Grilled Pizza

This is a really fun recipe. There is nothing like using the grill when the house is hot. Making one of my favorite meals on the grill is an added bonus! My parents are in town so my Mom prepped the dough and my Dad caramelized some onions during the day while we were at work. As you may know my parents are really good cooks. It was so much fun to have them in the kitchen with us. We enjoyed making different meals each night. My family would rather enjoy a homecooked meal over a restaurant any day. There isn't anything better then hanging out with my parents as we each enjoy a rum and tonic made by my Dad!

I found this recipe in Cook's Illustrated, July 2005. As you may now, all of their recipes are tested many times before publishing. You almost always know it will be good because of this. This pizza is no exception.

Just as Cook's Illustrated says, these cook really quickly. You will need a peel or rimless baking sheet, tongs, a small knife (to puncture the steam pockets while grilling), a large cutting board, and a pastry brush. All the toppings need to be ready. The pizzas only took about a minute and a half per side. As you can see by the picture, they will blister and char quite quickly.

Dough
2 T evoo
1 C water at room temperature
2 C bread flour, plus more for working
2 t sugar
1 1/4 t salt
1 t instant yeast

Toppings
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 C cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 t salt
fresh mozzarella

Spicy Garlic Oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 C evoo
salt and pepper

Pizza Crust: Combine oil and water in a measuring cup. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the flour, sugar, salt and yeast until combined. While running add the liquid until the dough forms an elastic ball that does not stick to the sides. If a ball does not form add more flour by the tablespoon or water if it is too dry. Rub a large bowl with evoo and transfer dough to bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When the dough has doubled in size, deflate and transfer to a well floured work surface and divide into 4 equal pieces. Form eat piece into a tight ball on work surface and gently press dough into flattened rounds. Cover loosely with a damp towel and let rest for at least 15 minutes. Gently stretch or roll dough into disks about 1/8 inch thick and 6-10 inches in diameter. Let disks rest for another 15 minutes on well floured surface.

Toppings: Toss halved tomatoes with salt and transfer to a colander to drain for 30 minutes, drain and return to bowl. Slice mozzarella thinly and set aside. Caramelize onions in evoo until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Mix Spicy Garlic Oil ingredients together and microwave for 1 minute or until garlic sizzles. Set aside.



To Grill: Heat grill on high for 15 minutes. Transfer 2 disks to lightly floured peel and carefully place onto the grill. Immediately repeat with next disk. Grill for 1-2 minutes until bubbles form (pierce the larger ones with knife) and bottom is charred. Transfer disks to cutting board and repeat with 2 remaining disks. Brush first two crusts (grill side) with Spicy Garlic Oil, top with cheese, onions and tomatoes. Return pizzas to grill and cover and cook 1-2 more minutes, until cheese melts. Repeat with remaining 2 crusts and remove to cutting board. Sprinkle pizzas with basil and salt and serve immediately.

Shrimp Quesadillas with Smokey Guac

This is a great, quick weeknight meal. Dave created this delicious version and it will definitely become part of the quesadilla rotation. This is a perfect example of throwing together a meal when nothing is planned! We always have shrimp in the freezer and they seem to come in handy when we haven't taken anything out to defrost.

Quesadillas are so versatile and easy. I guess you really don't need a recipe to follow for this kind of meal because you can throw just about anything into a tortilla! We made the original recipe only once. Now we make a different version ever since I read the ingredient list on a package of chorizo. Now I am totally turned off of it and can't even think about the combination of ingredients. Uck! We use turkey sausage in replace of the chorizo or just leave it out.

Shrimp Quesadillas with Smokey Guacamole
4 10 in. tortillas
10-15 shrimp, shell and tail removed(depending on the size)
1 slice of red onion
1/4 C goat cheese
1 t evoo
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper
1 ripe avocado
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 lime
3 T light sour cream or cottage cheese

For the guacamole: Place avocado, chipotle pepper, lime juice, cottage cheese or sour cream salt and pepper in food processor and pulse until smooth. (I swore we bought sour cream but we couldn't find it when were were making dinner so we used cottage cheese. It worked out great! Of course I open the fridge to put the cottage cheese away and see the sour cream! Oh well. I'm glad we found a successful substitute. )

Pat shrimp dry and toss with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add shrimp, red onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer shrimp to cutting board and roughly chop. Heat 2 tortillas in same skillet until warmed through. Cover 1/2 tortilla with 1/4 of the goat cheese and shrimp mixture and fold over. Cook until lightly toasted and the cheese had melted. Transfer to cutting board and repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut each quesadila into five wedges and top with smokey guacamole.


