BBQ Chicken Pizza

Tonight's Menu:

BBQ chicken pizza with carmelized onions on a rosemary whole wheat crust. It will be topped with an arugula salad dusted with freshly grated parmesano reggiano. YUM.

OK, so this pizza is really easy to throw together, and you can add whatever toppings you want. In the end, my friend and I were way too hungry to bother carmelizing the onions, so we just threw them on raw and they were still delicious. This is one of those semi-prepared meals that you basically just assemble & bake!
Ingredients:
*Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (I got mine at Trader Joe's in the prepared foods section or get it from your local pizzeria)
*BBQ sauce
*1 onion, sliced
*arugula or a mix of bitter greens
*1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
*1/2 bag of reduced fat shredded mozzarella
*1/2 cup of grated parmesano reggiano for garnish
*rosemary


Step 1: Pre-heat broiler on high. Remove whole wheat pizza dough from the fridge and let it soften up for 20 minutes.
Put tinfoil on your broiler pan and broil 2 chicken breasts on high until cooked through. About 15 minutes on each side until browned and the juices are clear.
Step 2: While the chicken cooks, put tinfoil on your counter and flour the tinfoil and your rolling pin (or use a clean, empty wine bottle). Roll the dough until thin.
Step 3: preheat the oven to 425F
Step 4: cut the chicken in half, and slice lengthwise
Step 5: put the dough on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil
Step 6: Spread the bbq sauce on the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges
Step 7: spread the onions, cooked chicken, and finally cheese on the pizza. Sprinkle with rosemary.
Step 8: place the pan in the oven or directly on the rack (for a crispy crust) and bake until cheese is bubbly (about 20 minutes)
Step 9: While the pizza's cooking, rinse and dry the lettuce, chop the cherry tomatoes, and grate the cheese.
Step 10: Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into 6-8 pieces. Top with the lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the cheese on top.
Step 11: EAT!!! We had ours with Julius Echter. It's a little sweet and picks up the sweetness of the BBQ chicken flavor, but it's still got a bite. I think it paired really well. I will be back with the bbq sauce recipe! :)

Poker Night

Last night, I played poker with my friends. As a poker novice, my goal was not to be the first one out...and I achieved my goal - hooray! I also spent the afternoon baking treats for the game.

Note: These are not healthy...so eat sparingly and enjoy :)

Whoopie Pies

MAKES 24 PIES

1.Preheat oven to 350

2. For the Cake, Mix in a large bowl:

2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. sugar

3. Beat together in another bowl:

1 large egg

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole milk

4. Beat egg mixture into dry ingredients. 

5. Add 1/3 c. vegetable oil

6.Drop mixture by the Tbl. onto a lightly greased cookie sheet - or use parchment paper

7. Bake 12 minutes at 350. Cool. 

8. For Filling: beat together until creamy:

1 stick butter

1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

2 cups marshmellow fluff

1 tsp. vanilla

9. Spread filling onto the bottom of a pie. Place another pie on top! 

If you don't have a cooling rack for the whoopie pies, you can try this. I make my own cooling rack out of the top of my broiler pan and 4 cans. Here's how to do it:
1. Fit a piece of tinfoil to the broiler pan. Fold it in half. Cut slits in the tinfoil that match the broiler pan's slits. Then unfold the tinfoil so it covers the whole pan.
2. put 4 cans under the pan so it looks like a table.
It really works!

I also made a big batch of cookies...really easy to make, transport, and grab between hands...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

MAKES 36-40 COOKIES

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup smooth peanut butter

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup salted, roasted peanuts. Roughly chopped. 

1 pound semisweet chocolate chunks

(remember, the better the chocolate, the better the cookies. Those chunks are the stars here, and it's worth the extra cost)

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (It will be much lighter in both color and texture when it's done - wait for it)

3. Add the eggs, one at a time

4. Mix in the vanilla and peanut butter

5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the batter and mix until just combined

6. Fold in the chocolate chunks and peanuts

7. Drop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper by rounded tablespoons

8. Bake for *exactly* 17 minutes - the cookies will look underdone. 

9. Remove from the oven, cool slightly on the pan, and transfer to a cooling rack.

These cookies will be golden with a crisp bite and gooey chocolate chunks hiding inside. Pair the salty/sweet cookies with beer and a winning hand.