Bobby Flay's Chipotle Honey-Glazed Chicken Wings

Ever since my friend Janet made chicken wings for us in the beginning of the summer I have been on a chicken wing kick.  She uses a fabulous barbecue spice and it literally  needs nothing else!  This time I wanted to try something new for a family BBQ. Since we always have some sort of red meat it seems liked the perfect time to try out the new chicken wing recipe.

This recipe came from Bobby Flay's Grill It Cookbook.  It has a little bit of spice but if you don't want too much heat cut down the amount of chipotle chiles.  The recipe states to put the glaze in two bowls and to pour part of it over the cooked chicken at the end.  I just used all of it to baste the chicken.  Whatever was left I tossed.  The original recipe is below and you can decide how you want to do it.  I also didn't cut the tips off the chicken just tucked them under. 



Ingredients:

1 cup honey
2 to 3 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons ancho chile powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons spanish paprika
3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat the grill to medium-high.

2. Whisk together honey, chipotle puree, 1 tablespoon of the mustard, 1 tablespoon of the ancho powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl. Divide the glaze evenly between 2 bowls, one small, the other large.

3. Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of ancho powder with the coriander, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl.

4. Rinse the chicken wings under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tips off the wings and discard (or freeze and use for making chicken stock). Cut each wing into 2 pieces through the joint.

5. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl, add the spice rub and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and place the wings on the grill in an even layer.  Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat of the grill to medium, turn the wings over, and close the lid of the grill.  Continue grilling until just cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer, brushing with the small bowl of glaze every few minutes and turning once during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

6. Transfer the wings to the large bowl, brush with the reserved glaze and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Thank you to Salvatore Corso for another beautiful photo! Please check out Salvatore's website to see more of his work. 

Bobby Flay's Chipotle Honey-Glazed Chicken Wings

Ever since my friend Janet made chicken wings for us in the beginning of the summer I have been on a chicken wing kick.  She uses a fabulous barbecue spice and it literally  needs nothing else!  This time I wanted to try something new for a family BBQ. Since we always have some sort of red meat it seems liked the perfect time to try out the new chicken wing recipe.

This recipe came from Bobby Flay's Grill It Cookbook.  It has a little bit of spice but if you don't want too much heat cut down the amount of chipotle chiles.  The recipe states to put the glaze in two bowls and to pour part of it over the cooked chicken at the end.  I just used all of it to baste the chicken.  Whatever was left I tossed.  The original recipe is below and you can decide how you want to do it.  I also didn't cut the tips off the chicken just tucked them under. 



Ingredients:

1 cup honey
2 to 3 tablespoons pureed canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons ancho chile powder
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons spanish paprika
3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat the grill to medium-high.

2. Whisk together honey, chipotle puree, 1 tablespoon of the mustard, 1 tablespoon of the ancho powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl. Divide the glaze evenly between 2 bowls, one small, the other large.

3. Stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of ancho powder with the coriander, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl.

4. Rinse the chicken wings under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the tips off the wings and discard (or freeze and use for making chicken stock). Cut each wing into 2 pieces through the joint.

5. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl, add the spice rub and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and place the wings on the grill in an even layer.  Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat of the grill to medium, turn the wings over, and close the lid of the grill.  Continue grilling until just cooked through, 15-20 minutes longer, brushing with the small bowl of glaze every few minutes and turning once during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

6. Transfer the wings to the large bowl, brush with the reserved glaze and toss to coat. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Thank you to Salvatore Corso for another beautiful photo! Please check out Salvatore's website to see more of his work. 

Italian Marinated Skirt Steak

It's almost grill season which really makes me happy!  It means dining al fresco and the change of pace to faster cooking.  I am by no means a grill expert but I can manage a few things.  This steak was made under the broiler but you can cook this meat however you see fit. It's this very simple marinade that is packed with flavor that I'm excited to share with you today. 






I served this with sauteed spinach and Israeli couscous.  I bought a great couscous mix from TJ's and added some sauteed peppers and onion to bump up the flavor. 

Italian Marinated Skirt Steak

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. Skirt Steak
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, chopped


Directions:

Mix garlic, vinegar, shallot, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley in a bowl.  Pour over steak, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Turning over once. (I like to use my Tupperware marinator and just flip the container over and you don't have to worry about spilling.)

Let excess marinade drip off of the meat and discard marindade. Place meat directly under the broiler and cook for approximately. 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare.  Or cook on and indoor grill pan or of course, grill it outside. Let meat rest and cut on a diagonal against the grain.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Italian Marinated Skirt Steak

It's almost grill season which really makes me happy!  It means dining al fresco and the change of pace to faster cooking.  I am by no means a grill expert but I can manage a few things.  This steak was made under the broiler but you can cook this meat however you see fit. It's this very simple marinade that is packed with flavor that I'm excited to share with you today. 






