Pizza Pizza!! Chicken Pizza Two Ways!!

Here is "Budget Buster Bulk Cooking Chicken Edition" meal number 3!  Chicken pizza two ways.  Technically this is going to be two meals because we will only eat one pizza's worth of pizza for dinner than the other for lunch the next day so this could technically count as two meals.  Not bad from one chicken breast's worth of shredded meat!  

This could not be simpler!  I used my Big Batch Pizza dough recipe that you can find here: http://bit.ly/1lTqltm.

I used my favorite homemade BBQ sauce to make a quick Hawaiian style chicken pizza with shredded chicken, sliced pineapple pieces and both mozzarella and cheddar cheese.  You can use whatever is your favorite BBQ sauce.  You can find my "Almost Sweet Baby Ray's" BBQ sauce recipe here:  http://bit.ly/1js1HTp

I also made a buffalo chicken pizza.  I make a traditional buffalo sauce using 1/4 cup of melted butter mixed with 1 cup of Frank's hot sauce.  Since that is a little on the thin side for a pizza sauce I wanted to thicken it up.  I mixed in 2 tablespoons of instant clear jel which is a modified food starch.  This is the instant kind and not the type for canning.  It immediately thickened up my buffalo sauce to a pizza sauce consistency and made it perfect for spreading on the pizza dough!  If you would like to give instant clear jel a try you can find the brand I use here:  http://amzn.to/2i7BFsz  This is Ultra Gel brand, it is non GMO and really works great!  You can use it in both hot and cold applications and this is also what I use to stabilize whipped cream.  

The buffalo chicken pizza was simple!  Just spread the buffalo sauce on the pizza dough, add mozzarella cheese, shredded chicken and cheddar cheese on top and done!   Easy!  This was a hard night for me getting these pizza's in the oven!  So the fact that I even got to make a video was astounding.  In the end, we enjoyed pizza night with super puffy pizza due to the fact that the dough had to sit for a while before I could get to it!  Life happens.  Nonetheless, the pizza was delicious!

Don't let my pizza be your limit. You can make yours any way you like.  In the future, I would add sliced red onion and bell pepper to my Hawaiian chicken pizza and the buffalo chicken pizza would be great with some candied jalapenos added to it!  Let your imagination be your guide as well as the leftovers in your fridge!  You can put just about anything on a pizza and your family will be super happy you made it for them!

I hope you give chicken pizza two ways a try and I hope you love it!  I also hope that this budget buster bulk cooking series on chicken is helpful to your wallet and your menu rotations!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made these in my YouTube video:

Who Needs Take Out?! Asian Style BBQ Pork Tenderloin Recipe with Power Pressure Cooker XL!!

Are you ready for another delicious and quick pressure cooker recipe?  Today I used my new Power Pressure Cooker XL to make this delicious Asian Style BBQ pork tenderloin.

This was super delicious and the sauce hit all the right notes!  I used a thawed pork tenderloin and an onion, a few carrots and some celery.  But the secret is in the sauce!  I used some Hoisin sauce and honey and soy along with garlic and ginger.  Mixed that all up and poured it into the cooker along with the tenderloin and veggies.  I cooked this for 25 minutes on the meat setting and allowed it to naturally release.

This meat was super tender and easy to slice.  I made some rice on the side and we enjoyed this with the veggies and that delicious sauce!  I think next time I will add some pineapple chunks after it is cooked and just let them heat through.  That would make a lovely addition as well as a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and maybe a drizzle of sesame oil.  Truthfully, you could take this as far as you like.  No matter what you choose this is going to be delicious!

Cheaper, faster and healthier than take out and you have it in just about the same amount of time as if you had called it in for delivery or pick up!  The sauce is delicious and rich and flavorful.   I served mine sliced but you could easily shred this and serve it mu shu style in little flour tortillas or rice pancakes that you pick up from the grocery.  Add some sliced green onion, shredded fresh carrot and bean sprouts for a delicious Asian style taco night!

