Crunchy Chicken Wrap

This is a fast food homemade kinda post and one of those recipes where I can't really tell you what to use cause it's so customizable. The technique is what you have to get down. You layer the ingredients starting with cheese and ending with cheese. I put the greek yogurt side of the tostada down and put the cheese (which acts as glue) on top. You can substitute sour cream for greek yogurt if you have it. I just had greek yogurt leftover from making some greek pitas a few nights before. You want to make sure that this is completely wrapped in tortilla, so if when you're done folding you have a whole just trim a little of the excess tortilla off one side to cover it up. You want to keep all the goodness wrapped inside! If you don't have a George Foreman or panini press you can make these in the skillet seam side down then flip when browned. My mom had the idea of using Doritos as the crunch instead of the tostada and I think I will try that for lunch!

Homemade Pizza Rolls

If you want to incite excitement, cheers, and dancing just by telling my kids what's for dinner pizza rolls is the way to go. The pizza dough is incredibly easy to make and if your kids are old enough they can definitely help with the most labor intensive part of making the actual rolls. This is another recipe that can be customized as you like. I enjoy the extra flavor the dough gets by using garlic salt, but you can use regular salt in it's place. If you don't like pepperoni then go for just cheese or maybe a bbq chicken bite. You can also use the dough to bake you own pizza. Just stretch a piece to your desired shape, bake until slightly brown, add your toppings, and continue baking until it reaches your desired doneness. I will include the recipe for a single batch of dough. The pictures however are a double batch. I don't own a stand mixer, so this is done completely by hand with great results. I will include directions for both stand mixing and by hand. I make separate ones for the boyfriend and the kids due to a difference in cheese. These are a favorite leftover for lunches.

1/2 cup warm water (comfortable bath water temp, 110*)
1 envelope (2 1/4 tsp) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp. salt
olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl and baking pan
16oz block cheese cut, into bite sized pieces
Parmesan or pecorino romano (goat's milk) cheese
pepperoni
italian seasoning
Dipping sauce

1. Into a small bowl or large measuring cup measure the warm water and sprinkle in the yeast, stir immediately.  After the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5-10 minutes, stir in the room temperature water and the oil.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the measured flour and salt.  Briefly mix at low speed, using the paddle attachment.  Continuing to mix at low speed, add the yeast mixture slowly. Once the dough is formed, stop the mixer and attach the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will probably be a bit sticky. Brush the inside of a large bowl with olive oil.  With floured hands, form the dough into a ball, and place in the oiled bowl. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until double in size. Punch down to deflate.

    If mixing by hand, mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl with a rubber spatula/bowl scrapper. While mixing slowly pour in the yeast mixture. Once the flour and liquid are all incorporated sprinkle flour onto a clean countertop, turn the dough out on to the counter and sprinkle with another 1/4cu of flour on top. Flour your hands and begin to knead with the heel of your hand. Press the dough into the counter, fold the side over, and press again. Continue doing this for about five minutes, reflouring your hands as the dough gets too sticky. Place into oiled bowl and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until double in size. Punch down to deflate.

3. Preheat oven to 425*. Sprinkle italian seasoning, garlic salt, and parmesan onto the greased baking pan. Pull a small piece of dough off and flatten into a circle. Place a piece of pepperoni and cheese onto the circle, press the edges together, and place seam side down on the pan. Continue until all the ingredients are gone. This step is best done sitting because it takes a bit. If you run out of cheese and pepperoni you can press the rest of the dough onto the pan in the shape of breadsticks or tightly wrap in plastic wrap, place into a ziploc, and freeze for a later time.

4. Sprinkle the top of the rolls with the same italian seasoning, garlic salt, and parmesan. Place into oven and bake for 10minutes. Rotate the pan and bake until golden brown about another 10 minutes.

These are the ingredients you will need for the dough.

This is what the yeast looks like when you mix it into the water.

This is 5-10 minutes later after it swells. It will have risen to the top.

Your dough will look like this once the flour is incorporated. This is when you switch to the dough hook or turn out onto your floured counter to knead.

Well floured counter and a little flour on top when you're hand kneading.

This is how the dough should look when its ready to go into the greased bowl and rise.

