Pizza with Chicken and Summer Fruits

This pizza is one of the reasons I love making pizza at home - you can do crazy topping combinations with whatever strikes your fancy!  This pizza combines sauteed chicken with juicy black raspberries and nectarines - it's a perfect way to showcase summer fruit.  Jack cheese and goat cheese add tang and creaminess to the pizza for a seriously amazing pie.  You can make this in pretty much no time at all if you use a pre-made crust like we did, or you can buy or make unbaked pizza crust.  Although I love thin-crust pizza, you'll definitely want to make the crust for this one on the medium-thick side since there are a ton of toppings.  Once you bite into a hot slice, you may just agree with my parents that this is one of the most delicious pizzas ever!

Pizza with Chicken and Summer Fruits (inspired by How Sweet It Is, original recipe here)

Pizza dough or pizza crust such as Boboli
Olive oil
Grated Jack cheese
Cooked chicken breast, diced
Thinly sliced nectarines
Black raspberries
Thinly sliced basil
Crumbled goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (or whatever temperature recommended for the crust recipe you are using.  Stretch the dough into your pizza pan.  Brush with oil and then generously sprinkle with Jack cheese.  Top with diced chicken, nectarines, black raspberries, and basil.  Crumble goat cheese over the top.  Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Fresh Cherry-White Chocolate Muffins

It's cherry season here in California, and there are tons of gorgeous cherries all around the grocery store.  I've been enjoying just munching on them, but I also wanted to bake something fun.  Since I don't have a cherry pitter and didn't want to pit a million cherries by hand, this was the perfect recipe.  It makes just a few muffins, each one bursting full of fresh, juicy cherries.  That also makes it a great recipe if you're baking for one or two people - I'm definitely having to adjust my baking quantities now that I'm not living in a house with six roommates!  Of course, Tim and I still managed to eat the whole batch in one morning...but still better than making two dozen! 
 

Fresh Cherry-White Chocolate Muffins (adapted from Cook Almost Anything, original recipe here)
Makes 6-8 muffins

150 grams all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
25 grams granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup skim milk
40 grams butter, melted and cooled
100 grams halved, pitted cherries (measure after pitting)
50 grams best-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with papers (start with six papers and have a couple more ready to add if needed for extra batter).
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Whisk in the melted butter.  Add the dry ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until just combined.
4. Add the cherries and white chocolate and fold in gently.
5. Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full and being sure to get at least a couple of cherries in each muffin.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are golden brown and a tester comes out clean.

Peach-Blueberry Ice Cream Pie

Bon Appetit recently did a feature on frozen desserts based on treats from gourmet ice cream shops around the country.  All of the options looked fantastic, and so I was excited when my dad picked one of them for Father's Day.  This pie features a cookie crust made with gingersnaps - I loved the spicy flavor the cookies added - way more interesting than graham crackers!  My one quibble with the crust was that there wasn't really enough butter to hold everything together and so the crust was pretty crumbly - this didn't hurt the flavor (and, as you can see in the photo, I sprinkled some of the pieces of crust that didn't make it under the pie onto the top), but I'd add more butter next time so that the crust would be more cohesive.  The crust is topped with peach ice cream that's been mixed with cooked blueberries - an easy filling that's also really delicious.  I think I'd probably use vanilla ice cream next time, but my mom said she preferred it with the peach, so this is really up to your discretion!  My favorite part of this pie was actually the blueberry syrup that comes from the cooked berries. It's the perfect mix of sweet and tart, and really adds something extra special to this frozen dessert.

Peach-Blueberry Ice Cream Pie (adapted from Bon Appetit)

2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 package Anna's ginger cookies (5-1/4 ounces)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1 pint (2 cups) peach ice cream, softened in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

1. Place 1-3/4 cups blueberries in a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice.  Cover and let macerate for one hour at room temperature.
2. Place the saucepan over medium heat and simmer the berries and juices, stirring often, until the berries begin to burst, about 10 minutes.  Strain the berries (a colander works well), and keep both the juice and the berries separately.  Place both bowls in the fridge to chill.
3. While the berries are chilling, make the crust. Crush the ginger cookies using a food processor or a plastic bag and a rolling pin, until they're as crushed as you can get them.  Stir in the melted butter and a splash of cream.  Press the crust into a pie plate, and chill at least 30 minutes before filling.
4. Mix together the softened ice cream and the chilled berries.  Spread into the chilled ginger cookie crust and smooth the top.  Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours (or up to 2 days).
5. Before serving, soften the pie in the fridge for 10 minutes.
6. Whip the cream to medium peaks.  Spread over the pie, and then scatter the remaining 1/4 cup of whole (uncooked) berries on top.  Drizzle with the reserved blueberry juices.

