Fajita Pizza with Cilantro Pesto Sauce

Why should anyone have to choose between Mexican and Italian?  It's unfair; they're both so delicious.  Confronted with the latest Ratio Rally challenge of pizza dough, I decided it was time for some nation-building and brought them together into one amazing dish.

I wish I could write more about this pizza; how it was crunchy and bursting with so many simple and strong flavors, and had enough taste on its own to defy a need for cheese.  Sadly, though, graduate school is sucking all of my free time away from me right now, so I'll just leave you with the recipe and this final thought:  make this.  It's a party in your mouth - seriously.

Thanks to Karen of Cooking Gluten Free for hosting this month's Ratio Rally!  See below the recipe for a list of the other participants and their creations.

Fajita Pizza with Cilantro Pesto Sauce

This works best if you make the pizza dough first, then make the cilantro pesto and slice the veggies and chicken while the dough rises.  Try to have the fajita ingredients ready to go before you put the dough in the oven so that it's all ready at roughly the same time.

For the dough (adapted from the Gluten-free Girl's Pizza Crust recipe)

2.2 oz cornstarch
2.2 oz. corn flour
1.1 oz. tapioca starch
2.2 oz. potato starch
1.1 oz. brown rice flour
1 tsp. xanthan gum
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. warm water
2 tsp. honey
~1/4 cup cornmeal for dusting

Don't preheat the oven yet! Place the warm water, olive oil, honey, and yeast in a bowl and place somewhere warm until it's very frothy, roughly doubled in size.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.  With an electric mixer, beat the yeast mixture in until it is well mixed.  Sprinkle liberal amounts of brown rice flour onto a cutting board or countertop and place the dough on top.  Use more brown rice flour to work the dough into a soft ball with your hands, adding just enough to keep it from sticking.  Return to the bowl and place somewhere warm, covered with a towel or a greased piece of plastic wrap, for an hour, or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.  This will turn out best if you preheat your pizza stone (if you have one) in the oven as well.

Take a fist-sized piece of dough and place on a large greased sheet of wax paper.  Fold the wax paper in half over the dough, then (using a rolling pin) smooth it into a very thin layer.  It doesn't have to be pretty - just try to make the thickness of the dough consistent.  Carefully peel back one side of the wax paper so the dough doesn't stick, then place the dough (exposed side down) on a piece of greased parchment paper.  Peel back the wax paper from the other side of the dough.  Sprinkle with cornmeal and place the parchment paper on the pizza stone.  Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly browned - don't overcook!!

For the cilantro pesto sauce:
2 bunches of cilantro, washed and patted dry
~1/3 cup olive oil
~1/3 cup pine nuts or cashews
3 - 5 cloves of fresh garlic

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth.  Set aside.

For the fajita topping:
2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
3 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 onion, sliced into slivers
1 red pepper, sliced into slivers
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. minced onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Saute the onion and red pepper in 1 - 2 tbsp. olive oil until blackened and tender.  Remove to a bowl, then add the other 2 tbsp. oil and saute the chicken strips until they are cooked through and blackened to your own taste.  When the chicken is done, add the pepper and onion back into the pan.

In a small bowl, combine all of the spices and the cornstarch together.  Add to the pan and stir to mix well, then add the 3/4 cup chicken broth.  Simmer until it thickens to your liking (I simmered mine for at least 7 - 10 minutes).

Compiling the pizza:

Spread a generous amount of cilantro pesto on each baked pizza crust, then top with the chicken fajitas.  Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and top with salsa, sour cream, or cheese to top if you like, but trust me, these are flavorful enough on their own. 


