Pesto Chicken Pizza

Everybody loves pizza!

If you like pesto and are looking for a lighter pizza or new pizza recipe give this one a try. Early in the week I cooked several chicken breasts in the crock pot, steamed some broccoli, sautéed mushrooms and blended up a batch of home made pesto. I made enough of these ingredients for two meals so I had plenty on hand to make a pesto chicken pizza. I also added sliced red onions and chopped tomatoes. This pizza tastes great with just the chicken so if you have picky eaters less may be better.

Use your imagination and add more toppings or less.

Hey it’s your pizza, own it and enjoy it!

Use individual pizza’s and invite your guests to top their own pizzas. Cheers!

Pesto Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 12 inch pre-made 100% whole wheat thin pizza crust

• 2 cooked chicken breasts or 2 cups cooked chicken cut into bite size pieces

• 1 cup of fresh diced tomatoes

• 1 8 oz package of mushrooms, sliced (You can use uncooked mushrooms or if you have cooked mushrooms in the fridge they work just as well)

– You can use pre-sliced mushrooms or slice yourself. Always clean the mushrooms first, rinse and dry with a paper towel

• ¼ red onion sliced

• 1/2 to ¾ cup of Pesto Sauce, Freshly made (recipe is on my blog) or purchase at your local market

• 8 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh is best, or pre-shredded Italian or mozzarella cheese, your choice

• Options to add:

– 1 cup of fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces or frozen broccoli, 1 cup thawed

– 1 6 oz jar of Artichoke hearts, drain the juice and discard

– 1 6 oz can of sliced black Olives, drain the juice and discard

– Today I am adding broccoli that I cooked and served with another meal yesterday

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

• In a mixing bowl lightly coat the cooked pieces of chicken in ¼ cup of the pesto sauce

• Place the pizza crust in a pizza pan or baking stone (or follow the directions on the package of the pizza crust)

• Spread the remaining ¼ cup of pesto on the pizza crust, covering the entire crust (you can use a cooking brush or spatula) Feel free to use more pesto

• Sprinkle crust with 3/4 cup of cheese; spread the mushrooms, chicken, red onion, broccoli and tomatoes. Top with remaining cheese

– Use any your imagination and add the toppings that you like

• Place the pizza in the oven and cook for 10 minutes

• Turn on the broiler and set the timer to broil for 4 minutes, I like the cheese to lightly brown- Watch closely so you do not to burn

• Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Slice into 8 slices or smaller if you are serving as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Just cook something! Cheers! Kary~

Basil Pesto

Fresh Basil

I love fresh pesto and it is really easy to make. I was in the market this week and they had a great selection of fresh basil and I decided to make a batch of fresh pesto. I usually grow my own basil in the spring and summer and keep a batch of pesto on hand for use in a variety of dishes. For example I use pesto with pasta, pizza, Crunchy bread, scramble with eggs and as a marinade for chicken and fish.

Pesto always makes me think of spring, so in the middle of winter it is a nice departure from the heavier comfort foods that we crave. You can create a heart warming pesto recipe with the hope of spring to come. Check back for my pesto chicken, pesto pizza and grilled cheese with pesto, red peppers and chicken sandwich recipes. 

Pesto Ingredients:

•  1/2 cup of olive oil

• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated

• 1/4 cup of walnuts or pine nuts

• 4 cloves of garlic, remove the skin

• 1 cup of fresh basil

• Dash of sugar or honey 

• I like to keep walnuts in my refrigerator to keep them fresh and eat as a snack, add to a salad, sprinkle on broccoli, use your imagination

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high 2 to 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth

• You can store the pesto in the refrigerator for about a week

Just cook something! Cheers! Kary~

Orphan Train, Book Club and Pizza

“Have you read the Book? Book Club” April’s selection was the Orphan Train

written by, Christina Baker Kline.

Katy was our hostess and we were greeted with the distinct aroma of pizza and a hint of freshly baked goods.

Tomatoes, Grilled Chicken & Red Onions

Pizza is Katy’s signature dish for our gatherings and this time around she used crescent rolls for the crust, topped with olive oil, garlic, basil, mozzarella cheese and fresh tomatoes.  A salad of field greens with feta cheese, sliced apples and pecans, dressed with balsamic dressing completed the meal and was delicious!

Here’s a recipe I found for Cheesy Margherita Pizza and here are several of my pizza recipes:

Pizza with Ground Chicken, Mushrooms, Spinach andTomatoes
Pesto Pizza

After filling our plates and catching up we eventually got around to discussing the book as Katy tempted us with a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies and brownies; of course everyone savored the sweets, yum need I say more.

We all agreed that the book hooked us from the first page, pulling us into a world many of us could never imagine. Personally I could not resist curling up on a Saturday afternoon to read the book and I did not move until I turned the last page.

