Pizza Part 20: Chicken Fajita Pizza

So, here we are again with another pizza. I can’t help it; I love pizza! If I had the chance to open a restaurant, my top choice for what kind would most likely be a pizzeria. No big surprise there, huh? This recipe is one of my originals. I decided to try making it one night when we were thinking of making pizza for supper and I wanted something different than the usual. I looked up the basic ingredients for fajita seasoning since I didn’t have a packet of it on hand, then adjusted it to my liking. I’ve heard that it’s less expensive to make different seasonings yourself, which I want to do at some point, but there’s nothing wrong with using a pre-packaged one from the store. Anyhoo, I hope you like this. ☺

So, let’s get cooking!

First, cut up the chicken breast into smallish pieces, about ½ inch squares. Place it in a bowl and add the fajita seasoning, store bought or homemade. In a skillet with a little oil (1-2 Tbl), sauté the chicken cubes until just done and tender, then set aside.

Now for the sauce: In a smallish sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux. Whisk in the milk, stirring continuously until thickened. Toss in the sugar and sriracha sauce and set aside to cool.

Dice the tomato and slice the onion and green bell pepper into pieces about an inch long.

Spread the pizza dough into the greased pan, and then spoon the sauce on and spread around. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top, then the fiesta blend. I almost always use at least some mozzarella because I love that cheesy stringy yumminess!

Distribute the onion and pepper slices, then the tomatoes and chicken. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes exactly. The underside of the crust will be a beautiful golden brown.

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Chicken Fajita Pizza

 pizza dough

1 lg chicken breast

1 packet fajita seasoning

*OR make it, recipe below

1 c milk

3 Tbl butter

2 Tbl flour

½ tsp sugar

1-2 Tbl sriracha sauce

1 lg tomato

½ lg green bell pepper

½ lg Vidalia onion

1 c shredded mozzarella

1 ½ c fiesta blend cheese

Fajita Seasoning

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Spicy Orange Chicken

Lately I’ve been craving some chicken with an Asian flair to it, and my dear assistant cook Miss Megan has also been asking for something like that too. I thought Orange Chicken would fit the bill. There are many recipes for Orange Chicken out there, but since I didn’t feel like looking any up, I just let it roll around in my head a little while and then went with it. This is what I came up with.

Just so you know, it is VERY spicy with 2 tsp red pepper flakes, so it may be a little too hot for some children. You might want to use just 1 tsp, and then add a little to your own portion so the kids’ tongues don’t burst into flames. Or God forbid one of them burps---someone may have their eyebrows singed! ;-) 

So, let’s get cooking! 

Peel and mince the ginger root. Don’t you just love working with fresh ginger?? It’s so juicy and fragrant! 

Peel and mince the garlic, and slice the red pepper into 1 inch lengths. 

And peel and dice the carrots small. My lovely assistant cook Miss Megan did the “cawwots,” as she says.

Next, cube the boneless skinless chicken breast into chunks about ¾ inch size. 

In a gallon size bag, with the cornstarch in it, coat the chicken chunks. Shake off the excess cornstarch in a sieve and return the cornstarch to the bag for the next handful of chicken chunks. 

In a large skillet, sauté the coated chicken in the oil, using a Tablespoon at a time. You can do it in batches, adding more oil when needed. Cook until all sides of the chicken are sautéed. They’ll finish cooking in the next steps.

Add the orange juice concentrate, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Mix well and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, stirring several times. 

Add the dices carrots and simmer about 4 minutes, covered. You can really see how it thickens now. 

Add the red bell peppers and broccoli florets. Cook for about 4-5 minutes more, covered.

Serve over rice if you’d like. It can be eaten by itself, of course, but it does go very nicely with rice. This is an excellent dish to make when you have leftover rice from another meal.

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Spicy Orange Chicken

1 ½ lb chicken breast

¾ c cornstarch

¼ c oil

1 red bell pepper

24 oz broccoli florets

2-3 cloves garlic

1 ½ inch ginger root

1 c carrot, diced small

½ can frozen orange juice concentrate

½ c water

¾ c rice vinegar

¾ c brown sugar

2 tsp red pepper flakes

Savory Rice on Fire!

I love rice. Do you love rice? I just love it, especially Arborio rice! So one night as I was thinking on what to make as a side for the baked chicken I had planned, this recipe popped into my mind and down through my hands. It looks innocent enough, but it’s got a kick. ;-) It is my original, by the way. :-) 

So, let’s get cooking!

First you want to do the veggie prep: dice the onion, julienne the carrots, and mince the fresh ginger and garlic.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the carrots and onion in the toasted sesame oil and vegetable oil, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, cooking a minute more.

Add the rice and about ½ c of the chicken stock, stirring continuously, until liquid is absorbed. 

Add another ½ c stock and do the same, until the rice has absorbed it. 

Repeat until all the chicken stock has been absorbed. It won’t be dry, it’ll be slightly saucy. Toss in the parsley flakes and soy sauce. Viola! (I really do know it’s voilà; I just can’t help thinking of someone's Aunt Viola and laughing!) 

Enjoy! ~TMMF

My lovely assistant cook, Megan. ♥ 

Savory Rice on Fire!

½ Vidalia onion

2 big cloves garlic

1” fresh ginger

2 carrots

1 Tbl toasted sesame oil

1 Tbl vegetable oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1-2 tsp parsley flakes

1 Tbl soy sauce

1 c Arborio rice

3 c chicken stock

Pizza Part 17: Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Pizza

This is one of my original pizza recipes, and I have to say, it came out so stinking good that it was what everyone wanted. I make two different sheet pans of pizza when I make it, and while the other was very good, the Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Pizza went like hot cakes off the griddle! I may have to just make two of them at a time from now on. By the way, I used only 1 tsp of sriracha in the sauce, but that was because Timmy and Megan don’t like things too hot; add an extra tsp of it if your family likes it spicier. Also, I would have thrown some red pepper flakes on top too, but didn’t for the same reason.

So, let’s get cooking!

You’ll want to steam the asparagus a little, so cut into pieces about an inch long. Place in a bowl with a small amount of water, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for about 3 minutes.

While that’s going on, mince the red bell pepper finely.

Time to make the sauce! In a small sauce pan, add the cream cheese, milk, minced red bell pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, and sriracha sauce. Cook over low-ish heat to melt the cream cheese, stirring often. Stir in the parsley flakes. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Spread the pizza dough on the greased pan, and then spread the sauce evenly on top. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and pepper jack cheeses.

Distribute the asparagus and shrimp. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes. And now, dig in! Enjoy! ~TMMF

Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Pizza 

1 pizza dough
½ lb asparagus
9 oz cooked shrimp, extra small
8 oz cream cheese
2 Tbl milk
¼ c minced red bell pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sriracha sauce
2 tsp parsley flakes
¼ tsp black pepper
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c pepper jack cheese, shredded

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Shrimp

So, this is a recipe that I threw together simply because I was wanting to make pasta, but didn’t want all the carbs in it. Last year I had started getting into spaghetti squash, and I thought with its light taste, it would be a great base for a shrimp meal. And the garlic, well you know I’m always throwing that in recipes! Haha But then you also need a spicy kick, thus the red pepper flakes. Works for me. ;-)

So, let’s get cooking!

Halve the spaghetti squash and scoop out the seeds, being careful to not get the flesh underneath. Spritz a pan with cooking spray, and bake in a 375° oven for about 30-40 minutes until tender. When it’s cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out the “spaghetti.” My daughter Megan loves to do this part.

Peel and mince the garlic, and dice the red bell pepper, somewhat smallish. In a large skillet, sauté the pepper in the butter for about 4 or 5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook an additional minute.

Add the cooked shrimp and red pepper flakes, cooking for about two minutes to heat through, stirring.

Add the spaghetti squash and the dried parsley and toss until thoroughly combined and squash is heated through.

