Grilled Pizza

Posted on by

Grilled Pizza    Makes 2 pizzas

We make grilled pizzas on our boat BBQ for a special treat. But certainly can be done on your home barbecue grill. We find getting the temperature right a bit tricky on our boat’s grill because of the temperature variability. On windy days it doesn’t work well since the wind cools down the temperature.

If you are intrigued with the idea of having pizza on your camping or boating trip I suggest trying the recipe at home first to get the technique down before experimenting with the procedure and temperature of your RV, camping or boating grill.

  • 1 pound frozen pizza dough, thaw and rise according to package instructions
  • About 8 ounces or 3/4 cups pizza tomato sauce
  • 1 tomato, sliced thinly
  • Basil, cut into long, thin strips (if you are unsure how, there are lots of videos online)
  • Topping Ideas: No preservative chicken meatballs, thinly sliced; goat cheese dollops, Canadian bacon, ham, chopped olives, feta, artichoke hearts, diced chicken, pineapple, mushrooms, prosciutto
  • 2 cups Mozzarella or 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup shredded asiago, 1/4 cup shredded fontina, and 1/4 cup shredded provolone
  • Heavy duty nonstick foil

Preheat your grill to medium-low heat.

On a piece of foil, press out half the dough into a roughly 10 x 7 crust onto a 14×10-inch rectangle of heavy nonstick foil and lightly brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Turn dough rectangle upside down directly onto a grill rack; peel off foil.

Place the grill rack with dough on it on a gas grill over medium-low heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium-low coals.

Watching carefully, cook uncovered 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly and bottom is light golden brown, very slightly charred and rigid. (Again, watch carefully to prevent burning.) With wide metal pancake turner or tongs, turn crust over. Remove grill rack and dough.

Put toppings on cooked side: Top crust evenly with about 3-4 ounces of pizza sauce; tomatoes, basil, your toppings (not too much), sprinkle with cheese. Put grill rack with pizza on it back on the grill. Continue to watch carefully.

Cover grill; cook 2 to 4 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Repeat with the second piece of dough.

 

Share Button

Mediterranean Chicken Foil Packs

Posted on by

Mediterranean Chicken Foil Packs

These can be cooked over a barbecue or over a campfire. If you cook over a campfire, do not place your packets over direct flame. Cooking time will vary depending on the temperature. So plan on having some appetizers and your favorite beverage and enjoy the cooking process.

This marinade is one of my favorites. It has so much flavor and is versatile. I use it to flavor roasted vegetables and cook shrimp skewers in.

Serves 2

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, (6-8 ounces each)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup Trader Joes Fire Roasted Red Peppers in a jar
  • 2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • ½ cup quartered artichoke hearts
  • 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes

Marinade

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley (if you don’t have this don’t worry, it will still be good without)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake, or more for spicier

Place two 12-inch by 17-inch pieces of Reynolds Non-stick foil on a baking sheet.

Combine the red peppers, olives, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes in a small bowl.

Place a chicken breast in the center of each piece of foil, spoon the vegetable mixture on top of the chicken and drizzle two tablespoons marinade on top.

Prepare your barbecue to medium.

Bring up the two long sides of the foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making a tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other ends sides to seal. Place packets on the grill.

Place packs on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 10 minutes. The time to cook will vary depending on the temperature of your barbecue. Using metal tongs, rotate packs 1/2 turn; cook 10 minutes longer until the thickest part measures 165°F.

RV or Boat Prep Notes

Pack the sundried tomatoes in a small reusable, re-sealable zipper storage bags. Pack the chicken breasts in a large reusable, re-sealable zipper storage bag and put that one into another large reusable, re-sealable zipper storage bag and freeze.

Put one tablespoon olive oil into a small jar, unless you keep olive oil on your boat or RV.

Mix together the red peppers, olives, artichoke hearts and put it in a jar. Refrigerate to pack in your cooler later.

 

Share Button

Spa Swiss Mushroom Burgers

Posted on by

This is a recipe that I have developed with carefully chosen ingredients to produce a creative and colorful and healthier twist to a traditional dish.

On the rare occasion I prepare a hamburger, this is my favorite recipe. I like to make this on our sailboat. To adapt this for boating or camping, see my notes below.

These mushroom and swiss cheese burgers can be served on a bun if you’d like, but I suggest serving them on a colorful bed of fresh arugula and a slice of ripe tomato or onion. Not only does arugula taste good but it is a nutrient-dense food rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene, potassium, folate, Vitamin K and magnesium.

Have you heard that making a dimple on top of the raw ground beef patty helps prevent it from getting tall in the middle as it cooks? Some people recommend an indent the size of a thumb print but I find that the burgers still shrink. A better way is to make a wide depression that makes the burger look like a plate. This will avoid a tall mountaintop in the middle and shrinkage.

Spa Swiss Mushroom Burgers

Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, preferable naturally-raised, without antibiotics or hormones.

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 tsp Trader Joe’s Garlic Olive Oil

8-ounce package sliced mixed or cremini mushrooms

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 cups Arugula

Optional toppings: sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes

Instructions

Shape the ground beef into patties to your desired thickness and size and make a large indentation in each middle. The burger should look like a dinner plate, lower in the middle with a raised “rim” edge around the edge. If you are packing for a camping or boating trip, pack on the reserved Styrofoam tray with wax paper or plastic wrap in between layers of hamburgers. Put in a gallon zip top resealable bag.

Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly brush the grill grates with vegetable oil, then grill the patties, indentation-side up, until marked on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon garlic olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 2 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Flip and cook until marked and slightly firm, about 3 more minutes for medium doneness.

The last minute of cooking, divide the sautéed mushrooms on top of the burgers. Reserve some to put on top of the cheese when serving. Then place a slice of Swiss or Gruyere cheese over them. Cover the grill to melt. Remove burgers when they reach an internal temp of 155 degrees F. Top with reserved mushrooms.

Meanwhile, prepare for serving but putting one cup of arugula on each plate. Top the arugula with the burger and onion and tomatoes if using.

Recipe Notes

Make sure not to overcook your burgers. Use a meat thermometer

Ground beef must be cooked to 160 degrees to be safe. Of course, with carryover cooking, you’ll want to pull your burgers at 155°F (68°C) to achieve the best temp and results. For medium-rare burgers, cook for 5 minutes total (135°F). For medium burgers, cook for 6 to 7 minutes total (145°F)

RV or Boat Recipe Notes

  • Pre-shape the burgers and put in double gallon zip top bags. Plan this meal for one of your first on your trip as you do not want to store ground beef more than a couple days. Pack the hamburger patties in a way that they don’t get squished.
  • Pack 4 slices of cheese and put in sandwich size double zip top bags.
  • Pack a small bottle with 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce.
  • Pack a bottle of Trader Joe’s Garlic Olive Oil.
  • Pack 4 cups arugula.
  • Pack a red onion or tomato if you’d like
Share Button