I served this with sauteed spinach and Israeli couscous.  I bought a great couscous mix from TJ's and added some sauteed peppers and onion to bump up the flavor. 

Italian Marinated Skirt Steak

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. Skirt Steak
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, chopped


Directions:

Mix garlic, vinegar, shallot, olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley in a bowl.  Pour over steak, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  Turning over once. (I like to use my Tupperware marinator and just flip the container over and you don't have to worry about spilling.)

Let excess marinade drip off of the meat and discard marindade. Place meat directly under the broiler and cook for approximately. 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare.  Or cook on and indoor grill pan or of course, grill it outside. Let meat rest and cut on a diagonal against the grain.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 

Grilled Panzanella Salad

Once again, this is one of those recipes where the photo does not do it justice.  This is a fantastic salad and it's surprisingly is loaded with flavor.  I borrowed some ideas from Ina Garten (using a fresh roasted pepper and using slices of bread rather than cubes) and added some things as well.  What makes this different is grilling the bread, peppers and onions which gives the salad a nice charred flavor. Give this a try at your next barbeque!

Grilled Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

1 baguette cut into 1 inch slices

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1 english cucumber cut into chunks

1 red pepper
1 small red onion
1 pound fress mozzarella, cubed
1 large tomato, seeded and cubed

About 10 fresh basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Dressing:

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic minced or put through a press

salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Drizzle bread slices and bell pepper with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Slice onion into rounds and season the round the same way.  Grill over medium heat until bread toasts and veggies get a nice char on both sides.  The pepper will get black and blistered  (which you want).  Put the pepper in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or in a brown lunch bag.  This will cause the pepper to steam and the skin will pull away from the flesh of the pepper.  When pepper is cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds.  Slice into pieces.  Cut the onion rounds into pieces as well.  Place veggies in a large bowl.  Do not add the bread slices at this time, we will add them in at the end so they don't get soggy.

2. To the bowl with roasted pepper and red onion, add, cucumber, tomato, olives, mozzarella and basil. 

3.  In a small bowl add garlic, vinegar, and honey, beat with a whisk.  Slowly add olive oil while beating to create an emulsion.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over veggies. 

4. When ready to serve add the bread to the veggies and toss. 

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of Grilled Panzanella Salad.

Grilled Panzanella Salad

Once again, this is one of those recipes where the photo does not do it justice.  This is a fantastic salad and it's surprisingly is loaded with flavor.  I borrowed some ideas from Ina Garten (using a fresh roasted pepper and using slices of bread rather than cubes) and added some things as well.  What makes this different is grilling the bread, peppers and onions which gives the salad a nice charred flavor. Give this a try at your next barbeque!

Grilled Panzanella Salad

Ingredients:

1 baguette cut into 1 inch slices

1/2 cup kalamata olives

1 english cucumber cut into chunks

1 red pepper
1 small red onion
1 pound fress mozzarella, cubed
1 large tomato, seeded and cubed

About 10 fresh basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Dressing:

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic minced or put through a press

salt and pepper

Directions:

1.  Drizzle bread slices and bell pepper with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Slice onion into rounds and season the round the same way.  Grill over medium heat until bread toasts and veggies get a nice char on both sides.  The pepper will get black and blistered  (which you want).  Put the pepper in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or in a brown lunch bag.  This will cause the pepper to steam and the skin will pull away from the flesh of the pepper.  When pepper is cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds.  Slice into pieces.  Cut the onion rounds into pieces as well.  Place veggies in a large bowl.  Do not add the bread slices at this time, we will add them in at the end so they don't get soggy.

2. To the bowl with roasted pepper and red onion, add, cucumber, tomato, olives, mozzarella and basil. 

3.  In a small bowl add garlic, vinegar, and honey, beat with a whisk.  Slowly add olive oil while beating to create an emulsion.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over veggies. 

4. When ready to serve add the bread to the veggies and toss. 

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of Grilled Panzanella Salad.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Sounds strange doesn't it? Well, it is strange but cool and refreshing. This isn't something I'll have on a regular basis because it's well....odd...but it was interesting enough to make for company and it provoked discussion and interest. In the future I would let the watermelon cool a little bit before placing it over the arugula but that's my preference. One of my guests said she liked it warm because it melted the feta a bit. I lighly dressed this salad with extra virgin olive oil and a splah of balsamic vinegar. It doesn't need much. You make want to make the balasamic reduction, I made it but didn't like it, so I didn't serve it. Whatever you decide is fine with me just give it a try and you'll be sure to get some ooohs and aaahs.


