Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pizza

Addiction, by definition, is the continued use of a substance of behavior despite adverse consequences.  So, I'm coming clean...

I'm addicted to truffle oil.

Continued use? Yep- any chance I get.  Adverse consequences?  I'd say so-- eating an entire pizza in a fairly short period of time probably isn't so good for me.  Oops.

So that is in fact exactly what happened when I made this pizza.  It combines some of my favorite things: truffle oil (obviously), mushrooms, and cheese!  I tried to take pictures of the process while cooking... but I was clearly too excited and ended up with little more than pictures of mushrooms and the final product.  Sorry!  Maybe next time?  Eh- chances are the same thing will happen again.  However, my message to you: make this pizza, and whatever you do, don't plan on sharing it with many people.  You won't want to.

I know it looks like a lot of mushrooms, but they shrink when they lose their moisture and cook... usually about half the volume so double what you think you want!  If you don't, by the time they're cooked you'll be wondering who the mushroom thief might be :)

Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza dough (purchased or prepared from scratch)

8 ounces sliced mushrooms (any combination- I used portobello, shiitake, cremini, and button)

1/2 large white onion

4+ ounces mozzarella, shredded

truffle oil

1/2 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

Parmesan cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the onion thinly, and cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently until caramel in color.  

Prepare pizza dough according to directions (on package or recipe).  Roll it out to the shape of your pan, making sure it's fairly even.
2. Top the pizza with mushrooms, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.  Bake at about 425 for a few minutes for crispy crust; decrease to 400 for a few more minutes if you want the crust more thoroughly cooked.
3. As soon as the pizza is done to your preferences, bring it out and sprinkle a little more parmesan (if you want) and then drizzle a TINY amount of truffle oil.  As obsessed as I am, I promise a little bit goes a long way!
4.  Slice, and ENJOY! :)

Dumplings/Gyoza

My friend, Natalie, and I both had a long day today.  After battling INSANE Houston traffic, we ended up at our regular sushi place (just in time to order happy hour appetizers!).  We ordered edamame and gyoza as usual... only the gyoza is no longer really all that good.  It was fine, but after this recipe I made a couple weeks ago nothing else really measures up.  It takes some time to put it together, but it's most definitely worth it!   In order to share this tastiness with whomever else has been disappointed by lack-luster gyoza, here you go!

Shrimp and Pork Dumplings/Gyoza

Filling:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs shrimp, peeled/deveined (don't worry about the size-- you're going to chop it anyway)

1 lb ground pork

3 T. toasted sesame oil

3 T. low sodium soy sauce

1 T. cornstarch

3 T. fresh ginger (you can use the fresh grated in the tube-- equal amounts)

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

4 scallions, finely chopped

4 egg whites

Juice of 1 lemon (or to taste)

Kosher salt and black pepper

4 oz can water chestnuts; chopped

Wrappers:

Round wonton wrappers (square works too if that's all you find)

Sauces:

Chili Soy Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 T red chili sauce (i.e. Sriracha)

2 T reduced sodium soy sauce

Scallion Ginger Sauce:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1 T. brown sugar

1 finely chopped scallion

1/4 tsp fresh ginger

Directions:

Finely chop the shrimp, garlic, and green onions.  Mix together with the ground pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, egg whites, and lemon.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold in the chopped water chestnuts.

Place a wonton wrapper on a clean cutting board and add a small amount of filling in the center.  Brush the edges of the wrapper with water (I use my finger).  Take one edge of the wrapper and fold it to the other to create a half moon shape, and make folds/pleats to press the two sides together until the filling is fully enveloped.  Add just enough filling to make it full, but not so much that it squeezes out :)  It may take a couple tries to get the perfect amount.

After making many of the gyoza, heat the skillet with 1-2 T oil over medium-high heat.  Add a few of the dumplings to the hot pan, smooth sides down.  Let them sear 1-2 minutes, then add about 1/2 cup water, cover, and let steam until cooked-- about 3-4 minutes.  Serve with sauces and enjoy!

Prosciutto and Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce

 This recipe looks fancy, but really isn't all that difficult!  It's also one that satisfies a variety of tastes, and the amount can be easily adjusted.  I remember making this dish for my roommates and several of our friends during graduate school-- the house was full of noisy chatter while I was cooking, but the minute they began to eat the house fell silent.  Definitely a good sign!   Roasted potatoes and veggies or a salad are great sides to complete the meal.  Here I served it on top of a bed of fresh spinach.

What to do:

Place a chicken breast in a large resealable plastic bag, and pound the chicken breasts out from the center.  This is particularly fun if you've had a bad day :)   It's not going to look pretty or symmetrical... it's chicken.  Just try to make it fairly even, and thin enough to easily roll around a filling.  Be careful though- if you get carried away with the pounding it's possible to tear the chicken, which of course makes it difficult to keep the stuffing in!  

Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast.  Combine sun-dried tomatoes and garlic-herb cheese, and divide between the two pieces of chicken.  (Note: If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the cheese.)  Wrap and roll the chicken over the stuffing, and secure with toothpicks.  Try not to wrap too tight or you'll squeeze out all the good stuff! 

Season the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot pan with olive oil and brown on all sides, cooking approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  This will take a longer or shorter amount of time depending on how thin your chicken is, so just make sure to keep an eye on it.  Nobody likes over-cooked chicken (or raw for that matter).  Remove chicken from pan, place on a plate, and cover with foil.

Melt the butter in the pan, then whisk in flour and cook for a minute or so.  Stir in the wine, reduce for a minute, then add chicken broth and tarragon.  When combined and simmering, add mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.**

**Its so important to season while you're cooking!  To see for yourself, taste this sauce before adding the salt and pepper-- it's good, but nothing special.  Add the salt and pepper, and the flavors come ALIVE!  I promise, it makes a world of difference.  Just do it.

Remove the toothpicks from the chicken, and serve with as much or as little sauce as you want!  Mmm mmm good! 

Prosciutto and Cheese Stuffed Chicken with Tarragon-Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

2 slices prosciutto

1/2 cup light garlic and herb cheese spread

1-2 T. chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

2 T fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

4 oz. white or baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Place a chicken breast in a large resealable plastic bag.  Pound the chicken breasts out from the center to desired thickness.

2. Place one slice of prosciutto on top of each chicken breast.  Combine sun-dried tomatoes and garlic-herb cheese, and divide between the two pieces of chicken.  (Note: If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, dry them with a paper towel before adding them to the cheese.)  Wrap and roll the chicken over the stuffing, and secure with toothpicks.

3. Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat; add 1-2 T. olive oil.  Season the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Add the chicken to the hot pan and brown on all sides, cooking approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

4. Remove chicken from pan, place on a plate, and cover with foil.  In the same pan, add the butter and melt.  Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so.  Stir in the wine, reduce for a minute, then add chicken broth and tarragon.  When combined and simmering, add mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until ready to serve and mushrooms are cooked, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the toothpicks from the chicken, and serve with a generous helping of the sauce over top.  Enjoy!