Ingredient: Olive Oil

Grilled Vegetable Ribbon and Chicken Pizza

Grilled Vegetable Ribbon and Chicken Pizza
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A healthy and delicious summer pizza. The grill keeps the kitchen cool and amps up the taste.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Grilled Vegetable Ribbon and Chicken Pizza
Print Recipe
A healthy and delicious summer pizza. The grill keeps the kitchen cool and amps up the taste.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Divide dough into four pieces. Stretch and pat into evenly thin shapes. Free-form is what you're going for with an approximately 7 inch by 5 inch area. Spray lightly on both sides with non-stick olive oil spray and place on a grill heated to medium. Grill about 3 minutes on each side and remove from heat and set aside until ready to assemble.
  2. Using a vegetable peeler, make long, thin strips from the zucchini, summer squash, and carrot. Set Aside
  3. Cut the red pepper in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and veins and slice very thinly. (Ancient Sweet Red peppers work really well for this.)
  4. Slice the onion thinly lengthwise. Slice the garlic thinly and set aside with the other vegetables.
  5. Cut the chicken thighs into small bite size pieces. Sprinkle with the Backyard Brick Oven Seasoning. (I like this seasoning blend, but use what you love.)
  6. Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Add one teaspoon of the olive oil and the chicken bits. Cook stirring often until the chicken is cooked through and browned. Remove from pan and allow to drain on paper towels. Leave the drippings in the pan.
  7. Add the onions to the pan and cook for three minutes, stirring often. The onions should begin to soften. Add the carrot strips and cook/stir another 3 minutes. Add the red pepper strips to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes
  8. Add the garlic, zucchini, and squash to the pan and cook for another three or four minutes. The veggies should be lightly browned and soft.
  9. Divide the vegetable mixture between the four pre-cooked crusts. Divide the chicken bits among the four crusts. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese over the pizzas. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.
  10. Carefully transfer the pizzas to the grill. Cook 7-9 minutes until the cheese has melted slightly and everything is golden. (Keep them moving to avoid burning.) Remove from grill and serve.
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Farfalle with Grilled Chicken and Asparagus

DIGITAL CAMERAMost of the time grill meals stand alone as do pasta meals. That changed the other night when the two meals collided. What could be better than pasta, grilled chicken and vegetables? It’s kind of the best of both/all worlds. This makes a wonderful dinner and the leftovers (if there are any) get better with a day or two in the frig.

The dressing does double duty acting as a marinade for the chicken and vegetables as well as the sauce for the finished dish. This can be eaten warm, at room temperature or throw it in the frig to get cold and call it pasta salad.

A few healthy words on the ingredients. Whole wheat pasta is really delicious. It turns out “al dente” just by it’s very nature. It’s bigger taste and texture allow smaller quantites to feel like more. Less pasta means more veggies and a big bowl of goodness for a lower calorie and carb investment. While there is a good bit of olive oil in the dressing/marinade, some goes away in the marinating process and when you split this dish four ways, the impact isn’t too serious.

 

Farfalle with Grilled Chicken and Asparagus
Print Recipe
Servings
4 Servings
Servings
4 Servings
Farfalle with Grilled Chicken and Asparagus
Print Recipe
Servings
4 Servings
Servings
4 Servings
Ingredients
Marinade and Dressing
Servings: Servings
Instructions
  1. Dressing: Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice into a container with a tight fitting lid. Add the balsamic, zest, mustard, and anchovy paste. Finely chop the parsley and add it to the jar. Mince the garlic on a cutting board. Add the salt and continue to chop/smash until a paste forms. Add this to the jar. Pour in the olive oil and a few grinds of fresh ground pepper. Shake vigorously until mixture is completely blended.
  2. Place the chicken in a zip top bag. Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and seal the bag. Squeeze to distribute dressing over chicken. chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Place the asparagus in another zip top bag and add 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Seal the bag. Turn and shake the bag to distribute the dressing over the asparagus. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Store the rest of the dressing in the refrigerator.
  4. When it's time to grill, remove the chicken and asparagus from the frig. Peel the onion and cut it in half crosswise. Use two wooden skewers to hold the onion together. Brush with a little bit of the dressing. Grill the chicken and vegetables. (15-20 minutes or so). Remove to cutting boards when cooked.
  5. Cook pasta in salted water until "al dente" while the chicken and vegetables grill.
  6. Cut the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise. Roughly chop the olives. Tear the basil into small pieces
  7. Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl. Slice the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the pasta. Cut the asparagus in thirds and add to the pasta bowl.
  8. Add the tomatoes, olives, and basil to the bowl and toss gently to combine. Add the rest of the dressing to the bowl and toss once more to mix everything together.
  9. Serve in pasta bowls topped with the crumbled Feta Cheese.
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Panzanella Salad

