Thai Chicken Pizza

We eat a lot of pizza/flatbread at our house, so I'm always looking for some new and different flavors. This was a winning combo for everyone in the family! They said it reminded them of chicken lettuce wraps, which they adore, probably because of the peanut sauce. And I loved serving a pizza that featured chicken and some veggies on top!

I used a simple pizza crust recipe that doesn't require a rise. I've included that recipe here, but feel free to use your favorite (here's mine), or even use store bought dough. It's the toppings that shine here, so no one is going to care!

Find more great ideas at Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up, Create Link Inspire, Clever Chicks, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul, What's Cooking, Wow Me, Wow Us, Foodie Friday.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured parchment paper piece and roll/pat into a round or rectangle, or whatever you can manage.

Chicken Topping:

1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup white bean sprouts
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1 Tbsp. roasted peanuts, chopped
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

For Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. minced ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
2 Tbsp. water

Heat your oven to 500 and place a pizza stone in the oven to heat while you assemble the pizza.

Combine all ingredients for peanut sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a gently boil for one minute. Mix 1/4 cup peanut sauce with chicken.

Cover flatbread with remaining peanut sauce. Add half the cheese, then chicken, bean sprouts, carrots and scallions. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the flatbread then top it with the chopped peanuts.

Carefully transfer the parchment paper to the pizza stone, and bake until crisp and cheese is bubbly and golden, about 12 minutes. (You can transfer it using a pizza peel, or you can put in on an inverted jelly roll pan to transfer.)

When flatbread is finished, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Sunshine Soup

This month for Secret Recipe Club, I had a recipe all picked out. Then I got a cold. I don't know about you, but whenever I get sick, all I want to eat is soup. So I was really excited to find this Sunshine Soup on My Wholefood Family. This blog is by Susan, an Australian, who cooks food with no waste, no fuss and on a budget - "just like our grandmothers."

Now, let's talk about this soup. Doesn't the name just make you feel better? Sunshine Soup! If it doesn't, eating the soup itself is sure to get you on the road to health. Packed with nutrient rich carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin, it is the perfect soup for fall, even if you're not sick! Pumpkins are, as far as I know, much more readily available in Australia, so I subbed a can of pureed pumpkin. I also added onion for a little more depth of flavor.

We enjoyed this soup so much. Thanks for a great recipe, Susan!


Sunshine Soup (Carrot, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup)

2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large carrots, diced small
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced small
1 15-oz. can pureed pumpkin
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until onion for 2 minutes. Add the carrot and sweet potato and saute until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger and turmeric and stir well. Pour in the broth and the pumpkin. Bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Using an immersion blender, process the soup until smooth. Serves 4.

An InLinkz Link-up

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto {Instant Pot!}

I love risotto. There's something soothing about the long stirring time after a hard day. But there's also something soothing about getting dinner on the table in a matter of minutes, which is why I love risotto adapted for the electric pressure cooker! In this version, there is no stirring - there's just waiting. In that time, you can make a salad, or put your feet up and read a good book for a few minutes. This risotto in the pressure cooker turns out just as delicious as stove top risotto - in half the time and with half the effort.

Shrimp is my favorite stir in to risotto, but I also love scallops and Italian sausage, so I can't wait to adapt those versions to the pressure cooker. And try many more varieties - like chicken and vegetables.

The rice is hot enough to cook the asparagus at the end, without keeping it on the heat. If you prefer to use raw shrimp, just let it cook in the rice for a couple more minutes.

Fancy dinner on a weeknight? Yes, please!

Find more great stuff at Inspiration Monday, Mix it Up, Create Link Inspire, Clever Chicks, Fabulous, Show and Share, Hearth and Soul, What's Cooking, Wow Me, Wow Us.

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto {Instant Pot!}

2 tsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup sliced cremini or white button mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped asparagus
3/4 lb large cooked shrimp, thawed with tails removed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

Set an electric pressure cooker to browning or saute, and heat the oil. Stir in the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.

Add the rice and the mushrooms, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, until the rice is coated with the oil and very lightly browning. Pour in the wine, which will bubble immediately. Stir for 1 minute, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Then add the chicken broth all at once.

Lock the cover and turn the pressure valve (so it's not on venting.) Set on High Pressure for 6 minutes.

When the cooker switches to Keep Warm, immediately release the pressure. After the pressure indicator drops, remove the top.

Switch the cooker to saute. Stir in the butter and asparagus. Cook for 1 minute, then add the shrimp.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, approximately 1 minute, and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the cheese, vigorously, to melt the cheese and distribute it throughout the risotto. Serve immediately. (Risotto left in the pot will thicken substantially.)

Recipe Source: Adapted from The Perfect Pantry