It is one of those books where we were all reluctant to leave Molly and Vivian’s world. And it is always such a thrill to stumble across a book like the Orphan Train.

The Orphan Train is about a journey which for Vivian who is one of the main characters originates on the shores of Galway Ireland, which is truly a beautiful and thriving village by the sea. From Ellis Island to NYC where disaster befalls Vivian’s family, her world falls apart and she is forced to board the orphan train  heading to the Midwest and finally as an adult retiring in Maine. With what seemed like cool detachment the representatives from the “Children’s Aid Society” who organizes the Orphan train chaperone the children on their journey. It’s difficult to believe that people thought it was in the children’s best interest to send them to an environment they were not prepared for. The Orphan Trains were a real part of our past in the United States and many of us at book club were not familiar the history. Christina Baker Kline has a passion for history and a way of writing about real life events that is a joy to read. 

Sometimes we come across a passage or quote that stays with us; here is my favorite passage from the book which is written in the epigraph:  “In portaging from one river to another, Wabanakis had to carry their canoes and all other possessions. Everyone knew the value of traveling light and understood that it required leaving some things behind. Nothing encumbered movement more than fear, which was often the most difficult burden to surrender.”  This is from the nonfiction book “Women of the Dawn” by Bunny McBride which is about four Wabanaki Indians.
In the book Vivian and Molly face their fears and the concept of portaging relates to not only what possessions they carry from home to home, but their fears as well.
Anyone who enjoys a good telling of a story will be riveted by this wonderful tale.

 As always the discussion was lively filled with lots of laughs and opinions. We all commented on how a teacher in the story had an influence on Vivian and we discussed how a teacher influenced each of our lives. Sometimes all you need is for someone to see you, really see you and your potential.

If your curious and have a desire to learn more about the Orphan Trains click on this link Christina Baker Kline . The Orphan Train is a fascinating story and disturbing part of our history, beautifully written by Christina. So board the Orphan Train and enjoy the ride!

This book truly rates 5 glasses of a nice Merlot or for you white wine fans a crisp Pinot Grigio. Thanks Lea for the wine recommendations and we miss you girl, please join us again soon!

And Katy, finally I made it to your home; last year was the passport emergency and before that who can remember…Beautiful home, family and you are a wonderful hostess!

Just cook something! Cheers! Kary~

For a list of all our books click here“Have you read the Book? Book Club”.

Pesto with Fresh Basil, Walnuts, Garlic, Cheese and Olive Oil

My basil plant is thriving and it is the first of June, time to make pesto!

Yesterday I  made a bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich with pesto as spread, I usually use mayonnaise, it was scrumptious. Check out some of my recipes with pesto: Pesto Lasagna, Pizza, Crunchy Bread, Pesto Chicken Sandwich, scramble with eggs and as a marinade for chicken and fish.

This makes a about 8 ounces

 

Pesto Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of olive oil

• 1/2 cup fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese grated

• 1/2 cup of walnuts or pine nuts

• 2 to 4 cloves of garlic, remove the skin add depending on how much you like garlic

• 2 cups of fresh basil; about 2 handfuls

• Dash of sugar or honey 

• I like to keep walnuts in my refrigerator to keep them fresh; eat as a snack, add to a salad, sprinkle on broccoli, use your imagination

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 2 to 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth

• You can store the pesto in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze 

Just cook something! Cheers~ Kary

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah with a side of Pizza

"Have you read the book, book club is back! 

We gathered at The Stuffed Olive in Waxhaw, NC to share a meal, laughs and discuss “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah.

“The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah opens with this statement; “If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: In love, we find out who we want to be; in war, we find out who we are.” This got my attention, did this grab yours?

As I mentioned in my last post about our book club we decided to try something different this year and meet at some of our local restaurants rather than host from one of our homes. We always love getting together and look forward to catching up, sharing lots of laughs, great food and our thoughts about the book.

Meeting and discussing the book at a restaurant has a completely different vibe than meeting at one of our homes. Still enjoyable, but at one of our homes it’s just plain comfy. Also, I love writing about what our host prepared for the evening. Stay tuned we may change back to hosting at home.

We settled in at The Stuffed Olive, ordered pizza and got down to the business of discussing our book.

Kristin Hannah is one of our groups favorite authors and again she does not disappoint us. The Nightingale is set in France during World War II and although we have all read many history books about war WW II, this book is focused on two sister’s perspectives, experiences and about the struggles that the women and children face. Back then women were usually not on the front lines shooting guns, but they were fighting a different kind of battle in their homes and villages. And some women, like Isabelle found a way to join the resistance, I won’t share the details and spoil the story, you will just have to read The Nightingale.