And it’s done and ready to serve. So simple and oh so good! Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Shrimp

1 small spaghetti squash
1 lb small cooked shrimp,
     shell off
½ red bell pepper
2 massively huge cloves garlic
1 Tbl butter
2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 ½ tsp dried parsley

Spicy Southern Chicken Spaghetti

Okay, this is a recipe from Delightful-Delicious-Delovely. I’ve heard of Chicken Spaghetti, but I had never made it before now. I was attracted to this particular recipe because it has cheese, diced tomatoes with green chilies, and more cheese. The only changes I made were to use a little less pasta and a little more cumin, use cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken, and I used regular bread crumbs instead of Panko. This recipe is oh-so-good! I’m sure you’ll like it too!

So, let’s get cooking!

Get a pot of water boiling to cook the spaghetti. When done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

While that’s happening, sauté the chicken breast in a tiny amount of oil in a skillet. I sliced it up to make it cook faster. When it’s done, set it aside on a plate to cool.

And in the meantime, cube the Velveeta.

In the same skillet (don’t clean it out), mix together the cream of celery soup, milk, sriracha sauce, cumin, pepper, and salt with a whisk. Add the Velveeta and cook over medium heat to melt and blend.

While the cheese is melting, cube the cooked chicken breast into ½ inch pieces.

Add the cubed chicken and the can of diced tomatoes and chilies and heat through.

Turn the heat off and add the mozzarella cheese, melting it. Mix in the spaghetti. A set of tongs made it easier to do. Turn the whole mess into a greased 11X15 baking dish.

In a bowl, melt the butter and add in the bread crumbs, mixing together with a fork. Sprinkle over the casserole. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. And it’s done! Look at the cheesy yumminess bubbling up!

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Spicy Southern Chicken Spaghetti

12 oz pasta
1 lb chicken breast
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c milk
12 oz Velveeta
1-2 Tbl sriracha sauce
1 tsp cumin
¾ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes & chilies
1 c shredded mozzarella
1 c bread crumbs
2 Tbl butter

Valerie's Creamy Mexican Soup

This is a recipe that I made based on one I found on All Recipes, called Amy’s Mexican Soup. It sounded so good, but when the rubber hit the road, I changed it so much that it seemed silly to keep her name for it. So I named it Valerie’s Creamy Mexican Soup. To see the original, go look it up; it‘s too much to list all the changes here. You just *know* I added a boatload of veggies to it. ;-) As for what this soup is now, stay tuned and I’ll show you what I did. ;-)

So, let’s get cooking!

Prep the veggies. Remove the seeds and dice the jalapeño peppers small. Remember to use gloves, and wash your hands well afterwards. And the knife, And the cutting board. ;-)

Dice the sweet onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Mince the garlic. I use my garlic press most of the time for that.

Peel and dice the carrot into small pieces.

Cube the chicken breast. I like to make the pieces rather small; it spreads it further in the recipe. Sauté in a large pot with a little oil. Then set aside.

In the same pot, use a little oil to sauté the celery, bell and jalapeño peppers, onions, garlic, and carrot until tender, about 8 minutes or so.

Drain and rinse the kidney and black beans. Add to the sautéed veggies, along with the chicken, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, chili powder, and cumin.

Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to simmer for 30 minutes.

Cut the cream cheese into chunks. Turn off the heat and add the cream cheese to the soup, whisking in until thoroughly combined. Serve with shredded Fiesta Blend cheese on top if desired.

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Valerie’s Mexican Soup

1 lb chicken breast
2 lg jalapeño peppers
½ green bell pepper
1 sweet onion
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 c chicken stock
1 14.5 oz can kidney beans
1 14.5 oz can black beans
1 Tbl chili powder
1 tsp cumin
8 oz cream cheese
shredded Fiesta Blend cheese

Spicy Korean Chicken

This recipe comes from Rasa Malaysia, who puts out authentic Asian recipes that are so good! It wasn’t overly spicy; both Megan and Timmy won’t eat anything too hot, but they sure ate this. You can also amp it up by adding extra spice to it.

My one change I made was using sriracha instead of the Korean chili paste, known as gochugaru. I didn’t want to spend money on an ingredient that I could substitute with something I already had that would be sufficient. Part of my goal in presenting recipes is to ensure that they’re affordable for most families. The chicken came out wonderful and I’m sure you’ll like it.

So, let’s get cooking!

If you’re using leg quarters like I did (inexpensive and delicious!), separate the legs and thighs and remove the skin if you’d like.

