bbq

Garlic Naan

By in Breads, Sides 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

I always have such a hard time knowing what to serve with stir-fry. It”s pretty much a one dish meal but sometimes you want just a little bit of something on the side. That”s where this naan comes in for us. It”s a filler of the best kind – freshly baked bread.

The recipe may not seem to have a lot of garlic but it kind of marinates into the dough while it”s rising and has the perfect subtle garlicky flavour that makes it go with any dish you serve. And, the fact that it”s slathered with butter before being popped on the grill makes it one of the best versions of garlic bread to be had. Garlic. Butter. Grill. Bread. It doesn”t get much better.

The key to the best naan (IMO) is to not roll it too thin. You want it to have a little bit of body so you have some chew. Roll it too thin and it will be more like a cracker. Mind you, it will be a very tasty cracker, but fluffy, chewiness is so much better.

This makes a large recipe, which means you do the work once and then you can freeze the rest and enjoy the fruits of your labour for subsequent meals. All you have to do is pop the frozen naan on a preheated grill or in a screaming hot oven for a couple of minutes, until it”s warmed through.

Time to put more stir-fry on the menu because I can”t wait to eat these leftovers.

Garlic Naan

Bread flour makes everything better. But if it”s not something you have on hand, I”ve made these with all-purpose flour and they were still very delicious.

  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast

  • 1 cup warm water

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 3 tablespoons milk

  • 1 egg, beaten

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 4 + cups bread flour

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2)

  • 1/4 cup butter, melted

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Beat in sugar, milk and egg. Stir in flour and salt. Knead until smooth and pliable, adding more flour if necessary, until tacky but not sticky. Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in the bowl and spray lightly with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm oven (I turn the oven on for one minute and then shut it back off) with the door closed, for one hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down and knead in garlic until evenly distributed. Pinch off golf ball sized pieces, roll into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray balls with cooking spray and cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

To grill: roll out only as many naan as can fit on the grill at one time, keep the rest covered. Preheat grill to medium-high. Roll each ball into a thin circle (but no too thin). Brush naan with a bit of butter; put butter side down on grill. Once grill marks appear and naan is puffy, brush top half with butter and flip. Continue to cook until browned. Remove from grill and repeat with remaining dough.

Makes: 14-17

Adapted from allrecipes.

Chicken, Bacon & Black Bean Quesadillas

By in Main Dish, Poultry 4 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

We”ve been eating these quesadillas for a couple of years now. This is our absolute favourite combination of quesadilla fillings. How could it not be? They”ve got every possible form of goodness in them – bacon, cream cheese, black beans, green chilies, chicken… I”ll stop now before I list off all the ingredients. I love them all!

All of this is just made that much better by the smokiness from the barbecue. In the winter months we do make them on the stove top, so that is a tasty alternative if you don”t have a grill handy.

We”re still in the middle of moving so I”m sharing a recipe that I original created for Smithfield.com a long while ago. If you feel like you recognize the photo or recipe, that”s why! ;) It”s no longer available on their site and I thought it deserved it”s time in the spotlight here on the blog, since we make it so often. Enjoy!

Chicken, Bacon & Black Bean Quesadillas

To make this a little faster you can use leftover or rotisserie chicken. Just sauté the red pepper and add the chicken and spices with the rest of the filling ingredients.

  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (2 cups cooked)

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • salt and pepper, to taste

  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 1 (4 oz) can green chilies

  • 1/2 cup spreadable cream cheese

  • 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions

  • 2 cups shredded cheese

  • 8, 8 inch flour tortillas

  • sour cream and salsa, for serving

Saute the chicken with chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper in a bit of oil over medium heat in a large skillet until starting to brown. Add red pepper and saute until chicken is cooked through and peppers are softened. Add black beans, green chilies, and cream cheese. Cook until melted together. Remove from heat and stir in cooked bacon.

Place four tortillas on a clean countertop. Spread with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese. Top with remaining four tortillas.

Cook on a grill over medium heat for a couple of minutes on each side until tortillas are crispy and cheese is melted. Alternatively you can cook them, one at a time, in a dry skillet over medium heat.

Cut each quesadilla into 6 pieces. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Serves: 4

Last-Minute BBQ Pizza Dough

By in Breads, Main Dish 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

Last-Minute BBQ Pizza Dough

I seriously have so much fun making this recipe. I”m not sure what makes it more fun then regular pizza dough. Maybe it”s the fact that you”re making individual portions that can be adapted to each person”s liking. Or, that it”s baked on a grill, which is the closest thing to a pizza oven that I”ll ever get. Or maybe, it”s just the fact that you can decide so last-minute to make pizza, even if you didn”t thaw the dough first.

For even quicker prep: make a couple batches of dough when you have time. Grill on one side, allow to cool and then wrap in plastic wrap. When ready to use: pull out of the freezer, place desired toppings onto the grilled side and grill until dough is cooked through and toppings are melted. This is also a great alternative for those who may only be wanting 1 or 2 individual pizzas at a time.

We topped ours with Tropical BBQ Chicken Pizza toppings. I think it”s a match made in heaven. I”m planning on trying ham and pineapple next and I”m sure over the summer all our favourite toppings will have a go on the grill. Because, what doesn”t taste better with a little smoky flavour?

This dough can handle a lot of toppings. I”m so used to making my thin crust pizza dough that I”m always a little stingy with the toppings. But the truth is, the crust is so good that even if your toppings are skimpy, your pizza will still be delicious. Even my thin crust loving husband is a big fan of this dough.

And, one of my absolute favourite features: if you”re craving pizza on a scorcher of a day you don”t even have to turn the oven on!

A Couple Tips on Working with Dough:

For those who may be new at working with yeast doughs here are a couple tips to help you have success.

  1. Wetter is better. When making dough it”s always better for the dough to be a tad bit too sticky then to be too dry. You can always add lots of flour when you”re rolling it out but fixing a dry dough is a lot more difficult. Plus, the less flour the more rise you”ll get. You know the dough is done when it”s sticky to the touch but nothing clings to your finger when you pull it away.

  2. Keep it warm. When I make yeast based doughs I like to let it rise in a slightly warm oven. This way I”m guaranteed no drafts and the temperature won”t fluctuate. I always get a better and quicker rise this way. To do this: preheat your oven to the lowest setting while you make the dough. Once the dough is ready place it in the warm oven, turn off the heat and close the door.

  3. Knead it well. You want to knead the dough for approximately 6-8 minutes. This helps to develop the gluten which will in turn help the dough have better structure. You”ll know the dough is ready if it looks smooth and no longer scraggly.

I really have to pull back the restraints when I”m eating this. As if pizza wasn”t addictive enough, now I have an extra delicious crust to contend with. And, now you can too. :)

What toppings would you put on grilled pizza?

Last-Minute BBQ Pizza Dough

  • 3/4 cup warm water

  • 1 package (1/4 oz) quick rise yeast

  • 2-3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and oil. Knead until smooth; adding additional flour if necessary to achieve a smooth, pliable and slightly sticky dough. Place in a lightly greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.

  2. Prepare grill: Coat rack with oil and preheat to medium heat.

  3. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 6-7 inch circle. Transfer to the grill and cook, covered, for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.

  4. Remove from grill. Top the grilled side with desired toppings. Put back on grill and cook, covered, for 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned.

Serves: 4

Adapted from Taste of Home.