Chicken Breasts with a Mustard Caper Pan Sauce

We have become huge fans of the chicken-with-pan-sauce type of meal. I think it's a great way to add variation to otherwise plain old chicken, while still begin quick to prepare and very flavorful. Another great aspect of this category is that small changes to the sauce, which can often be done with items already in your pantry or fridge, can yield very different dishes.



I'd been wanting to make this recipe for quite a while, and when the time finally came, I saw it as an opportunity to use up some artichoke hearts that were in the fridge. They were a great addition to an already wonderful dish!

Chicken Breasts with a Mustard Caper Pan Sauce
Source: Slightly adapted from My Italian Grandmother

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• approx 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (skip the butter and stick with oil for a clean meal)
• 1 -2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 1 generous tablespoon of dijon mustard
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons of capers
• 4 artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a saute pan (stainless steel will work best) over medium heat. Saute chicken on both sides then remove to a plate. If the pan is dry add a little more oil and the garlic. Do not let garlic burn or it will taste bitter (lower the heat if necessary). Cook the garlic for a minute and add flour. Allow flour to cook for 1 minute and stir. Turn heat up again if you lowered it an add stock while stirring with wooden spoon or whisk. Add mustard, capers, and artichokes and season with pepper. Taste it before you add salt and adjust salt and mustard accordingly. If you want your sauce to thicken reduce it further, or if you want more sauce add a little more stock and let it reduce. Add parsley. When your sauce is done add the chicken to the pan with and toss to coat. Cover and let it cook for another 5-10 mins (depending on the thickness of your chicken) so chicken is cooked through.

Chicken and Artichokes with Wine Sauce

It should be no surprise that we love artichokes, chicken, and wine. Flipping though my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, I found a great sounding recipe that combined all three!

This sauce was fantastic and such a perfect topping for skillet cooked chicken. As an added bonus, it is quick to put together. We served it with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli for a wonderful meal.




Chicken and Artichokes with Wine Sauce
Source: Slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Bridal Edition, page 427
Serves: 4

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 8 or 9 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved lengthwise (I used canned)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1.  In a shallow dish, stir together flour, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper; reserve one tablespoon of flour mixture.  Coat chicken in remaining flour mixture.

2.  In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning once.  Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm.  Drain off any excess oil in skillet.

3.  In the same skillet, cook mushrooms and artichoke hearts in hot butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until artichokes are tender.

4.  In a small bowl stir together reserved flour mixture, wine, broth, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth.  Add wine mixture to skillet.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

This meal had all the flavors we love, so I knew it would be a hit.  As a bonus, it is easy to prepare and bakes up quickly.  Between the capers, olives, and feta, I decided there was enough salt and omitted it from the recipe, along with the oil.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets
Source: Slightly adapted from Everyday Food, April 2009
Serves: 4

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• Ground pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 4 artichoke hearts (from a 14-ounce can), quartered
• 12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place four 12-inch squares of parchment paper or heavy-duty foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2-inch border; season with pepper.
2. Dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Fold parchment over ingredients, and crimp edges to seal.
3. Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 22 minutes.

Nutritional Information, per serving with 1 tablespoon oil per recipe
Calories: 344
Total Fat: 14.1 g (I'm guessing this goes down to around 11g with omission of the oil)
Sat. Fat: 4.3 g
Carbohydrates: 9.3 g
Fiber: 1.8 g
Protein: 44.1 g

Chicken Piccata

I've made chicken piccata before, but that recipe didn't call for capers (blasphemy!) and no longer fits in my clean eating lifestyle. I was very excited to see a new version in the Sept/Oct issue of Clean Eating Magazine - capers included!

This recipe turned out to be fantastic. I had some leftover artichoke hearts so I threw them in - what a great addition that turned out to be! Surprisingly, and thankfully, I didn't miss the butter in the sauce at all!

Chicken Piccata
Slightly Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, Sept/Oct 2009, page 49

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, divided
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 4, 4-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsps capers or olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped (I omitted)
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped (I added)

1. Reserve 1 tbsp flour for later use. In a shallow dish, combine remaining flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to plate.

3. Using the same pan over medium high heat, add remaining 2 tsp oil, garlic, and reserved 1 tbsp flour. Heat mixture, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits from pan. Add stock, lemon juice, artichokes and capers. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium high and simmer for about 3 minutes, until sauce thickens. Add chicken back to pan and continue to simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers

We love artichokes. We love cheese. We love turkey burgers. This dish was a natural fit for us! I made this recipe ages ago, and for reasons unclear to me now, I did not include it in my blog. We completely fell in love with this burger all over again when I made it over the weekend - it would be a shame to leave it out a second time!


I served the burgers on homemade whole wheat burger buns, and WOW. The combination was fantastic! We hadn't even finished our meal and we were fighting over who would get the leftover burger the next day.

Katie calls for 2 pounds of ground turkey, but I find I can get by just as well with one. You can skip the cheese or choose a lower fat cheese, such as feta, to make this dish clean.

Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Slightly adapted from Good Things Catered
Serves: 4

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 medium sweet onion, diced finely
• 1 large pinch of garlic salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 artichoke hearts, quartered
• 4 oz. aged fontina cheese, sliced into 4- 1 oz. squares (choose lower fat like feta, or omit to make it clean)
• 4 whole wheat burger buns
  

Directions:
-In large bowl, add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, onion, garlic salt and pepper.
-Work lightly with hands until well blended.
-Heat grill on medium heat. In case your cheese starts to ooze out, a good preventative measure would be to line the grill with some non stick foil, poked with holes for drainage.
-Divide meat into four portions.
-Remove 2/3 of each portion and flatten into 4-5 inch patties.
-Place 1 slice of fontina and two artichoke heart quarters in middle of each patty.
-Lightly flatten remaining 1/3 of each portion into 3-4 inch patties and place on top.
-Work lightly to flatten and seal all edges of patties.
-Cook over medium to medium-low heat *without moving* burger until bottom side is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
-Turn burgers over and continue to cook until bottom side is browned and the burger is cooked through but not dried out about 8-10 more minutes.
-Remove from heat, place on bun and serve immediately.

BB: White Pizza with Arugula

I love pizza and my husband loves white pizza, so I knew this would be great for us! However, I don't love arugula. In fact, I hate it. I have tried many times to like it to no avail. So we skipped the arugula and vinaigrette, and topped it with artichokes, red pepper, and kalamata olives instead! It was a beautiful weekend, and heating up the oven just seemed wrong so we cooked it on the grill.



See how everyone else liked the pizza, over at Barefoot Bloggers.

White Pizza with Arugula
Source: Ina Garten Back to Basics on page 82
Chosen by Andrea of Nummy Kitchen

For the dough:
* 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
* 2 packages dry yeast
* 1 tablespoon honey
* Good olive oil
* 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
* Kosher salt
* 4 cloves garlic, sliced
* 5 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the topping:
* 3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
* 1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
* 11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as montrachet, crumbled

(For the vinaigrette:
* 1/2 cup good olive oil
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 8 ounces baby arugula
* 1 lemon, sliced)

We added roasted artichoke hearts, chopped red bell pepper, and chopped kalamata olives!

Directions

Mix the dough.

Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

Knead by hand.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

Let it rise.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Portion the dough.

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Stretch the dough.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Make the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add the greens.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

TIP Make sure the bowl is warm before you put the water and yeast in; the water must be warm for the yeast to develop.

TIP Salt inhibits the growth of yeast; add half the flour, then the salt, and then the rest of the flour.

TIP To make sure yeast is still "alive," or active, put it in water and allow it to sit for a few minutes. If it becomes creamy or foamy, it's active.

Potato Artichoke Gratin

It seems the only way to get yukon gold potatoes in this town is to buy the giant bag of them. I much prefer to buy potatoes loose, because we eat them so infrequently. For one meal that includes some mashed potatoes, it's hard to have to buy the whole stinkin' bag, then try to figure out how to use up all the rest. This time, I not only had potatoes to use, but leftover cheese sauce and shredded gruyere from the fabulous croque monsieur.


Well, today I decided I never have to worry about too many yukon gold potatoes ever again. My husband and I both loved this dish to pieces. Next time mashed potatoes are on the menu, that giant bag of potatoes will happily go in my cart with a block of gruyere!


I made individual gratins in 16 oz ramekins, but this could easily be combined into a larger casserole dish if desired.

Potato Artichoke Gratin
Serves: 4

4 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and rinsed, then sliced thin
1 can quartered artichokes
1.5 cup cheese sauce, recipe follows
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper

Spray four 16 ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Starting with the first ramekin, place a layer of potato slices in the bottom. Top with 1/8th of the artichoke quarters. Layer with 3 tablespoons cheese sauce, 1/8 teaspoon thyme, and a dash of salt and pepper. Repeat layers, then top with 1 tablespoon parmesan. Repeat for remaining three ramekins. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cover with foil if cheese is getting too brown.

Cheese sauce
Source: Adapted from Barefoot in Paris, by Ina Garten

* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup hot milk
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Pinch nutmeg
* 3/4 cup grated Gruyere

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and gruyere.

Artichoke Turkey Casserole

My husband doesn't eat ham, so the typically Easter ham is a no-go in our house (I'm not really saddened by this). Instead, I made a turkey dinner. Since I got an 11 pound turkey for two people, there were plenty of leftovers. Luckily, my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook had a great casserole recipe for leftover turkey! I had to omit the bacon and pepper, used brown rice instead of white, used canned artichokes, and used a homemade substitute for the canned cream of chicken soup. The casserole turned out fabulous, and will definitely be a favorite use for leftovers in the future! I had enough to make two, and froze one for an easy meal on a busy night.

I am realizing now that this does not photograph well. But, it's too good to leave out. So here you go.


Artichoke Turkey Casserole
Source: Better Homes and Gardens, New Cookbook: Bridal Edition
Serves 6

* 1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
* 1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 small)
* 1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
* 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
* 1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup (or substitute, see below)
* 1 8- to 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and cut up (I used one can of quartered artichoke hearts)
* 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
* 1 cup cooked long grain rice or wild rice
* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
* 2/3 cup milk
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
* 2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
* 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet cook carrot, sweet pepper, and green onion in hot butter over medium heat until carrot is crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in soup, artichoke hearts, turkey, rice, mozzarella cheese, milk, thyme, and bacon. Transfer turkey mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

2. Bake, covered, in a 350° degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

3. Make-ahead directions:Prepare as above through step 1. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 20 minutes more or until bubbly.

Nutrition Facts per serving

* Calories: 248
* Total Fat (g): 11
* Saturated Fat (g): 5
* Monounsaturated Fat (g): 4
* Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1
* Cholesterol (mg): 47
* Sodium (mg): 611
* Carbohydrate (g): 18
* Total Sugar (g): 3
* Fiber (g): 3
* Protein (g): 18


Cream of Soup Substitute
Source: About.com

Ingredients:

* 2 cups dry milk
* 3/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
* 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes, optional
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, optional
* 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, optional
* 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram, optional
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 2 to 3 teaspoons butter

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except butter together and store in airtight container. To use, mix 1/2 cup dry soup mix with 1 1/4 cups water and cook until thick; add butter. This is equal to one can cream soup. The mix makes enough to equal 9 to 10 cans. For cream of mushroom or celery soup, add chopped sauteé mushrooms or celery along with the butter while cooking.

Evelyn's Favorite Pasta

I recently had a dish by this name at the Cheesecake Factory and totally fell in love! Normally, I am all for having sauce with my pasta, but this had so much going on that I didn't miss it at all! I immediately wrote down everything that was in the dish so I could recreate it at home. Of course, I loved the combination of flavors, but the other great part was the combination of textures. Soft pasta and roasted eggplant contrasted by crunchy pine nuts and roasted broccoli. This is definitely a new favorite in our house.





Evelyn's Favorite Pasta
Based on the dish from The Cheesecake Factory
Serves 3-4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed or grated
salt and pepper
2 chinese eggplant
1 large head broccoli
1 can artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (choose low fat to make it clean)
1/3 cup prepared pesto
8-12 ounces penne pasta (choose whole wheat or multigrain (we like Barilla Plus) to make it clean)
handful of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade

Directions:
Remove the ends from the eggplant. Slice the long way, in thirds, and lay on a cutting board. Salt cut sides of eggplant very well, cover with paper towel and then another cutting board. Place a weight on top of the board. Let stand for 30 minutes, then rinse the eggplant well and cut into 2 inch long pieces.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. When the eggplant is ready and chopped, place in a large bowl. Add chopped broccoli, artichokes, and tomatoes. Combine garlic and olive oil in a small bowl with about 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix well. Add olive oil mixture to the vegetables and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with olive oil. Roast vegetables for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, start heating water for the pasta in a large stock pot. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat, and add the pine nuts. Heat for a few minutes, tossing frequently, until nuts are lightly toasted, then set aside the nuts. When the pasta water has come to a boil, salt generously and add the pasta. Cook according the time instructed on the box.

When pasta is done, drain and add to a large bowl. Add roasted vegetables, kalamatas, cheese, pesto, and toss to combine. Serve and garnish with toasted pine nuts and basil.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

For a few months, I've been wanting to try the pizza dough recipe from Baking Illustrated that I've heard people rave about. This weekend was finally the right time, and I am so glad I finally got to make it. My pizza stretching skills leave something to be desired, so the bottom of the crust was extra thin and the outside edge ended up quite large (good, I suppose, if you love the crust like I do!). I also had some leftover pesto in the freezer that I wanted to use up, so I searched and quickly found this recipe for Chicken Pesto Pizza on Allrecipes. We aren't ones to shy away from cheese, however, so I supplemented the fontina cheese with some mozzarella. We loved it! I found the addition of artichokes to be pure genius. :-)


I only used one third of the dough recipe, the other two thirds were wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for another time.


Chicken Pesto Pizza
Adapted slightly from Allrecipes.com

~1/2 cup pesto basil sauce
~1 (12 inch) pizza crust (recipe follows)
~1 roasted chicken breast, chopped
~7 ounces artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
~1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
~1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven and a baking stone to 500 degrees F for 30 minutes.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a chef’s knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into three pieces. Form each piece of dough into three pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.When stone is ready, remove from the oven. Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Lay stretched pizza crust over cornmeal. Spread pesto sauce over the pizza crust. Arrange chicken pieces and artichoke hearts over the sauce, and sprinkle with cheese.
3. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and lightly browned at the edges.


Pizza Dough
Source: Baking Illustrated, pages 153-155; instructions slightly adapted

Makes enough for 3 medium pizzas.

We find the food processor is the best tool for making pizza dough. However, only a food processor with a capacity of at least 11 cups can handle this much dough. You can also knead this dough by hand or in a standing mixer (see the variations that follow). Unbleached all-purpose flour can be used in a pinch, but the resulting crust will be less crisp. If you want to make pizza dough in the morning and let it rise on the counter all day, decrease the yeast to 1/2 teaspoon and let the covered dough rise at cool room temperature (about 68 degrees) until doubled in size, about 8 hours. You can prolong the rising time even further by refrigerating the covered dough for up to 16 hours and then letting it rise on the counter until doubled in size, which will take 6 to 8 hours.

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 envelope (about 2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
1 1/4 cups water, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting work surface and hands
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil or nonstick cooking spray for oiling the bowl

1. Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room-temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

2. Process the flour and salt in a large food processor, pulsing to combine. Continue pulsing while pouring the liquid ingredients (holding back a few tablespoons) through the feed tube. If the dough does not readily form into a ball, add the remaining liquid and continue to pulse until a ball forms. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 30 seconds longer.

3. The dough will be a bit tacky, so use a rubber spatula to turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for a few strokes to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough into a deep oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a chef’s knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into three pieces. Form each piece of dough into three pieces. Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball and cover it with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the others covered, shape the dough into a 12 inch circle. Repeat with remaining dough, or wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer bag.

Pizza Dough Kneaded by Hand
Follow the recipe for Pizza Dough through step 1. Omit step 2 and instead combine the salt and half the flour in a deep bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine. Add the remaining flour, stirring until a cohesive mass forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic 7 to 8 minutes, using as little dusting flour as possible while kneading. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proceed with the recipe.

Pizza Dough Kneaded in a Standing Mixer
Follow the recipe for Pizza Dough through step 1. Omit step 2 and instead place the flour and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and proceed with the recipe.

Platinum Chef Challenge 6.5

PCC 6* brought a new element to the game: the host chooses his or her favorite from the entries, and that person becomes the next Ingredient Master/Host. Last time, Cara selected Kate of Paved with Good Intentions, and she chose the following 5 ingredients: lemon, rosemary, leeks, cream, and capers. I jumped right into the challenge (as typically the wheels start turning as soon as I hear the ingredients!), determined to be done early. I made a wonderful looking dish of tilapia cooked in a parchment pouch (a la Alton Brown) that was SO BLAND with some slightly undercooked potatoes.
Exhibit A: But it looks so PRETTY going into the pouch!

...and coming out of said pouch!

... and I even made blue garlic!

So, it was back to the drawing board. I switched things up and went back to my faithful standby - chicken. With a quick search at Cooking Light for a lighter cream sauce (which I halved in my recipe) and a few favorite ingredients in mind, I was on my way! The sauce came out perfect - creamy and I knew I wasn't killing my waistline with it. The olives really made themselves known without overpowering, and played nicely with the rosemary/thyme. We loved it! (And, I was thrilled to use my new olive pitter!)

PCC6.5 Creamy Chicken and Pasta**

~1 Tbsp butter
~3 Tbsp olive oil
~roughly 1/3 cup cornstarch for dredging chicken
~about 2 tsp crushed rosemary
~about 2 tsp crushed thyme
~3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
~2 cloves garlic, minced or otherwise pulverized
~1/2 can artichokes (about 5 hearts) quartered
~1 leek, outer leaves removed, sliced down the middle and rinsed, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
~1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
~about 1 Tbsp capers
~roughly 15 Kalamata olives, chopped
~juice of 1/2 lemon
~1/6 cup flour
~1 1/8 cups skim milk
~1/2 cup white wine
~1/4 cup cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
~6 ounces of your favorite pasta, cooked and drained.

1. Heat butter and 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet. Combine cornstarch with rosemary, thyme, and some salt and pepper. Dredge chicken strips in cornstarch mixture, shaking off excess before adding to skillet. Brown chicken a few minutes on each side, then remove from pan and keep warm.
2. Add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to pan and heat. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes. Add artichokes, leeks, mushrooms and lemon juice, saute for a few minutes until vegetables being to soften.
3. Place flour in a small bowl. Add milk and wine, whisking until combined. Add to skillet, scraping loose bits from the bottom. Add olives and capers, simmer about 5 minutes, letting sauce thicken. Add chicken back to pan and allow chicken to cook through, 5-10 minutes.
4. Add cream cheese to skillet, stir to melt and combine. Add cooked pasta, mix thoroughly, and serve!

*So I had last round as #6, and having two #6's will mess me up so I am calling this round 6.5 :-)
**I am well aware of my distinct lack of naming skills.