I hope you give this Asian style BBQ pork tenderloin a try in your pressure cooker some time soon and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can find the Power Pressure Cooker XL on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2cS1lHn

You can get a printable version of this recipe on my website here:

http://bit.ly/2dzBfvh

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video here:

Noreen's Kitchen

Pressure Cooker

Asian Style Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

1 package plain pork tenderloin 1 medium onion, sliced 2 carrots, sliced 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks ½ cup Hoisin sauce

¼ cup honey ¼ cup soy sauce 3 -4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon ginger paste

Step by Step Instructions

NOTE:  I am using a 6 quart Power Pressure XL pressure cooker.  This machine has designated presets for certain types of foods.  Please consult the owner’s manual for your brand of machine should you have one that is different from mine. 

Place all ingredients into the vessel of the pressure cooker and give them a toss being sure to coat the meat well.

Place the lid on the pressure cooker and adjust the valve to pressure.

Set the machine to the meat setting and cook for 25 minutes.

Allow the pressure cooker to have a natural release instead of a quick release.  This will ensure that the meat is very tender.

When the cooker has come down off of pressure and you can remove the lid, allow the tenderloin to sit for five minutes before serving to avoid anyone scorching their mouth on the very hot dish.

I served mine with steamed rice, but this would be equally as delicious with quinoa, lo mein noodles or even pasta.

Enjoy!

Come Sail Away to the Islands! Double Jerk Chicken!!

Today I am making a double jerk chicken.  This chicken is called double jerk because we are marinated the chicken in a wet jerk marinade and then grilling it over an open flame and then dousing it with a delicious, sweet and spicy Caribbean style BBQ sauce.  This chicken is THE BOMB!  Seriously!  The combination of the spicy marinated chicken and the sweet and spicy sauce is to die for!

I have used chicken thighs, which is kind of a departure for me.  I don't often use them and certainly don't use them bone in and skin on, but in this instance because they are going to be cooked over a very hot, open charcoal flame, I went this route.  This will help the chicken to stay moist and tender and retain it's juiciness.  In the end, this grilled double jerk chicken was so delicious, I may be a convert to chicken thighs!

The marinade for this is full of the flavors of the Caribbean!  Doing a bit of research, using what I already know about jerk marinade and consulting my friend Liza, I have put together, what I think is a super easy, user friendly marinade that anyone can make, no matter where they live!  

Traditionally, Jerk is heavy on the heat that comes from Scotch Bonnet peppers.  I have a hard time finding those locally and do not have them growing in my garden, but will be on the lookout for some seeds for future planting!  Then we built the marinade with a citrus base.  Orange, pineapple and lime juices were added along with green onion, sweet onion, fresh grated ginger, Habanero pepper, olive oil and all the spices that you know should go in a good jerk.  Allspice, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and of course onion powder, garlic powder salt and pepper as well as fresh thyme.  You can use dry thyme, but the fresh thyme really gives the jerk something special you don't get from the dried version.

I wazzed this all up in my drink blender and poured it into a zip top bag with the chicken thighs.  We allowed this to marinate for about an hour and a half before placing on the very hot grill for five minutes per side.    When the chicken was cooked through, it may have looked burned, but that is beautiful and flavorful char that is sought after in a good jerk chicken!  We slathered on some of my homemade sweet and spicy Caribbean style BBQ sauce and let it set to a nice shellac.  Then we removed it from the grill and allowed it to rest for about five minutes before serving.

This chicken was tender and juicy with over the top flavor.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed with this meal! 

I hope you give this double jerk chicken a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made this double jerk chicken in my YouTube video here:

Noreen's Kitchen

 Jamaican Style Marinade

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon  salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper 6 green onions, chopped 1 medium sweet onion, chopped 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1-2  habanero peppers 1/2 cup orange juice 1/2 cup pineapple juice 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme

Step by Step Instructions

Place all ingredients into the vessel of a food processor or high speed blender.

Mix well to liquefy.

Pour marinade over chicken pieces and allow to marinate for at least one hour before grilling, baking or broiling.

Discard any unused marinade to avoid cross contamination.

Enjoy!

You can get a printable copy of this recipe by clicking here: http://bit.ly/29WC6Ex

A Taste of the Islands Right In Your Own Back Yard! Sweet & Spicy Caribbean Style BBQ Sauce

I am getting ready to make some jerk chicken on the grill and wanted to make it extra special by giving it a baste with some delicious BBQ sauce. If you are like me, you prefer to make your own when you can and this sauce is over the top delicious!