Grilled Watermelon Salad
Courtesy of Claire Robinson

Ingredients:

1/2 (5-pound) seedless watermelon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (specialty salt is great here, if on hand)
2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, preferably a French Chevre
Fresh finely cracked black pepper

Directions:

Stand the watermelon half cut side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula. Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Sounds strange doesn't it? Well, it is strange but cool and refreshing. This isn't something I'll have on a regular basis because it's well....odd...but it was interesting enough to make for company and it provoked discussion and interest. In the future I would let the watermelon cool a little bit before placing it over the arugula but that's my preference. One of my guests said she liked it warm because it melted the feta a bit. I lighly dressed this salad with extra virgin olive oil and a splah of balsamic vinegar. It doesn't need much. You make want to make the balasamic reduction, I made it but didn't like it, so I didn't serve it. Whatever you decide is fine with me just give it a try and you'll be sure to get some ooohs and aaahs.


Grilled Watermelon Salad
Courtesy of Claire Robinson

Ingredients:

1/2 (5-pound) seedless watermelon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (specialty salt is great here, if on hand)
2 cups fresh baby arugula, washed and dried
1 cup goat cheese, crumbled, preferably a French Chevre
Fresh finely cracked black pepper

Directions:

Stand the watermelon half cut side down on a cutting board and slice away the rind, leaving a solid block of melon. Turn the block on its side and cut it into 8 squares, roughly 3 by 3 inches and 1-inch thick.

Pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to a thick syrup consistency. Set aside.

Heat a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle just enough olive oil over watermelon slices to thinly coat and place on hot grill pan. Grill each side about 2 minutes until grill marks appear; transfer to a plate and season with salt.

To assemble the salads, put about 1/4 cup of baby arugula on a serving plate, followed by a grilled slice of watermelon in the center, and top with a tablespoon of crumbled cheese and another 1/4 cup arugula. Add another watermelon slice and another tablespoon of cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Finish each salad with a very light drizzle of olive oil and balsamic syrup. Dust with black pepper and serve immediately.

Grilled Ham with Pineapple Glaze

I know, a ham steak isn't the prettiest thing to take a picture of but you know how the saying goes! This was a very tasty and satisfying dinner. My fellow bakespacer Carolyn always talks about making these yummy ham steaks and I knew it was something Steve would like to try on the grill. There is no recipe. It's so simple. Make a mixture of brown sugar and pineapple and let the ham steaks marinate it. Throw them on the grill with some fresh slices of pineapple that have been brushed with the glaze. Allow them to get some nice grill marks on each side and your done. The ham steaks are already cooked so this just takes minutes to make! It actually took me longer to peel and slice the fresh pineapple than it did to cook the ham! I don't think canned pineapple would work because it may be too soft but if you give it a try, let me know! I'd like the glaze to be more noticeable. Anyone know how to do that? The flavor definitely penetrated the meat but didn't make it shiny like a glaze usually is. I will definitely experiment some more and let you know how it goes!



img style="border:0;" align="left" src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj227/ewhites/Michele.jpg"/>

Grilled Ham with Pineapple Glaze

I know, a ham steak isn't the prettiest thing to take a picture of but you know how the saying goes! This was a very tasty and satisfying dinner. My fellow bakespacer Carolyn always talks about making these yummy ham steaks and I knew it was something Steve would like to try on the grill. There is no recipe. It's so simple. Make a mixture of brown sugar and pineapple and let the ham steaks marinate it. Throw them on the grill with some fresh slices of pineapple that have been brushed with the glaze. Allow them to get some nice grill marks on each side and your done. The ham steaks are already cooked so this just takes minutes to make! It actually took me longer to peel and slice the fresh pineapple than it did to cook the ham! I don't think canned pineapple would work because it may be too soft but if you give it a try, let me know! I'd like the glaze to be more noticeable. Anyone know how to do that? The flavor definitely penetrated the meat but didn't make it shiny like a glaze usually is. I will definitely experiment some more and let you know how it goes!



img style="border:0;" align="left" src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj227/ewhites/Michele.jpg"/>

Grilled Pizza, Wine Pairing and a Guest Post

My nagging has finally paid off! I finally have a post from a guest blogger! Check it out!



Hello everyone! I'm sure you're wondering who the other person is enjoying all these meals that you find here on Michele's blog. Well, that person is me...Steve. Michele asked me to write a guest post for her blog this week after a weekend of grilling. I guess you could say I am the resident wine connoisseur and grilling fanatic. It seems I am writing this to talk to you about both this week.



