Chicken "Caprese" Pizza with Ma I? Have This Evening Shiraz Blend

So, I found this recipe for a chicken caprese pizza here...  http://willcookforsmiles.com/2013/08/caprese-chicken-pizza.html

and put my own twist on it.  My husband and one of my kids does not like tomatoes AT ALL but this looked so delicious, I couldn't not "pin" it and try it sometime, catering it to all my men, of course.

Ingredients:
1 Chicken breast
Fresh Pizza Dough
S&P
2 Tbsp EVOO
3 tsp Balsamic
1 tsp (total) - orgenago, basil & garlic powder
6-8 oz Fresh Mozzarella (I like mine cheesy), shredded or sliced thin and ripped a bit. 
1 Roasted Red Pepper (this is what I use in place of the tomatoes)
10ish Fresh Basil Leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

My first change-up was using a fresh pizza dough, rather than the Pilsbury.  It's how we've been doing pizza lately, and the difference in taste (and price) is amazing.  No, I don't make my own dough, but I do buy the fresh stuff at the supermarket.  I leave the dough out for a bit to bring it to room temperature before rolling it out on my pizza stone - you may want to put something like cornmeal or oil on the stone before rolling out the dough.  While that's sitting, grill or fry up 1 chicken breast.  If you've got a Foreman grill, that's probably your easiest/best bet.  I have one, but ended up frying anyway.  Next time, it will be on the grill, no doubt.  I just seasoned up the chicken with some S&P, the rest of the pizza will be filled with flavor, so don't worry about seasoning up the chicken any more than that. 

For the "Sauce", you will need 2 Tbsp EVOO, 3 tsp Balsamic and 1 tsp total of oregano, basil and garlic powder (or if you can find pizza seasoning, but this worked well for me rather than spending money on "pizza" seasoning).  Mix that altogether and brush it on the rolled out dough.  You probably won't (don't want to) use nearly all of it, too much will make it runny. 

Then, start "decorating" your pizza with the mozzarella, chicken, red pepper and basil.  I also drizzled a little bit more of the sauce on top before putting it in the oven.  If you'd like, a little more salt could go on at this point ~ not too much, though.  Cook for approximately 15-17 minutes.

Pre Oven Picture - isn't it pretty????

 

And, out, still not bad to look at - but this is why I suggest not using too,

too much on the "sauce", it did pool up in the middle a bit.

 



Not only did it look good, but it tasted AMAZING!!  What would I do differently next time??  Garlic, I'd cut up some fresh garlic and throw that on there too. 

So, the wine.  Ma I? Have This Evening 2009 Barossa Valley.  It's a blend of 80% Shiraz and 20% Mataro.  This went really well with the balsamic on the pizza, I'm glad I chose this wine.  Initially opening it, it was a little sharp on the nose, but that opens up very quickly to a jammy chocolately goodness.  Let's taste....wait, give me a minute, I'm tasting....

This is a nice, mostly dry red that goes down very smoothly.  Not so much of the chocolate that I got on the nose, but the jammy, black berry flavors present nicely.  The finish has a light smoky, spicy, but not "burn".  This is a nice, full-bodied wine that I'm glad I have a couple more bottles of.  It paired amazingly well with this dinner. 

In Vino Veritas!

2011 Mas de Daumas Gassac Rose Frisant

Whew, it's been a while.  I got myself a little wine journal and hope that this helps me keep on top of my "Wine"-ing. 

So, a while back, my husband put this wine in the fridge, and I had put a different one in for the same night of drinking.  Of course, we ended up that night drinking the wine I put in and this one has just been chillin'.  This week, HB (Honey Bunny) & I are on date week.  Kids are away at Boy Scout camp and, while I didn't have much of a plan for dinner, I came up with a last minute plan to make grilled chicken sandwiches with arugula, fresh mozz, balsamic & roasted red peppers on Ciabatta.  Pretty easy, but what wine??  I didn't much feel like a red wine in this extreme heat, so when I saw this bottle in the fridge, it was a no brainer. 

