BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is a fool proof recipe for the Pizza base. It comes out perfect every time and Pizza nights have become a regular in our home for a family or a friends night. I use Instant Yeast and there is no resting time required for this yeast. However, I do rest the dough for a half hour and this makes it soft and easy to work with. 

I Grilled some chicken breast and used Store bought BBQ sauce. My favorite is the Devil's Spit BBQ sauce and it's delicious. However, any BBQ sauce of your choice will work well here.

Ingredients:

Pizza Crust:

All Purpose Flour - 2 Cups

Instant Yeast - 1 Envelope  Flieschmann's Pizza Crust Instant Dry Yeast

Sugar - 1 1/2 Tsp

Salt - 1 1/2 Tsp

Oil - 2 Tbsp

Water - 2/3 Cup Warm 

Toppings:

Chicken Breast Cut into Cubes - 3/4 Cup

BBQ Sauce - 1 Cup

Red Onion - 1/2 

Black Olives - 1/2 Cup

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - 1/2 Cup

Mix the Yeast, Sugar and Salt in warm water and leave it for 2 min. Add to the Flour with oil and mix well. The dough will be slightly sticky. Cover and rest in a warm place for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, cut some chicken breast into small cubes and sauté with some salt and pepper. Add a Tbsp of the BBQ sauce and sauté will cooked through.

Chop the Red Onion into Cubes.

Once the dough has rested for 1/2 hour, preheat the oven to 425F.

Use some dry flour and roll the dough into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick round base. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes until the base is cooked 1/2 way through. This is the secret to baking a perfect pizza base.

Remove and add spread the BBQ sauce on the base and top with chicken, olives, red onions and bake again for 4 min. Remove and top with the shredded cheese and bake again for 4 min.

Remove and let it rest for a minute before slicing it. Serve hot.

Mini Pizzas with Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread

This is my dinner routine on most days. Go into the kitchen half an hour before we eat. Find what's in the pantry and think of a quick 15 to 20 minute dish with the available ingredients. 

Here' what I had - Pita Bread, Mushrooms and some shredded cheese. What do you make with those? Pizza! It's better to use Sautéed Vegetables since these will bake in no time.

If you have some Marinara sauce, it works. Else some sautéed tomatoes, any Tomato sauce or Ketchup, Pizza Sauce will work here.

Ingredients:
Naan/Pita/Arabic Bread - 1 per person. 2 if you are realllly hungry.
Sautéed Vegetables - Mushrooms, Red Bell Peppers or any other veggies of your choice
Pizza Sauce/Marinara Sauce - 1/4 Cup per mini Pizza
Shredded Cheese - 3 Tbsp per Pizza

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Spread the Pizza Sauce on the base, top with veggies and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for about 6 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted through.

Remove, top with some cilantro and serve hot.

Mango and Avocado Sushi - Vegan

This is a delayed post, since Sushi makes a regular appearance on our dinner table. I only make the Veggie ones at home and I have not ventured into making the ones with fish yet. Yeah, ok, I haven't even tasted the ones with fish. Maybe one day I will. I really enjoy the vegetarian ones though. 

I use some baked sweet potato to make it a hearty roll.

The Mango and the Avocado give it the texture that can mimic a fresh fish.Cucumber and Carrots give it the needed freshness and Crunch.

I buy most of my Asian ingredients from the Asian Market - HMart. They have endless Isles of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese.........and many more.

The Nori sheets are available at some regular grocery stores too. Sushi rice is good to use, if not, regular short grain or Jasmine rice will work too. The most important ingredient for Sushi in my opinion is Wasabi :) 

I love that hit that the Wasabi has and sometimes I love to go overboard!

Ingredients:
Nori Sheets - 4
Sushi Rice - 1 Cup
Water - 1 1/2 Cups
Vinegar - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste
Sweet Potatoes - 2
Jalapeno - 1
Carrot - 1 big
Cucumber - 1
Ripe Mango - 1
Avocado - 1

For Flavor:
Wasabi
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

Cook the Sushi Rice with the 1: 1.5 Cup water. When hot, mix the Sugar and Vinegar and some salt. Add to the rice and mix well. The rice should not become mushy.

Peel and cut the Sweet Potatoes into 1 inch thick and long strips. Season the Sweet Potatoes with some oil, salt and paprika. Bake in a 400F oven until soft and cooked through.

Cut all the vegetables into thin long strips.