This is a recipe that we've come up with in the past and used a couple of times before. Since we first made pizza this way, it has been tough to top it! While it isn't an overly difficult way of making pizza, you do have to use the right ingredients and be vigilant while it's on the grill. Let's get down to it...

Ingredients:

Pizza sauce (recipe below)
Pizza dough - 1 lb for each pizza you want to make
4 oz. (approximately) or ½ of a regular sized bag of shredded mozzarella cheese – we prefer part-skim
Olive oil – for coating the dough
Fresh basil leaves
Toppings – this time around we used black olives and mushrooms, just use as much as you like

Before you start prepping the dough and making the pizza, you'll want to make the sauce. We basically make just a marinara sauce with some garlic and herbs in it. Michele will write about that.

You'll need a pound of dough for each pizza that you want to make. We've tried using two pounds before, but it just doesn't come out the same. You certainly can try making your own dough for this recipe, but we're lazy and we've found that it's very easy for us to get a hold of dough from Brooklyn. In my personal opinion, for the amount of time and money you have to put in to make your own pizza dough, it's just more economical and less time consuming to just get it from somewhere else. Just make sure it's quality dough!



Place each pound of dough in a bowl that will easily fit all of it in there, drizzling a bit of olive oil in the bottom of the bowl first, so that the dough doesn't stick. Place plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and then cover with a dish towel. Let the dough rise for a couple of hours, until it rises to the top of the bowl or even above it.



Once the dough has risen, pound it down and then take the dough out of the bowl, placing it onto a cooking sheet or something equivalent. Begin flattening out the dough on the sheet, making sure to keep both sides of the dough moist with olive oil so that it does not stick. Once the dough has been flattened and spread out, it's ready to be grilled.



Make sure you have your mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and toppings ready to go. Turn your grill on to high and let it sit for about 8 to 10 minutes. For this recipe, we used a gas grill. Once the grill is nice and hot, you can bring your dough and other ingredients outside to your grilling area. Turn the burners down to about medium-low heat. Make sure you use some sort of grilling spray (we used Pam for grilling) to spray down the grilling surface so that the dough does not stick to it. Take the dough off of the pan with your hands and place onto the grill, trying to keep something of an oval or even rectangular shape. Since most pizza you find is round, I like being different and creating all sorts of uneven shapes to make it look unique. Once the pizza dough is on the grill, close the lid and let it sit for about 4 – 5 minutes. You'll want to stay by the grill to check it every so often. The bottom of the dough should get nice and crispy, with some prominent grilling marks. Keep in mind that most gas grills have one side that is hotter and cooks faster than the others.










Once you can lift up the dough with ease, use a spatula and flip the whole pizza over in one shot – just like you would a pancake. Once the pizza has been flipped, you can then spread on the pizza sauce, followed by basil leaves (preferably torn into smaller pieces) and then the shredded mozzarella. You can then add on any toppings you may have. After everything has been added onto your pizza, close the cover of the grill again and let it sit for about 3 – 4 minutes. You'll want to check the pizza every so often to make sure that the cheese has melted on the top and that the bottom is nice and crispy, with those same grill marks.

As soon as all that has happened, the pizza is now ready to be taken off of the grill. Use a spatula or two to take it off of the grill and put it back onto the cooking sheet. Cut up the pizza in whatever fashion you like and serve!





For this pizza, I have found that a light white wine goes best. You will want something with a fruity undertone that will bring out the acidity of the pizza sauce and the flavors of the toppings you chose. I like to enjoy a nice Riesling with this pizza. My label of choice is Urban. It is an inexpensive Riesling that is light and fruity, as well as very refreshing. Feel free to experiment with your own palate and find a wine that suits you. Stick to the lighter, fruitier wines, either in the white or red varietals, such as a Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Noir.





I hope you all enjoy making this as I know we certainly have and will continue to do so all summer long!



Michele's Pizza Sauce

Enough for approx 4 pounds of dough.

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp chopped basil
1-2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
extra virgin olive oil

Feel free to use fresh or dried herbs. This time I used frozen dorat basil, fresh basil leaves and fresh oregano. It's up to you.

Directions:

Saute garlic in oil, add frozen or dried herbs being careful not to burn them. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar. If using fresh herbs add now. Let it come to a boil and then lower heat. Cook on medium for 30-40 minutes. Taste it and adjust seasoning.

Grilled Pizza, Wine Pairing and a Guest Post

My nagging has finally paid off! I finally have a post from a guest blogger! Check it out!



