Fresh Goat Cheese and Prosciutto Pizza

I used Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza dough. This made two medium sized pizzas. I rolled the dough out to make these thin crispy style pizzas. If you like your dough thicker, make smaller pizzas and do not roll the dough out as much.

pizza dough
1 cup pizza sauce or marinara sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
thinly sliced prosciutto
soft fresh goat cheese
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
pepper for seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes for seasoning
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out dough to your desired doneness. Lay rolled out dough on a pizza stone or greased sheet pan. Bake in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes. You need to pay attention and start checking the pizza after about 5 minutes. You are looking for the dough to begin to start to brown. It can turn to a burn quite easily, so keep an eye on it.

Remove from oven and spread sauce evenly. Season with pepper and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Tear apart prosciutto into smaller pieces and arrange on top. Return to the oven and back for about 8 to 12 minutes. Start checking the pizza at about 8 minutes. You are looking for the cheese to bubbly, starting to brown and the prosciutto to be crisp.

Once cooked, remove and top with goat cheese (crumble over the top) and finish with basil. Let rest on the pizza stone or sheet pan for a couple of minutes before you slice.

Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing...........Zinfandel or Pinot Gris/Grigio.

2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon - Stags Leap District

This wine has a creamy texture with currant, mocha and espresso notes.  Also had a hint of mineral and flowers.  Deep ruby in color.  Full-bodied wine with a long finish.  Big, bold and chewy.

Skirt Steak and Bacon Sandwich

This is a bit of a spin on the original BLT sandwich. I served these with onion rings. But, they would also be great with french fries or a salad.

dijon mustard
skirt steak
olive oil
salt and pepper
21 seasoning (such as salt free mrs. dash)
bacon
parmesan asiago bread (I used the one from trader joes), sliced and split into sandwich size pieces
fresh spinach or mixed greens (I used fresh spinach, but both would be great)
sliced tomato
sliced avocado

Preheat grill.

Drizzle skirt steak with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and 21 seasoning. Let marinade while you prep the rest of the items.

Cook bacon until your desired doneness.

Grill steak until cooked to your desired doneness. Once cooked, wrap in foil and let rest.

Brush olive oil on the insides of the sandwich pieces. Place on the grill and toast.

Slice steak into thin slices.

Top toasted bread with dijon, tomato, greens, steak, bacon and avocado. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing........Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.

Pasta with Spinach and Shrimp

farfalle pasta (bowtie)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp 21 seasoning blend (such as salt free mrs. dash)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, cleaned and patted dry
2 cups fresh spinach
1 - 14.5 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion chopped

Begin boiling water for pasta.

Combine lemon juice, mustard, half of the garlic, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Whisk together.

Drizzle a large nonstick sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Season shrimp with salt, pepper, 21 seasoning blend and crushed red pepper. Sauté in pan until cooked through. Remove and keep warm.

Add onions and garlic to the pan and sauté until beginning to caramelize. Add white wine and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add cannellini beans and reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

When there is a couple of minutes until pasta is done, add spinach to the onion bean mixture and toss to coat.

In a large bowl, add pasta and lemon/mustard dressing. Toss to coat. Add spinach/bean mixture. Toss to mix well.

Place pasta on pasta bowl or plate. Top with shrimp. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Wine pairing........Sauvignon Blanc.

Grilled Chicken Taco Pizza

1 small package of taco seasoning
olive oil
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 package of pizza dough (enough to make two pizza - I used whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joes)
all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 small red onion sliced
1/4 cup salsa
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 avocado cubed

Preheat grill.

Season chicken with about 2 tbsp of the taco seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil. Flip to coat evenly with taco seasoning and olive oil. Grill chicken until cooked through. Remove from grill and wrap in foil to keep warm.

Sprinkle flour out on a flat surface. Roll pizza dough out into two medium sized round pizzas.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Drizzle olive oil on one side of the pizza dough, spread with a brush to coat the whole side of the pizza, then place (olive oil side down) on a grill friendly pizza pan. Drizzle olive oil on the side facing up and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Spread around to coat. Place on grill and cook for about 3 - 5 minutes until dough begins to cook and slightly crisp up.

Remove from grill and top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 of the chicken and 1/2 of the red onion slices (reserve the rest for the 2nd pizza). Place back on the grill and cook for another 5 minutes or so (until dough is cooked to your desired doneness and cheese is melted).

Remove from grill and top with 1/2 of the salsa, avocado and cilantro (reserve the rest for the 2nd pizza). Slice pizza, serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing..............Riesling.

Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti

ziti rigate (or penne)
olive oil
1 lb ground hot italian sausage (or mild)
4 gloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced
1 cup ricotta
1 onion, finely diced
1 28 oz can of marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400.

Begin heating water to boil pasta.

In a large non-stick sauté pan, drizzle with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage, crumble and brown until cooked. Add garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add onion and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add kale, one half at a time. In between halves, toss to coat with oils (this makes it easier than putting all of the kale in at one time). Cook until kale begins to wilt (crispy wilt). Add marinara sauce and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to package directions (about 10 - 12 minutes). While pasta is cooking, stir sauce occasionally.

Once pasta is done, place in a large bowl. Add sauce and toss until completely mixed in. Add ricotta and toss until completed mixed in.

In a large casserole dish, spread pasta mixture and top with mozzarella and then parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Turn up the heat to a broil and cook until topping begins to crisp or to your desired doneness.

After cooking, let rest for about 5 minutes. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Wine pairing.............Chianti or Zinfandel.

Spicy Honey Chicken

This recipe is great served with roasted potatoes and a salad. Or even with cous cous or rice. I served this with saffron rice.

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp olive oil
6 tbsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar
boneless skinless chicken breast

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine garlic through vinegar in a bowl. Whisk together.

Cover a baking sheet with foil. Coat foil with olive oil. Dip chicken into honey spice mixture and coat. Reserve the remaining mixture for basting. Place coated chicken on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Baste chicken with the remaining amount of mixture. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked completely through.

Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing.........Riesling for a white wine and if you want a red, keep it mild. Pinot Noir would be great.