Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Thai Chicken Pizza

If this pizza doesn't convince you to make homemade pies, then I'm thinking you should stick to delivery-style.  I've been wanting to make a healthier version of Thai Chicken Pizza, and Trader Joe's offered me the perfect inspiration!



(Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck Merlot)

I love Trader Joe's.  It's a no-frills store with truly good and mostly healthy foods.  I feel for those who don't live within at least an hour of these fab stores.  I say take some coolers and make a day trip out of it!  It's worth it!

Anyhow, their recipes aren't too shabby, and I borrowed their Thai Chicken Pizza recipe to help create my own.



You can get all you need to make this at TJ's, but I make my own dough and I use pre-cooked chicken breasts that I cooked and then stored in the freezer.  If you can get Peanut Satay at your store (grocery, Wal-Mart, Target, World Market), then really, the rest is easy as pie.

Thai Chicken Pizza
Makes 3 Pies

For dough:
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
Pinch of sugar
3 to 3 1/2 cups 00 Flour or Bread Flour
1 tsp. sea salt with iodine (like Morton's Sea Salt w/Iodine)

For toppings:

2 jars TJ's Peanut Satay (enough for 16 oz.)
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
4 cups 2% milk mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded (diced) carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/3 cup unsalted, dry roasted peanuts
Cracked black pepper
1 Serrano, thinly sliced (optional, these are HOT)
Chopped cilantro (optional, but yummy)

Instructions for dough:




Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl of mixer.  Add pinch of sugar.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy.


Add in flour and salt, mix and let stand for 5 minutes.  Chemistry is happening!


After rest period, use dough hook to knead dough for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Dough should be elastic and smooth.  Place in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour until doubled in size.


After dough has risen, use the poke test to make sure dough is ready.  By sticking the handle of a wooden spoon (or your finger) into the dough, if the indentation remains, it's ready!


Punch down and leave on a floured surface.  Allow to rest for 10-20 minutes while preparing the toppings.  Pour 1/3 cup of satay on shredded chicken.  Allow to sit until ready to top on pizzas.  Gather cheese and veggies.



Place pizza stone if you have one in the lower rack of the oven.  Preheat to 440.  Divide dough into thirds, then roll them out, one at a time, and divide toppings for three pies. (I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup to spread the satay on the pizza dough)  Bake, one pie at a time, for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.  Wait a minute to cool, then slice into 8 to 10 slices.  






My pre-cooked chicken made this super easy, but if you have access to pizza dough (as in your local pizzeria), then this just got easier!  My hubby likes Sriracha sauce on this, but I feel the Serrano chiles give it quite enough kick for me!  This Tuesday night meal was a Thai treat!

Weight Watchers Points +
4 points per slice, depending on how heavy-handed the toppings are applied



No comments:

Post a Comment