Summer Fresh Grilled Pizza

Do I even need another reason to love summer?  I mean there is the time to regroup after the school year, the warm weather for walking outside, the unfettered time to sew, the time to reconnect with friends and family...

And now... How about these pizzas that we made tonight with ingredients from our garden and the farmer's market.

Ummmm....Yummm!!!!

We have purchased these delicious focaccia at the farmer's market before, but have never grilled them.

Pair with a combo of homegrown and farmer's market tomatoes, some grilled japanese eggplant from they garden and some delicious cheese from whole foods and you get an amazing veggie dinner!

A plate of veggie deliciousness!

Here is the rough recipe for the 2 types of "pizza" that we created tonight.  Feel free to experiment with your own combinations.

Roasted Veggie Focaccia

1-2 Japanese eggplants, sliced in 1/4 inch slices and brushed with fat-free Italian dressing

8-9 small roma tomatoes

5  red onions cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 red pepper cut into large wedges

1 12 inch focaccia 

3-4 Tbsp feta, olive salad (We bought ours at Whole Foods)

(I also threw on some broccoli that we had left over.)  

1.  Brush eggplant slices with the Italian dressing.  Brush the onion slices, peppers, and tomatoes with olive oil. 

2.  Place in a single layer on a grill pan and grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, turning once. Keep a close eye on veggies so they don't over cook.

3.  Layer veggies on the focaccia rounds with roasted veggies and top with cheese

4.  Grill on a medium-hot grill until just warm.  Watch this very closely.  You do not want the bottom of the bread to burn.

Caprese Focaccia

2 large heirloom tomatoes

1 large ball of fresh mozzarella packed in water (Buffalo mozzarella would be even better if you can find/afford it!)

Fresh basil

1.  Slice the tomatoes and layer onto the focaccia covering the entire top.

2.  Add the fresh mozzarella

3.  Top with basil, some kosher salt and pepper

4.  Grill as above

(Easy, right?)

What are your favorites to feast on during my favorite summer season?  Leave a comment and let me know so that I can try that too!  Have I mentioned that I Love Summer?!  :-)

Spicy grill night!

Last night the weather turned sooo beautiful - Cool, no humidity, nice breeze.  Time to fire up the grill and eat outside on the deck before the heat cranks up again this weekend.

Last night's feast:  Glazed Chicken and Szechuan Noodle Salad from Cooking Light Magazine.

 This was a super tasty, zesty dinner with Asian notes.  And...It was ready in 30 minutes with very little clean up!  If you like your feasts a little spicy, this is the dish for you!

Glazed Chicken and Szechuan Noodle Salad 

with Sesame Broccoli

Glazed Chicken

1 Tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger

3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lower-sodium soy sauce

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

(I used half thigh and half breast cuz I like white meat better)

Cooking spray

Szechuan Noodle Salad

6 ounces uncooked udon noodels (thick, fresh Japanese wheat noodles) or whole-wheat linguine

1/4 cup bottled Szechuan Sauce

1 Tablespoon reduced-fat creamy peanut butter (I used regular)

2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 cup thin sliced green onions

1.  Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2.  Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stir well.  Add chicken; toss to coat.

3.  Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side until done.  Remove from grill; cover.

4. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine Szechuan sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, and juice in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add noodles, carrots, and green onions; toss and serve immediately with chicken.

Sesame Broccoli:

Add water to a large saucepan to a depth of 1 inch; set a large vegetable steamer in pan.  Bring water to a boil over high heat.  Add 1 (12 oz) package broccoli florets to steamer.  Steam broccoli, covered, 4 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Place broccoli in a medium bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to broccoli; toss well.