Meals of the Week

I made the most amazing pizza of my life this week.  It's not vegetarian but it is mouthwateringly delicious.  Honestly, I think it's the best pizzas I've EVER made.  Have you had CPKs Thai Chicken Pizza?  You know- this one?

 I haven't had it in a long long time, but I remember it being awesome.  Well, I made it at home.  With a little help from Bree of course.  If you haven't checked out Bree's site, you really should.  Baked Bree (which also happens to be on my favorite foods) has become my go-to source for meal inspiration.  I've cooked a number of different meals from her and they are always the perfect balance.  Her recipes are fabulous.  So please, please go check them out!

I've made Peanut Sauces countless times on the blog but I've never tasted one as delicious as this.
Honestly, I will say it rivals the original from CPK and its probably a little better for you! I didn't have bean sprouts or peanuts so I substiuted with cashews for a bit of a crunch.  If you make one thing from my blog, this is the thing to make!

PS- I will even tell you I didn't measure a thing.  I usually don't, I have a pretty decent eye for what a 1/2 cup is or a tablespoon of something is.  Even eyeballing this recipe, the sauce was still heavenly. 

Thai Chicken Pizza
Inspired from Baked Bree
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter 
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha 
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 cup boiling water
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (store bought or homemade)
cooked chicken cut into pieces
red pepper
carrots
bean sprouts
green onions
peanuts
cilantro
Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese or whatever you got, I had a blended cheese package
 Instructions: 
Mix all ingredients (up to boiling water) together in a sauce pot over medium heat.  Bring a kettle of water up to its boiling point.  Mix the water into the sauce until the consistency is where you want it to be. Then take it off the heat and add in the chicken pieces so every bite can get some amazing sauce!

Slice the vegetables and grade the carrots. Roll out the pizza dough. Spread the sauce and chicken over the pizza crust, add the vegetables and cheese.   Bake at 450-500 degrees until the crust is crispy.  Garnish with cilantro, peanuts and more green onions.  Oh and bean sprouts if you got them.  Get ready to eat the best pizza in the world!

I feel like I could write a novel on how perfect this pizza was.  And it was so simple.  The whole thing probably took me 40 minutes, tops.

I DID also make TWO tasty vegetarian dishes this week.  Both of which were Chili.

First, I made an adaption of Bon Appetit's Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Bulgur.  Only I added in Edamame and Soy Chirozo.  I've never tried this product and I was planning on using tempeh, but I found this first so I figured why not. 

Butternut Squash Black Bean Bulgur Chili
Ingredients:  
1 tablespoons olive oil 
1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped 

palmful of chili powder 

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes

1 can of black beans  

2 chipotle chiles from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, minced 

2 teaspoons dried oregano  

2 cups of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and roasted (I did this Sunday) 

1/2 cup cooked bulgur (I did this Sunday)

1/2 Package of Soy Chirizo  

1 cup of ready to eat edamame 

vegetable stock, if needed

Greek Yogurt 

Coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese 

Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Sprinkle chili powder and cumin over; stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes with juice, beans, chipotles, and oregano. 

 

Add in bulgur, edamame  and soy chirozo.  Use vegetable stock if its too thick.  Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with Greek Yogurt, Cheese and Cilantro.

 And I think bulgur is my new favorite grain.  At least one of them!  This dish rocked.  Subtle heat from the Chipotles but a nice balance of sweet with the squash. This was a delicious vegetarian meal.

And last night I didn't get home until close 9 but I still wanted to make dinner so Dave and I would have lunches for the rest of the week AND so Dave would have something to eat tonight.  (Such a good wifey, I know).  

This dinner was loosely inspired by Susie at We Are Not Martha for Sweet Potato Chili.  Big differences were I used Refried Black Beans instead of canned black beans, pinto beans instead of Kidney and I used Vegetable Stock instead of water.  I also added in the rest of my soy chirozo.
 
This had so much flavor!
 
Do yourself a favor, make this Thai Chicken Pizza and these Chilis- you will not be dissappointed! 

I am off to see the Hood to Coast Movie with Corey, Becky and Lauren!  Happy Thursday!