I made it my goal to replicate or at least come close to a jerk dipping sauce that a local restaurant serves and they wouldn't give me their recipe. Lucky for me I don't need one! I figured it out myself! I can make this anytime I want and slather it on chicken, pork, burgers or use it as a great dipping sauce or even a base for a sweet and spicy salad dressing! 

This sauce uses my basic BBQ sauce as a starting place. What makes this Caribbean is the spice blend. It is also what takes this over the top amazing! Ketchup, molasses, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Habanero pepper sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove all come together to make a sauce that you will just want to eat off a spoon it is that delicious!

We made some Jamaican Jerk chicken thighs for another video that will be coming up this week as a collaboration with the Common Man Cocktails channel. You will see that soon. We marinated our chicken in a wet Jerk marinade and then grilled on a very hot charcoal grill. Then we slathered on this sauce and let it come to a shellacked perfection. They were delicious and amazing and I cannot wait for you to see how they came together. 

I knew I had to share this sauce with you though, because I know you would want to know. You really need to make this sauce! Since I made it, we have used it to dip chicken in, on pork chops, on fries and I even put it on a burger and it was amazing!

I hope you will give this sweet and spicy Caribbean style BBQ sauce a try and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

You can see how I made this in my YouTube video here:

Noreen's Kitchen

Sweet & Spicy Caribbean Style

BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

2 cups ketchup 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup lime juice 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground clove 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon hot sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Step by Step Instructions

Combine ingredients in a saucepan.

Stir well to combine.

Allow to come to a simmer over medium heat stirring occasionally to avoid scorching.

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

ENJOY!

How To Fire Roast Green Chilies At Home! A Serious Summer Treat!

Summer is on and we are heading right into the thick of it!  Independence day is almost here and we have all things picnic and BBQ on our mind.  So on that note we are embarking on a theme for July of perfect picnic and bbq foods.  Today we begin with some amazing and easy fire roasted green chilies!  

Green chili season is just about here for those of us who grew up in the southwest and remember the middle of summer being the time when Hatch green chilies would be abundant and being fresh roasted at the farmer's market, at the swap meet and just about anywhere else you can think of!  

I lived in Northern Arizona for a long, long time and July was always when the fire roasters would show up at the Flagstaff Farmer's Market.  Giant mesh drums set over open flames.  The drums were filled with Hatch green chilies fresh out of New Mexico fields.  The smell is intoxicating and the sheer volume has you pick up on that delicious fragrance from a mile away, quite literally.  

The deep green peppers would go into that drum by the barrel full and the roasting man would turn that drum until those peppers were soft, black and blistered,  That is the time when you would request the amount you would like.  He would put them in a paper sack and away you would go.  Ready to create something wonderful.

The drive home would be difficult because the smell of those chilies is amazing and you want to just dig right in!  You can't get home fast enough to slap one on a freshly grilled burger with melted pepper jack cheese on top!  

Enough reminiscing though!  You don't have to live in New Mexico or Arizona to enjoy fire roasted green chilies at home!  Keep in mind that Hatch green chilies will be available soon in the stores and I can even get them in my area so if you find them buy a case and make your own salsa because it will be amazing!  But you can do this with Anaheim chilies with no problem.  

Get your grill good and hot.  No matter if it is charcoal or gas.  Just get it nice and hot.  Then pop those peppers right on that grill.  When you hear them start popping and crackling you will know that the magic is beginning to happen!  You want to keep turning and turning and turning until the skin is black and blistered all around the pepper and they become soft and no longer have a stiffness to them.

When you have removed the peppers from the grill you want to put them into a large bowl.  Then back into the kitchen!  Fill the bowl up with cold water and begin to gently rub the charred skin off the peppers.  It should come off quite easily.  The gently pull the stem off and run your finger down the side to split the pepper open.  Dunk it back in the water and wash the seeds away the best you can.  Then into an awaiting plate or bowl.  

You can use these peppers to make pork green chili, chicken salsa verde, green chili sauce, chunky roasted green chili and onion salsa, or green chili burgers.  You will want to use these in about a week and if you can't just pop them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

It is not recommended to can these on their own, however you could use them in a recipe calling for green chilies if you are canning up some salsa or other dish.  You will want to research that on your own.  

I hope you see how easy it is to fire roast your own green chilies at home.  I hope you give this a try and I hope you love it because there really is nothing better than a fresh fire roasted chili on your burger!  

Happy Eating!!

You can see how I did this in my YouTube Video: