherwise you'll end up with a big glomp of shredded chicken in peanut goo.)

Once you remove the hot pizza base from the oven, top with the heated peanut chicken, the marinated cucumbers, and garnish toppings.






*I used this dough for the pizza in the photos:

Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1(+) cup whole wheat flour

Add yeast to warm water with sugar until it bubbles. Add remaining ingredients with the first cup of flour and mix for at least a minute. Add more flour until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, not too sticky, but not firm. Allow dough to rise until double.

Fire Roasted Beans

I don't like those sickly sweet beans that people make for barbecues covered in molasses and brown sugar. They taste like they should be a dessert or something, and are so sweet that the flavor is completely flat and boring. Baked beans are particularly horrible when they are canned that way or use cans of pork and beans in the recipe. However, I'm not entirely against doing a little creative can "dumping" if the right canned ingredients are used. I made up this recipe based on a bottle of Buffalo brand chipotle hot sauce that I found at the Mexican market. I later found this same sauce in the grocery store, so I don't think it's difficult to find:



As you know, chipotle is a smoked jalapeño pepper. In this recipe I used chipotle hot sauce and fire roasted tomatoes, which is why I'm calling these Fire Roasted Beans. The smokey flavor is not overwhelming, but adds an outdoor flair to the beans and makes them a great side dish for a barbecue.


Fire Roasted Beans

9 thick slices of bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 - 4 Tbsp Chipotle Hot Sauce (or to taste)
1 Tbsp Molasses (or to taste)
1/2 bunch cilantro

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove, but leave drippings. Cook onion, jalapeño and garlic in drippings until tender. Add beans and tomatoes, heat through. Add Molasses and Chipotle hot sauce to taste, drop in bacon and cilantro. Serve immediately. (I had these beans going on a hot plate all evening at a party and even though they still tasted okay, they were MUCH better when they were fresh a few hours earlier and not so overcooked.)

Pumpkin Rhubarb Muffins

This is a great combination. I can't take the credit for coming up with it, because I adapted this recipe from one I found here.

Pumpkin Rhubarb Muffins
(makes 12 rhubarb muffins)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin, brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, egg, oil and gingers. Using a mixer combine for about 2 minutes on medium. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined, stir in rhubarb. Grease muffin tins and fill cups. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve hot.

Dave's Rack of Lamb with Chardonnay Sauce

Lamb is Dave's baby and he makes this fabulous chardonnay sauce that pairs perfectly with rack of lamb. If you enjoy being a carnivore, and love the refined flavor of chardonnay... this is to die for.

Chardonnay Sauce
1 1/3 cup cabernet wine
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
6 cups drippings from lamb
2 tablespoons lamb seasoning*
1 tablespoon garlic powder

In a bowl mix 1/3 cup of wine with flour, set aside. Put remaining wine, broth, parsley, lamb seasoning and garlic powder in saucepan . Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat down and reduce about 4-5 minutes. Stir in flour mixture.

While you are reducing liquid, brown butter in another pan. Add browned butter to sauce.



*Lamb Seasoning
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary -- crushed

Mix and store in a airtight container in a cool place.

Wheat Pecan Salad with Honey-Coriander Dressing

Now that I grind my own wheat for flour, I have a bunch of wheat berries on hand. They make a great breakfast mixed with a little honey and cinnamon. They also provide a hearty salad for lunch or dinner. I came up with this combination for my dinner this evening, because my family were all cooking for themselves (a typical evening at our home with all the cooks who live here) and I was left to cook for myself. Well, I didn't feel like cooking. I had been in the sun most of the day, so I wanted a cold dinner. This turned out to be just right for my mood.

Wheat Pecan Salad with Honey-Coriander Dressing (One Serving)

1/2 cup boiled wheat berries (cold)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste
1 oz pecan pieces
1/2 tomato, chopped
Fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
Green onion, chopped
Baby spinach leaves
Goat cheese

Combine the wheat berries, lemon juice, honey, coriander, salt and pecans. Place wheat mixture over a bed of baby spinach leaves. Sprinkle with tomatoes, goat cheese, green onion and fresh cilantro.