Place a Nori sheet on a Sushi bamboo mat.Place a big scoop of rice on the nori and spread into a thin layer. 1/3 of the way in, place the Sweet potato strips, Cucumber, Mango and Avocado slices.

Place the end of the sheet over the vegetables, pull with the bamboo mat until tight and then roll the rest of the sheet. Wet the edges with water and complete the roll. 

Close with the bamboo mat and pull to tighten. Cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces using a sharp knife.

Serve with the Soy Sauce, Wasabi and Pickled Ginger.

Paneer/Chicken Enchiladas

A good dish for a nice dinner with friends. It's one of those dishes, that works good served by itself. A side salad and my quick nachos from my earlier post would make this a complete and impressive meal. I made this for my friends who were visiting this weekend, and they were really impressed.

I got store bought enchilada sauce, but it tasted really bad, so I made it from scratch. The re fried beans however taste really good from the can. Taco bell's re fried beans work really well here.

Update: I made this dish again with paneer instead of chicken. It tasted really good too. Just substitute the chicken with panner. The rest of the process is the same.

Chicken Filling:
Ground chicken/Paneer - 1 pound
Onion - 1
Green chilis - 2
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Taco seasoning - 1 pack
Salt - to taste
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cilantro - few sprigs
Oil - 1 tbsp

In a pan, add the oil and fry the chopped onions and green chilis. When soft ad the chicken/Paneer and fry till slightly browned. Add the taco seasoning, cumin powder, salt, red chili powder and fry till done. Add the chopped cilantro and keep aside.

Enchilada sauce:
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Chili powder - 1 tbsp
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Chicken stock/Water - 1/2 cup

Simmer all the ingredients together until well incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Re fried beans - 1 Can
Flour tortillas - 6
Onion - 1 chopped
Cilantro - small bunch - chopped
Sharp cheddar cheese - 1 pack grated

Heat the tortillas on a pan until heated through. lay them on a chopping board and spoon 2 tbsp of re fried beans on each of the tortillas and spread evenly. Add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the chicken/Paneer filling on each of the tortillas and top with onions, cilantro and some cheese.
Roll the tortillas and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spoon the sauce on the tortillas and cover evenly. Spread the grated cheese on top and bake in a pre-heated 400F oven for 15 to 20 min.
The tortillas will start to get crisp at the ends and the cheese will be melted and bubbly.
Serve with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole.

It is well worth the effort as this is a really tasty dish.

Easy Dinner Rolls

I love fresh baked bread. The aromas are intoxicating and it's my weakness. I need to make these more often, since they are really easy to make and they fit the bill for fresh homemade baked bread. Spread some butter on them right out of the oven and it's bliss.

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 3.5 to 4 cups

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Yeast - 2 tbsp

Salt - A big pinch

Egg - 1 (Optional)

Mix warm water, sugar, salt and yeast and let it froth for 10 min. Once the yeast is activated, add the flour, oil and the beaten egg and mix well. I have made the rolls with instant yeast too and it works just as well.

Knead with oiled hands and let it raise for 15 min. Knead again and make golf size balls and place on a parchement lined baking sheet for 10 more min until they raise a bit.

Pre-heat oven to 375F and bake for 10 to 12 min, based on how dark you like them.
Remove and brush with olive oil or butter if you like. Enjoy they warm.

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

Roasted veggies are the key to this flavorful sandwich. Roasting them in the oven is time consuming and grilling them on an indoor grill is an easier and quicker option. The only downside would be cleaning the grill after the job's done. However, I think this sandwich is worth the trouble. I used eggplant, Zucchini and red peppers. Any creamy spread or a pesto would work here. Fresh mozzarella and basil would would be a welcome addition, but I didn't have either of them on hand. You can add them to elevate the taste and texture.

Mini loaves/crusty bread rolls - 2

Creamy cheese spread - 2 tbsp

Pesto/Green chutney - 4 tbsp

Small eggplant - 1

Zucchini - 1

Red/Yellow Pepper - 1

Red Onion - 1

Tomato - 1

Salt and Pepper - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Thinly slice the vegetables and toss them with salt, pepper and oil. Pre-heat the grill and grill the veggie until they are tender. Alternately, roast them in a pre-heated 400F oven for 30 to 40 min. Slit the rolls and grill them. Spread the cream cheese and pesto on each half of the grilled rolls. Layer the vegetables and top with mozzarella cheese or some crumbles feta cheese. Serve with dill pickles and chips.

