Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

 

1 package store bought Pizza Dough

1 Large Chicken Breast

1 teaspoon Ancho Powder

1/4 cup BBQ Sauce

1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded 

1/4 cup Black Olives, sliced

1/4 cup Green Onion, chopped

1/4 cup Blue cheese Crumbles 

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Olive Oil 

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.  Tenderize chicken with a meat hammer.  Season chicken breast with ancho powder, salt, and pepper on both sides.  Brush with one tablespoon of olive oil.

Grill chicken for about ten minutes, flipping once.  Thinly slice.

Roll pizza dough out  on the lightly floured surface as thin as possible. Brush one side with the reaming olive oil and place the dough (the oiled side) down right on the grill. Grill for 2 minutes.   Flip the dough and spread BBQ sauce evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover the lid and let the cheese melt for about 2 minutes.

Remove pizza off the grill.  Add chicken slices, olives, green onion, and blue cheese crumbles. 

Serves 3

*Grilling pizza takes no time at all.  Perfect week-night dinner.  Use left over chicken if you like. 

Chicken Tenders

 

2 Chicken Breast, sliced into strips

2 Eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Pinch Cayenne

1/3 cup Vegetable Oil, for frying

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Preheat a skillet to medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs and whole grain Dijon mustard together.  Season with salt and pepper, just a little.

Add pinch of cayenne to panko, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

One piece at a time, coat the chicken in the egg mixture, and the bread crumbs.  

Few pieces at a time, fry the chicken for about 12 minutes, flipping once, add more oil if needed.  Remove tenders and drain on a paper towels. 

Serves 2-3

Enjoy with salad, mashed potatoes, or rice....

*Regular Dijon mustard works just as well.

 

 

 

 

Chicken Artichoke Pita Sandwich

4 Pita Breads

2 Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Artichoke Pesto, recipe to follow

2 Avocados, thinly sliced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Artichoke Pesto

1 14oz can Artichoke Hearts, drained

Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

2 Garlic Cloves

2 tablespoons Pine Nuts

1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro

1/8 cup Olive Oil

1/8 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt, Pepper, to taste

In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients.  Serve with bread, chips, and fresh vegetables.

To arrange the sandwich:  One pita bread, generous scoop of the artichoke pesto, few slices of chicken and avocados.  Season with salt and pepper, enjoy!

Serves 4

*One of the ways of using left over chicken.  Rotisserie chicken goes well too.

Paella

 

Spice Mix for Chicken, recipe to follow

8-9 Chicken Thighs

1/4 cup Olive Oil

5 Sausages, sliced (Johnson's)

1 Sweet Onion, sliced

4-5 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 30 oz can Tomatoes, crushed

4 cups Short Grain Rice

6 1/2 cups Water

Generous Pinch Saffron Threads

1 1/2 pounds Seafood Mix (shrimp, scallops, clams)

1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed out

1 Lemon, cut into wedges and grilled

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Chicken Spice Mix

1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Black Pepper

In a small bowl, mix all the spices together.  Generously rub all over the chicken.  Place chicken in a Zip Lock Bag.  Marinate in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Heat oil in a paella dish over medium-high heat.  Saute sausages until browned, remove and reserve.

Add chicken skin side down, brown on all the side for about 10 minutes.  Remove and reserve.

 In the same pan make a sofrito by sauteing the onion, garlic, and parsley for about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Saute for another 5-7 minutes, until the flavors meld.

Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Season with salt and pepper.  

 Add chicken, sausages, and saffron.  Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the seafood mix.  Cover with foil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and clams open up.  Add the peas.  When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Place grilled Lemon wedges over the top.

Serves 10-12.

* You can find paella pan in Bed Bath and Beyond for $20.  I used grill BBQ to make the paella.  You can control the temperature of the heat, which helps to achieve the perfect crispy bottom of the paella.

The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

I closely followed Tyler Florence recipe on this one, just making few adjustments to my dish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-paella-recipe/index.html

Grilled Chicken

1 Pound Chicken Breasts

1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Cut chicken breasts in half length wise.  Tenderise on both sides with a meat hammer.  Season on both sides with Ancho chili, salt, and pepper.  Place the chicken in a Zip Lock bag and leave in a refrigerator for at least an hour, or over night.

Preheat a grill to 400 degrees F.  Spray with vegetable spray, so chicken wont's stick to the grill.  Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil right into the Zip Lock bag.  Move the chicken around so its evenly coated with oil.  Let the chicken come up to a room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping once, depending on thickness of the chicken.

*Perfect on a salad, chicken burger, and much more. 

You can prep it a day before and just grill it when you ready to eat.  Ideal for a party.

My Mama's Chicken Wings

2 1/2 pounds Chicken Wings

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.  Season the wings with salt, pepper, and Ancho chili powder.  Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes.

