White Pizza with Balsamic Glaze

This pizza is my signature pizza. While my husband's signature topping combo is pepperoni, pineapple, and banana peppers (which is phenomenal, by the way), my go-to is caramelized onions, goat cheese, chicken, red pepper flakes, and balsamic glaze. All of the flavors are pretty strong, but somehow they still complement each other in the best way.

The caramelized onions are the perfect embodiment of sweet-meets-savory. Throw in a little tangy creaminess from the goat cheese (not to mention mozzarella and salty Parmesan), a touch of heat from the red pepper flakes, and top it all off with a drizzle of tart and sweet balsamic glaze (reduction), and you've covered all your bases! I usually add shredded chicken too (a great way to use up a rotisserie chicken!) but I've also skipped it when vegetarian friends are around and the pizza is just as delicious.

This recipe is also VERY easy and weeknight appropriate if you use leftover or rotisserie chicken and store-bought pizza dough (which I did here)! The caramelized onions take about 30 minutes, but it's really just occasional stirring, ain't nothin' too bad. And the balsamic glaze is basically just whisking and you've got yourself a decadent syrup (OMG PUT IT OVER BRUSSELS SPROUTS TOO).

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White Pizza with Balsamic Glaze

by Saucy Jocey's Kitchen August-3-2016

Balsamic glaze, three cheeses, caramelized onions, and shredded chicken come together in a decadent take on white pizza.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow, sweet, or Vidalia onion
• 1 chicken breast, cooked
• 12 - 14 inch pizza crust
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 oz shredded mozzarella
• 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large pan over medium low heat.2. Slice the onion and shred the chicken breast. There should be about 2 cups of sliced onion.3. Add sliced onions, butter, and 1Tbsp olive oil to the pan and stir every 2 minutes for 10 minutes. 4. Turn the heat in the pan up to medium. Stir onions every 2 minutes for another 20 minutes. If the onions start to char, turn the heat back down to medium low and continue.5. Grease the pizza pan with a little olive oil and add rolled out pizza dough to the pizza pan. Swirl 1 Tbsp. olive oil over pizza dough. Add all ingredients (except balsamic vinegar and sugar) to the dough.6. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 – 18 minutes.7. While the pizza is baking, whisk balsamic vinegar and white sugar in a small pan over medium heat. Whisk the bubbling glaze every minute or two until it thickens and has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and whisk occasionally until the pizza is done. If the glaze tightens to the point where it’s no longer pourable, whisk in a tsp of balsamic vinegar at a time until it loosens a little.8. When the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. Pour balsamic glaze over the top, slice, and enjoy!

Details

Prep time: Cook time: Total time: 1 hour Yield: 3 - 4 servings

Steps 1 - 2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large pan over medium low heat. Slice the onion and shred the chicken breast. There should be about 2 cups of sliced onion.

Step 3. Add sliced onions, butter, and 1Tbsp olive oil to the pan and stir every 2 minutes for 10 minutes. Butter for the flavor, olive oil for the higher smoke point. *thumbs*up*

Step 4. Turn the heat in the pan up to medium. Stir onions every 2 minutes for another 20 minutes. If the onions start to char, turn the heat back down to medium low and continue. 

Step 4. continued: After 30 minutes you'll have beautifully soft, caramel colored (and flavored!) onions, all brought out by their natural sweetness!

Step 5. Grease the pizza pan with a little olive oil and add rolled out pizza dough to the pizza pan. Swirl 1 Tbsp. olive oil over pizza dough. 

Step 5. continued and step 6: Add all ingredients (except balsamic vinegar and sugar) to the dough. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 – 18 minutes.

Step 7: While the pizza is baking, whisk balsamic vinegar and white sugar in a small pan over medium heat.

Step 7. continued: Whisk the bubbling glaze every minute or two until it thickens and has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Step 7. continued: You can tell it's thickened enough when it doesn't fall back into itself right away as you're whisking, as seen by the streak in the pan here. When there's about half as much liquid as when you started, you're done! Turn the heat to low and whisk occasionally until the pizza is done. If the glaze tightens to the point where it’s no longer pourable, whisk in a tsp of balsamic vinegar at a time until it loosens a little.

