Chicken Kabobs and Local Corn! Hello Summah!!!!

So, while my friend had this super, awesome, televised backyard BBQ (and it was freakin' awesome).... complete with blonde super-cute channel 40 anchor Lady, adorable pool boys, 4 wheelers tooling around, and awesome food... I had this... Chicken.... but not ordinary chicken.... chicken I converted into much more INTERESTING CHICKEN KABOBS! And they were awesome! First, I marinated my chicken tenders in a little bbq sauce and sesame dressing (easy, lazy, convenient.... and tasty)! Then, after marinating my tenders for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 or 5... I picked some tasty players to join my chicken... on their kabob journey....a red pepper, onion, and 2 medium size zuchini... sliced and tossed with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil. Zucchini, red pepper and onion! Perfect! Thread all these players onto a skewer... but not any old skewer... Soak your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes (more is better), so they don't burn up your kabobs! I cooked my kabobs on a medium heat on the grill for about 2-3 minutes per side. Chicken tenders cook fast, and overcooking will suck the life out of them. If you push or touch them with your finger, they should feel firm, not soft, but definitely NOT hard.... And here you have a CLASSIC!!! Supper in the summer, with fresh corn and grilled kabobs! And another night with the boys.... nothing better!!!

Meat Lover's Deep Dish Pizza Pie!!!

We love pizza around here... and we love to do it ourselves! So, tonight I thought we'd try a deep dish pizza, full of meat and cheese... now how bad can that be?? So, let's start with the dough... Home made dough is easier than you think! This deep dish pizza dough is a little different in that it has a little more "fat" (olive and canola oil) in it than a regular dough, and we'll pre-bake the shell a little, before adding the filling... and it will be worth it!! The dough starts with 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of warm water (not too hot, or it will kill the yeast, just warm enough to wake it up). Add 2 and 3/4 teaspoons (nearly 3) of yeast to the warm water and a little shpritze of something sweet, so the yeast can wake up, and snack on the sweetness... tonight I used agave, but you can use a teaspoon of sugar, honey, or whatever you like. Not too much, or the yeast will "over-eat" and get lazy, instead of energized and ready to work that dough. At first it will look like this.... and after about 10 minutes, it will be bubbly and ready... like this! Now, I'm lazy, so I fit my food processor with the dough blade (the blunt plastic one, not the sharp ones) and let the machine do the work. Into the processor, I added 2 cups of all purpose flour, and 2 cups of wheat flour... Creating the illusion of something "healthy", you know, better for you... before I load it up with meat and cheese...so, yah, "healthy"... just go with it for now. To the flour, I added kosher salt: 1 and 3/4 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. I gave all these dry ingredients a little whiz, then I got ready to add the wet. Before adding the water and yeast, I added3 tablespoons of olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Then, I started the processor, and added the wet, while the machine did all the work. It will turn into a ball, if not (and mine didn't right away), it may be too dry, so add a tablespoon of warm water until you get a big ball (I added about 2 tablespoons tonight). Let the dough bang around in the processor for a few minutes, kinda like kneading. Last, I turned the dough out onto a floured surface and just worked it into a ball with the heel of my hands for a minute or two (remember, I'm lazy, and it will be just fine)! Let the dough rest in a warm dry spot. I rubbed my dough with a little olive oil, and covered with a towel to rise. This will take about an hour, just enough time to drop the boy off at football practice! Off I go, and when I get back, we'll build a pizza pie!! So, it's been about an hour, and this is what we got. You want the dough to double... WOW! Well done, yeast!! Time to form the pie! Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces. Work the dough into 2 circles with your hands (it's a very tender dough) and lay it into a greased 8 inch cake pan (I lined mine with parchment paper too... because my pans are super old and crappy... Yours are probably fine. Tuck the dough into the pan, and work up the sides, and prebake the dough in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Take the dough out and get ready to fill with meat, cheese, and sauce! So here's the pre-baked pizza dough.... First, fill the pie shell with mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup, grated)... Next, top with the meat and sauce, we used leftover meatballs and sausage from last night... Last, top with grated parmesean cheese, about a half cup per pie. If you don't have leftovers, about 1 pound of meat (sausage, meatballs)... and 1 28 oz. can tomatoes (with some garlic salt, and crushed red pepper). Now, bake in that same 425 degree oven for at least 25 minutes, or until cooked through, golden and deliciously cheesey! Let your deep dish pizza rest for about 10 minutes (if you can stand it). This recipe yielded 2 beautiful, meaty, cheesy deep dish pizza pies! We cut each one in 6 slices, and 2 is enough for any normal person, though... we ate way more! Enjoy your delicious deep dish with a little torn fresh basil, and a house full of friends, family, or awesome boys!! Fresh is best, and this couldn't be easier!!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs!! Manga!!

