Recipes

Ok, so for awhile now, I've been thinking about posting some of my favorite recipes. I find myself wondering what to make for dinner (now that I'm home full-time, it's breakfast, lunch AND dinner) and I always ask others for ideas, so I figured I'd start posting recipes that I love, are crowd-pleasers or are just fun. So I'm going to start with what I made for dinner last night, since I had several requests from friends via Facebook last night!

California Pizza Kitchen's Thai Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
***Dough*** (or any pre-made dough you like)
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

***Topping***
3 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons brewed tea
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili oil
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoon green onions
1/2 poundchicken breast, cut in 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:
For the dough: In a small bowl, dissolve the honey in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until it dissolves. Let the yeast mixture stand for 5 minutes, until a layer of foam forms on the surface.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the olive oil and the yeast mixture. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients, until all the flour is incorporated. If its too dry, add more water. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 15 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball and put in a well-oiled bowl. Cover with a moist towel and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1-1/2 hours).

For the topping: Combine peanut butter and next 7 ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Set aside.

In the meantime, season chicken strips with red pepper and salt. Sauté in 2 tablespoons olive oil, until done (about 7 minutes). Coat chicken with 2 tablespoons peanut sauce. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Punch the dough down, and divide into 2 equal portions. Roll out each portion into an 9-inch flat circle. Spread 1/4 cup peanut sauce over the surface of each of the doughs. Distribute 1/2 of the cheese over the sauce. Repeat with other pizza. Distribute 1/2 of the chicken and green onion over the cheese. Repeat with other pizza. Place the pizzas in the oven (on top of pizza stones). Bake until crust is crispy and cheese is bubbling (8-10 minutes). Remove pizzas from the oven and sprinkle each with carrot and cilantro.

I usually add a bit more cheese and chicken because we are eating it for a meal. I also add bean sprouts too!

Quick Lemon & Garlic Quinoa Salad

Quinoa has an excellent nutritional profile (10.5 grams of protein per cup). This unique whole grain, which was the staple food of the Incas, is also rich in calcium and iron. (from Feeding the Whole Family cookbook - AWESOME whole food recipes!)

Salad:
1 cup dry quinoa
1¾ cups water
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup carrots, chopped
1/3 cup parsley, minced
¼ cup sunflower seeds
Dressing:
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons tamari/shoyu/or soy sauce

Rinse quinoa with water and drain. Place rinsed quinoa, salt, and water in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Tip pan to the side to make sure all the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5-10 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Prepare vegetables and dressing. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add carrots, seeds, and parsley to quinoa. Mix thoroughly. Combine garlic, lemon juice, oil and tamari or shoyu; pour over quinoa and toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled.