Because we were out of pizza sauce and pepperoni we had to improvise and ended up making a pizza with chicken, spinach, basil and olive oil.  We then finished it with a balsamic reduction my wife whipped up.  It was light and most tasty.  The wood smoke flavored the cheese and crust nicely, it complimented the strong flavors of the basil and the dry heat and free flowing air from the grill gave the pizza a nice crispy crust .

So here is how I did it, I cheated, I first pre-heated the stone in the oven at 500°F for about an hour.  While I did this I got the grill ready with half charcoal – half hickory chunks; spreading the coals evenly around the charcoal grate.  I then cooked up a chicken breast, I had marinaded the chicken over night in a combination of 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a clove of pressed garlic and a teaspoon of paprika.  My wife wilted spinach and fresh basil leaves from our patio with some olive oil and pressed garlic.  Once the chicken was cooked up, I sliced it up, rolled out the dough onto my pre-heated pizza stone.  I then brushed the crust with olive oil, topped with the spinach-basil mix and cheese.  Then it was onto the grill for about 15 minutes.  At this point the charcoal had passed its prime so it took more time than I would have liked, but it was worth it.

So in the end we had two verdicts, I thought the grilled dough was much better than that baked in the oven.  My wife however would rather have the crust baked in the oven.  So what was the difference?  The pizza from the grill had a nice, crispy and slightly burnt crust.  Burnt in this case is not a bad thing, it was just lightly charred in the center on the bottom.  The pizza from the oven was much more moist and the crust was not nearly as crispy.  The crust from the oven also lacked the flavor the grilled pizza got from being exposed to the fire and smoke of burning wood.  If it was up to me we would be done eating pizza from the oven and keep the heat outside, and get a better flavored crispier crust from the grill.

Way back in my cupboard was a pizza stone that we had not used in a couple months, so out it came and into the 500°F oven until it was hot.  I did everything like before, plopped the dough on the stone; added sauce, cheese and toppings as quickly as possible and popped it back in the oven.  It did its thing, somehow cooking pizza on a stone is magical the crust was ‘fluffier‘ than before, it was awesome.  It did take me a while to realize how awesome it was, it wasn’t tell I was sitting back craving more pizza that I realized it was that good and it only had mushrooms and pepperoni on it.

I learn a couple of lessons this time that I will be applying to the next pizza we make.  First I will be sure to bake the crust alone in the oven for a few minutes prior to topping with sauce, cheese and toppings.  And second if I am going to be using alot of moist toppings I will be sure to pre-cook them a bit to get some of the moisture out.  With those two things, I dare say it will be pizza baking perfection.

Tomorrow we try pizza on the grill, wood-fire style.

After about an hour and half of this we got well, really not that far, we got a lot of good smells and up to about 115ºF, when impatience set in and we decided to flop the roast of the roasting rack and onto the grate, at which time we grilled it for about 20 minutes rare until it was just shy of medium rare. We pulled it and dug in.  It was incredible, it was just like a giant steak and really quite tender.  Somehow we managed to make nearly six pounds of meat into a four serving dish.

We devoured a steak drizzled with our beer, onions and drippings au jus and topped with the cooked onions and a potato on the side.  It was a tasty steak and an excellent learning experience.   Next time I do this I will either set aside more time to anticipate cooking if I want to use the indirect method of cook the entire duration of the cook directly on the grate but still indirectly and speed things up.

So for those of you who wanted to know how Chuckie fared, he fared well enough to have a Chuckie the second sooner or later on the grill and definitely in the smoker.

Ingredients
2 eggs
2 slices of bacon fried
1 tbsp pesto
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic pressed
1 tbsp olive oil
mayo
2 slices toasted bread
12 spinach leaves
6 fresh basil leaves

Instructions
Pour olive oil in skilled and heat over medium heat, add onions, mustard, pesto and garlic, saute until onions are translucent.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Crack eggs and place in skillet, spread mayo on bread.  Once eggs are half done add chopped spinach and chopped basil leaves.  Finish cooking eggs.  Transfer eggs to bread, top with onion ‘relish’ and bacon.  Eat immediately.

A tasty, easy to make and boldly flavored sandwich I am going to be sure again.

Ingredients
3 tsp curry powder
2 cubed chicken breasts
1 chopped onion
pinch of ginger
1/3 c honey
2 tbsp margarine or butter

Instructions
Melt butter in a frying pan and add curry, ginger and onion mixing together well.  Cook over low heat until onion are translucent, stirring frequently.   Add chicken, cover and cook until done throughout, add honey and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes stirring constantly until a sauce forms and is uniform.  Eat right away.

Not as good as the first chicken curry I made in the oven and have made weekly since then, but it was still very good and we will make it again when in a bind.

All in all it tasted good, it hit the spot and cherry wood usually make any meat a little better and chicken breast on the grill is no exception.

The chicken was place in its foil boat atop a bed of onions, a mashed clove of garlic and sprinkled with BBQ 3000.  It was then smothered in BBQ sauce, we had a little bit of three different kinds in the fridge and I used all of them.  Three more bottles out of the way.

The potatoes were canned potatoes (which I had never even seen before, let alone ate) and they were placed in a foil boat with a couple tablespoons of margarine, some chopped onion, some mashed garlic, some parsley, some steak sauce and a little cheese.

Both dishes were pretty dang good and even better for not having planned at all, a last might grill meal for the win.

Dinner consisted of Lowfat Chicken Enchiladas made with some of Saturday’s smoked chicken leftovers.  These thing were incredible the first time we made them, and as such I was anticipating greatness once again.  I was no disappointed, I am anxious for the leftover enchiladas I will be eating for the next day.

I can’t wait for tomorrow leftovers will be in lunch box and in vogue.  At least to me.  Had any incredible leftover adventures lately?  Tell me about em.

Note: Even though its not technically a recipe this one still gets a rating.

This might be the easy dressing I have ever made out side of a straight vinegar or oil drizzle on a salad this might take the cake as the easiest.

Ingredients
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh rosemary (I substituted 1 tsp dried whole rosemary)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  That’s all.  Will store in the refrigerator for a couple weeks is stored in a sealed container.

That’s it and out came this incredibly creamy and delicious dressing.  Sometimes simpler is better.  This would also be delicious with salmon or pork on the same salad.

Now that is some good looking chicken.  Even the simplest of recipes can yield a complex result on occasion.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp melted margarine
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Grease a glass baking dish.  Wash chicken under cool water and pat dry with paper towels.  Set aside.  In a bowl combine all ingredients besides chicken and mix until uniform.  Spread mixture over entire surface of chicken, rubbing into the meat.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes until done.

While not my favorite chicken recipe of late, I mean its no Curried Chicken, this wasn’t half bad and we may make it again at a later date?

With that aside, we had another workout and cook at the same time meal tonight.  It was called Jerk not because of the process or its temperament but because of the seasoning we applied and despite its ease and lack of process and a rich marinade it was far more than edible it resembled jerk chicken and it was easy.  Besides that it tempted us with smells of the Caribbean, while we did our plyometrics.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
jerk seasoning (I got mine at Penzeys)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.  Combine lime juice and olive oil in a glass baking dish until uniform.  Roll chicken several times in the mixture and sprinkle both sides, covering evenly with jerk seasoning.  Bake for about 50 minutes or until done, turning once.

While not nearly as delicious as the real thing, our poor man’s jerk chicken was a tasty treat with a bit of a kick in the middle of winter.