Peel and mince the garlic and the fresh ginger. I *love* using fresh garlic and ginger in cooking. They smell so good and taste even better!

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

Place the meat in a gallon freezer bag and pour in the mixture. Marinate for two hours or overnight for even better flavor infusion.







Grill or bake and dig in to authentic Spicy Korean Chicken!

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Spicy Korean Chicken

2-3 lbs meat
¼ c oil
3 Tbl sriracha
2 tsp chili powder
2 Tbl toasted sesame oil
3 Tbl sugar
6 cloves garlic
2” fresh gingerroot

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

From Yellow Bliss Road, this is one of the BEST pasta salads to ever cross my lips! I cannot tell you how stinking good it is and how we wanted it for more meals. My family *loves* Buffalo Chicken anything, so of course I just had to try this. It will be eaten by our family for years to come and then even on into the hereafter. ;)

The original recipe included a couple tablespoons of blue cheese, which I switched out for 1 cup of feta cheese, and I added mayo to the dressing and increased the hot sauce. The result was perfect according to my taste testers. ;)

So, let’s get cooking!

Assuming you’ve cooked the rotini, drain it and rinse with cold water. Sauté the chicken breasts in a little oil in a skillet. Set aside to cool afterward.

While that’s cooking, dice the celery and grate the carrot. These are both great jobs for young chefs to help with.

In a smallish bowl, whisk together the Ranch dressing and mayonnaise.

When the chicken has cooled, shred. My darling daughter Caitlin used two forks to do this, but you can also just use your hands to pull it apart.

Add the Frank’s hot sauce and coat well.

In a large bowl, place the rotini, celery, and grated carrot and mix.

Add the crumbled feta cheese and the shredded chicken. And yes, use a rubber spatula to get every drop of that hot sauce!

Mix together, and you’re done! Yahoo!!

Enjoy! ~TMMF

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

1 lb rotini pasta,
   cooked and cooled
2 chicken breasts
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
1 c feta cheese, crumbled
1 c Frank’s hot sauce
½ c Ranch dressing
½ c mayonnaise

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup

Okay, this recipe has a really interesting back story. This is my original recipe, and it came about because months and months ago, I had a dream that I was cooking, making a soup, this soup specifically. When I woke, I was thinking, what a great idea! So after letting it roll around in my head for a while, I finally tried it.

The first time I made it, it was fantastic, and everyone loved it. It was gone too soon! But when I went to write it up for TMMF, it seemed like something was missing. Suddenly I knew what would go good in this--rice!

So when I made it the second time, I added some rice to it and sure enough, it was now perfect and ready to go live. ;) The amounts of hot sauce and Ranch dressing are perfect; just enough so that one doesn’t overpower the other. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

So, let’s get cooking!

Cube the boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1” pieces. Place them in a bowl and mix in the hot sauce to marinate them while you work on the other ingredients.

Dice the celery and onions, and slice the carrots. You’ll have to imagine carrot coins next to the diced celery and onion in this pic. ;)

Next, set the carrots to cook until al dente in a small pot. If you don’t have any leftover cooked rice, you’ll need to cook some up now, enough to make 2 c cooked.

While that’s happening, sauté the cubed chicken in a large sauce pan until just done (no oil needed for this). Set the cooked chicken and the juices in a bowl.

In the same pot, sauté the diced celery and onion in the 2 Tbl of oil, just until tender.

Now add the chicken stock and keep the heat on medium low. Cut up the cream cheese into chunks, and add them, using a whisk to incorporate them into the broth. Make sure you don’t have the heat up too high. Stir in the Ranch dressing.

Your rice should be done by now, so add it to the soup, as well as the carrots and chicken, including all the juices from the chicken. Scrape that bowl clean with a rubber spatula; you don’t want to miss a drop of that wonderful flavor!

And it’s done. Enjoy! ~TMMF

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup

2 lg chicken breasts
   (boneless, skinless)
½ c hot sauce (like Frank’s or Texas Pete)
½ md Vidalia onion
2 stalks celery
3 lg carrots
2 Tbl oil
6 c chicken stock or broth
8 oz pkg cream cheese
½ c Ranch dressing
2 c cooked rice