Panzanella is a wonderful vehicle for the bounty of summer vegetables, It’s also a bread lover’s best friend. Any assortment of vegetables can be combined with toasted bread cubes. Toss it all with the vinaigrette of your choice and you’ve got a hearty salad that almost eats like a meal. DIGITAL CAMERASlice up some grilled meat or an interesting cheese and call it dinner. The ingredients listed below are what I made this time. I honestly make it differently every time. I’ve even grilled the vegetables. Choose a crusty bread that is just a little stale. This go round I used a multi-grain baguette, but sour dough would be wonderful, too. The bottom line for this recipe is use what you like to make the panzanella salad you’ll love.

Panzanella Salad
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Panzanella Salad
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Dressing
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Spray the bread cubes lightly with the olive oil spray. Bake 15 minutes until the cubes are lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
  2. Quarter the tomatoes lengthwise. Remove the seeds and cut crosswise into 1/2 slices. Cut the onion in half crosswise. Cut each half in thin vertical strips.
  3. Put the onions and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the chopped pepper, cucumbers, and the bread cubes. Tear the basil leaves into bite size pieces and add to the bowl.
  4. Dressing: Mash the garlic, anchovy paste and a pinch of salt in a mortar. It should be a fairly smooth paste. Combine the oil, vinegar, herbs, and the garlic anchovy paste in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until the dressing is completely blended.
  5. Pour the dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and chill for several hours. Serve.
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Italian Salad with Pasta and Chicken

Italian Salad with Pasta and Chicken
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Pasta salad meets lettuce salad in an easy one dish meal. This serves two very generously. Use the cut whole wheat pasta of your choice. The same goes for the herbs you use in the dressing.
Servings
2
Servings
2
Italian Salad with Pasta and Chicken
Print Recipe
Pasta salad meets lettuce salad in an easy one dish meal. This serves two very generously. Use the cut whole wheat pasta of your choice. The same goes for the herbs you use in the dressing.
Servings
2
Servings
2
Ingredients
Dressing
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse and put in a large bowl.
  2. Slice the onion lengthwise into narrow strips and add them to the pasta in the bowl.
  3. Slice the peppers into thin strips abut the same size as the onions and add them to the bowl.
  4. Cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on the size of the tomatoes and add them to the bowl.
  5. Add the garbanzo beans, drained artichoke hearts, chicken, and olives to the bowl and toss to combine everything.
  6. Dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously to blend everything. Pour over the salad ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
  7. When you are ready to serve, add the torn lettuce leaves and toss once more. Divide between two plates and sprinkle with the Romano cheese.
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Penne with “Sausage” Chicken and Goat Cheese

Penne with "Sausage" Chicken and Goat Cheese
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Chicken marinated in the flavors of Italian Sausage then grilled to give it a smokey depth of flavor. Use your favorite vegetables...you could even grill them. Toss everything with your favorite cut pasta
Servings
3
Servings
3
Penne with "Sausage" Chicken and Goat Cheese
Print Recipe
Chicken marinated in the flavors of Italian Sausage then grilled to give it a smokey depth of flavor. Use your favorite vegetables...you could even grill them. Toss everything with your favorite cut pasta
Servings
3
Servings
3
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. For the Chicken: Place the tenders in a quart size zip top bag. Combine the fennel seed, pepper flakes, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3/4 tablespoon olive oil and the Italian seasoning. Pour into bag, seal and massage to distribute the marinade. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
  2. To grill the chicken: Remove the chicken from the marinade. Thread the tenders on 2 or 3 skewers. Place over medium grill heat and cook, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through. This takes about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from skewers and use in recipe or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package reducing cooking time by one minute While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce.
  4. Zucchini: Cut in half crosswise. Cut each half lengthwise into 3 slices. Cut each slice into 3 or 4 strips.
  5. Onion and Garlic: Cut onion in half lengthwise. Slice thinly lengthwise. Finely chop the 3 cloves of garlic.
  6. Peppers: Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and cut in half crosswise. Cut in 1/2 wide strips
  7. Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the remaining olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook 3 minutes more. Add the garlic and zucchini. and cook 3 -4 minutes.
  8. Cut the chicken tenders into bite size chunks. and add them to the pan. Stir in the chicken broth slowly. You want everything moistened, but nothing swimming. You may not need to use all of the broth.
  9. Simmer for a few minutes. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and add it to the fry pan. Toss to combine everything and cook another minute.
  10. Crumble the goat cheese on top of the pasta and spoon into bowls. Top with ground pepper to taste.
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