Carne Asada Tacos Vampiro

When I opened up Amor y Tacos, I pretty much immediately knew that these were the tacos I wanted to try first!  The corn tortillas are griddled with serrano peppers, scallions, and a bit of cheese in between them, so that the typical double-corn tortilla wrapper becomes a mini-quesadilla!  The cheesy tortillas envelop tender, simply flavored steak and lots of flavorful toppings.  Guacamole and pico de gallo are favorites of mine on any taco, and you can make your own if you want to go all out (although I will warn you that making everything from scratch - as we did - is definitely a production!) or go for high-quality store-bought toppings.  You'll definitely want to make your own chipotle salsa since it's pretty unique and super easy to make - just stir together mayo, minced chipotles in adobo, and lime juice.  It's a super spicy, creamy condiment that totally elevates the tacos to something extra special.  When you put this all together, it's a big, delicious mouthful - absolutely one of my all-time favorite tacos (although the pescado tacos at Nick's Crispy Tacos still hold first place in my heart).  One word of warning - these tacos are mouth-tinglingly spicy, so if you're sensitive, go easy on the chipotle salsa and consider leaving the serranos out of the tortillas.

Carne Asada Tacos Vampiro (adapted from Amor y Tacos)
Makes 6 substantial tacos, serving 3

1 T olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
A few grinds black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 pound flank steak, cut into 2-3 pieces
Oil
12 thin, taco-sized corn tortillas
3-4 ounces Jack cheese, grated
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced into rounds
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Guacamole (recipe below)
Pico de Gallo (recipe below)
Creamy Chipotle Salsa (recipe below)
To serve: more shredded Jack cheese and minced cilantro


1. Whisk together the oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and soy sauce.  Add the steak, turn a few times to coat, and cover with plastic wrap.  Marinate while you prepare the toppings, or up to overnight.
2. Heat a splash of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Once it's hot, add the steak to the pan carefully.  Cook until it's as done as you like it.  Remove from the pan, cover with foil, and let rest 10 minutes.
3. Lay out six of the tortillas.  Sprinkle on the cheese, chiles, and onions as evenly as possible.  Top with the remaining six tortillas.  
4. Heat a skillet (or two) over medium-high heat.  Add the tortillas (no need for oil) and heat on both sides until the cheese is melted.  Keep on a warm plate under aluminum foil while preparing the remaining tortillas.
5. Thinly slice the steak against the grain.
6. Assemble the tacos.  Spread a bit of guacamole down the middle, and then top with a few slices of steak.  To with pico de gallo, creamy chipotle salsa (careful, it's spicy!), cheese, and cilantro.  


Guacamole
1 large, ripe avocado
1/2 T lime juice
Generous pinch of salt
2 T finely diced white onion
2 T minced cilantro
1 cored and seeded Roma tomato, diced

Mash together the avocado, lime juice, and salt.  Gently stir in the onion, cilantro, and tomato.  Taste and add more lime juice or salt if you like.

Pico de Gallo
2 cored and seeded Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely diced white onion
1/4 to 1/2 serrano chile, minced
1/4 cup packed chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 T lime juice

Mix everything together, cover, and chill until ready to use.

Creamy Chipotle Salsa
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T finely chopped chipotle in adobo
1/2 tsp lime juice

Mix everything together.

Baingan Bharta with Chickpeas (Indian Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Chickpeas)

When Tim and I were recently jonesing for some Indian food, this recipe definitely hit the spot.  You'll have to start a little early since it involves roasting eggplant and tomatoes before really starting the recipe.  But, once you start cooking, things go fairly quickly so there's not overly much time spent in front of the stove.  I love the smoky flavor that eggplant adds to this vegetarian dish, and tomatoes and lemon juice add just the right amount of acidity.  Chickpeas add enough protein to make this a filling dinner served over rice.  I thought the spices here were really well balanced - the dish was perfectly savory and not very spicy.  You can add more chili flakes or a minced fresh chili if you like your Indian food spicy, but I thought this was delicious on the mild side so that you could really taste the veggies and other spices. 

