Take that California Pizza Kitchen!

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days. The combination of laziness, rain and photoshop/dreamweaver I havent cooked much lately. Shame! I've been working on some photo projects and my website and that combined with the major thunderstorms makes me not want to go outside to the grocery store. So I've been hibernating in my comfy chair, with my laptop and diet coke what else does a girl need?! Thai Pizza-that's what.

So for my comback from my 5 day hiatus I needed somethin' good! So since I loved the Thai Peanut Sauce I decided to make a pizza with it! Super easy since I'm a master at the sauce recipe by now, and all I needed from the store was carrots, sprouts, green onion and dough. I've decided I play an evil game when I go to the store. I kind of guess how much I think I'm going to spend (I always guess under-shocker). So I'm standing in line while the cashier's ringing all my stuff up and I feel like I'm on a bad game show, every time I see another item swipped my heart sinks. To show you how incredibly desperate to save money I am I actually grated STRING CHEESE. That's right, you heard me. I needed mozzerella and remembered I had Mozz String cheese at home, so I said oh yea it's all gunna melt in the oven anyway, I'll just use that. Well let me tell you, it was not an easy feat and I almost grated my nail off but I did it. Took about 4 string cheeses to get what I needed for the pizza. Look at me, Betty Frikin Homemaker meets girl scout-Always prepared! When I asked the boyfriend if he wanted to try my Thai Pizza he kinda made a face. So I divided the dough in half and we each had little personal pizzas. Me-Thai Chicken Pizza; Him-Pepperoni Pizza extra Pepperoni. Worked out perfectly. I didnt snag a picture of his but I got mine! Which let's face it, is what counts :)
So I think I can give Cali Pizza Kitchen a run for it's money. I was looking at their website to see if there were any other pizzas I could emulate, and there are a few I'm going to have to try! I've been slightly obsessing over CPK because a branch just opened in my hometown in Florida and my best friend started working there, so if that wasn't enough my parents had to call after they had gone for the first time to brag. My reply was "we'll I'll make a pizza just as good" (p.s I did)
CPK reminds me...well...of California. Is that redundant? I suppose. But every summer since I was born almost my mom, dad and I went out to the Bay Area where my dad is from to visit my grandma and family. It might be one of my favorite places in the world and defiantly in my top 5 of US cities. This is beoming a rambling so I apologize. Cliff Notes: I like Cali, I would move there if it weren't so expensive and I love CPK.

BUT you know what I don't love? Calories. Whilest familiarizing myself with the CPK menu online I unfortunately clicked the 'nutrition' tab. Mistake! I don't want to burst your bubbles but most of the pizzas were from 1100-1500 calories. UM HI that's your entire daily calorie limit. I'm no calorie natzi-haven't been the gym since March prolly and have been eating crap summery foods but somehow managed to lose a few pounds (Woot!). Again redundant. But holy crap that's unhealthy. So I feel a lot better about MY pizza because good lord there's no way it was more than 500-600 calories. I mean sure if you treat yourself-that's okay. Looord knows I do, but THAT my friends is why American are obese. Because too many people go out too often, and even if you order the healthiest thing you think that's on the menu-it's not. It's prolly been deep fried, basted in butter and fried again. YUCK. I might go for a walk tonight because I'm just that disgusted. Sorry rant almost over. If you haven't seen Food Inc. Go watch it. Well not before dinner because I promise you, you will NOT be hungry after watching that.
Makes me want to be a vegetarian again, but even veggies aren't safe. How many recalls of foods and cases of deadly E Coli in Spinach and lettuce. Too many. Okay seriously End Rant.

So learn this lesson, eat at home. And if you're craving a food from a restaurant I guarantee you can make a healthier version at home. I have faith in you.

Thai Chicken Pizza with Spicy Peanut Sauce

From Closet Cooking

Ingredients:
1 Pizza Dough
1/2 cup peanut sauce (See recipe here)
1 cup cooked chicken (torn into bite sized pieces)
1 carrot (julienned)
1 handful bean sprouts
2 green onions (chopped)
2 handfuls mozzarella cheese (grated)
1 handful peanuts (chopped)
1 handful cilantro (chopped) **Which I omitted and ya know I still never found the cilantro from the first time I did Thai--very suspicious.**

Directions:
1. Spread the peanut sauce over the pizza dough.
2. Sprinkle the chicken, carrot, bean sprouts green onions, cheese and peanuts onto the pizza.
3. Bake in a preheated 500F oven until golden brown on top, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the cilantro on top of the pizza.