adapted from this Rachel Ray recipe

Zucchini, Chicken Sausage and Casserole

I prepped this meal on Monday since we were only having garden burgers and there really wasn't any effort involved. I think that all casserole type meals taste better after the ingredients have had a chance to develop. So letting it sit in the fridge for 24 hours was a bonus. I was impressed with this simple weeknight recipe. Since I used an entire box of pasta I divided this into two casseroles and froze one for another time. You really need to make sure that you under cook the noodles. And if you are looking for a saucy casserole you won't find it here. I adjusted the liquids a bit but really wanted to highlight the light, summery and simple tastes. If you don't have feta on hand then skip it, this isn't a must have ingredient. I would even add either a touch of lemon juice or even a bit of zest to bring out the freshness in the end product. The Chicken Sausage are really quite good. If your local Costco has these put them in your basket. The ingredient list is short and legible (meaning so "foreign" unpronounceable names). I forgot to take a picture of this but hopefully you are still inclined to give this a try!

Zucchini, Chicken Sausage Casserole
1 box Rigatoni pasta
5 chicken sausage (I used chicken, artichoke and mozzarella cheese sausage from Costco)
1 t evoo
2 medium zucchini sliced (I used yellow and green)
1/2 a large onion sliced
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C chicken broth
1 C reserved pasta water
2 T all-purpose flour
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese
1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta in boiling salted water about 6-7 minutes. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add evoo. Add sausage to pan; cook until browned, remove from pan. Add zucchini, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and zucchini begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Combine broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute. Drain pasta, reserving about a cup water. Use the pasta water to adjust the thickness of the sauce. (I used about 3/4 C.) Combine zucchini mixture, pasta, sausage, and feta cheese and toss to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Adapted from Cooking Light, JULY 2007

Grilled Chicken Gyros

"Are you Greek too?" This is the question I got from Dave tonight with a full mouth! These were absolutely amazing. I may even go out on a limb and say that this was one of the best meals we ever made! Now that I say this my mind starts wandering and I think of "all" the meals we have made and I wonder, is this really the best? I can't even begin to debate this one, we will just leave it as- It was that good.

If you look at the picture, you will see the beautifully filled pitas on the right. Dave stuffed these. If you look at the messy, falling over one on the left you will see the one that I made! I was so excited to eat these that I didn't bother to cut open up the pita! I really need to work on my presentation!

The chicken was moist and delicious. The tzaziki sauce had the perfect hint of garlic and the soft and pillowy homemade pitas were amazing!

Tzatziki sauce
16 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 hothouse cucumber
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and fresh cracked pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

You don't need to strain Greek yogurt, if you use regular yogurt then you should strain in. Shred the cucumber using a hand shredder or grater. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but preferable an hour before serving to allow the flavors to combine.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lemon juiced
2 t red wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
6-8 oz plain Greek yogurt
1 T dried oregano
Salt and pepper
2-4 chicken breasts

diced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
feta cheese
red onion

Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Grill chicken and cut into strips.

Cut each pita in half and open pocket. Stuff each pita with chicken, tomatoes, red onion, shredded lettuce, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Annie's Eats AND Elly Says Opa!

The Grill (Part II)

As I told you in this post. We would be getting a new addition to the Little family soon. Well, let me introduce you to the happiest man in Colorado on a Sunday afternoon!

I am a researcher. Although this gift was for Dave I had to make sure that our hard earned money was going to the right place. I searched and read reviews on-line and finally decided that a Weber Grill would be worth the investment. Its funny that we both can get so excited about food related items. We couldn't wait to set this guy up and put him to work! Although the directions said it would take about 15 minutes to set up... it took us over an hour!! We took our time and actually read the directions step by step. It sure is a sturdy and well made grill. We hope to have it for many years. I'm already looking ahead (as I said, I'm a researcher, and I know this grill has the capability to add the rotisserie attachment!! I can't wait for this! There was no reason to overindulge at Home Depot so we decided to wait. As we all know, good things come to those who wait!

Our first dinner cooked on the Weber Spirit was something that I have wanted to try for a while. I knew when I started prepping it Sunday morning that it would be perfect first meal on our new toy. We weren't disappointed. The homemade pita, grilled chicken gyros were amazing!