So, dinner - I used a chipotle seasoning from Pampered Chef on the chicken and HB grilled that up for us.  Cut up some fresh mozzarella, had some roasted red peppers.  I have this delicious Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar from Leonardo e Roberto.  I swear it's the most amazing vinegar.  We bought it at a local wine festival, but I've "like'd" them on Facebook since, and I found more at Chef Central up in Paramus, so I'm a happy camper (and speaking of camping, I'm starting up a new camping blog - hopefully, I'll be more active with all).  Back to the dinner, put all this stuff on your ciabatta and eat away - did you get all the stuff I put on there?  Chicken, roasted red peppers (I prefer to roast my own), balsamic, arugula and fresh mozzarella. 

Let's talk wine...  I'm not big on Brut wines. To me, the fizz takes away from the flavor, but on this hot night, it was quite refreshing.  Visually, it's a beautiful, Pretty in Pink, bubbly.  Immediately, I smell strawberries, and it's funny because I don't know if I actually smell them, or I just want to because of how it looks, but definitely a nice berry scent.  In the mouth, you get that fresh effervescence that, at first, overpowers the fruitiness, but as you get through the bottle (and, HB & I got through the whole bottle), it settles more into a nicer fruity/bubbly balance and was much more enjoyable for me.  Alcohol content was 11.5%, so it was not overpowering, especially on this heat to drink a wine that wasn't too high on the alcohol. 

All in all, I'd say it was a really nice wine/dinner pairing.  Love it when you throw something together last minute and it all works out.

In Vino Veritas!

France v. California

French wins on both counts

2010 Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon with Penne Marinara and Rosemary Bread

Went shopping at Gary's Wine today.  Love days like that when I just go in without a specific item in mind, and fill up the cart with some wines....  Some I've had before, others not.  Before we went, I started the marinara in the crock pot.  Recipe is courtesy of another blog I discovered today called Budget Bytes.  I'm gonna have to go through this blog a little to see what else I can make.  I like food.  I like to save $$$.  Sounds like a plan.  So, we had penne with this marinara recipe http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-marinara-515-recipe-040.html.  

Also, kids & I went to the Farmers Market in town today and bought this awesome Rosemary Bread from the Hoboken Farms stand (check it...  www.hobokenfarms.com).  This bread was freakin awesome.  I could smell that all day.  To go with the bread, I made a couple of dips, courtesy of The Pampered Chef.  I used the Sun-Dried Tomato & Herb seasoning, and I also made up the Parmesan Garlic oil dipping seasoning.  I did use these seasonings last week and, at that time, I just put some oil in a dipping plate and shook in the seasoning.  This week I followed the directions.  No one liked it when I followed the directions (they felt it was too thick and overpowering), so I'll stick w/ my rebellious ways next time around and just shake it in the EVOO until I think it's good.  D also made us a tossed salad with dinner w/ some fresh Jersey veggies, etc. from the Market.  

Our wine selection for tonight was the 2010 Josh Cellars Cabernet.  I know we've had this before, and when we did buy it the first time, I will admit we bought it for the name.  My first born, Joshua.  I also remembered we liked it a lot, so when I saw it again today, I went for it.  I really thought it more expensive last time.  Really nice wine for the price ($14.99 at Gary's).  

Visually, it's this beautiful plum color with legs that slowly run down the glass, showing off it's medium to heavy body.  On the nose, you inhale a fabulous combination of pepper and black currant.  Then, my favorite part, the taste...  It's got very soft tannins, making it go down easy, a little too easy (he, he!).  I feel like it's less pepper in the mouth, but still spicy if that makes sense.  The rich berry is amazing, and the finish hangs on for a bit, just extending the enjoyment of the wine.  

Overall, what a great pairing this evening.  Good food, Good Wine (good price), and a nice evening w/ my men.  A girl couldn't be happier ;)  So, now I gotta finish off this bread and what's left in my glass.  

In Vino Veritas!

Todd Lauren Pinot Noir 2010

Good Thursday Evening to all,

Tonight we enjoyed the Todd Lauren Pinot Noir with our Penne Vodka. I found my wine rack this evening to be fairly empty....   Not cool.  Text to husband - please go to Stew's and get a bottle of wine for dinner!!  Response - any specific request?  To Husband - Pinot.  He was torn between this bottle or a Burgundy, and went with this.  I think either would do ;)

But this is what I have, so this is what I'll write about.  Let's begin!