Stuffed Buns

Pizza/Bread dough - Refer to my pizza recipe
Potato Peas masala - Refer to my Aloo Matar recipe
Egg - 1/ Milk - 4 tbsp

Optional toppings (Just to make them look pretty :))
Jalapeno - 1
Shredded cheese - 1/2 cup
Black pepper/Red pepper flakes - 1 tsp

Mix the pizza dough according to the recipe. Else, use fresh store bought bread or pizza dough. Here in the US, we can buy fresh whole wheat pizza dough, at most grocery stores and super markets. This makes baking pizzas and other such dishes, really easy to make.
Prepare the potato fry, or any other stuffing of your choice. I made the potato fry from my previous post, just made it nutritious, by adding a bunch of chopped spinach along with the onions.
Take a golf ball size of the dough. Spread it with your hands and place some of the stuffing in the center. Close the edges, and form into a ball again. This process is similar to how we make parathas, before rolling them out.
Place the stuffed dough balls on a baking sheet. Whisk an egg, and brush it on the dough. Else, use milk. (This helps the buns turn a lovely golden brown)
Top with thinly sliced Jalapeno, a sprinkle of cheese and pepper.
Bake in a pre-heated 425F oven for about 12 to 15 min, until they are golden brown on top.

Serve hot with ketchup, hot sauce or any chutney of your choice.

Breakfast sandwich

Eggs - 2
Bagels/Bread - 2 slices
Spinach - 2 cups
Crushed Garlic - 2 cloves
Tomatoes - 2
Onion - 1/2
Cream cheese/Any spreadable cheese - 2 tbsp
Salt and pepper - to taste
Oil/Non-stick spray

I use baby spinach here. If using regular spinach, just use the leafy part. Heat a pan and drizzle some oil or use some non-stick spray and add the crushed garlic and the spinach. Saute till the spinach is wilted. Season with some salt and pepper. Remove and set aside. Slice the tomatoes and in the same pan, spread the tomato slices in a single layer and sprinkle some salt and pepper on them. Cook about a minute on each side and remove. They should retain their shape. Now, break the eggs, season and cook till the eggs are set. Cook them the way you desire. Sunny side up, scrambled, poached. I like to break them on the pan, and cook on one side, flip and cook until the outside is set, but the inside is still gooey. When you cut into the egg, the yolk should be creamy and act like a sauce. Trust me, it's delicious. Toast the bread or bagels, smear the cream cheese and top with the sliced onions, sauteed spinach, tomatoes and egg. Serve open faced.

Desi mexican thin crust pizza

I used leftover paneer filling and enchilada sauce from the enchiladas I made earlier. The paneer gives it a familiar desi taste and the rest of the ingredients make it mexican. A pretty good dish, and I have to say, my best homemade pizza till date.

Pizza base - Refer to my previous pizza posts
Paneer/chicken filling - 1 1/2 cups - Refer to my enchilada recipe
Enchilada/Pizza sauce - 1 cup - Refer to my enchilada recipe
Olives - 1/2 cup
Red onion - 1 diced
Grated cheese - 1 cup (I used mexican blend)

Roll out the pizza base really thin. I used store bought fresh whole wheat base here.
Spread the sauce on the base. Top with paneer filling. I used the chicken filling recipe here, and substituted chicken with the paneer. The rest of the process is the same.
Top with olives, onions and cheese.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven for about 12 min, until the base is crispy and cheese melts.

Remove, top with chopped cilantro, slice and serve.

Chicken Wrap

I used the chicken tenders and corn from my previous post, to make chicken wraps for the adults.

Chicken tenders - 3

Corn - 1/2 cup

Shredded Lettuce - 1 cup

Sliced onion - 1/2

Sliced tomato - 1

Hummus or Ranch sauce - 2 tbsp

Ketchup/Hot sauce - to taste

Tortillas/Wraps - 2

Heat the wrap on a griddle till lightly browned. Add egg on one side if you like.

Spread the hummus on one side, add the lettuce, onion, corn, tomato, sliced chicken, and drizzle with some hot sauce.

Roll the wrap in an aluminium foil and serve.

Another veggie burger

Had to post this one, this is a gorgeous burger and tastes great.
The veggie patty is from Trader Joes's and it tastes strikingly close to the cutlets we get in India. It's called the Masala Veggie Burger, and is available in the frozen section.
Broil for a few minutes until crisp, or pan fry till crisp.
I also used my favorite hummus from the same store. Use any veggies of your choice for toppings.
For home made veggie patties, check out my recipe in the blog for the same.