Homemade Pitas

These were so fun and let me say EASY to make! Dave and I tag-teamed these. I need to give equal credit to the team effort in creating this deliciousness. Don't be alarmed by the length of the directions. Although it looks like it takes some time it really is simple and straight forward. Well worth it and perfect for both snacking and filling. Dave asked me how I got them to "separate"and make the pocket! I told him it was magic!! (To be honest, I'm not really sure how it does this!)

Pita Bread
Yield: 8 pitas

3 C all purpose flour, plus 1/2-3/4 cup more as needed
1 ½ t salt
1 T sugar
1 packet instant yeast
1 ¼ to 1 ½ C warm water
2 t evoo

Whisk the yeast in with the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the olive oil and 1 ¼ cup water and stir together with a wooden spoon. The ingredients should form a ball. If some of the flour will not stick to the ball, add more water or if it is too sticky add more flour. (We had to add more flour, since it was too sticky.)

Once all of the ingredients form a ball, place on a floured work surface. Knead the dough with floured hands for about 10 minutes. (We didn't use the KitchenAid mixer but if you do, mix it at low speed for 10 minutes adding flour as needed.)

When you are done kneading the dough, place it in a bowl that has been lightly coated with oil. Roll the dough around so it is coated in the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside to rise until it has doubled in size, approximately 90 minutes.

When it has doubled in size, punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, cover the balls with a damp kitchen towel, and let them rest for 20 minutes. This step allows the dough to relax so that it will be easier to shape.

After the dough has relaxed for 20 minutes, spread a light coating of flour on a work surface and place one of the balls of dough there. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and use a rolling pin or your hands to stretch and flatten the dough. You should be able to roll it out to between ¼ – 1/8” thick – 6 inches in diameter. If the dough does not stretch sufficiently, you can cover it with the damp towel and let it rest 5-10 minutes before trying again.

Place discs on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper and let rise, uncovered, until barely doubled in thickness, about 30-45 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 450°. We used our pizza stone but you can use a cookie sheet as well. Once the oven has preheated place as many pitas as you can fit on the stone. They should be baked through and puffy after 3-5 minutes. If you want your pitas to be crispy and brown you can bake them for an additional time,but it isn’t necessary. We put a couple on the grill after baking to crisp up just a bit.

We even talked about cooking them on the grill and will probably try this another time and make mini pizzas out of them. The dough is so thin that these cook up in no time. I think on a hot grill this would be delicious with a little brushing of garlic infused evoo.


Source: I want to thank both Annie's Eats and Brown Eyed Baker for turning me on to this one!

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Dave and I have both have to be at work at 7am so we are up early each morning to walk the dogs. I wanted to make something that we could bring to work for breakfast and heat up there. I found these egg quiches that you make in a muffin pan and thought they would be a nice change from the normal yogurt, toast and cereal routine. I was pleasantly suprised by them but will probably make some more changes next time around. They were a bit wet and really reduced in size. I'm guessing this was from the milk. I think a change to the egg to milk ratio would help.

Breakfast Egg Muffins
yeilds 12 muffins

1/2 t evoo
6 breafast turkey sausage (remove casing)
1/4 t Old Bay Seasoning
8 button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 C onion, diced
1/4 C shredded mozarella cheese
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 eggs
3 egg whites
1 C milk

Adapted from this EatingWell recipe

Pasta Puttanesca

Simple, easy and quick! I'm not sure there is much more to say about this one. We whipped this one up after coming home (I from a long bike ride and Dave from a kayak lesson with a friend). We were starving and were talking about take out to satisfy our immediate hunger. Although this is always an easier option we usually are able to talk ourselves out of it because we know we can throw something together that is ten times better. We sat down in 30 minutes flat with a glass of red wine and a beer respectively and gobbled up this meal!

Pasta Puttanesca

adapted from numerous online recipes

8-10 oz. thin spaghetti

2 T evoo

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 button mushrooms, sliced

1/4 C flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 C pitted Kalamata olives

2 T capers

1 T fresh oregano leaves

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 C tomato sauce

1/4 c. grated Parm

Set large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta, cook according to package directions. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onions and cook for 8 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their moisture. Add parsley, olives, capers. oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add tomato sauce. Drain pasta and add to skillet and toss to combine. Pass grated parm as desired.

