Category Archives: Fruit

Pesto, Chicken, and Red Grape Pizza

June 17, 2013

pesto chicken grape pizza recipe

Coming to you from a new kitchen. A cute new kitchen. With ample counter space and sunlight streaming in. And a big pretty fridge. Still not enough cupboard space. (But that’s probably my problem. When you move and the majority of your boxes are labeled “kitchen”, you have too many serving platters and cooking gadgets.) Despite the lack of space and similar inconveniences we’ve come to accept with city life, we’re happy in our new place.

Naturally, pizza was the first thing I made. This unusual spin on chicken pesto pizza includes grapes! Sounds crazy but tastes amazing. It’s garlicky and cheesy (fresh mozzarella oozing all over the place) and sweet. I used my own pesto recipe but feel free to buy it prepared. I didn’t include amounts for the toppings because when I’m throwing them on a pizza, I rarely measure. Plus it all depends on how big your crust is and how much you want to pile on top. It’s pizza. So it’s hard to go wrong.

Pesto, Chicken, and Red Grape Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
prepared basil pesto (purchased or make your own)
seedless red grapes, halved
shredded boneless skinless rotisserie chicken
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare dough according to recipe directions.

2. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

3. Top prepared crust with a thin layer of basil pesto. Top with grapes, chicken, garlic, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and green onions (reserve some to add after baking).

4. Bake on preheated pizza stone for 8-10 minutes until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle with reserved green onions; slice, and serve.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

May 6, 2013

Last week was Clara’s first birthday! And so for the past month or so I’ve been trying out recipes to include on the menu for her party (a late morning brunch). These cookies easily made the cut. They’re not-too-tart, not-too-sweet and completely lemony. I’m not fanatical about lemons, but I could eat a dozen of these. (Oh, and they freeze really well so they can be made ahead of time. Just let them come to room temperature before serving.)

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 large nonstick cooking sheets with cooking spray or line with parchment paper or a mat.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice.  Scrape sides and mix again.  Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar.  Scrape sides of bowl and mix again, briefly.

3. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate.  Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in the powdered sugar.  Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melted or shiny).  Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Makes about 18 cookies.

(Adapted from Lauren’s Latest and Lahatchita Eats)

Citrus and Wild Blueberry Sauce

April 22, 2013

We’ve had this wild blueberry sauce frequently over the last few months, spooning it over pancakes, waffles, and toast. It’s bursting with citrus (orange and lemon) and not syrup-y sweet. Just a touch of brown sugar cuts the tartness. (You’d probably want a sweeter sauce if you’re topping a cheesecake or other dessert.) It’s quick to make and keeps well in the fridge for over a week. And since it uses frozen blueberries (you can find the wild ones at Trader Joes or Whole Foods), it can be affordably made all year long!

*The puff pancake in the photo was good… but not “the one”. I’m still searching for the perfect puff pancake recipe. I’ll be sure to share it as soon as it’s found…

Citrus and Wild Blueberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2 cups frozen wild blueberries
1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup water
4 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring the blueberries, orange juice, and lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium  heat. Stir in the lemon and orange zests and cinnamon; reduce the heat to low.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch until there are no lumps. Add the cornstarch mixture and the brown sugar to the blueberries and stir until thickened, several minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 cups.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Apple, Bacon, and Onion Pizza

October 26, 2012

Why didn’t I think of this? During my  4+ years of blogging and testing/perfecting/sharing well over 500 recipes, it never occurred to me to put apple on a pizza. And I’m the pizza queen. (You can find 30 variations in the index.) Bacon makes a regular appearance. And slinky-sweet caramelized onions are one of my favorite toppings. But bacon + onion + apple + cheese. The best idea I never had.

On the topic of cheese… I couldn’t make up my mind. Cheddar or gouda? Apples and cheddar just go together. But smoked gouda is always good. So I split the pizza in half, hoping to try them both and then decide. (You can tell- the left half was shredded gouda* that didn’t melt as well as the cheddar on the right.) But both halves were so delicious that I am refusing to pick a side. I’ll leave that up to you. Although, the best pieces were the ones where the cheddar and gouda collided. So why not use them together?

*I used Trader Joe’s smoked gouda that is tasty and inexpensive, but doesn’t melt exceptionally well. If you can afford to spend a little more, Whole Foods sells an applewood smoked gouda that is incredible and much creamier.

Apple, Bacon, and Onion Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe pizza dough
1 red onion, thinly sliced
drizzle olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and roughly chopped
1 large or 2 small honeycrisp apples, cored and thinly sliced
fresh sage, chiffonade
2 cups sharp white cheddar or smoked gouda (or a combination of the two)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare dough according to recipe directions.

2. While dough is rising, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven and pizza stone to 450 F.

4. Top prepared crust with caramelized onions, bacon, apple slices, sage, and cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven on pizza stone for about 10 minutes, until the crust is puffed and golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Slice and serve.

Makes 1 large pizza.

(Adapted from How Sweet it Is)

Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

October 12, 2012

After a month and a half of meals devoid of milk, cheese, and anything creamy, I had to celebrate my return to dairy with something sensational. So I baked this cake. With chunks of apples and pecans, spicy cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, and a rich swirl of cream cheese hiding in the center. And a generous drizzle of praline frosting on top. It was wonderful. (And it feeds a crowd.)

Oh butter, how I missed you.

Clara still has reflux. Eliminating dairy from my diet didn’t yield significant improvement in her symptoms. I wanted it to work, but at the same time I’m glad it didn’t. (It wasn’t particularly easy or convenient and once it was clear that she was still suffering, it became incredibly hard for me to adhere.) Medication has helped though. And so has, it seems, giving up chocolate. Supposedly caffeine, even in the smallest dose, can aggravate reflux. So bring on the cream and forget the cocoa- for now.

Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

INGREDIENTS

Cream Cheese Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Apple Cake Batter:
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups apples, peeled and finely chopped (I used Fuji)

Praline Frosting:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare the filling: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended.

2. To prepare the batter: Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.

3. Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.

4. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).

5. Prepare Frosting: Bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Serves 12.

(Adapted from Southern Living)