Baingan Bharta with Chickpeas (Indian Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Chickpeas) (adapted from the taste space, original recipe here)
Serves 4-6

2 medium eggplants (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds total)
9 Roma tomatoes, halved
Vegetable oil
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T unsweetened coconut
1 T ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
Pinch chili flakes (more if you want the dish to be spicy)
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 T minced fresh cilantro, divided
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.  Prick the eggplants with a fork, and then place on the baking sheet.  Add the tomatoes, cut side up.  Drizzle the vegetables with oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Roast the vegetables for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, watching closely in the last 15 minutes of roasting.  When done, the eggplants should be totally collapsed.  Set aside to cool.
2. Once the vegetables are cool enough to touch, peel the eggplants and dump the contents (along with any liquid) into a medium bowl.  Slip the skins off the tomatoes and pinch off any cores that remain tough, and add the tomatoes to the bowl with the eggplants.  Mash with a potato masher until no large chunks remain.
3. Have all the remaining ingredients ready before you start, because once you add the garlic, everything will move quickly.  In a large skillet, heat about 1 T of oil over medium high heat.  Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Add the onion and cook about 10 minutes, until softened and browned.
4. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Add the coconut and cook for one minute.  Add the coriander, cumin, garam masala, and chili flakes, and cook for one more minute.  Add one tablespoon of water to the pan, stir to deglaze, and then cook until the water is evaporated.
5. Add the mashed tomatoes and eggplant to the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chickpeas and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in half the cilantro and the lemon juice.  Add salt to taste.  Serve over rice and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Thai Ginger Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

My dad picked out this recipe for us to make for Father's Day dinner, and it turned out to be really delicious!  Crunchy lettuce is the perfect cup to hold tender rice noodles, ginger-lemongrass chicken, and lots of fresh herbs.  Midway through eating this salad, we did decide it was lacking a little "something," and chopped roasted peanuts turned out to be the perfect addition - they add a toasty crunch that definitely elevates the dish.  I'd also recommend using Thai chiles or another super spicy chile if you can find them - we substituted jalapenos because of availability, and while the dressing was yummy, I think it was lacking a little oomph that a spicy chile would have added.  Overall, though, this was a really tasty dish that we all enjoyed!  It was fairly easy to pull together, although there is a lot of chopping involved.  If I were making this again, I think I might make the chicken the night before so that the whole dish is served cold rather than warm - although I liked the salad on Father's Day evening, I thought it was even better for lunch the next day!

Thai Ginger Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups (adapted from Bon Appetit)
Serves 4

2 Thai chiles, minced
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp plus 1 T minced fresh ginger, divided
1 small garlic clove, minced
6 ounces rice stick noodles (maifun)
Oil
1/2 to 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
2 T finely chopped shallot
1 T minced fresh lemongrass, from the peeled bottom 4 inches of stalk
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Large butter lettuce leaves
Chopped roasted peanuts, to garnish

1. Make the dressing.  Whisk together the chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, 2 tsp of the ginger, and the garlic, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, and then cook the noodles for 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with about a quarter of the dressing.
3. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add enough oil to coat the bottom.  When the oil is hot, add the chicken and stir for a minute.  Add the remaining tablespoon of ginger, along with the shallot and lemongrass.  Saute until the chicken is cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
4. Toss the chicken with half the herbs and about a quarter of the dressing.
5. Place lettuce leaves on four plates.  Top each lettuce leaf with some of the noodles and then some of the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining herbs and dressing at the table.  Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Homemade Sloppy Joes

Sloppy joes are definitely one of my favorite summer meals...something about them just screams lazy summer evening. I'm definitely not above opening up a can of Manwich, but this homemade version hits the same flavors using pantry ingredients (and way less sugar and ketchup than many recipes I found). It's also super easy to pull together - just saute peppers and onions, brown the meat, and then dump in the sauce ingredients. Simmer for a bit, and you're ready to go! I like to serve my sloppy joes with cheddar cheese for a rich element and bread and butter pickles to brighten up the sandwich.

Homemade Sloppy Joes (adapted from Pinch My Salt, original recipe here)
Serves 4

1 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup water
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup ketchup
1 T brown sugar
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
A few grinds freshly ground black pepper
To serve: toasted buns, cheddar cheese, bread and butter pickles

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic and saute until softened and just starting to brown.
2. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon.  Cook, stirring often, until the beef is cooked through.  Drain the excess fat out of the pan. 
3. Add the water, tomato paste, ketchup, brown sugar, and spices to the pan.  Stir to combine, and then simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until everything looks nicely married.
4. Serve on toasted buns with cheddar cheese and pickles (or whatever toppings you like).