pizza...mangia...bene :)

So I got some flack for talking about a pizza and not posting any details. With pizza being one of my favorite things to make, I knew it wouldn't be long 'til it reared it's delicious, pretty head again. I grabbed my camera and captured it before its species became extinct.

My pizza dough recipe comes from my absolute favorite tv chef with no-fail dishes, Giada DeLaurentiis. Her Roman Pizza was my first homemade pizza recipe. I use half of the dough recipe for a perfect, 2-person pie - always in the traditional Roman, rectangular style, of course. Giada ignited my addiction and the topping creativity went haywire. Tonight's was inspired by "what can I make without having to go grocery shopping".

Below is the mangia-licious magic from tonight...it's garlic seared chicken, caramelized onion, 3-cheese, tomato with a herb-butter base.
The only problem is...I have no specific recipe to share. This was a true, intuition driven dish - how annoying, I know. I can give you the basics though.

Serving size: 4 slices (enough for 2 servings)

For dough, use recipe ala Giada DeLaurentiis Roman Pizza (see above)

I highly recommend a pizza stone and peel if pizza is going to make a usual occurrence. It gives the crust that nice crispy outside while being soft and chewy inside. (Hugs to my dearest aunt, uncle, and cousin for mine!)

Topping ingredients:

• Olive Oil - I use Extra Virgin
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  
• 1 medium sized onion, sliced in half moons about 1/4 inch thick
  
• 1 roma tomato, de-seeded and chopped
  
• Smoked mozzarella, fontina, and parmigiano reggiano (these were basically what I had leftover from the Roman Pizza, use whatever you got)
  
• 2 TB of unsalted butter
• Basil, Oregano, Parsley to taste (or an Italian herb mix if you like)

Instructions:

1. Make your dough, as it needs to rise for an hour.
2. Over medium heat, saute olive oil and garlic until golden.
3. Season chicken breast with seasoning salt (I like Johnny's) and pepper. Sear in pan of oil and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes before flipping. Cook until chicken is done - you tell by pushing the center. If it's squishy then it needs to be cooked more...if it resists and bounces back then you're pretty good. TIP: Be sure to let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before chopping into 1/4 inch cubes. This will keep the meat from being dry - no poking or cutting your proteins while they're hot lest you wish for all the juices to run out!
4. In the same pan, heat 1 TB of olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and lower heat to medium-low to caramelize for 5-8 minutes. Keep turning to prevent burning.
5. In a small saute pan, melt butter and add herbs. Keep on lowest heat to stay warm.
6. When dough has doubled after an hour of rising, punch it down and roll it out on a floured surface - I prefer a rectangle. If using a pizza stone and peel like I do, sprinkle peel with cornmeal and transfer dough onto peel to build pizza.
7. Brush dough with herb butter leaving 3/4-1 inch around the edges. You can sprinkle some garlic powder too if you want a vampire scaring punch. Add to whole pizza: chicken, onions, tomatoes followed by cheeses. Sprinkle 1 tsp. dried basil on top. I also drizzle extra herb butter on top paying homage to Paula Deen.
8. I use a pizza stone to cook my pizza so heat it for 15-20 minutes at 500 degrees. Turn it down to 450 degrees and cook pizza for 10-11 minutes.
9. I finish it with a few turns of black pepper and serve away!

The hubbs called this my "best one yet" and ate his 2 slices before I could even finish the first. Call it my mad scientific observation skills but I think he liked it.

A note: this was the first time I articulated a "how it feels" recipe so I hope I didn't leave out anything too important. I promise to take any feedback graciously. :)

Get inspired and just throw whatever you like on top...I've done american norm of pepperoni to veggie goodness to something less traditional like tonight.

Buon appetito! See you after Tuesday's Chinese class...