Be sure to check out what the other Ratio Rally folks put together:

Jenn of Jenn Cuisine made Moitié-Moitié Sausage Pizza
Meg of Gluten-Free Boulangerie made Pissaladière (Provençal flatbread w/ olives & anchovies)
TR of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies made Teriyaki Chicken Pizza
Erin of The Sensitive Epicure made Stuffed Pizza Pie: Spinach, Mushrooms, Sausage
Charissa of Zest Bakery made sauteed onion and sausage grilled pizza with basil
Pete and Kelli of No Gluten, No Problem made Grilled Pizza
Mrs. R of Honey From Flinty Rocks made Pepperoni Pizza & Pineapple, Black Olive & Ham Pizza
Caneel of Mama Me Gluten Free made Pizza crust by ratio (choose your toppings)
Morri of Meals With Morri made Everything Peace Pretzels & Pizza Blanca
Meredith of Gluten Free Betty made Pizza
Gretchen of Kumquat made  Mozzarella Pizza with Pine Nuts, Currants & Arugula
Jean of GF Doctor Recipes made Pizza
Brooke of B & the Boy made Dessert Pizza
Karen of Cooking Gluten-Free! made GASP! Garlic, Artichoke,Sun-Dried Tomato, Pesto Pizza
Lisa of Gluten Free Canteen made Rum Raisin Apple Pizza Pie, Gluten Free Dairy Free

Tangy Vegan Chili

And just when I thought I couldn't be surprised by chili!  This is a recipe I have actually been meaning to post since a few months ago, when I first had it at a party hosted by my friends Matt and Mimi (click on their names to check out their fabulous blogs). It was an April Fool's party, and there was talk of chili, so I came with a batch of my banana cornbread muffins in tow, still warm from the oven.  Before I'd even climbed all of the stairs, I could smell the chili wafting down to me.  And if it smelled good, it tasted even better.

Matt made the chili, but says the recipe comes from his mom, Fonda Lowe.  It's a forgiving recipe, and most of the spices can be added to your own taste.  What you see below is an adaptation of what Matt did, which was based largely on the availability of ingredients in my kitchen when I made it.  It is quick and easy to throw together.  You can use any beans you want - black, white, pinto, chili.  Go to town!  The taste offers a slight departure, but one you'll be glad you took - trust me.  It's a chili that might not taste exactly like the chili you're used to.  That's because of a few less traditional - but brilliant - additional ingredients.  This chili is smoky and sweet, with a little kick and tang.

The other wonderful thing about this chili for me was that it introduced me to an ingredient I had never tried before: textured vegetable protein (Bob's Red Mill makes a gluten-free one!  I haven't checked any other brands.).  And therein lies the secret to the "meatiness" of this vegan chili.  TVP is super easy to use and expands into hearty little chunks that add an air of dense protein to the chili. 

It's seriously, seriously good.  Just try making it and not practically licking the pot clean.

Tangy Vegan Chili

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 large or 2 small green peppers, diced
2 tbsp. tomato paste + 1 1/2 cups water OR 1 can diced tomatoes (with the juice) + water to cover all ingredients
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Textured Vegetable Protein
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 - 2 tsp. chili powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 bottle Trader Joe's Barbecue Sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
2 - 4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional, but highly recommended) (Colgin is gluten-free!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the olive oil and onion in a pot and cook over medium heat for about 4 - 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to cook until the onion is translucent.  Add the green pepper, tomato paste, water, textured vegetable protein, spices, barbecue sauce, black beans, and liquid smoke and stir well.  Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 - 30 minutes, or longer.  Basically, you should simmer it until you are happy with the way it tastes.  Add more water as needed if you're going to simmer it for a longer period of time.  It's delicious on its own or served with corn bread.

Spicy Thai Curry Soup with Bell Peppers and Pineapple

The warmth and spice in this lovely soup has been a welcome relief from the chilly maelstrom of snow that, more often than not, has swirled outside my window over the last month in Boston.  The trick to giving this soup the depth of flavor you'd expect from a Thai restaurant is to use a blend of curry pastes and a hint of brown sugar to complement and ease your taste buds into the spice.  Don't worry, though - this can be as mild or hot as you prefer, so don't be frightened away by the word "curry!"  Finely crushed pineapple works beautifully because the tiny pieces find their way into every spoonful, but you can use any cut of pineapple you like, big or small, and it will still taste fabulous.  Save this one for particularly horrible weather and have it ready to warm you up when you come in from shoveling.

