Pizza 101 - The Crust



This week I am going to feature a tutorial about how to make your own homemade pizza. Homemade pizza is a simple enough thing for many cooks out there, but for a lot of us, our experience with enjoying pizza includes a phone call to the local pizzeria or a few overpriced, underflavored frozen pizzas tossed into the cart at the grocery store.  Since one of the goals for my blog is to teach how to cook great food with real, fresh ingredients, I'm going to spend the week discussing basic pizza making, beginning with the crust.

As I discussed in my Spinach and Feta Pizza Thin Crust Pizza post, there are a few tools worth investing in; a pizza peel and a baking stone.  Since some of the very best pizzas in the world are baked in stone hearths, a baking stone will help tremendously with crisping and evenly heating the crust for a perfect pizza every time.  I purchased mine (actually, I own two which are rarely removed from my oven) at a local shop for about $30 each; usually they cost from about $30 to $40, but whatever your investment, if you choose to regularly make your own pizzas, your investment will be justified after just a few pizzas (if you order out often, you might even recoup your investment with your first dinner).  A peel is simply a wooden or stainless steel board with a handle and beveled edge so the pizza can slide off onto the stone.  A decent one can cost anywhere from $15 - $40, depending on what you choose (mine were on the $15 end).  I own two large ones because I always make two largish pizzas, and with two stones in the oven, the texture is not compromised by making two at a time.  I've added a few choices for the stones and peels to my Amazon store (under the heading "other items") for you to consider if you still need to purchase these items.

Additionally, I use my food processor to make the dough, but a breadmaker will work, as will a stand mixer, or everyone's old standby, a bowl and spoon.

Each of the pizza components (crust, sauce, toppings) I am going to discuss this week will make two 12-14 inch pizzas.  In addition to pizzas, the basic crust recipe can also be used to make up to six calzones or six mini pizzas.

Whether you like thick crust (roll it thicker) or thin crust (roll it thinner) or somewhere in between, use the following pantry staples to make a good basic crust:

• 1 1/4 c warm water
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 2 tsp yeast
• 3 1/3 c flour (I use 2 c unbleached all purpose and 1 1/3 c whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried herbs or 1 Tbs fresh herbs, optional
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided

Pour the water into a large measuring cup; the water should be warm enough to notice when you dip your finger into it, but not so hot you need to pull your finger back out (really, you do not need a thermometer).  Stir the honey and the yeast into the water and set aside for about 3-5 minutes so the honey can feed the yeast.  This step is called "proofing", and while it may not be completely necessary, I don't like any dead yeast surprises, so I always do this with this method for making the crust.

I couldn't find my measuring cup, so I used the next best thing

While the yeast is proofing, insert the dough blade into the food processor.  Add the flour(s), salt, herbs if using, and 1 Tbs olive oil.  Pulse a few times to mix it together.



When your yeast looks like it does in the earlier picture (with a fair bit of froth on top), turn your processor on (use the dough mode if you have it - if not, don't worry about it, it will be fine), give the yeast mixture a stir, and slowly pour it through the chute, allowing for the flour to absorb the liquid.  If the mixture seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of water (temperature will not matter) until the dough forms a ball.  Once the ball has formed, process for an additional 30 seconds (this will be the "kneading" part, so if you are doing it by hand, knead for about 5 minutes).



 Place the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil into a large bowl.  Transfer the dough (it will be sticky, so you might want to put a little olive oil on your hands, too) to the bowl and turn the ball to cover it in the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set aside to rise for about 45 minutes.  Take the rising time as an opportunity to prepare your sauce and get your toppings shredded and chopped.

Preheat the oven (with the stone(s) on any rack from the middle to the bottom) to 500F.

Generously dust a pizza peel with cornmeal. The cornmeal layer will prevent the dough from sticking and allow for easy transfer to the pizza stone, so don't be shy; use about 1/3c - 1/2c, depending on the size of the peel.

Divide the dough (which should have doubled in size) in half.  Using a rolling pin lightly dusted in flour (my preferred method) or your hands, roll or flatten and stretch the dough to a 12 inch circle for a thick crust, a 13 inch circle for a medium crust, or a 14 inch circle for a thin crust. 

The only picture I could find of the crust rolled out already had sauce on it, but you get the picture.

Naturally, at this point, you will add your sauce and toppings, which we'll talk more about later this week.  If you are only making one pizza, you can choose to halve the recipe, freeze the remaining portion to thaw for later use, or pre-bake the crust.  To pre-bake the crust, simply roll it out on the cornmeal dusted pizza peel, brush it with some olive oil, poke it with a fork several times so you won't get bubbles, and bake it in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes. Once your crust is pre-baked, cool it and then wrap it in waxed paper if layering, or plastic wrap or foil, and freeze until ready to use.  To bake it, top the frozen crust with what you like and bake it at 450F (usually for about 15-20 minutes).  Frozen crusts are especially nice for busy nights when you are tempted to call for delivery; by the time the pizza guy finally arrives with your pizza, you could have already made your own.

Now that you know how to make a basic pizza crust, you can make many possible alterations to the original recipe; different herbs, changing the kind of flour you use, adding garlic or cheese, etc.  Yes, there are different methods to make pizza crust, but I learned with this one, and it's the one to which I always return because it has never failed me, so this is the method I wanted to share with you.

Next up, the sauce!







Maple Orange Chicken - Citrus Blog Hop

A little more #citruslove coming at you today with a healthy, easy, tasty dinner ready in about 30 minutes.

The sauce for this chicken includes orange juice, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and garlic.  When I was mixing it together, my son asked what it was.  The look of repulsion that crossed his face when I told  him made me laugh.  "Do we have to eat it?" he asked.  Then I made him try some.  He dipped his finger into it once, then twice, then he went for a spoon - it tastes a lot better than it sounds.  It was his suggestion to top the dish with pecans, but we didn't have any (which is why they are not in the picture).  I must say, I agree with him that chopped pecans sprinkled over the chicken and sauce, along with the green onions, would have taken this dinner from "pretty darn good" to "pretty darn great".  The kid's got promise.

When mixing the sauce together, you could put it into a bowl and mix with a wire whisk or a fork, but I much prefer to do it the hillbilly way; dump everything into a jar, screw the lid on it, and shake like crazy.  It's kind of fun, too.

Maple Orange Chicken
serves 4

• Juice of 2 oranges (about 1/2 cup)
• Zest of 1 orange (about 2 Tbs)
• 1/2 c pure maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (or 1 Tbs fresh rosemary, snipped)
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs butter
• 4 organic, free range chicken breasts (de-boned and skinned)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs non-GMO corn starch (such as Rumford Non-GMO Corn Starch)
• 1 Tbs water
• Hot cooked brown rice
• 2 green onions, chopped
• handful of chopped pecans, optional

In a medium bowl,whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary.  You may also do this in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid; shake well. Set aside.

 In a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, melt olive oil and butter.  Brown chicken breasts in the butter/olive oil for approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.

Remove chicken to a plate.  Reduce heat to medium.  Pour the orange juice and maple syrup mixture into the pan; scrape bottom to remove any tasty browned bits.

Place the chicken back into the pan.  Cover, and reduce heat to medium low.  Simmer chicken in the sauce for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink, turning once about halfway through the time.

Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch and water.

Remove chicken from pan.  Stir the cornstarch and water mixture into the orange and maple chicken broth.  Simmer for about a minute, or until mixture is thick.

Serve chicken over rice. Top with sauce, green onions, and pecans (if desired).


Please join in on the #citruslove fun by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to stop by the #citruslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #citruslove.


Citruslove Blog Hop Co-Hosts

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl
Astig Vegan ~ Richgail ~ @AstigVegan

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Easily Good Eats

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives ~ Lisa ~ @parsleynsage

Peaches and Donuts ~ Sylvia ~ @PeachesandDonut

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Serena ~ @tspcurry
That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd  

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Apples and Oranges Frozen Yogurt - Citrus Blog Hop

For the most part, I'm not a "gadget gal".  I prefer to work with a few key tools (knives, an assortment of pots and pans, a few utensils, an oven, my hands...).  The reasons I have for this include the fact that I have very little storage space in my kitchen, not a lot of counter space to place a large gadget, and I hate having to disassemble and hand-wash things with many parts.  I do have a food processor, but I don't use it for chopping (in fact, I don't use it much at all, except to make nut butters, bean dips, and a few other things).  I have a blender that I haven't used more than once or twice in fifteen years.  Beyond that, my gadgets include a slow cooker (okay, I have two of those), a $10 hand held electric mixer and a garlic press.  And an electric ice cream maker (because I'm not willing to haul out a bucket of salt to work that cream).  I secretly want a KitchenAid mixer, but I haven't taken the plunge yet; the food processor took me almost five years of justification before I finally bought one, so with my ability to over-think myself out of purchases, I may never actually get one.

My husband, however, is a "gadget guy".  He's the one who bought the griddle, the waffle maker, the (now deceased) microwave, the toaster, the meat thermometer, the injector, the ice cream scoop, etc.  For Christmas, he bought a juicer, and he has been using it faithfully every day (sometimes more than once).  In fact, our son has been using it daily, also.  While I would never have bought one of my own accord, the juice made from it is so fresh, so tasty, and so healthy, I think I'm okay with the purchase.

Here is the simple smoothie that inspired the frozen yogurt:

It includes only two green apples, two oranges, and 1/4 c plain Greek  yogurt.  It reminded me of an Orange Julius (remember those?  I haven't had one since 8th grade, so it likely doesn't taste exactly like one, but it's the first thing I thought of when I tasted it).

We decided to add another 1/4 c of the Greek yogurt (for a total of 1/2 cup), and toss it all into the ice cream maker.  Twenty minutes later, we had the dessert (or, in our case, breakfast) you see in the main photo.  My kids think ice cream for breakfast is pretty cool.  And I kind of do, too.

Strawberries, bananas, mint, or vanilla would all be great additions.  I wanted to share the basic idea with you to show you how tasty something so simple can be.  What you do from there is entirely up to you.

If you don't currently own either a juicer or ice cream maker, you can find the ones that I have in my Amazon store (off to the left of the page, under "other items"). I am not endorsing any of the companies; I'm sure there are better ones, I'm sure there are worse ones, more expensive ones, and cheaper ones, so if you are looking for either of these products, do your homework. I am pretty happy with the quality and cost of the ones we have, though.  The image of the ice cream maker is the newer version of the same one I have, which I've had for about seven or eight years.

Apple and Orange Frozen Yogurt
makes 3 scoops (how many servings that makes is completely up to you)

• 2 Granny Smith apples, core removed
• 2 navel oranges, peeled
• 1/2 c Greek yogurt, plain or vanilla
• 1/2 tsp vanilla, optional (only if you are using plain yogurt)

Put the fruit through the juicer according to manufacturers instructions.

Stir the yogurt (and vanilla, if using) into the juice.  Place the mixture into your ice cream maker, and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. (Mine took 20 minutes)

Eat.


Please join in on the #citruslove fun by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to stop by the #citruslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #citruslove.


Citruslove Blog Hop Co-Hosts

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl
Astig Vegan ~ Richgail ~ @AstigVegan

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Easily Good Eats

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives ~ Lisa ~ @parsleynsage

Peaches and Donuts ~ Sylvia ~ @PeachesandDonut

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Serena ~ @tspcurry
That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd  

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog

Roasted Garlic

Some of the simplest things in life are the very best things.  Roasted garlic is one of those simple little pleasures that just leave me loving everything after only one bite.

My husband has been after me to write a post about roasted garlic, something that is always readily available in our fridge.  "But it's too easy," I would say.  "So?" he'd say.  "So, every one already knows how to do it," I'd say.  "I didn't," he'd say, and then he'd proceed to list numerous people we know who don't even know how to peel a garlic clove, much less how to generate some rockin' roasted garlic spread.

"But anyone who wants to know how to do it can just google it and come with up with millions of places to find out how to do it," I'd say.  "But, they might not think of it," he'd counter.

Good point.

So, if you don't already know how to make roasted garlic spread, this is for you.  And if you do know how to do it, but haven't for a while, this is to inspire you to make some.

We always have roasted garlic in our fridge.  I often roast several heads of garlic at one time, pour some extra olive oil over the top, and refrigerate it for use in dishes all week long.  I use it in soups, stews, sauces, and dips, as well as a spread on bread or toast instead of plain old butter or olive oil.

There is no set oven temperature at which to roast garlic (really).  I just stick it in whenever my oven is on.  If you roast garlic on its own, I suggest roasting it at 425F (as the recipe below will reflect).  However, I'll tuck some in while I'm baking bread at 450F (for about 30 - 35 min), or with the lasagna at 350F (for about 50 minutes); it takes a little longer or a little less time to roast, depending on the temperature, but it'll get done no matter what, so don't sweat it.  The only other advice I can offer is not to allow it to roast for too long because if you do, the outer cloves get crunchy, so check it every so often to avoid that wasteful bit.

Here's how to roast garlic:

Heat oven to 425F.

Take a bulb of garlic (or several) and cut the top 1/3 off, saving those garlic bits for something else that calls for fresh garlic.  Be sure the tops of all the cloves are exposed.

Place the bulb, cut side up, inside a small cooking vessel that will hold it (if you don't have one, foil will work). If I'm roasting just one bulb, I use a custard dish.

Pour 1 Tbs olive oil for each bulb over the garlic.  Sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper, and, if you'd like, some dried oregano, basil, or Italian seasoning.

Cover tightly with foil (if using only foil, wrap well, sealing so the oil won't leak while in the oven).

Roast for approximately 40 - 45 minutes, or until the cloves are very tender.

Cool slightly. Pop out all the cloves into the reserved oil.

Mash like crazy until it looks too good to eat.

If you are storing the garlic, pour a little oil over the top and refrigerate.

Pasta Puttanesca

This is seriously one of the easiest and fastest tomato sauces to toss together for pasta ever.  I suppose "easy" and "fast" are most apt descriptions, considering the translation (puttanesca being a derogatory term for a streetwalker sort of gal).  Personally, I think it's kind of funny - the spice from the crushed red peppers seems to denote and angry streetwalker, and the salty brine of the olives and capers gives her a bit of a bite, keeping her interesting, I suppose.  I like to think she may have needed a glass of wine to balance her out, so I add it to my version of the classic Puttanesca sauce.  The wine does take some of the spicy edge off the dish and makes it a little sweeter, but it also adds depth, which I quite like.

I believe a traditional Puttanesca contains anchovies, and if you would like to add them, simply add about 4-6 anchovies in with the garlic at the beginning, and saute until they have melted.

Pasta Puttanesca
serves 6

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 1/2 c chopped tomatoes*
• 1/2 c dry red wine, optional
• 1 tsp dried oregano (or about 1 Tbs chopped fresh)
• 1/2 c Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 3 Tbs capers, drained
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
• 12-14 oz whole grain spaghetti pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a 12" skillet, saute the garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil over medium heat until the garlic is tender; about 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, red wine, and oregano; reduce heat to medium low.  *If using fresh tomatoes, simmer for about 15 minutes, and if using pre-packaged tomatoes, simmer for about 5 - 6 minutes, or until it has a nice pasta sauce consistency.  Stir occasionally.

Stir in the olives, capers and parsley.  Continue to simmer another 5 minutes.

Toss with hot pasta.  Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Don't forget that during the whole month of January, the #citruslove blog  hop is going on!  Check out my Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips post for a constantly updating list of fabulous citrus themed recipes and links to all of my fabulous co-host's blogs for more great recipes!

Slow Cooker Minestrone (and a peek into my Thursday)

Wahoo!  We have finally gotten the first "real" snow of the winter!  What a strange winter - Wednesday was in the 50s (above zero - definitely not common for January here) and yesterday we woke up to this:

And this:

Busy winter days full of things like this:

And this:

Definitely call for a big ol' pot of Minestrone waiting to warm our bodies and souls at the end of the day.

                                        

And maybe a little of this:

Because my driveway looked like this at 2pm on Thursday, and the snow promised to keep coming down until Friday morning. (The whole picture is my driveway!  It's under there somewhere.)

Have a warm and happy weekend, everyone!

Slow Cooker Minestrone
serves 8 - 10

• 2 large carrots, scrubbed and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small zucchini, diced (seasonal)
• 1 1/2 c cooked kidney beans
• 1/2 c green beans (cut into 1" chunks, or from a bag of frozen green beans)
• 3 1/2 c (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 6 c vegetable broth
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c cooked small pasta (ditalini, elbow, small shells)*
• 3-4 c chopped spinach, kale or chard
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for topping each bowl)

Into a 6 quart crockpot, mix carrots, celery, onion, garlic, zucchini (if in season), kidney beans, green beans, tomatoes, broth, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Cover. Heat on low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cooked pasta* (boil approximately 3/4c pasta until aldente), greens, and parsley.  Cover and heat 15 minutes more, or until greens are tender.

Serve topped with Parmesan.


Don't forget that during the whole month of January, the #citruslove blog  hop is going on!  Check out my Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips post for a constantly updating list of fabulous citrus themed recipes and links to all of my fabulous co-host's blogs for more great recipes!

Mediterranean White Bean Dip

I like the traditional nutty flavored chickpea hummus and its variations well enough to gobble it up every time it's placed in front of me, but I simply adore the rich, versatile creaminess of Cannellini or Great Northern bean based dips and spreads.  In this Mediterranean version of a white bean dip, I've mixed some of my favorite ingredients such as sundried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, basil (although, rosemary and oregano work very nicely, too), olives and feta cheese.  The end result is a dip into which it is literally impossible to stop sticking your fingers, and tastes great with pita bread or crackers, or chunks of fresh whole grain bread. Try it as a spread for a wrap, stuffed with baby spinach leaves, cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, more olives and feta.  Oh my.

Because I didn't want the garlic to take center stage, I slowly simmered it in the olive oil, infusing the oil with the garlic flavor and taming the spicy bite of raw garlic.  You could skip this step, but the garlic will be more pungent (not necessarily a bad thing).  If you have a clove of roasted garlic left over from another dish, go ahead and use that instead for yet another delicious twist.


Mediterranean White Bean Dip

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 c cooked white beans (Cannellini, or Great Northern)
• 2 sundried tomatoes (oil packed)
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 3 tsp fresh chopped herbs, divided (basil, rosemary, or oregano are nice)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 -2 Tbs feta cheese, crumbled
• 5-6 Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 -2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)

Combine garlic and oil in a small saucepan.

I had to cut my clove in half to remove the sprout - you can leave your clove whole if you have a spoutless one

Bring the oil to a slow simmer over medium high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low.  Cook garlic 5-7 minutes, taking care not to "fry".

In the bowl of a food processor, add beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, 2 tsp chopped herb of your choice, salt, pepper, and garlic clove.

Pulse several times until mixture is roughly chopped.  Turn the processor on, and while it is running, slowly pour the garlic oil down the chute.

Continue to process another 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Transfer to bowl.  Top with feta cheese, olives, and remaining 1 tsp chopped herbs.  Drizzle with olive oil.

Serve with pita bread or chips, chunks of crusty bread, or assorted fresh vegetables.  Use as a spread for wraps and sandwiches.



Don't forget that during the whole month of January, the #citruslove blog  hop is going on!  Check out my Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips post for a constantly updating list of fabulous citrus themed recipes and links to all of my fabulous co-host's blogs for more great recipes!

Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips - Citrus Blog Hop

I've been wanting to incorporate a regular section of the blog where I take premade, commonly used grocery items and demystify them in the hopes of helping readers avoid all of those nasty extra ingredients.  Chicken nuggets, strips, fingers, (or whatever they are called because I'm pretty sure a chicken possesses no parts by those names), was on my list, along with a whole host of other go-to products. I just need a fun name for the series of posts and I'm stumped.  If you've got suggestions, I'll gladly take them.  For  now, I'll keep filing the recipes under "Helpers" in the tabs.

Since citrus is January's blog hop theme, and chicken tastes great with lemon, and lemon works well with thyme, and all three are amazing with garlic, I decided now would be a great time to get started by explaining how to skip the bags of frozen breaded chicken, which are bogged down with a lot of ingredients and oils we don't want or need.  Making your own chicken strips is silly easy.  You can use precut chicken tenderloin or deboned chicken breasts.  If you use the chicken breast, you will need to cut it lengthwise into 3/4" - 1" strips.

Once you have the chicken, you will then need something wet so the breading will stick to the chicken; in this recipe, I used egg and lemon juice and then added other flavorings.  For the wet stage, you can add pretty much any flavors you like, such as garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, or even milk, or mayonnaise and mustard.

The next stage is the breading.  For that, you can use anything from your own  homemade breadcrumbs (which is what I did in this recipe) to flour and cornmeal to crushed crackers or cereals; each will give a different final texture, but all will be crunchy.  However, if you do decide to purchase those things, be sure to read the label - you might be surprised at how many useless ingredients some companies can pack into something as basic as breadcrumbs.  To your breading of choice, add various seasonings that sound good to you, such as Parmesan cheese, dried herbs like Italian seasoning or thyme, or spices such as cayenne, and definitely salt and pepper.  The combinations can be as classic or as unique as you like.

