By Misa Misono
Homemade pizza in less time than it takes to order one and have it delivered? You bet.
Pizza is the ultimate fast food: tasty, satisfying, and rich in flavor. This recipe uses many time saving pre-packaged foods to deliver gourmet flavor in a hurry and on a budget. A box of Trader Joe’s Chicken for Lettuce Wraps transforms a pre-made pizza crust into a gastronomic delight. By the time you’re finished, you’ll think you’re the next Wolfgang Puck.
I tried to duplicate both the flavor profile and texture experience of chicken lettuce wraps that you would find at a restaurant. Using the Asian-inspired flavors as a base, I built a pizza that replaces marinara sauce with peanut (or teriyaki) sauce, the pepperoni with chicken, and chow mein noodles to provide crunch. Spinach, glass noodles, and a dash of red pepper flakes complete the transformation.
If I haven’t convinced you yet to try this recipe, maybe the promise of leftovers for the next day’s lunch will seal the deal. Just imagine yourself happily munching on homemade pizza while your peers calculate the throughput time at the cafeteria checkout lines. Now that’s good eats.
Shopping notes:
Find Chicken for Lettuce Wraps in the freezer section of Trader Joe’s. There’s a new Trader Joes right off 15-501, just past I40. I like TJ’s Thai Peanut sauce or Soyaki sauce.
Cooking tools: 1 large cookie sheet, pizza pan, or baking stone
Tip: If you don’t want to make the trip to Trader Joes, a good substitution for the chicken is cutting up leftover cooked chicken or buying a rotisserie roasted chicken at the grocery store.
Ingredients:
1 pre-made pizza crust
1 box Asian-style Chicken for Lettuce Wraps
1 cup shredded white cheese (I prefer a mix of mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan)
1 cup loosely packed fresh baby spinach
¼ - ½ cup peanut sauce or teriyaki sauce
½ teaspoon dried flat leaf parsley (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
¼ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on desired heat - optional
1/3 cup dry chow mein noodles – optional
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds - optional
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees (or as according to your pre-made crust directions). Follow directions on the back of Chicken Wraps to heat chicken. Defrost sauce that comes with the package. Set aside defrosted sauce and glass noodles that come with the chicken.
Place spinach leaves in a measuring cup or drinking glass. With a clean scissors, cut up spinach several times to achieve pieces 1/3 to ½ the size of the original leaves.
When pizza crust is ready for toppings (follow directions on the package), spoon sauce evenly over crust. Next, spread spinach over sauce. Top with chicken mixture, chow mein noodles, and glass noodles. Sprinkle parsley and pepper flakes over the pizza. Top with cheese, sesame seeds, and defrosted sauce.
Cook according to pizza crust directions (10-15 minutes) until cheese is melted and bubbly. Take out, cool for 3 minutes, slice, and serve.
Makes 2-3 servings
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Grapes
By Yong Suk Ferrance, Fuqua Partner
Valentine's day is coming soon. What is a better treat for your special person on that special day than chocolate covered strawberries?
...Well, homemade chocolate covered strawberries, of course. And grapes too. Grapes with chocolate? Yes, not common, but once you've tasted them you will be dipping just about everything into chocolate to see if it can compete with old faithful.
Now I will take you through the steps and even add in a few inside secrets to make sure your special treat goes off without a hitch.
First of all, we need to select the fruit. I will let you in on my secret to selecting the best fruit possible. Here it is... I always ask for help at the grocery store. Additionally, make sure your strawberries are not too big, have stems, and are a color of medium red. Grapes are a lot easier. I've found that green seedless taste the best, but it should go without saying that seedless is essential. You don't want your special day to turn into an emergency room visit for a chipped tooth.
Here are the rest of my V-Day treat secrets. Make sure your fruit is extremely dry before dipping. Any remote moisture will keep your fruit naked no matter how long you keep them in the chocolate. Naked fruit, yuck! Lastly, make sure you keep stirring and remove the mixture from the heat as soon as everything is melted so you do not burn the chocolate. Also, the vegetable shortening is essential as it keeps everything sticking together.
OK let's get started...
