Tuesday, June 3, 2008

pizza, pizza



I have another confession: I love Rachel Ray.

Okay, I cringe when she says stuff like "yum-o" and "EVOO." But the woman taught me how cook. When I first moved in with my future husband, I made baked chicken and spaghetti with jarred sauce. He would take one bite and say, "This doesn't have enough flavor." I got the hint and started watching the Food Network. Rachel's recipes always appealed to me for their ease and relative healthiness. But it's the taste that wins out. Even my picky husband approves.

One of my favorites is her chicken thai pizza. It's my go-to dish when I have guests over for dinner. This quick crowd pleaser has substance and flavor. My husband, who has been surviving on frozen dinners and leftovers lately, was excited when he discovered that his favorite pizza was coming out of the oven.

Another plus is the flexibility of Rachel Ray's recipes. Most require the basics of a well-stocked pantry, but if I'm short on something, it usually doesn't matter. My beansprouts went bad and I didn't have a cucumber, but that wasn't a problem. I added matchstick carrots and threw on a few handfuls of green onions, along with the cilantro. It still turned out tasty and delicious. Enjoy.


Rachel Ray's Chicken Thai Pizza

1 pizza dough, any brand
1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce (I have used both)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.
Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

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