Mexican Pizza Stack

Stacked Mexican "Pizza"

1 lbs ground turkey
1 T vegetable oil

1/2 C onion, diced

1 T taco seasoning
3 8-10 inch tortillas
2 green onion. chopped
medium salsa

1/2 C black beans
1 tomato diced
1/2 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 T jalapenos, pickled

1 avocado

Heat medium skillet add oil and onion and cook 5-8 minutes. Add turkey and cook 6 minutes. Add taco seasoning and cook 2 minutes (add water if needed). Set your oven to broil. Place one tortilla at a time in the over until warm and slightly toasted. Remove first tortillas and place on a baking sheet (place next tortillas under broiler). Top tortillas with 1/4 cup of meat, 2 tablespoons of black beans and a spoonful of salsa. Top with a small amount of cheese and toasted tortillas. Repeat step. Finish with third toasted tortilla. Spread tomato, cheese, green onion and jalapenos on top and broil for 3-4 minutes on cheese melts. Keep a close eye on oven to make sure not to burn. Top pizza with diced avocado and serve.

Tomato Sauce

Everyone has their version. Each of my family members have "their" recipe. I know they all have similar ingredients but each seems to taste just a little bit different. I wish I could replicate my Dad's sauce but I know he uses different tomatoes that I can't get here in Colorado. My brother and Rebekah like a meat sauce. I will occasionally add sausage to my sauce but usually its just this simple sauce. I like to make my sauce a little thicker then his and maybe a touch sweeter. Either way this is definitely a recipe steeped in tradition and dates back to my Dad's parents both in their kitchen and the restaurant. I have never seen a bottle of tomato sauce in my parent's house and I don't think I ever will. I hope our house will be the same!

Homemade Tomato Sauce
2-3 T evoo
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-3 T of the following fresh herbs (or 2 t dried) basil, oregano, thyme
2 carrots, small dice
2 celery stalks, small dice
2 T tomato paste
crushed red pepper
1 20oz. can crushed tomatoes (good quality)
1 20oz can whole tomatoes (good quality)
1 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
1 t sugar

I like to make my sauce in a big old cast iron skillet and then transfer it to a big pot to simmer. So heat the cast iron skillet until hot and then add the evoo. Next add the onion and turn it down to cook. Add the garlic, carrots and celery and cook until the onions are soft and tender. Add the herbs and the red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes. Mix tomato paste into vegetables until coated. If your skillet is big enough add the cans of tomato (as I stated, you really need to go for the best tomatoes on the shelf), if its not then move everything into the big pot. Finish with the rosemary sprig,sugar and the bay leaf and heat over low heat for at least 2 hours.

Stuffed Chicken, Mash Potatoes and Wilted Spinach

Man, was this delicious. I was so impressed with this dish. Using ingredients we had in the house and adding Dave's favorite component (tomato sauce) really created a great dinner for a cold night. I've commented on it before but the weather just hasn't been cooperating. We haven't had a summer yet. The rain and clouds continue to haunt us. Denver has had tornadoes each afternoon since this past weekend. On my way to work today I heard about one that touched down north of Denver and destroyed some vegetable crops. Not good. So when I came home after trying to take the dogs for a hike and get my mountain bike fixed (unsuccessfully) we wanted something to take the chill out of our bones. This did the trick!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
2 chicken breasts
1/2 C diced yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, minced

3-5 sage leaves, minced

1/4 C goat cheese

1/8 C Italian breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 T evoo

1/4 C chicken broth

1-2 C tomato sauce

Mashed Reds
4-5 red skinned potatoes, diced
1 T salt
2-4 sage leaves, minced
1/4 C sour cream (light)
milk
1 T butter

Wilted Spinach
3 large hand fulls of fresh spinach
1/2 t salt
fresh cracked black pepper
evoo
Fore the Stuffed Chicken: Butterfly each breast and pound thin. Heat 1 T evoo in a medium skillet over medhigh heat. Add the diced onions and saute until soft. Add garlic and sage and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let it cool down for 10 minutes then add the goat cheese and mix to combine. Spoon 1/2 of the cheese mixture on each butterflied breast and fold over, lightly press down to create a pocket. Gently brush each chicken pocket with egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Heat remaining evoo in same skillet over medhigh heat. Cook chicken 4-5 minutes per side until lightly browned. Add chicken broth and cover for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm while you make the spinach.
For the Mashed Reds: Boil salted water and add diced potatoes and cook until tender. Drain water and return to same pot. Add butter, sage and sour cream. Mash using a potato masher adding milk until well mixed/ mashed.

For Wilted Spinach: Heat evoo in the same skillet used for chicken. Add spinach, salt, pepper and broth. Cook for 2-3 minutes until just wilted.

To assemble dish: Place a scoop of mashed potatoes on each plate. Top with chicken and then spinach. Finish with a spoonful of tomato sauce and enjoy!