Cooking tools:
Medium sauce pan
6 inch wooden skewers (large toothpicks work fine)
Parchment paper or Wax paper
Ingredients:
10 Strawberries with stems attached, dry (cannot have any moisture on them or chocolate will not adhere)
20 Green seedless Grapes
2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 Cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 Table spoons all vegetable shortening
Directions:
Mixture:
Put the chocolate chips and shortening in the cold sauce pan. Turn the burner on Medium heat and stir constantly. As soon as the mixture melts IMMEDIATELY remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth (about 5 minutes). Now for the fun part. Let's get ready to dip.
Dipping:
Delicately using your fingers, holding each strawberry by its stem and dip into the mixture gently rotating until the strawberry is covered about 75%. Set each strawberry onto the paper when complete, to dry. The chocolate will ooze off a bit, but it's fine. Just leave enough room so that it does not run together with its neighbor.
Stick three grapes on each skewer (only one on a toothpick) making sure to leave room for your fingers. Dip into the mixture just as with the strawberries, except that you can completely cover the grapes (wooden skewers don't break as easy as strawberry stems. Set on the paper next to the strawberries.
Let dry for 30 minutes in your fridge. Enjoy!
Valentine's day is coming soon. What is a better treat for your special person on that special day than chocolate covered strawberries?
...Well, homemade chocolate covered strawberries, of course. And grapes too. Grapes with chocolate? Yes, not common, but once you've tasted them you will be dipping just about everything into chocolate to see if it can compete with old faithful.
Now I will take you through the steps and even add in a few inside secrets to make sure your special treat goes off without a hitch.
First of all, we need to select the fruit. I will let you in on my secret to selecting the best fruit possible. Here it is... I always ask for help at the grocery store. Additionally, make sure your strawberries are not too big, have stems, and are a color of medium red. Grapes are a lot easier. I've found that green seedless taste the best, but it should go without saying that seedless is essential. You don't want your special day to turn into an emergency room visit for a chipped tooth.
Here are the rest of my V-Day treat secrets. Make sure your fruit is extremely dry before dipping. Any remote moisture will keep your fruit naked no matter how long you keep them in the chocolate. Naked fruit, yuck! Lastly, make sure you keep stirring and remove the mixture from the heat as soon as everything is melted so you do not burn the chocolate. Also, the vegetable shortening is essential as it keeps everything sticking together.
OK let's get started...
Cooking tools:
Medium sauce pan
6 inch wooden skewers (large toothpicks work fine)
Parchment paper or Wax paper
Ingredients:
10 Strawberries with stems attached, dry (cannot have any moisture on them or chocolate will not adhere)
20 Green seedless Grapes
2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 Cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 Table spoons all vegetable shortening
Directions:
Mixture:
Put the chocolate chips and shortening in the cold sauce pan. Turn the burner on Medium heat and stir constantly. As soon as the mixture melts IMMEDIATELY remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir until the mixture is smooth (about 5 minutes). Now for the fun part. Let's get ready to dip.
Dipping:
Delicately using your fingers, holding each strawberry by its stem and dip into the mixture gently rotating until the strawberry is covered about 75%. Set each strawberry onto the paper when complete, to dry. The chocolate will ooze off a bit, but it's fine. Just leave enough room so that it does not run together with its neighbor.
Stick three grapes on each skewer (only one on a toothpick) making sure to leave room for your fingers. Dip into the mixture just as with the strawberries, except that you can completely cover the grapes (wooden skewers don't break as easy as strawberry stems. Set on the paper next to the strawberries.
Let dry for 30 minutes in your fridge. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Spicy Roasted Tomato Pasta
By Misa Misono
Pasta is my go-to weeknight meal. I fell in love with cooking while studying abroad in Italy as an undergraduate, and my experience there shaped my cooking style. Patiently mentored by my host parents in the kitchen, I learned that great food doesn’t have to be complicated, arduous, or require expensive, exotic ingredients. This simple pasta dish reflects my learnings that fateful summer, as well as my general philosophy on food: quality ingredients + simple preparation = delicious.
Spicy Roasted Tomato Pasta combines classic Italian ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, wine – and adds a kick of heat with red pepper flakes. High-quality canned tomatoes transform summer fruit into complex winter flavor. Infused with garlic and topped with grated parmesan, it’s a veritable Italy on a plate.
Simple, easy, and with the advent of whole wheat and multigrain pasta, healthy, Spicy Roasted Tomato Pasta delights the senses. As an added bonus, it requires only one cooking pot, making clean up easy. Pour yourself a glass wine and enjoy this hearty, robustly flavored meal.
Buon appetito!