Tofu and hummus bagelwich

I used store bought baked tofu and hummus. I love love love Trader Joe's and there is some great stuff in there, to have on hand for a quick meal when you are strapped on time. This sandwich tastes amazing, and the lesser the toppings, the better it tastes. I can never get baked tofu as amazing as the one at Joe's. It tastes amazing.

Bagel thins - 2

Tofu - 1/2 pack from picture

Hummus - 2 to 3 tbsp

Chopped lettuce and onions

Slice the tofu and heat through on a non-stick pan. Toast the bagel halves and generously spread the hummus. 

Place the baked tofu slices, onion and lettuce and top with some hot sauce if desired.

Vegetable Fritatta

What is the difference between a fritatta and an omelet? Goggled and found this: Omelets traditionally have the egg mixture cooked and folded around a filling, while a frittata just mixes it all up, cooked in a mishmash combination all at once. According to this explanation, what we Indians refer to as an omelet is in fact a fritatta. Anyway, fritatta's are usually thicker and have lots of vegetables and meats in them. Throw in anything you like, you can never go wrong here. 

Eggs - 4 (or Egg Beaters - 1 cup)

Milk - 3 to 4 tbsp

Spinach - 1 cup

Corn - 1/2 cup

Broccoli - 1 cup

Salt and pepper - to taste

Red chili flakes - 1 tsp

Goat cheese - 1/4 cup (or Any shredded cheese)

Butter - 1 tsp

In a flat bottom pan, heat the butter and saute the corn, broccoli and spinach. I used frozen vegetables here. 

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. If using egg beaters, skip this step.

Egg beaters is an egg substitute. It's made with real egg whites and comes in a carton. However, you do not miss the yolk here, as it is just as creamy and tasty as a whole egg. I really like it when making quick omelets or fritattas. 

When the veggies are tender, pour the eggs into the pan and season with pepper flakes. Top with crumbled goat cheese. 

When the eggs are set at the bottom, pop this under a broiler in the oven. Else, just close the lid and let it cook on low heat until cooked through.

Serve with toast and sauce of your choice. Tabasco works great with this.

Veggie Burgers

This has got to be the weirdest burger I made, yet insanely delicious. Can you imagine, I made the patties with left over Capsicum, Potato and Chick peas subzi? I was not sure if they would hold up and stay firm or be mushy. But they turned out really firm and crisp. I did not have to use a drop of oil to fry them. Just used some cooking spray.

Subji:

Capsicum - 3

Potato - 1

Cooked Chickpeas - 1 cup

Onion - 1

Green chili - 2

Ginger - 1 inch

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp

In a pan, heat the oil. Add the fennel seeds, and when they splutter, add the chopped onions, green chilis and chopped ginger. Fry till onion is translucent.

Add the chopped capsicum, potato and cook till soft. Add the chickpeas and the the masalas and salt.

Cook till the vegetables are cooked through.

Patties: 

Subji

Cracked wheat(Fine) - 1/2 cup

Gram Flour - 3/4 cup

Cilantro - 1/2 cup

Mix all the ingredients and form patties. Heat a non stick pan and spray with non-stick spray.

Cook till crisp on each side.

For the Burgers:

Veggie patties - 8

Whole Wheat buns - 4

Lettuce - 1/2

Cucumber - 1

onion - 1

Tomatoes - 2

Yogurt - 1/4 cup

Hot sauce and ketchup

Shred the lettuce and slice the veggies into rounds.

Toast the buns and layer with the veggies.

Top with a couple of the patties, drizzle the sauce and the ketchup and yogurt. 

Serve with chips or any sides of your choice.

Kathi rolls or Frankies

The best kathi rolls I had were from this little stand in the Spencer's mall in Chennai. I tried to recreate them here, and I must say they tasted pretty good.

Parathas or Tortillas - 4
Eggs  - 3
Marinated and grilled chicken or veggie kebobs
Red chutney
Green chutney
Sweet chutney
Onion - 1
Lettuce - 1/2 head

These are the links to the chutneys and the chicken and veggie kebobs.
Red, Green and Sweet Chutneys
Chicken Kebobs
Sheekh Kebobs

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper.

Spray a flat bottom pan and place a paratha or tortilla on it.
Pour a beaten egg on the paratha. Flip and cook till the egg is set.
Remove the paratha onto a foil. Layer with the shredded lettuce, sliced onions, the meats or the veggies.
Spoon the chutneys onto the meats.
Wrap and serve hot.