Once all of those things have been decided and arranged in their own separate shallow bowls, simply dip your chicken strips into the wet mixture, shake off any excess so it doesn't sog the breading (remember, the main purpose of the wet ingredients to get the breading to stick to the chicken), dredge in the breading mixture, place them on a baking tray, drizzle them with melted butter or olive oil, and bake them.

Easy.  It's really just a matter of owning two shallow bowls for dredging and then coming up with what sounds good to you.  If you have children, they seem to like the repetition of the preparation a great deal, so it's a great way to teach them how to make their own chicken strips (or "nuggets", if you cut the pieces smaller) and get them involved in making dinner or lunch.

Please don't laugh at my macaroni and cheese in the picture above; I desperately wanted mac & cheese, but found I only had a few ounces of several different types of pasta left over, so I decided I didn't care how it looked, and put them all together.  It still tasted exactly like macaroni and cheese (surprise, surprise), and I was most satisfied.

For more delicious citrus themed recipes, be sure to check below this recipe for a list of all my awesome #citruslove blog hop co-hosts this month, as well as all the recipes listed beneath!

Lemon Thyme Chicken Strips with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce/Dressing
serves 6

• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs water
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 c whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 Tbs lemon zest (from an organic lemon)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs organic chicken tenders OR boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" strips
• 2 Tbs olive oil (for drizzling)
• Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, optional (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425F.  Lightly oil 2 baking sheets.

In a shallow bowl whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, water, mustard, and egg.

In another shallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, lemon zest, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Dredge chicken in egg mixture, press into bread crumb mixture, turning to coat completely.  Place on prepared sheets.

Drizzle with olive oil.

No judging the state of my baking sheets!

Bake 13-15 minutes, or until the bottom is crispy and golden, and the breading does not stick when turned.  Flip them over and bake another 7-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce/Dressing

• 1/3 cup homemade (or very good quality) mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs raw honey
• 1 Tbs Dijon or stone ground mustard
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp prepared horseradish
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together until well mixed.  Serve with chicken strips, or drizzle on salad greens.




Please join in on the #citruslove fun by linking up any citrus recipe from the month of January 2012.  Don't forget to link back to this post so that your readers know to stop by the #citruslove event!  The twitter hashtag is #citruslove.

Citruslove Blog Hop Co-Hosts

A Little Bit of Everything ~ Roxana ~ @RoxanaGreenGirl

Astig Vegan ~ Richgail ~ @AstigVegan

Baker Street ~ Anuradha ~ @bakerstreet29

BigFatBaker ~ Erin ~ @BigFatBaker

CafeTerraBlog ~ Terra ~ @CafeTerraBlog

Cake Duchess ~ Lora ~ @cakeduchess

Cakeballs, Cookies and More ~ Sue

Easily Good Eats

Elephant Eats ~ Amy

Georgiecakes ~ Georgie ~ @georgiecakes

Hobby And More ~ Richa ~ @betit19

Mike's Baking ~ Mike ~ @mikesbaking

Mis Pensamientos ~ Junia ~ @juniakk

No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ TR ~ @TRCrumbley

Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives ~ Lisa ~ @parsleynsage

Peaches and Donuts ~ Sylvia ~ @PeachesandDonut

Savoring Every Bite ~ Linda ~ @Spicegirlfla

Simply Reem ~ Reem ~ @simplyreem

Smart Food and Fit ~ Lisa ~ @LisaNutrition

Soni's Food for Thought ~ Soni ~ @sonisfood 

Teaspoon of Spice ~ Serena ~ @tspcurry
That Skinny Chick Can Bake ~ Liz ~ @Thatskinnychick

The Art of Cooking Real Food ~ Laura ~ @TAofCRF

The More Than Occasional Baker ~ Ros ~ @bakingaddict

The Spicy RD ~ EA ~ @thespicyrd  

The Wimpy Vegetarian ~ Susan ~ @wimpyvegetarian

Vegan Yack Attack! ~ Jackie ~ @veganyackattack

Vegetarian Mamma  ~ Cindy ~ @VegetarianMamma

You Made That? ~  Suzanne ~ @YouMadeThatblog