Step 8: When the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 2 minutes. Pour balsamic glaze over the top.

Then just slice and enjoy! This pizza is definitely decadent, but there's a balance to it. No ingredient overwhelms the next, you just get a little bit of everything. Sweet, salty, cheesy, tangy, tart, and spicy. All together in perfect harmony!

Chicken Paprikash

This is one of those recipes that I've been meaning to write down for years because it's such a family classic! If I had to sum up Chicken Paprikash in just a few words, I'd say - Hungarian comfort food. My mom's family has been cooking big batches of this rich, rustic dish for family dinners since I can remember. My Aunt Rita is the keeper of the recipe I'd say. I cook it with her every chance I get when I'm visiting family! Each branch of the family tree puts their own little spin on it, and the recipe below is my contribution to the family recipe book. :)

For those of you who have never heard of Chicken Paprikash, it's basically chicken and dumplings in a sour cream and smoky paprika sauce made with sauteed onions, bacon, and tomatoes. The Galuska dumplings are doughy pillows of goodness. They're kind of like big hunks of pasta, a little firm. Basically - heaven. The paprika and bacon both give the dish an undeniable smoky flavor which is balanced by the tang of the sour cream. It's quite decadent, just like comfort food should be.

Now let's be honest - this dish isn't winning an beauty pageants. But take one bite, and you WILL NOT EVEN CARE because it's so delicious! It's rich, smoky, creamy, meaty, and satisfying. And don't be intimidated by the number of steps in this recipe! Each step is very easy, I promise!

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Chicken Paprikash

by Saucy Jocey's Kitchen June-7-2016

This Hungarian comfort food brings together chicken and Galuska dumplings in a sour cream and smoky paprika sauce made with sauteed onions, bacon, and tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 bone-in chicken breasts
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 batches Galuska (http://www.saucyjoceyskitchen.com/2016/06/galuska.html)
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley and a little sprinkle of paprika for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Slice bacon into ¼ inch pieces. Chop onion and tomato.3. The first phase of cooking takes place on the stove top. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove top until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. (If you have a Dutch oven or some other pot with a lid that can be used both on the stove top and in the oven, that’s ideal. If not, use a deep saucepan or pot on the stovetop and a different oven-safe dish in the oven for the second phase of cooking.)4. Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides. Cook chicken in the bacon fat in the pot for 5 minutes on each side, just to get the outside golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pot.5. Sauté chopped onion and tomatoes in the bacon/chicken fat for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent.6. Add paprika, water, and cooked bacon to the pot and stir. Return chicken to the pot skin side up.7. Cover and move the pot to the oven (if you need to, switch contents to an oven safe dish) to bake for 15 minutes. 8. Prepare Galuska while the dish is baking in the oven.9. After 15 minutes of baking, take the top off the pot and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the interior of the chicken breast reaches 165 degrees F.10. Pull the pot out of the oven and remove the chicken. Remove the meat from the bones and chop the meat in 1 – 2 inch chunks. Return meat to the pot. 11. Add sour cream to the pot and stir. Add Galuska and stir.12. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Top with a sprinkle of paprika and chopped parsley, and enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 1 hour 25 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 5 servings

Note: Recipe inspired by "Paprika Chicken" in George Lang's "The Cuisine of Hungary"

Step 1 - 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice bacon into ¼ inch pieces. Chop onion and tomato.

Step 3: Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove top until crispy, about 8 minutes. Aaaaall of those little brown bits on the bottom are going to infuse the bacon flavor in the whole dish! Yum!

Step 3 continued: Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate covered with paper towels. 

Step 4: Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides.

Step 4 continued: Cook one side of the chicken in the bacon fat in the pot for 5 minutes....

Step 4 continued: Then cook the other side for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot.

Step 5: Sauté chopped onion and tomatoes in the bacon/chicken fat for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent. This is where those brown bits in the bottom of the pan from the bacon and the chicken come in! All of that smoky, meaty goodness gets absorbed into the onions and tomatoes.

Now for MORE smoky flavor! The paprika gives the dish such a deep flavor AND color.

Step 6: Add paprika, water, and cooked bacon to the pot and stir. Return chicken to the pot skin side up.