Shopping notes:
Because tomatoes are so important to this dish, I think it’s worth paying a little more for a good quality can of roasted tomatoes. I like Muir Glen Organic. Also, I recommend NOT purchasing the cheese in a shaker-can.
Cooking tools: 1 large pot, large enough to boil pasta
Tip: The heat of the pepper flakes increases over time, so err on the side of caution when adding them during the cooking process!
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups penne or rotini pasta, preferably whole grain
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine, white wine, or chicken broth
½ teaspoon dried flat leaf parsley (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
1 medium clove of garlic, chopped fine or put through a garlic press
¼ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on desired heat
Grated parmesan (look for “parmigiano reggiano” at the store) for topping
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Fill large pot with enough water to cook pasta. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, open can of tomatoes and chop garlic. If you’re too lazy to chop the garlic or don’t have a press, smash it and use as directed below, but remove before serving the pasta. Measure parsley and red pepper flakes, add to open can of tomatoes. Put a pinch of salt into the can as well. Don’t worry about mixing it at this point.
Cook pasta according to directions. Before draining, get a small measuring cup (or shot glass) and fill with cooking water. Set aside. Drain pasta and return pot to stove.
Turn down heat to medium. Add olive oil, tilt pot to distribute. Add entire can of tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently with a spatula/spoon. Add garlic, stir. When you can smell the garlic (about 15-30 seconds), add the wine/broth. Stir. Cook for another 2-4 minutes, until the mixture does not smell alcoholic and some of the liquid has evaporated.
Add pasta and pasta water. Stir to coat the pasta, and let cook for 1 more minute.
Scoop into bowls, top with parmesan, and enjoy!
Makes 2 servings
Pasta is my go-to weeknight meal. I fell in love with cooking while studying abroad in Italy as an undergraduate, and my experience there shaped my cooking style. Patiently mentored by my host parents in the kitchen, I learned that great food doesn’t have to be complicated, arduous, or require expensive, exotic ingredients. This simple pasta dish reflects my learnings that fateful summer, as well as my general philosophy on food: quality ingredients + simple preparation = delicious.
Spicy Roasted Tomato Pasta combines classic Italian ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, wine – and adds a kick of heat with red pepper flakes. High-quality canned tomatoes transform summer fruit into complex winter flavor. Infused with garlic and topped with grated parmesan, it’s a veritable Italy on a plate.
Simple, easy, and with the advent of whole wheat and multigrain pasta, healthy, Spicy Roasted Tomato Pasta delights the senses. As an added bonus, it requires only one cooking pot, making clean up easy. Pour yourself a glass wine and enjoy this hearty, robustly flavored meal.
Buon appetito!
Shopping notes:
Because tomatoes are so important to this dish, I think it’s worth paying a little more for a good quality can of roasted tomatoes. I like Muir Glen Organic. Also, I recommend NOT purchasing the cheese in a shaker-can.
Cooking tools: 1 large pot, large enough to boil pasta
Tip: The heat of the pepper flakes increases over time, so err on the side of caution when adding them during the cooking process!
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups penne or rotini pasta, preferably whole grain
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine, white wine, or chicken broth
½ teaspoon dried flat leaf parsley (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
1 medium clove of garlic, chopped fine or put through a garlic press
¼ - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on desired heat
Grated parmesan (look for “parmigiano reggiano” at the store) for topping
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Fill large pot with enough water to cook pasta. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, open can of tomatoes and chop garlic. If you’re too lazy to chop the garlic or don’t have a press, smash it and use as directed below, but remove before serving the pasta. Measure parsley and red pepper flakes, add to open can of tomatoes. Put a pinch of salt into the can as well. Don’t worry about mixing it at this point.
Cook pasta according to directions. Before draining, get a small measuring cup (or shot glass) and fill with cooking water. Set aside. Drain pasta and return pot to stove.
Turn down heat to medium. Add olive oil, tilt pot to distribute. Add entire can of tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently with a spatula/spoon. Add garlic, stir. When you can smell the garlic (about 15-30 seconds), add the wine/broth. Stir. Cook for another 2-4 minutes, until the mixture does not smell alcoholic and some of the liquid has evaporated.
Add pasta and pasta water. Stir to coat the pasta, and let cook for 1 more minute.
Scoop into bowls, top with parmesan, and enjoy!
Makes 2 servings
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