Double in size.

Punch to deflate.

The ingredients for the pizza rolls. Mozzarella and pecorino romano are made with goat's milk, so they're perfect to cook for someone who is lactose intolerant.

The size of the cheese versus the pepperoni.

Placing the pepperoni and cheese onto the dough.

Press the seams together.

Place seam side down into the baking pan.

Sprinkle the finished bites with cheese.

Golden brown and ready to enjoy!

Spinach artichoke crusted chicken

In the Recipes I'm Trying This Week blog post earlier this week I mentioned trying the artichoke crusted chicken from the Sugar Laws website. Just reading the website I decided I was going to use the idea as a basis and make my own recipe up. I'm already thinking about the veggie/cheese mixture added to precooked chicken and pasta then baked. Also, I think this could be done easily in the slow cooker, but you won't get the same browning on the chicken and cheese unless you're lucky enough to own the AMAZING Cuisinart Multicooker from William Sonoma. This recipe is easily customizable. I'm also thinking it would be good with a caprese style mixture (mozzarella, basil, and sun dried tomatoes). Here's what I did for this chicken...

1/4 red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 cu fresh spinach leaves
13.75oz canned artichokes drained and chopped
fresh black pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast pounded flat
1/2cu mayonnaise
1cu shredded cheese (I used goat's milk mozzarella)


1. Preheat oven to 425* and oil a baking pan. Saute garlic and red onion in about a tablespoon of heated olive oil a few minutes until the onion is translucent. You'll know the oil is ready for the aromatics if a small drop of water dripped into the pan immediately sizzles. Add in the spinach and artichokes. Cook until spinach has wilted down and place into a large bowl. This will make about two cups of a veggie mix.

2. Add a little more oil into the skillet and cook the chicken on each side for 4-5 minutes. Don't touch the chicken. You will know it's ready to flip when it whitens around the edge. It should have some nice browning when flipped. Place the chicken into the prepared pan.

3. Into the bowl of veggies add the mayo and cheese mixing well. Spread this mixture all over the tops of the chicken in the pan and place into the oven uncovered. Let cook for 15-20min. Turn after about 10 minutes for even browning. The chicken juices should run clear while the top is brown and bubbling. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

The aromatics should look like this when you add in the veggies.

Saute until the spinach is wilted down.

The bottom piece of chicken is white around the edges. That's how you know it's time to flip it over so you get that nice browning like the top piece of chicken. Don't bother wiping out the pan between veggies and chicken. No worries for cross contamination and it adds extra flavor!

Place the browned chicken into the pan. I had to cook my chicken in two batches.

This is what the top of your chicken should look like when done. So tasty!!

Baked Cheese Bites

Last night for dinner I made southwest chili lime meatballs (ground pork seasoned with Stubb's Chili Lime Rub and baked on 425* for about 20-25min until they're golden brown how I like them). I decided that a good side for them would be the baked cheese bites that I found on Pinterest, so I tried out that recipe. Anyone who has ever cooked will tell you that sometimes things that seem soooo simple can turn out soooo wrong. Yes, they were edible and still delicious but they were more crispy cheese puddle than cheese balls. I followed the advice from the blog this recipe is from and froze the cheese before I dipped it. When I make this again (I want to keep trying this one until I get it right) I think I will use panko crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs because they have a lot more crunch to them. I am also going to freeze them after they're dipped since they do warm up some in the dipping process. Hopefully those two changes help them to crunch up before they melt down. I couldn't find fat free cheese at Walmart like the original recipe used and this might also have affected their meltiness.

Baked Cheese Bites

Pack of lowfat string cheese sticks

Bread Crumbs

Milk

1. Cut the cheese sticks into bite sized pieces and place into the freezer. Opening the cheese stick packs was tons of fun for my two kids so take the help if you can get it.

2. Preheat the oven to 425*. Once the cheese sticks are firm to the touch (mine were in the freezer about 30 minutes while I put away groceries) take them out and add a little milk so you can coat all the pieces.  Then roll them in the bread crumbs.

3. Place onto a pre-greased cookie sheet and bake on 425* for 6-7min until they are golden brown. Serve with marinara or your favorite dipping sauce.