Asian Chicken Pizza

Today seriously feels like it should be Thursday. *yawn* Yesterday was crazy busy and not a good day for my gallbladder – ouch! And going over their last exam, my students talked me into giving them 2 points on disputable answers. I’m a softie...

There were a few comments about this pizza after I posted our weekly menu on Sunday. The blogger who posted this recipe said this was her favorite pizza recipe yet, so I knew I had to make it. Of course pleasing the pizza-loving Mr. Prevention was just an added bonus 😉

When I was making this pizza, I paused and double guessed the recipe when I read 3/4 cup vinegar. I even emailed Stephanie to be sure that wasn’t a typo. It wasn’t. The vinegar cooks down into this delicious syrup with honey and soy sauce for the perfect Asian flare.

But it wasn’t until Mr. Prevention bit into the pizza and declared excitedly, “This is GOOD!”. It’s not pretty…it’s kinda dark and scary…but it works. Beautifully.

And I tried a new pizza dough recipe just because. 😀

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Jay’s Signature Pizza Crust slightly adapted from All Recipes

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 F)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes. The yeast should get frothy. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 3 cups of the flour.

Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in the remaining 1/3 cup flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a bowl oiled with the olive oil, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it. Yield: 2 12-inch pizza doughs.

Nutrition Information (for 1/8th of dough – 1/4th of a 12″ pizza crust): 170 calories; 0.3 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 288 mg. sodium; 37 g. carbohydrate; 0 g. fiber; 5 g. protein

Result: A delicious, soft crust for a thin pizza! I will definitely be making this dough again!

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Asian Chicken Pizza from Stephanie Cooks

1 pizza dough (recipe above – makes two 12″ pizzas)
12 oz chicken breast, chopped into small pieces
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar (I used apple cider to cut calories and sodium)
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups 2% mozzarella cheese
Sesame seeds (optional)
1/4 cup green onions, sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Combine the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, honey, and vinegar. Stir well, set aside.

In a small skillet cook the chicken. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour the sauce mixture into the pan. Heat over medium heat until it thickens and becomes syrup like, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, toss well.

Form the pizza doughs. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, rubbing to coat the dough.

Distribute the chicken/glaze mixture over the 2 doughs to evenly coat. Top with the cheese and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake 12-14 minutes. Top with green onion. Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas (8 servings, 1/4 of a 12″ each).

Nutrition Information (for 1/4th of a 12″ pizza): 315 calories; 5.3 g. fat; 36 mg. cholesterol; 791 mg. sodium; 44.1 g. carbohydrate; 0.2 g. fiber; 23.4 g. protein

Result: This was tangy, unique, and a huge hit with Mr. Prevention! I wasn’t sure about the result during the cooking process, but it just worked! I added a bit more chicken and cheese, but the soy-honey-vinegar sauce is absolutely divine! Mr. Prevention described this as a pizza that California Pizza Kitchen would serve on their menu, and I agree completely. Enjoy!

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I’m short on time, but hopefully tomorrow I can give you the deets on my garden! 😀 I hope my green thumb can continue in Ohio. Tulsa was sure good to me!

Question: What’s the most unique pizza topping you’ve ever had?

Have a great day! Weigh-in tonight!