George's Birthday

I just had to post these pictures! George got all dressed up for his 9th birthday and we had a little birthday party for him! He wore the shirt all night. He was very tired from his day outside playing with his all time favorite friend a dirty green tennis ball!

Although it was a very mellow party I had to post this picture. Someone thought it would be funning! Now I feel bad for posting this!!

We had a "roll your own spring roll" party with some of George's closest friends! Here are a couple of pictures of the spread.

Here are a couple of pictures of the spread. We used crab, tofu, red and yellow peppers, cucumber, carrots, avocado, cilantro, mint, basil, rice noodles and rice paper. I made 4 dipping sauces and everyone rolled their own perfect spring rolls. It was lots of fun and a great hands on meal.

Pasta Salad

This has to be my favorite new pasta salad recipe. I really don't care for creamy based salads. Not to say that I won't spoon some on my plate at a get together but I will never make one at home. This salad combines my love for Mexican and carbs! This is a keeper and will be be on my summer BBQ rotation. Thanks for sharing Cara!

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
1 box wagon whell pasta or other fun shape
1 can black beans, drained
1 C frozen corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
3/4 C shredded cheddar
1/4-1/2 C salsa
1/2 C evoo
juice of 1 lime
1 T cumin
1-2 t chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro


Cook the pasta al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Menu Planning

For the week ahead I have decided on the following menu (in no particular order)

Chicken Gyros with homemade pita bread (probably a weekend meal)

Chipotle Rice and Black bean enchiladas with a Chili sauce

Pasta Puttanesca

Mexican Pizza

Stuffed Chicken with mashed potatoes, spinach and tomato sauce

Rosemary Lemon No Knead Bread

My mom turned my onto this amazing bread. She is the baker in the family and Dave has taken up the duties in our house. But I have to say that I made this one all by myself! I'm not a baker, I fully admit this. (I have tried my hand at the breadmaker we have but I'm not enthralled wth this side of the cooking world) When it comes to measurments I just can't follow them. So breads, cookies, cakes ans such just don't make it on my list. I don't carry the sweet tooth gene hence the lack of dessert recipes on this blog. I know Dave wishes I did but I just don't care for sweets. I even have a hard time buying them at the grocery store. The only time ice cream enters the freezer is when Dave goes to get it. We can't all be well rounded cooks!!

Rosemary Lemon No Kneed Bread

recipe and picture is straight out of the Williams-Sonoma catalog (no changes made and no credit given to me!)

This bread is almost effortless to make because it requires no kneading. Instead, the dough is allowed to slowly rise over a long period of time. Then it is baked in a preheated covered cast-iron pot, which helps produce a crispy, bakery-style crust on the finished loaf.

3 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t active dry yeast
1 3/4 t salt
2 t chopped fresh rosemary
2 t chopped lemon zest
Cornmeal as needed

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt, rosemary and zest. Add 1 5/8 cups water and stir until blended; the dough will be shaggy and very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at warm room temperature (about 70°F) until the surface is dotted with bubbles, 12 to 18 hours.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle the dough with a little flour and fold the dough over onto itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or your fingers, gently and quickly shape the dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel, preferably a flour sack towel (not terry cloth), with cornmeal. Put the dough, seam side down, on the towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise until the dough is more than double in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger, about 2 hours.

At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, put a 2 3/4-quart cast-iron pot in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F.

Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over, seam side up, into the pot; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. Shake the pan once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the loaf is browned, 15 to 30 minutes more.

Transfer the pot to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, turn the pot on its side and gently turn the bread; it will release easily. Makes one 1 1/2-lb. loaf.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Its June 1st today and I saw snow on cars as I drove home from work tonight. June 1st!!! Looking back at my second post in June of 2008 it snowed on June 7th last year! So we really aren't too far off in terms of "summer" in the Rockies. I believe we will have snow on the ground when I wake up for my early morning run before work at 7am. Oh how I love living at 9000 feet! I was imagining a warm comforting dinner tonight. Dave will need it after coming home from kayaking tonight. Yes, snow, rain and kayaking. I know, I know. No need to say anymore. On to the dish...

Spanish Chicken and Rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 poblano pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
3/4 cup dry white wine (we used a Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 C chicken broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, including liquid
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 t safron
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, chopped

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine, and scrape up any brown bits, simmer 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and their liquid, rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, safron and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Stir the peas into the rice and chicken and cook, covered, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Spoon the chicken and rice onto individual plates and sprinkle with the parsley and olives.

recipe adapted from Cooking Light/Real Simple (picture from CookingLight/Real Simple)