Serve with your favorite sauce, like BBQ, Teriyaki, or Chili.

Serves 4

*My Mama makes the Best Chicken Wings.  It's her recipe that I absolutely LOVE.

Chicken Tenders with Citrus-Mustard Sauce

One pound Chicken Tenders

1 tablespoon Cumin

1 tablespoon Curry Powder

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 Garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon Butter

1 cup Orange Juice

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 Grapefruit

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, chopped

Salt, Pepper to taste

Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat, and add vegetable oil.  Season chicken with cumin, curry, salt, and pepper.  Fry chicken tenders for about 5 minutes, flipping once.  Move over to a plate.

Turn the heat down to medium. In the same skillet, add garlic, butter, orange juice, and mustard. Whisk it together and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Meanwhile, segment the grapefruit.  Add the grapefruit segments to the sauce. Season with chili flakes, salt, and fresh ground pepper.  Add the chicken back to the skillet and cook for another 8 minutes, flipping once.  To finish off the sauce add chopped parsley.

Serves 3-4

*Serve chicken with rise, risotto, or couscous...

Chicken with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce and Fried Potatoes

2 Chicken Breast

1/2 cup Flour

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Onion Powder

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 small Red Onion, chopped

1/4 pound Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup White Wine

1 large Tomato, chopped

3 tablespoons Capers

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes

Salt, Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons Olive Olive

1 tablespoon Butter

Fried Potatoes

3 Russet Potatoes

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt, Pepper to taste

To make Fried Potatoes:  Peel and thinly slice potatoes, a Mandolin works great.  Preheat the skillet to medium heat and add oil.  Layer the potatoes in the skillet, cover with a lid and fry for ten minutes.  Flip once and cook for another ten, or until golden brown and tender.

Preheat  a skillet to medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Cut the chicken breast in half length wise. You will have four thin pieces.  Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a bowl, mix together flour, garlic, onion powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  Lightly dunk the chicken in the flour mixture on both sides.  Fry the chicken breast for about 3 minutes on each side.  Move it onto a plate.

In the same skillet melt the butter, add chopped onion and mushrooms, then cook for about 4 minutes.  Add the wine, tomato, garlic, capers, and season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper.  Let the sauce thicken up for about 3-4 minutes and add the chicken back in.  Cook for another 5 minutes, letting the chicken to reheat back up.  Serve with fried potatoes.

Serves 3-4

*Elegant and Delicious....Perfect for a Date Night

Panko Crusted Chicken Drumsticks with a Spicy Kick

5 Chicken Drumsticks

2 tablespoons Chili Garlic Sauce

1 tablespoon Agave Sweetener

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Salt, Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, using a whisk. Then add the chicken legs. Toss it all together so the chicken is smothered with all the ingredients.  Place the excess crumbs on top of the chicken legs.

Place the chicken on a greased baking sheet, and cook uncovered for 25 minutes. Cover up with foil and cook for another 20 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let the chicken rest for about five minutes and enjoy.

Serves 4-5

BBQ Chicken

12 Pieces Chicken Thighs, bone in

Dry Rub

1 cup Smoked Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Dry Rub

2 tablespoons Salt

2 tablespoons Paprika

1 tablespoon Black Pepper

1 tablespoon Cumin

1 tablespoon Onion Powder

1 tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Mustard Powder

1 teaspoon Cayenne

See the recipe for Smoked Chipotle BBQ Sauce under Labels-BBQ Sauce

Season the chicken very well with the dry rub on both sides. Place it all in Ziploc bags and marinate over night in a refrigerator.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Spray it with a Grill Spray (like Pam), so chicken won't stick to the grill.

Grill the chicken rotating it time to time, about 30 minutes.

Brush generously with BBQ Sauce. Grill for about 5 more minutes. Remove off the grill and serve it with the rest of the sauce.

Serves 12

*Chicken needs to be about 180 degrees F to be safe to eat.

Chicken Avocado Wrap

1 Chicken Breast, sliced

1 Avocado, sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup Salsa

2 Tortilla Wraps

Salt, Pepper to taste

In a small bowl add cabbage, lemon juice, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss it all together and set it a side until it's ready to use. 

On a tortilla, arrange chicken, sliced avocados, shredded cabbage, and top it with salsa. Wrap, cut in half and enjoy!!!

Makes two wraps

*See the recipe for Salsa under Veggie-Licious Section

*Perfect way to use the leftover chicken.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Half Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

1/4 cup Mayo

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

Juice of one Lemon

2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

1/2 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 Brioche Buns

To prepare dressing mix together mayo, Dijon mustard, juice of one lemon, minced garlic, jalapeno, and season with salt and pepper.

To the shredded chicken add diced onion, cilantro, and the dressing. Mix well.

Cut the buns in half and spoon the chicken mixture on the bun.

Serves 4

*Eat the chicken salad without the buns. Really yummy on its own.