geek

South Beach Pizza

South Beach Pizza

We eat a lot of pizza in this house; at least once a week I throw the dough together in the KitchenAid and let it rise for 24 hours in the refrigerator before I turn out a couple of personal pizzas for the guys. Of course personal-sized pizza for a teenage boy is about the size of a cookie sheet.

But here’s the thing, Dave and I can’t eat pizza every week…or rather we could but at some point we have to stop. Stop the crepes, the pancakes, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, pound cakes, pies, custards, etc…etc! It’s all because we’ve reached the fatty-bo-batty stage where our favorite jeans are too tight for comfort…and honestly comfort trumps carb-rich meals any day. It’s at that point that we return to phase one of the South Beach Diet. I say this grudgingly but in total acceptance of my fate…I must do it now before fruit season starts because once the berries and apples are in season there is no way I’m giving up their juicy goodness.

For those blessed enough to not have to know what South Beach phase one is I’ll give you the brief overview…you can eat any protein, green vegetables are your friends, dairy is okay. Fruits, potatoes, bread, and any sort of simple carb is off limits. That’s not so bad is it? No sugar, no flour, no potatoes, no fruit for at least two weeks. Oh, no wine…that’s the kicker!

On pizza night I made pizza for Dave and I with a chicken breast crust. We had to eat it with with a fork but the flavor was excellent and it was an almost pizza.

South Beach Pizza for 2
printer-friendly recipe
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup grated low fat mozzarella
1 Italian sausage
8 mushrooms, sliced medium thin
1/2 medium white onion, sliced thin
Pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 425°.

With a sharp knife butterfly the chicken breast at it’s thickest part in order to make it all the same thickness. Place the chicken between saran wrap and flatten it with a mallet or something similar. Repeat this procedure with the other breast.

Remove the casing from the sausage and break it into small, bite-sized chunks.

Heat a heavy skillet on a high flame and add a dab of olive oil. Sal the breast and place it in the hot pan. Let it brown and then flip it. Remove it from the pan once both sides have browned. Repeat with the other breast.

In that same pan, with the heat on medium, brown the Italian sausage. Remove it from the pan and rest it on a paper towel.

Place both of the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Spread pizza sauce on both and then add the cheese. Top next with the sausage, onions, and mushrooms.

Bake in the oven until the cheese and toppings are bubbly and golden brown.

Obviously anytime I do South Beach I turn to Kalyn’s Kitchen for advice, and inspiration.

May 31, 2008 | Filed Under South Beach, food, low carb, low cal, pizza, quick and easy | 8 Comments 

The bird is the word – BBQ chicken

BBQ chicken

Did you know I love, love, love, BBQ chicken? Oh yeah…I love it. You know how some people can remain immaculate despite the fact that they’re grasping a sauced chicken leg? Well I’m not one of them. I’m a mess when I eat just about anything…even cereal and milk, but BBQ chicken…the pile of napkins at my side is epic and yet, there will still be sauce and little burnt bits of chicken attached to my face…it’s not pretty. But in my defense I’ll just say I’m a passionate eater…yup, that must be what it is.

BBQ chicken

I always buy whole chickens and then I cut them up myself. You might be into buying parts, and that’s cool. But you should consider buying whole chickens because they give so much more back; they’re cheaper per pound, everything taste better when cooked on a bone…it just does, and it gives you parts to do things with. It’s easy enough to break them down:

I always have a bag of chicken backs, necks, gizzards, and wing-tips in the freezer. I collect them all summer and then in the fall we have the right stuff for several good pots of chicken stock. I also save the livers by putting them in a plastic quart yogurt container and covering them with water. I’ve never done this before but I’m hoping to collect enough to make some paté.

My sauce of choice for BBQ chicken this year is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ginger preserves, and garlic. Did I mention I love this chicken? Well…I do and I might even marry it if I hadn’t married the genius husband already…so there!

May 28, 2008 | Filed Under Local, beef, fish, poultry, pork, food, grilled, humor, instruction, surveys | 6 Comments 

What I bought at the market and the egg

what I bought at the market

I slept in on Saturday, usually I’m up by 6:00 because I’m worried I might miss the ramps, or the morels, or the rhubarb…but I’ve captured those flavors and if I don’t get to taste them again until next spring, I’m okay with that. So I slept in, enjoyed my GH’s delicious coffee, and then made it to the market around 9:30. It was a beautiful day and it was good to see all my favorites, lined up and selling their fine wares.

In the picture in the top left you’ll see almost everything I got…one chicken, some pork chops, and some Italian sausage all from Jordandal, had already been stowed in the freezer. The dairy products in the back are whole milk, skim milk, raspberry yogurt drink, buttermilk, plus two pints of cream.

Next over is a head of French crisp lettuce, then Edelweiss’ muenster cheese. Madison Sourdough’s baguette, sourdough batard, and brioche, plus some green onions. To the right of that is the beautiful Rosebud cheese from DreamFarm and Diana’s newest cheese, Rosebloom…covered in ash with a tasty vein of ash running through it. It is splendid!

I also bought four tomato plants from Primrose and 3 herb plants from another vendor who was very helpful but who’s name escapes me.

Also in the big picture, top left you’ll see a chicken and two packs of Bratwursts from Jordandal. Nothing says Wisconsin quite like a brat on the grill, especially on a holiday weekend.

I’ve spent the whole weekend, cooking, puttering in the garden, reading, and napping. Life is good.

eggs florentine

On Sunday I reworked the classic egg Florentine…I can do a kickass hollandaise sauce but I’d prefer to take the easy way out. I substituted toasted sourdough batard, spread with homemade butter, layered with a perfectly cooked sunnyside-up egg, topped with spinach, some grated Tuscan cheese from Edelweiss, a bit of chopped ham, and a sprinkle of Aleppo peppers. It was perfect and I highly recommend it.

May 26, 2008 | Filed Under food | 7 Comments 

Next Page »