Spicy Thai Curry Soup with Bell Peppers and Pineapple
Serves 2 - 3

1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. Taste of Thai red curry paste (add more or less to taste)
1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. Taste of Thai panaang curry paste (add more or less to taste)
1 can coconut milk (you can use lite if you don't mind sacrificing some creaminess)
1/4 cup soy creamer or So Delicious Original Coconut Milk (optional)
10 oz., or 6 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins, fat trimmed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 small or 1/2 very large red bell pepper, sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 small can crushed pineapple (with juice drained)
2-3 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
Jasmine rice to serve (optional)

Put the curry pastes into a medium-sized pot and heat over medium heat for about 30-60 seconds.  Add the entire can of coconut milk and soy creamer and stir to mix with the curry paste.  Bring to a boil, then add the chicken.  Stir, then cover and simmer for at least 10 - 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.  After the first 10 minutes, add the chopped bell pepper.  Wait another 5 minutes, and then add the drained crushed pineapple.  Stir well, and simmer uncovered for another 5 - 10 minutes.  Add the brown sugar and salt to taste.  When the soup is the thickness you desire, remove from heat and serve immediately.  Serve with Jasmine rice or on its own as a soup.

Spinach Sausage Quinoa Pilaf

This week, I was in the mood for something simple.  Something hearty yet light; something that would fill me up but not be too heavy on the calories.  I love quinoa because it is exactly that: full of healthy protein that will make you feel full, but will not weigh you down.

This recipe is so simple to throw together that you'll be sitting down to a delicious meal before you know it.  The cumin in this recipe gives the flavor a delicious depth of flavor, which is rounded out by the peppers and fried sausage.  The meat in this is completely optional, of course, and could be omitted entirely or replaced with chickpeas or some other kind of bean.  It makes for quick meal that doesn't taste like one!

Spinach Sausage Quinoa Pilaf

3 gluten-free sausage links, chopped into thin slices
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped very finely
2 - 4 small chilies, with the stems cut off and pierced several times with a sharp knife
4 - 6 peppadews,cut into thin slices (optional)
3 - 4 tsp. minced garlic
2 - 4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth OR  2 tsp. chicken or vegetable instant stock and 1 cup of water
3/4 cup frozen spinach
Salt and pepper to taste

In a non-stick frying pan, saute the sausage until it has been browned nicely on both sides.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic, and chilies.  Saute until the onion becomes translucent (about 5 minutes).  Add the spices and mix well, and then add the quinoa and stir to mix well.  Add the broth and bring to a boil, and then add the frozen spinach and return to a boil.  Add the fried sausage and stir to mix.  Reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed.  Add salt and pepper to your own taste.

This is delicious served hot, but tastes even better chilled as a salad.

Quinoa with Fire-roasted Red Peppers and Spicy Sausage

I first have to apologize for the lapse in postings on this blog. It has been a crazy few months, and time seems to be flying. I have been busy with the end of classes, and the end of work, and the end of living in St. Louis. Many of you may know, but I will be leaving at the beginning of June to begin a new phase of my life. I will first spend two months volunteering with an organization called Save the Children in Swaziland, Africa, and then I will be heading to New Orleans to begin a degree in International Health and Development (Public Health, essentially) at Tulane University. If you happen to be interested in what I will be doing in Africa, you can visit www.clairetoafrica.com to read my Swaziland blog while I am away (and you can help sponsor me, too, if you so choose!). So, while there may be a slight hiatus on the blog, I will be back in the fall with new recipes! In any case, with the flurry of preparations for moving out of my apartment, getting ready to head to Africa, finding a place in New Orleans, and the other hundred things I feel like I have to do before June 1, it's been difficult to find time to cook anything, much less be creative in the kitchen. But I can sense that it's been too long for me, and I desperately need a day to myself where I can relax and bake all day, humming along to some good music. While I might not get a whole day to do that anytime soon, I took advantage of a small pocket of time today to try out a new dish, one that is a little spicy and very satisfying in its flavor. You could just as easily make this with some good brown and wild rice, if you would prefer, but I was in the mood for some hearty quinoa and decided to go with that instead.