Philly Cheese Veggie

Inspired by the philly cheese steak. I used portobello mushrooms in this recipe.

Philly steak buns or regular hot dog rolls - 4
Onions - 2
Capsicum - 2
Jalapeños - 2
Portobello mushrooms - 4 (Large)
Tomatoes - 2
Black pepper and salt - to taste
Mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp

Remove stems and the black parts of the mushrooms. Clean with a damp kitchen towel. Washing the mushrooms tends to make them rubbery.
Slice the onions, capsicum, jalapeños and mushrooms lengthwise. (alternately use pickled jalapeños)
Remove seeds from the tomatoes and slice lengthwise.
In a pan, heat the oil and fry the veggies till soft. Add the tomatoes halfway through.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Slit the rolls and stuff them with the veggies. Top with cheese.
Pop them under the broiler till the rolls are crisp and cheese melts.
Serve with ketchup and mustard or toppings of your choice.

Ground Turkey and pesto flatbread

I had some left over turkey from a party at a friend's place and some Arabic bread in my refrigerator.

This is what I can up with:




















Ingredients:

Prepared Ground turkey - 1 lb
Pesto or Coriander chutney - 1 cup
Arabic bread, flatbread, pita or naan - 3
Red onion - 1
Salt and pepper - to taste
Raita  - optional

Prepare the turkey anyway you like. (Fry some onions, add ginger garlic paste, masalas, turkey and make a dry and crumbly preparation)
On the flatbread, spoon some pesto or coriander chutney. Sprinkle the turkey, red onions, salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375F and cook for 6 to 8 min until the edges are crisp.
Drizzle with raita and serve.

Spinach and mushroom pizza

My first post on this blog was a pizza. Here's another - Mushroom and spinach pizza with fresh mozzarella. The fresh cheese makes all the difference here. It tastes Delicious.

Pizza Dough: Refer to my Broccoli and Bell pepper pizza

Toppings: Frozen spinach - 1/2 Box

Sliced Button Mushrooms - 1/2 lb

Red onion sliced - 1 small

Marinara or pizza sauce - 1/2 cup

Fresh mozzarella - 1 ball

Black pepper, Red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese  - for topping

Spread the dough on a pizza stone or an aluminium foil.

Spread the marinara sauce on the dough.

Top with the mushrooms, onions, thawed spinach and the sliced fresh mozzarella.

Sprinkle with the black and red pepper and the parmesan cheese.

Bake in a pre heated 400F oven for 12 to 15 min until the crust is golden brown.

Guacamole, egg and roasted tomato sandwich on Rye

This has got to be my favorite weekend brunch. It's got everything you need for a balanced breakfast and super yummy too. The creaminess of the guacamole, the smoky roasted tomatoes ,the gooey egg and the crisp onions and lettuce really compliment each other well. Here's how you make it:

Guacamole:

Ripe Avocado - 1

Lemon  - 1/2
Salt and pepper - to taste

Mash the avocado well, and add the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Tomatoes:

Slice a couple tomatoes into rings. Spray the pan with olive oil spray, and spread the slices in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Turn them half way, and remove when soft. Don't leave them on longer, or they would turn mushy. 

Eggs:

In the same pan break one egg at a time and cook till yolk is still a bit runny, or till it's set if you don't like it runny. Season again with salt and pepper.

To build the sandwich:

Rye bread: 2 slices

Egg - 1

Tomato slices - 4

Guacamole - 2 tbsp

Onion slices - a few

Lettuce chopped - 2 tbsp

Green chili sauce - to taste

Toast the bread, spread the guacamole on each slice. Layer the tomatoes, onions, lettuce and egg.

Drizzle the green chili sauce. Serve hot.

Chicken nugget sandwich

There are those days when I don't feel like making dinner and we wouldn't want to go out either. So this is one of those quick fix meals that we have. We do need to eat something right? I always have chicken nuggets in the freezer for my kid, and for times like this. I don't give them to him often, but sometimes they are life savers. Here's how I made these:

Chicken nuggets - 2 per roll

Chibatta rolls - 3

Onion -1

Tomato -1

Cucumber - 1
Capsicum - 1

Lettuce - optional (I didn't have any)

For the spread :

Yogurt: 3 tbsp

Honey Mustard: 1 tsp

Hot Sauce - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Mix them all together

Grill the nuggets. Slice all the vegetables into discs. Layer the roll with the spread and add the veggies and the nuggets. Serve with extra sauce.