Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [63]
Spicy Chicken and Artichoke Pizza
This pizza is the real thing. Take the time to make your own dough and cook it on a pizza stone for a crackling-crisp, chewy crust. You’ll be surprised at to how easy it is to make. I love the fact that the chicken is seasoned like Italian sausage in this recipe. You get the spicy flavor of fennel, basil, oregano, and red pepper without the greasy taste of sausage. Feel free to vary the toppings; just use a light hand for the best results.
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To make the dough: Pour the water into a large bowl and sprinkle with the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes or until foamy. Beat in the whole-wheat flour with an electric mixer at low speed, using the flat paddle if available. Add the oil and salt, mixing until blended. Slowly beat in enough of the bread flour so that a dough forms and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl (the dough will be sticky, but resist the urge to add more flour). Beat for 5 minutes on medium speed to knead. (Alternatively, you can mix and knead the dough entirely by hand.) Lightly oil a large bowl, put in the dough, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the bottom position of the oven. Place a pizza stone on the rack and preheat the oven to 475°F. The oven should preheat for at least 45 minutes for the best results. Sprinkle a pizza paddle or large baking sheet with cornmeal and set aside.
Toss the chicken in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the fennel, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Combine the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of oil with the garlic in a cup.
When the dough has doubled in size, gently deflate and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 15-inch round. Place the pizza dough on the cornmeal-strewn pizza paddle. Shake the pizza to make sure it doesn’t stick, and add more cornmeal if necessary. Brush the dough with the garlic oil mixture and spread the pizza sauce over the surface of the dough. Top with the seasoned chicken, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, red onion, and fresh basil. Sprinkle with the mozzarella.
Slide the pizza directly onto the pizza stone and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until the crust is light golden brown on the edges and the bottom. Cut into wedges and serve.
SERVES 4
DOUGH
¾ cup warm water (110° to 115°F )
1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ¾ to 2 cups bread flour
Cornmeal for sprinkling
½ cup diced (½-inch dice) cooked chicken (see Techniques, Cooking Chicken)
2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (see Note, Hearty Tomato Soup with Chicken)
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup prepared pizza sauce
¾ cup quartered canned artichoke hearts
½ cup diced plum tomatoes
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 ¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (5 ounces)
Sesame Chicken with Edamame-Coconut Rice
This colorful stir-fry is flavored with an orange-spiked sauce and served with creamy coconut rice dotted with soybeans, which are called edamame. The chicken tender, or tenderloin, is the long piece of muscle that runs under the chicken breast, close to the bone. The meat is extremely tender and delicate, making it a perfect choice for stir-fries.
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To make the rice: Put the rice in a medium saucepan. Stir the coconut milk until smooth and pour it over the rice, along with the water and salt. Cover and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the edamame and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice and edamame are tender.
To make the sauce: While the rice is simmering, stir together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, and heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Stir-fry the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer pink in