So, tonight, I have yet another summer night with my boys! Happy Mom! And when I asked what do they want for dinner... they wanted spaghetti and meatballs!!! So, note to self.... when it comes to boys... and Moms... and dinner time together... this is one, hands down, sure bet! Even when they DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WANT.... THEY WILL WANT THIS!!!! Here's how we started... Now, you can eat sauce from a jar... or you can eat sauce from a tomato... and I always prefer the tomato! But I keep it super simple and just as easy as opening a jar... really!!! Start with a couple of cans of tomatoes.... I used these, St. Marzano tomatoes (they are the best).... but use whatever you have... Then, I chopped some garlic (6 cloves to these 2 cans), and added them to some olive oil on medium heat with 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes. This may be too much for you, you can just add a pinch, or 1 teaspoon, but we LOVE heat... so that's what we did! After adding the garlic and pepper to the olive oil, I added 2 cans of tomatoes with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and mixed to combine. Turn down the heat to low and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour! I used my wooden spoon to crush, or break down the tomatoes.... eventually, they will cook down, and get soft, and turn into a delicious sauce... BUT... If you have one of these immersion blenders, you can just pop this into your pan, making sure it's on the bottom (or the sauce will fly up into the air) and blend your ingredients. I love my immersion blender, and use it for sauces, soups, and all kinds of things! Go find one at a tag sale or at the flea market.... they are awesome! Finally, tonight, I added turkey meatballs and chicken sausage to my sauce! You can omit the meat and this sauce will be just as tasty... but, my boys wanted meatballs... so that's what we had!! Tonight!!! Savory red sauce fused with sweet garlicky goodness... and some hardy turkey meatballs and spaghetti!! WHO DOESN'T LOVE SPAGHETTI AND MEAT BALLS!

Corn and Black Bean Salsa!!

Nothing from a jar is EVER as fresh and tasty as home made salsa... and if you can chop a tomato and open a can, you can make this super delicious salsa in about 15 minutes! Great with chips, but also fantastic served over grilled chicken, fish or steak, inside tacos, with quesadillas, or as we had it tonight.. with grilled peaches and jalapeno-mango chicken sausages!! YUM! Lets get started... You'll need corn, at least 2 cups (fresh or frozen, though fresh is better), 1 can of black beans, about half of a red onion diced, at least a half cup of chopped jalapeno (or more to taste, though this was the perfect amount of heat), about 3-4 cloves garlic chopped (which means I used about 4-5), and 3 medium or 2 large chopped fresh tomatoes, and fresh cilantro! Throw the corn, and beans into a big mixing bowl. Simply chop up the other ingredients and add in. I used a chopper for the peppers and garlic, but a knife for the rest, so you get nice pieces and not a pulverized soupy salsa. Last, add at least a half cup (or more) of fresh cilantro leaves. The stems can be sorta slimy, so I just rip off the leaves, and throw it right in the bowl! You can omit the cilantro if you want, but your salsa might be a little sad...you could freshen it up with parsley if you want... but it wont be the same. Last, I keep it all fresh and clean by adding the juice of one lime and a few pinches of salt (about half to a quarter teaspoon). That's it, that's all! So tangy, sweet and a little heat to keep you coming back for more.

Power Salads... and Focaccia!! Eggs... 101!

Holy Humidity Batman!!! It's HOT!! Dang! So tonight calls for something satisfying, something healthy and nutritious, and above all, tasty! Cue... POWER SALADS!!! Anyone out there have a friend or two who need a little neighborly meal... full of love, comfort, and support? Well, I have a TON of friends like this, and tonight I'm making this super nutritious power salad for one of them! A dear friend who does more for everyone around her than anyone I know! So here's to you... my friend! Tonight I started with simple mixed greens and romaine lettuce, washed and chopped, about 4 cups will feed about 4 people. Next, I added one cup shredded carrots, one cup edemame (bumping up the protein), cooked and cooled, and 2 pickling cukes washed and sliced into half moons. Now this salad, just like this, would be delicious with the chilli that's going along with it, but I added a little more... These hard boiled perfectly cooked eggs. Notice any gray, discolored circles around these hard cooked cuties!? HECK NO!! Perfectly rich cooked yellow centers surrounded by some body building protein! Here's how I get them perfect like this, every time! Place eggs in the pot and cover with cold water... yup, COLD water! Next, put the pan on high heat. When the water comes to a boil (rolling bubbly boiling water) set a timer for 10 minutes. Let the eggs boil in that water for 10 minutes and as soon as the timer goes off, take the eggs out and put them in some cold water to stop the cooking. Perfect!! Every time!! To go with this super yummy salad, I have a little homemade focaccia! Simple bread, flavored up with some olive oil and fresh herbs and spices! I've made this focaccia a bunch of times. Just thaw out some store bought bread dough, cover with olive oil and sprinkle on some flavor. In this case we used onion flakes, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic powder, and a little kosher salt! SO GOOD! Cooking for a friend... always good for the soul, good for your friends, and good for you (or in this case, ME)! Bank yourself some Karma... and cook for someone soon!! Even when it's not cooking, like with this salad, there's something special about the love that goes into a meal for a friend that makes your world a better place!