southwestern pittsburgh chicken salad

I know, I know - I've been absent! Truthfully, I haven't been cooking as much, and when I have, it's been recipes that have already been posted. This recipe isn't revolutionary or anything, but it's better than nothing. It's a variation on the traditional Pittsburgh salad. However, tonight I had some random leftovers (mushrooms and peppers that I bought for a leftover omelet, but never used) and whatnot, that I decided to try something slightly different. Here it goes:

• 1/2 lb. chicken
• Mesclun salad
• Red and yellow peppers, diced
• Mushrooms, chopped
• Red onion, diced
• 1 avocado
• Cheddar cheese
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons or so of Ranch
• Salt & pepper
• Waffle fries

chicken pizza primavera

I know, I know...two primavera-titled meals in one week. It's craziness. It's also delicious, so why not?! Last night was another recipe madre keeps in her simply delicious arsenal - a quick and easy pizza that uses a lot of fresh ingredients along with one or two shortcuts. Here's what you'll need:

• Whole wheat ready-made pizza crusts
• Ranch dressing
• Chicken strips
• Chopped red pepper
• Onion slices
• Baby spinach leaves
• Mozzarella cheese

There's really no measurements up there, because it's all a handful of this, a shake of that. It also depends on the size of the pizza crusts you get. I made two 7" pizzas last night, so I'll advise on that quantity. Adjust yours accordingly.

One of mom's cheats that I chose to forego was the chicken strips. She sometimes uses the pre-cooked frozen strips. Last night however, I chose to go ahead and sauté a small chicken breast. If you go this route, breaded is nice. Simply whisk one egg, coat your chicken in it, then cover all over with Italian-style breadcrumbs and sauté in one tablespoon oil for a few minutes on each side, until it's no longer pink in the center. Then cut into small pieces and carry on.

Begin by layering the dressing on first. I only used about a tablespoon of Ranch per pizza - just enough the coat the crust. You don't need much, as this has quite a bit of flavor (but really makes the dish). Bake according to crust instructions. Next, layer the chicken, pepper (I used red and green), onion (I used red, but doesn't matter), a handful of spinach and another handful of cheese - in that order.

Cook the pizza per the package directions. Mine took about 10 minutes on 450 degrees. I left them under the broiler for just a minute or two more to get them nice and crispy. If you have the luxury of a grill and/or a pizza stone, you could definitely utilize those as well.

Bon chappétit!