Quinoa with Fire-roasted Red Peppers and Spicy Sausage

2 links of Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sausage from Trader Joe's (or your favorite spicy sausage), sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion
3 - 5 cloves garlic (or 2-3 tsp. crushed garlic)
1 small red pepper, chopped coarsely
1 small green pepper, chopped coarsely
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 - 1 small can fire roasted green chilies
3 - 5 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups broth (I used chicken flavor)

Place the quinoa in a pot with the 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. ground coriander and 1 tbsp. tomato paste, stir well, and bring to a boil again. Cover, reduce heat, and steam as directed for about 15 minutes. In another pan, place the oil, onion and garlic, and saute for about 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent. Add the chopped red and green pepper, salt, pepper, 2 tbsp. coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, and the can of fire-roasted green chilies and stir well. Continue to saute for another 3 minutes or so, and then add 2 - 4 tbsp. tomato paste. Cook over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes. Slice the two links of sausage and arrange in a skillet. Fry over medium-high heat for about 6 - 8 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside. Once all parts are done, add the onion-pepper mixture and the cooked sausage into the cooked quinoa and mix well. Add more seasonings to taste if desired. Tastes even better the second and third days!

(Halloween) Stuffed Peppers

In the town where I spent most of middle school and all of high school, there is a huge Halloween parade on the 31st. Everyone goes. And no one is at home for trick-or-treaters. So at some point, the town came to an understanding that trick-or-treating would be expanded to the 30th and, for the few brave souls who wanted to try their luck with the mostly empty houses, the 31st as well. My younger sister's birthday is October 30th, and when we were still young enough to go trick-or-treating (and I'm not going to lie; that tradition lasted way beyond respectability with me and my cousin Erin, who were known to trick-or-treat at quite a ripe old age), my family would invite our cousins over every year on her birthday. We'd all have big steaming bowls of stuffed peppers with pumpernickel bread, and then we'd head out to collect our booty. We did this every year for as long as I can remember, to the point where this dish is synonymous with Halloween for me. Well, I got my annual hankering for stuffed peppers this week, and this weekend, Andrew and I made a huge pot of them. Being the good spice-fearing people that they are, my family would never add cayenne pepper to these, but I thought a dash would add a nice kick and round out the flavor a bit, which it did. Give these peppers an hour and a half to stew and you will not be disappointed with the rich flavor that develops! I brought some to share with some of the people I volunteer with, and they thought the sauce could be very versatile; some suggestions included to use it as a pasta sauce, over spaghetti squash, in a lasagna, over rice, or as a pizza sauce. It really is that good. But it's also perfectly delicious on its own. There is an excellent chance that you won't want to stop eating these and may in fact lick the plate shamelessly -- which is why I would suggest making a huge pot and living off of them for a week or so until you're peppered out.

Halloween Stuffed Peppers

2 lbs of ground meat (I used lean turkey)
1 egg 1 - 1 1/4 cups gluten-free oats OR rice 5-7 bell peppers, any color
1 very large can of tomato juice
Tomato sauce to fill a large pot (I used 4 15-oz. cans)
2 - 3 tbsp. each of oregano, basil, black pepper, minced onion, onion salt, divided and to taste
dash of cayenne pepper

Mix roughly 2 tbsp. each of oregano, basil, and minced onion into the meat, and about 1 tsp. each of black pepper and onion salt (or to taste) into the ground turkey. Add the egg and oats and mix into the meat. Use your hands or a spoong to work it into the meat thoroughly.

Wash the bell peppers and remove the stems and all seeds and flaps of skin from each of them. Pack each pepper with meat and form the leftover meat mixture into large meatballs.

Place it all into a heavy bottomed pan with the peppers on the bottom. Pour the large can of tomato juice and the 4 cans of tomato sauce into a large bowl, and add the same spices that you added to the meat to the sauce to taste (I added about 1 1/2 tbsp. each of oregano, basil, minced onion, and onion salt, 1 tsp. black pepper and about 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper). You can always adjust the seasoning to your taste after it has simmered for a while. Pour the spiced tomato sauce over the peppers and meatballs, and if the sauce does not yet cover all of them, add another can of tomato sauce.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ - 2 hours. This is a hearty meal on its own, so you don't have to serve it with anything else, but my family traditionally served it with pumpernickel bread (for the gluten eaters out there). Otherwise, I'd imagine that Beth's Yankee Cornbread Mix would go very nicely with this dish.

*If you want to use beef, lean hamburger meat cuts down on frothing that regular-fat beef can cause.
*If you want to make this vegetarian or vegan, rice can be used instead of meat altogether.