Step 7: Cover and move the pot to the oven (if you need to, switch contents to an oven safe dish) to bake for 15 minutes.

Step 8: Prepare Galuska while the dish is baking in the oven. Pictured here is 1/3 of a batch. You'll make 2 full batches!

Step 9: After 15 minutes of baking, take the top off the pot and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the interior of the chicken breast reaches 165 degrees F.

This is what it looks like when the baking is done!

Step 10: Pull the pot out of the oven and remove the chicken. Remove the meat from the bones and chop the meat in 1 – 2 inch chunks. Return meat to the pot.

Step 11: Add sour cream to the pot and stir. Look at that beautiful color!

Step 11 continued: Add Galuska and stir.

Step 12: Taste and add additional salt if desired, sprinkle with some paprika and chopped fresh parsley, and DIG IN! This dish will absolutely warm your soul. It's so creamy and meaty and smoky but the tang of the sour cream balances those flavors very nicely. And the Galuska is the PERFECT vehicle for all the saucy deliciousness. Enjoy!

Pineapple Cilantro Lime Marinade

Happy summertime, friends! Paul and I absolutely love firing up the grill in the summer. We both have a mild grilled-pineapple addiction, so oftentimes we throw together some shish kabobs with pineapple, bell peppers, onions, and either steak or chicken, make some rice, and boom! Dinner is done. I got to daydreaming about a marinade that would incorporate our love for pineapple and be perfect for grilling, and this pineapple cilantro lime marinade is what happened!

The smell of charcoal makes me so happy! Is that weird? Our new townhouse has a nice big back porch, so I'm excited to buy a patio set one of these days and throw a cookout! Kabobs are definitely crowd pleasers. You can get creative with different meat, fruit, and veggie combos with different marinades!

This marinade is so zesty and summery! The pineapple flavor is strong (in the best way) and the lime juice balances the sweetness nicely. I'm a sucker for cilantro, and I think it's the perfect herb in combination with the pineapple and lime. Last but not least, a little cumin and onion powder a bring some depth and a savory smokiness to the marinade. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do!

Featured in La Petite Fashionista Magazine!

Pineapple Cilantro Lime Marinade

Marinade for 1 lb of meat

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Marinating Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1 lime (for zest and juice)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Rinse and chop cilantro.

2. Zest the lime.

3. Juice the lime and whisk all ingredients together.

4. Mix meat and marinade together.

5. Cover meat and marinade (or seal in a zip top bag) and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

6. Cook as you please! Grilling with pineapple, bell pepper, and onion is recommended.

1. Rinse and chop the cilantro.

2. Zest the lime.

3. Juice the lime and mix all of the ingredients together! So easy.

4. & 5. Mix the meat and the marinade together, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour. Putting everything in a zip lock bag in the fridge works too! Here I chopped up chicken breasts in large chunks because I happen to be making shish kabobs, but you could marinate whole pieces of chicken as well! This marinade would be fantastic with steak, fish, or pork tenderloin! 

6. Cook the meat however you like! I love this marinade in shish-kabob form. I'm a sucker for grilled pineapple! I like to chop onion, bell pepper, and pineapple into large chunks and skewer them up with the chicken and grill! Here are the details of how I chop the accompaniments - I chop the top off of the bell pepper.

6. Continued:  Cut the fleshy part of the bell pepper away from the center. Cut as much of the white ribs off as possible (I hadn't trimmed the ribs yet in this picture).

6. Continued: Cut the outsides of the pepper into 1.5-2 inch pieces.

6. Continued: For the onion. Slice the scrunched up ends off of the onion.

6. Continued: Place the flat side of the onion down on the cutting board and cut the onion in half from the top.

6. Continued: Peel the onion apart and cut into 1.5-2 inch chunks. I like to peel the onion 2 layers at a time. I usually skewer two onion pieced together. I feel like they grill better and don't burn as quickly when they are packed together a little thicker.

6. Continued: Chop the pineapple in big chunks!

Slide the chicken, pepper, onion, and pineapple onto skewers repeating the pattern until all of the pieces are skewered! I way prefer metal skewers over wooden skewers - you don't have to deal with splintering wood! Grill the skewers up and enjoy!