So, start with a look...  Such a beautiful ruby red you can see right through.  Light to medium body, legs seem to run right down your glass. 

Stick your nose in it...  you get ripe cherries.  Swirl around a bit, and it adds some leather, in a good way. 

And, to taste...  It's a nice cherry on the tongue mixed with a delightful earthiness.  It's somewhat acidic.  Truely, a perfect balance.  And, it went great with dinner! 

So, any suggestions of wines you have for me, I'll take it!  I want to write about what you want to hear about.  I also take donations ;)   LOL!  Of wine, of course.  You give it, I'll taste it and give a full report! 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Skouras Saint George Aghiorghitiko Nemea 2010

Blogging from the phone today.  Please excuse my typos...

Burgers and fingerlings tonight.  Nothing special about the burgers except they were made with love by hubs ;)

Fingerlings I shake up with EVOO, ground salt, ground pepper and Tastefully Simple Grillin Seasoning.  Put it on a stone and on the grill.

Tonights wine is a WOTM from Amanti Vino.  I sat looking at my rack (comments to yourself, please) and saw French, Italian and Greek...  I'm not sure I've done Greek before, so I went with it.  Excellent choice.  

Beautiful purple-red that's just light enough to see through.  Stick your nose in it and there's this wonderful cherry, very light tobacco (which is a descriptive I hate to use,because it doesn't sound good to me) and a hint of chocolate (or maybe I just want to smell that).  Now taste...   Very vibrant, sexy, yes sexy, red wine.  Now, I don't taste the tobacco but the rest of what was on the nose is in the mouth.  I also now realize I have a mosquito coil burning...  Is that where the tobacco was coming from?   Could be.

Oh well, the chill and the clouds see rolling in, so it looks like I'm done out here.  I highly recommend this wine.  I may comment later with other possible pairings, but for now...

In Vino Veritas

Domaine Trapet Ox Auxerrois 2007 paired with Pasta w/ Prosciutto & Spinach

I'll start off by saying I've never heard of this varietal - Auxierros Blanc.  That being said, perfect pairing!!!

My dinner recipe tonight is courtesy of Cooking Light, October 2008, or, really, right here on the web...   http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-with-prosciutto-spinach-10000001842335/  I've made this dinner before (maybe I've even paired it before - who knows).  Seriously, quick & easy and and a favorite of hubs & I.  My older son likes it, too - younger son, he doesn't like much, so it's not surprising he won't even try.  I decided to go with a white for this because there's no red sauce - it's a nice, light olive oil with some other phenomenal flavors - Prosciutto, Cheese, deliciousness...

The wine was a WOTM from Amanti Vino.  The grapes were grown in Alsace, which is a region in France that borders Germany.  You'll find many of the same grapes grown in Alsace as Germany, but I've found them to be less sweet - I usually prefer an Alsatian Riesling to a German one (usually).  Anyway, back to the wine.  Since I've never heard of the grape, I checked around a little...  It is primarily grown in France's Alsace region, and most often used as a blend.  I read (though not necessarily agree in this case) that it's highly acidic and bland, with a high alcohol content (this bottle actually says 11-14% - I've never seen that range before).  In various locales, Malbec is called Auxerrios, Chardonnay is called Auxerrios Blanc, and Pinot Gris is called Auxerrios Gris.

Before I get into all the specifics of tonight's pairing, I should mention I have a little cold.  Not bad (or I wouldn't waste the wine), but it might make things taste differently than they should.  The color, not at all skewed by my cold is a nice straw yellow, so I'm not expecting it to be too bland - it's not terribly pale.  On the nose, I am getting some light fruit, green apple maybe.  After my initial swirl, I do get a light floral note, still heavier on the apple.  A quick taste before we eat (I do enjoy a little wine while I cook, part of the enjoyment of cooking), Mmmmmm...  Not bland, but somewhat acidic.  This is all good, though - the saltiness of the prosciutto, the parmesan (side note - I do grate my parm fresh rather than the recipe suggested pre-shredded) as well as the cheese tortellini ~ the acidity in the wine does a fabulous job of bringing this altogether into an enjoyable food & wine pairing.  Or, as I like to call it a Party in the Mouth.  

I hope you get the chance to try out the pairing or, at least, the wine or dinner recipe on their own.  

In Vino Veritas!