In The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah’s  story tugged at my heart strings, brought tears to my eyes, an ache to my belly and I could almost feel the chill in my bones. The story is about Women in war and it is set during World War II in worn torn France during the German occupation.

Kristin’s writing takes me to a place where I can only imagine what is was like to experience the screeching of the air raid sirens, the cold harsh winters, the anger, loneliness, hunger and despair that people felt during WWII and any war zone.

To me the story is about the women’s hope for the war to end, for husbands to find their way home and to get back the simple pleasures of life they experienced before the war. Basic survival was the goal for the day. And in war everyone is damaged, some are heroic and some not so much.

I found myself shivering, trying to stay warm while reading about how Vienne tried to keep her family from freezing and not starving.

This was one of those books that continues to haunt me. Kristin writes about the struggles the women face; basically, just trying to survive, to feed their families and avoid freezing during the winter while many of the German soldiers ate their food, took over not only their town but homes and abused the women.

War is truly an awful thing and as I read The Nightingale I was thinking about the horrors of war, but my hope continues to be that someday all mankind will lay down their guns and find peace throughout the world, war does not solve problems. 

A haunting story…. Kary~

Kary's take on Pesto Pizza

2017 Book Selections:

 “Before the Fall” Noah Harvley
  “The Nest” Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
  “Dark Town” Thomas Mullen

 “Mister Owitas Guide to Gardening” Carol Wall  

Annie Forman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral, Book Club and Pizza

                                

January's Have you read the book, book club was Annie Forman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral   by   Kris Radish. 

Have you thought about planning your own funeral, ok not a happy thought but after reading Annie Forman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral you might think differently.

Our first book for 2016 was a roll-over from 2015, recommended by Karen who was our January hostess. Usually we take turns hosting our book club at one of our homes; however we are very flexible, after all we are called “have you read the book, book club”. Our hostess Karen really wanted to try a fairly new restaurant Black Chicken in Waxhaw, NC and we all agreed to give it a try. Kind of fitting  because the main charactor, ok Annie Forman’s in the book is trying new things and tossing out routine.

Karen ordered several types of flat breads and pimento cheese spread made by a local in Waxhaw, you have never tasted real pimento cheese spread until a local southern lady has made it for you, sooo delicious with flat bread chips.

If you haven’t read Annie Forman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral  we highly recommend that you read it. A great adventure filled with laughs, fun, food, wine, more wine and the women; Annie Freeman’s friends who opened their hearts and minds to everything and everyone they met along the way. Touching and changing so many lives, the funeral is really about the living and celebrating the one who leaves us behind, right? As we discussed the book we found ourselves wondering how many of our friends would attend a traveling funeral if we arranged it?

The author  Kris Radish is another great writer who transports us with her writing. Imagining ourselves in Key West watching the sun set and feeling the warm salt air on our skins, to a posh hotel in NYC and then on a small plane bouncing around in the air heading for the shores of a secluded lake in Minnesota. Opening our minds and hearts to a journey of loss, love and forgiveness; mostly self forgiveness and letting go of what we don’t need and embracing what we really want from life. 

Put on your favorite pair of fun sneakers, you’ll know what I mean when you read the book, Annie’s were red, and enjoy the ride.

Do you have any flat bread recipes? Here are a couple of my pizza recipes that can be used with flat bread: Ground Chicken Pizza and Pesto Chicken Pizza.

February's book is Garden Spells  by Sarah Addison Allen   from one of my favorite authors and I love the way Sarah weaves her magical tales. What are you reading? 
Just cook something! Cheers! Kary~ 

Nova Scotia Holiday~

No cooking for me last week, my hubby Doug and I enjoyed great fresh food in Canada, more specifically in Saint Andrews New Brunswick, a quaint village on the Fundy Coast and one of Canada’s best kept secrets. We then drove the scenic route to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the scenery along the route is breath taking and Halifax is a beautiful and lively port city. And yes we played real tourist and went on the Duck Boat, first time ever! 

The weather was perfect during our holiday, in the low seventies during the day and fifties at night, great food, breathtaking scenery and friendly locals. 

And although rain was in the forecast we did not encounter a rain storm until our departure, a full blown rain and thunder storm in Bangor Maine. Yes our flight was delayed, several times but we managed to make it home in time to pick up dinner at our favorite German Restaurant, The Waldhorn, in Charlotte NC.

Tortilla with Pesto, Chicken and Mozzarella

Shrimp, Peppers, Sliced Almonds and Goat Cheese

Nova Scotia

Smoked Salmon Pizza with Asparagus and Mozzarella

Bolognese Pasta

Salad with Grilled Chicken and Sweet Potato Chips

I also enjoyed smoked salmon with a maple syrup glaze and fresh grilled vegetables, Oh so Yummy!