I love, love, love pizza made with all kinds of different flat breads (pitas, naan bread, lavosh, etc.)…. it just never gets old with me, not to mention its so easy to make and you can literally put almost anything on it and it tastes wonderful. Here is a quick and easy idea if your feeling a bit “Greek” for the day.

P.S. Sorry about some of the photos, it was really dark out when I made this, so I didn’t have very much light.

Ingredients: yields one pizza (feeds about 3 ppl., I usually make two)

1/2 lb. of ground lamb or beef
olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
feta cheese (about 1/4 c. crumbled)
Mushrooms
Jalapeno
Kosher or Sea Salt
Black pepper

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My husband and I are in love with spicy flavors and hot sauce.  I saw a recipe once where a restaurant used Cholula hot sauce as a way to marinate chicken for a pizza, which gave me a brilliant idea on how to make a delicious buffalo ranch chicken pizza.  This is now officially our favorite pizza.. I made it last weekend, and yes, we will probably make it again this weekend because it was so good.  My husband and I ate almost the entire large pizza ourselves.. I think there was two pieces leftover, which we devoured for breakfast the next morning.  This pizza has just enough spice, but not so much as to overpower the flavor of the other ingredients.

Ingredients:

Yields 1 large pizza

1 package of homemade or store-bought pizza dough ( I highly recommend Trader Joe’s pizza crust if you are buying a store bought crust)
olive oil
Original flavor Cholula hot sauce
Hidden Valley ranch dressing ( I used light)
1 large garlic clove
1/2 lb. Mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. Provolone cheese
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/3 c. ground hot or sweet Italian sausage (optional)
1 jalapeno, sliced (de-seeded if desired)
Kosher salt
fresh cilantro for garnish

Step 1: 30 minutes before making the pizza, place the shredded rotisserie chicken in a bowl (you will probably only need about half of the shredded chicken for one pizza). Drizzle a generous amount of Cholula hot sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Cover bowl of marinated chicken with plastic wrap and place in fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Dust pizza dough with flour and set on counter to soften.

Step 2: Grate the mozzarella and provolone cheese and toss together in a large bowl to blend the cheeses together.

Step 3: Sprinkle a pinch of corn meal on the bottom of the baking stone or baking sheet to prevent dough from sticking. Once the dough is ready to be handled, stretch it out onto a large baking stone or baking sheet.

Step 4: Brush the dough and edges of the crust with olive oil. Crush one clove of garlic onto the crust and spread with your fingers evenly.

Step 5: Pour out some ranch dressing onto the pizza crust. Spread over crust with a pastry brush evenly. Then drizzle some hot sauce over the pizza crust and spread with a brush over the ranch dressing evenly.

Step 6: Sprinkle on the cheese blend evenly over the pizza crust.

Step 7: Remove marinated chicken from the refrigerator and spread evenly over the cheese.

Step 8: Sprinkle sauteed sausage over the top of the pizza (optional)

Step 9: Add sliced jalapenos evenly over the pizza.

Step 10: Sprinkle some chopped fresh cilantro leaves over the top of the pizza. (I found out it is best to do this after the pizza is baked as a garnish… the cilantro’s flavor will be better rather than cooking it! Oops!). Then sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt around the outer edge of the crust.   Bake the pizza in the oven at 400° F for 18 – 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown and crispy.  Serve hot off of the stone!  Enjoy!!

French Apple Pie with Creme Anglaise Sauce

umm… I can smell the wafting scents of cinnamon and vanilla coming out of this photo as I remember back to baking this little beauty of a pie.  This pie has always been a favorite of mine growing up and now that I’m on my own I’ve always wanted to learn how to make this pie.  It always seemed out of reach or too difficult because there were a few more steps than a regular old fashioned apple pie, so I never ventured down that road… until now.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard to make… and I enjoyed it.  It will be sure to please any crowd this Thanksgiving or even for Sunday dinner’s dessert!  I hope it warms your soul and your tummy as much as it did mine!

French Apple Pie

For Pie Filling you will need:
1 top and bottom prepared or store bought pie crust
About 8 apples peeled, cored, and sliced into thin wedges (use a variety of apples such as Jonagold, Grannysmith, Macintosh, Braeburn, Winesap, etc.)
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

For custard you will need:
1/3 c. softened butter
1/3 c. sugar
1-2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs, slightly beaten

For creme anglaise sauce you will need:
1 c. whipping cream
2 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Directions:
Once apples are sliced, combine all the filling ingredients with the sliced apples. Add apple filling to a large skillet over medium-low heat and saute for a few minutes until just softened and the sugar melts and forms a glaze. Set filling aside.

Using a hand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and 2 Tbps. of flour. Add spices and mix until well combined. Lastly, add in beaten eggs an mix until it forms a pasty mixture.

Prepare the bottom pie crust in bottom of pie plate. Add in the apple filling and top with custard mixture. Spread custard mixture all throughout the apple filling until it is all throughout the mixture evenly.

Place top pie crust over filling and crimp the edges together. Cut 2 – 4 slits in the top pie crust to form steam vents. Dab top pie crust with milk and sprinkle sugar over the top.

Bake pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the pie filling is bubbly and the crust is browned.

For Creme Anglaise Sauce you can prepare ahead of time and store in the fridge overnight or you can prepare the sauce just before serving.

For sauce:
In medium sauce pan bring whipping cream to a just almost boiling. Turn down heat to low. In a small bowl combine 2 egg yolks and sugar. Pour some of the hot cream into the bowl with the egg mixture and blend. Then pour the bowl with the egg mixture into the sauce pan of hot cream and blend together with a whisk. Cook and continually stir creme sauce over low heat until thickened for about 10 minutes. Add in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drizzle spoonfuls over a slice of pie just before serving.

Last weekend around 5:00 pm I found myself headed toward a South American paradise hidden behind mounds of concrete in downtown Tucson, AZ.  This little gem of a place was so simple and secluded that a passerby without knowing what was hidden inside would simply walk past the secret.  Luckily, my husband and I had some insiders who have been there before.  Our friends invited us to dinner at Cafe Poca Cosa last Saturday and asked us what we were in the mood for, so we said something ‘authentic’.  They immediately came up with the idea of taking us here… and I am SO glad we went!  I was very impressed with the food, presentation, and atmosphere I simply had to share it with you all on my blog.

The restaurant was decorated in darker, richer tones such as deep reds, grays, blacks, and dark browns.  It was dimly lit with mostly natural light coming through the shaded windows.  Each table had a glowing warm candle that made it inviting.  The overall look of the restaurant was simple lines, classic style, modern, and all open space.  There were no large thick walls or partitions that separated one part of the restaurant from the other. I loved the open modern feel and look the restaurant gave.  Nothing flashy or over decorated.  It was simple, but still elegant and tasteful.  I loved that big pot of those thick curvy tree branches in the picture above.  The restaurant also offered a comfortable dining patio outside for anyone who likes dining outdoors.  Simple artwork, and several plaques of awards and restaurant reviews in top magazines decorated the hallway behind the bar area near the restaurant kitchen, which gave you a really good idea of the quality of food and how the restaurant was started.  I also found out that there is another cafe by the same owner that is sort of a miniature Cafe Poca Cosa right down the street that is open for breakfast and lunch everyday.  Someday I hope to go back and try it out!

Immediately after drinks are ordered you are served complimentary homemade tortilla chips that are warm to the touch and lightly salted (excellent flavor!) with some of the best salsa I’ve ever tasted.  It is not to be compared with what most of us would think of as “Mexican Salsa”.  This South American salsa is more on the sweet side with a tomato base.  It had such an explosion of flavor!  The more you ate this, the better it kept getting… so basically you couldn’t stop eating them unless someone pulled the chips and salsa away from you!  But, we really wanted to save room for the entrees, so we did sadly defer.

Next came deciding what to order….

Here is a good idea of the types of dishes they served as well as the range of prices.  There was so many incredible things to choose from!  Their menu also changes every day!  They had dishes ranging from chicken, to beef, to pork, to vegetarian… and many different marinades and sauces including, moles, tomatillo sauces, and creams.  There was such a range of fantastic ideas that we decided to order what they refer to as the “Plato Poca Cosa”, which is basically a chef’s plate consisting of a samples of 3 random entrees on the menu that evening.  All four of us ordered the chef’s plate so we could try a variation of as many entrees as possible.  I definitely recommend doing this the first time you visit Cafe Poca Cosa, so you can try a variety of their dishes and get a taste for what you like there.

Each entree was presented with decorated vegetables and a nice size portion of each sample entree. The entree also included a salad with a light Chile and wine vinaigrette. My favorites ended up being the vegetarian tortilla dish with the asparagus sauce, the habanero chicken mole, the carne asada in a tomato serrano sauce, and the pork in the tomatillo sauce. I would recommend any of the wonderful entrees on the menu.