Hello everyone! I'm sure you're wondering who the other person is enjoying all these meals that you find here on Michele's blog. Well, that person is me...Steve. Michele asked me to write a guest post for her blog this week after a weekend of grilling. I guess you could say I am the resident wine connoisseur and grilling fanatic. It seems I am writing this to talk to you about both this week.



This is a recipe that we've come up with in the past and used a couple of times before. Since we first made pizza this way, it has been tough to top it! While it isn't an overly difficult way of making pizza, you do have to use the right ingredients and be vigilant while it's on the grill. Let's get down to it...

Ingredients:

Pizza sauce (recipe below)
Pizza dough - 1 lb for each pizza you want to make
4 oz. (approximately) or ½ of a regular sized bag of shredded mozzarella cheese – we prefer part-skim
Olive oil – for coating the dough
Fresh basil leaves
Toppings – this time around we used black olives and mushrooms, just use as much as you like

Before you start prepping the dough and making the pizza, you'll want to make the sauce. We basically make just a marinara sauce with some garlic and herbs in it. Michele will write about that.

You'll need a pound of dough for each pizza that you want to make. We've tried using two pounds before, but it just doesn't come out the same. You certainly can try making your own dough for this recipe, but we're lazy and we've found that it's very easy for us to get a hold of dough from Brooklyn. In my personal opinion, for the amount of time and money you have to put in to make your own pizza dough, it's just more economical and less time consuming to just get it from somewhere else. Just make sure it's quality dough!



Place each pound of dough in a bowl that will easily fit all of it in there, drizzling a bit of olive oil in the bottom of the bowl first, so that the dough doesn't stick. Place plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and then cover with a dish towel. Let the dough rise for a couple of hours, until it rises to the top of the bowl or even above it.



Once the dough has risen, pound it down and then take the dough out of the bowl, placing it onto a cooking sheet or something equivalent. Begin flattening out the dough on the sheet, making sure to keep both sides of the dough moist with olive oil so that it does not stick. Once the dough has been flattened and spread out, it's ready to be grilled.



Make sure you have your mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce and toppings ready to go. Turn your grill on to high and let it sit for about 8 to 10 minutes. For this recipe, we used a gas grill. Once the grill is nice and hot, you can bring your dough and other ingredients outside to your grilling area. Turn the burners down to about medium-low heat. Make sure you use some sort of grilling spray (we used Pam for grilling) to spray down the grilling surface so that the dough does not stick to it. Take the dough off of the pan with your hands and place onto the grill, trying to keep something of an oval or even rectangular shape. Since most pizza you find is round, I like being different and creating all sorts of uneven shapes to make it look unique. Once the pizza dough is on the grill, close the lid and let it sit for about 4 – 5 minutes. You'll want to stay by the grill to check it every so often. The bottom of the dough should get nice and crispy, with some prominent grilling marks. Keep in mind that most gas grills have one side that is hotter and cooks faster than the others.










Once you can lift up the dough with ease, use a spatula and flip the whole pizza over in one shot – just like you would a pancake. Once the pizza has been flipped, you can then spread on the pizza sauce, followed by basil leaves (preferably torn into smaller pieces) and then the shredded mozzarella. You can then add on any toppings you may have. After everything has been added onto your pizza, close the cover of the grill again and let it sit for about 3 – 4 minutes. You'll want to check the pizza every so often to make sure that the cheese has melted on the top and that the bottom is nice and crispy, with those same grill marks.

As soon as all that has happened, the pizza is now ready to be taken off of the grill. Use a spatula or two to take it off of the grill and put it back onto the cooking sheet. Cut up the pizza in whatever fashion you like and serve!





For this pizza, I have found that a light white wine goes best. You will want something with a fruity undertone that will bring out the acidity of the pizza sauce and the flavors of the toppings you chose. I like to enjoy a nice Riesling with this pizza. My label of choice is Urban. It is an inexpensive Riesling that is light and fruity, as well as very refreshing. Feel free to experiment with your own palate and find a wine that suits you. Stick to the lighter, fruitier wines, either in the white or red varietals, such as a Pinot Grigio or a Pinot Noir.





I hope you all enjoy making this as I know we certainly have and will continue to do so all summer long!



Michele's Pizza Sauce

Enough for approx 4 pounds of dough.

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tsp chopped basil
1-2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
extra virgin olive oil

Feel free to use fresh or dried herbs. This time I used frozen dorat basil, fresh basil leaves and fresh oregano. It's up to you.

Directions:

Saute garlic in oil, add frozen or dried herbs being careful not to burn them. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar. If using fresh herbs add now. Let it come to a boil and then lower heat. Cook on medium for 30-40 minutes. Taste it and adjust seasoning.