What a day!

So I awoke this morning like a kid on christmas morning...Is that odd? I was so excited to go to Wegmans to start this project. So I went over all my recipes and wrote down my list...seemed simple enough. Some asian/thai oils and spices some chicken. Easy enough, right? WRONG. If you're going to start a food blog in an attempt to keep sane AND not spend a ton of money...Dont start with thai food. My lord I bought so many oils, sauces and spices. Italian would have been MUCH cheaper...but Thank God I did this particular recipe because it was amazing!! I'm so excited to have it in my recipe box now. First of all I am a tough cookie when it comes to Thai peanut sauce, do not ask me where that comes from, but all the sauces Ive tried in stores just aren't that great, but this recipe was perfect! My boyfriend, Eric, was skeptical of this particular recipe, I even told him if it turns out terribly we can have pizza. Pressures On! So this afternoon Eric and I went to the Rochester Museum & Science Center and the Planetarium! Fun afternoon and we even tolerated the YMCA summer program kids on their field trip. So as soon as I got home it was cooking time. First I started with the peanut sauce because lets face it if I screwed that up the meal was donzo. It was incredibly easy to make and besides practically going to Thailand to get all the ingredients it was fun and delish. Next I started the Coconut Cilantro Rice. I am truly impressed when people cool rice well, I always have trouble, but besides taking a bit longer than expected, the rice turned out well. Looks kind of like sticky rice but tasted great. I ran into a problem though-I am skeptical when it comes to Cilantro, sometimes it annoys me in dishes but I'll tolerate it in salsas and some dishes but its not my favorite herb. So in Wegmans I was slightly appalled when I had to pay 1.99 for a giant bushel of it. Really Wegmans? I swear I'm only going to use a tiny bit and I don't even like you, cant we make a deal. But sigh I took the cilantro and figured what the hay!? Well after my rice is simmering and I'm ready to plate I flipping cant find the cilantro. Okay funny trick. I look in the fridge. Nada. Search the Thai sauce filled counter tops. Nothing. Did I leave it in the bags? Nope. Oh dear god if I get in my car tomorrow and it smells like cilantro I will laugh and never doubt the cilantro gods again. So Sauce done. Rice Done. Now just throw the chicken on the stove with that sauce and be done.

Overall it was great!!! I really recommend it, it was easy, delicious and my boyfriend didn't even make me order pizza. He said and I quote "Oh man this is so great, even the rice is good, it compliments the chicken so well" a few bites later..."and this sauce...so good!" So even Eric, who didn't even think he liked Thai, is now a convert! Hopefully he doesn't get sick of it when I put it on every dish because it was that good!



Thai Chicken 'Mole'
(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:
1 cup Thai spicy peanut sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 pound chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1/2 cup jack and cheddar cheese (grated)
1 handful cilantro (chopped)
1 handful roasted peanuts (chopped)
1 birds eye chili (sliced)

Directions:
1. Mix the peanut sauce and chicken stock in a pan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat, add the chicken, cover in the sauce and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the cheese onto the chicken, cover and cook until it melts, a few minutes.
4. Serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro, peanuts and chilies.

Thai spicy peanut sauce
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon panang curry paste or red curry paste
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili sauce (or 1 birds eye chili, sliced)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanuts (roasted and crushed)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the panang curry and saute until fragrant.
2. Add everything else and simmer to thicken it a bit, about 2-3 minutes.



Cilantro and Lime Rice
(makes 4+ side dish servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 cup long grained rice (I like to use brown)
2 cups water
1 handful cilantro (chopped)
1 lime (juice and zest)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the rice and toast in the oil for a few minutes.
5. Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered until tender, about 20 minutes for white rice or 40-50 minutes for brown.
6. Remove from the heat and mix in the cilantro, lime juice and zest.


Again I apologize for my crappy picture, need to work on presentation and also not take the pictures with my phone. Hopefully that will improve along with my cooking skills. Thoughts, Questions, Comments? Hope you guys try the recipe...it will be worth it, I promise!!

Thanks to Closet Cooking for the recipes!