Luke's Chef Plate

Kenny's Chef Plate

Tina's Chef Plate

And last, but not least… dessert was ordered to top it all off. You MUST try the chocolate mousse… it was so divine!  It was a rich chocolate fluffy texture with a hint of cinnamon. I can’t wait until we can go back again to Cafe Poca Cosa.  Next time you are in Tucson don’t miss out on this amazing restaurant!

Chocolate Mousse

There is one dish that I can almost never get tired of and that is Pizza.  I think I  make it almost once a week on a regular basis.  My tomato pizza has become such a hit in my house that I finally decided to take a snapshot before it was all gone and post the recipe on my blog.  I also added another favorite pizza recipe for you to enjoy.

Fresh Tomato pizza

Rachel’s Fresh Tomato Pizza:

1 pizza dough (frozen or fresh)
Olive oil (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2-3 vine ripened tomatoes, sliced
2 c. Mozzarella
1/4 c. Romano cheese
Pinch of dried oregano
Basil (fresh or dried)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bring pizza dough to room temperature and dust with flour. Let it stand for about 30 min. before preparing the pizza.
3. Once dough is ready stretch out into a round large pizza size onto a baking stone.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the crust and brush until the entire layer of dough is covered in oil.
5. Add crushed garlic and spread over evenly around the crust
6. Add sliced tomatoes making a layer that covers the crust
7. Sprinkle on Mozzarella and Romano cheese over the top
8. Sprinkle on oregano and basil over the top of the pizza.
9. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until crust is cooked the whole way through and a crispy golden brown. Serve hot off the stone!

Sausage Tri-Pepper Pizza

Rachel’s Sausage & Tri-Pepper Pizza

1 Pizza Dough (frozen or fresh)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 lb – 1/2 lb of Hot Italian Sausage
2 c. Mozzarella
1/4 c. red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 c. yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/4 c. jalapeno, sliced (de-seed the jalapeno if you do not like spicy food)
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of dried basil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Bring pizza dough to room temperature and dust with flour. Let it stand for about 30 min. before preparing the pizza.
3. Meanwhile, toss the sausage into a medium skillet over medium heat and cook through, breaking it up in smaller pieces as it cooks until browned and no longer pink. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
4. Add red, yellow, and jalapeno peppers to the skillet and add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook on medium heat until just tender, but not too soft. (you want a slight crunch still left in the pepper, but not raw or undercooked)
5. Once dough is ready stretch out into a round large pizza size onto a baking stone.
6. Drizzle on olive oil and brush over crust
7. Add mozzarella cheese and layer over the crust.
8. Sprinkle the sausage, and pepper mixture evenly over the crust.
9. Sprinkle on the pinch of oregano and basil
10. Bake at 400 for about 20 – 25 minutes until crust is baked through and a crispy golden brown. Serve hot off the stone!

I absolutely love the restaurant Pita Jungle.  I have one located right down the street from me near the Arrowhead mall in the same plaza parking lot as Babies R’ Us.  They have excellent hummus and many delicious entrees.  One of my favorites though is their Pesto Pita Pizza.  I loved it so much I went home and made my own version of what it tasted like and it turned out excellent!  Everyone loved it.. it was a lighter, fresher tasting pizza and much healthier than slabbing on a bunch of sausage, pepperoni, or salami.  There was no greasy mess and it filled you up with one or two pieces easily.  It was a very tasty and satisfying dish.  Try it for your next friday night casual dinner with your family or as an appetizer at a party! My version is not entirely the same ingredients as Pita Jungle, but it is a variation.  I added my own touch.

Chicken Pita Pizza – (Rachel’s version of Pita Jungle Pita Pizza w/ Chicken)

1 package of plain naan bread ( I bought mine at Sprout’s market, but you can also find skinnier loaves of Naan bread at Trader Joes)
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbsp. pesto
Spinach leaves
Sliced white mushrooms
2 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped in chunks
1 large tomato, sliced
1 1/2 – 2 c. grated Mozzarella
Kosher salt
1 tsp. dried basil and oregano
Directions:
1. Remove two pieces of naan bread ( 4 if using the Trader Joe brand) and place on a clean prep surface.
2. Brush each with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 clove crushed garlic, and 2 Tbsp. of pesto
3. Layer each piece of naan bread with fresh washed and dried spinach leaves until bread is covered.
4. Layer sliced tomato on each piece of naan bread
5. Sprinkle sliced mushrooms and chicken pieces over the tomatoes.
6.  Divide and sprinkle mozzarella over the top and a pinch of kosher salt, oregano, and basil.
7. Bake on a pizza stone or baking sheet in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes; or just until the bread has crisped and the cheese has melted.
8. Serve hot and cut into squares.