Chicken, Spinach & Goat Cheese Pizza and The Frederico

We have been enjoying some beautiful summer evenings as of late.  Afternoons have reminded me of our Hawaiian vacations.  Hot sunny days...afternoon thunder and lighting storms...skies open back up to beautiful blue and breathtaking sunsets.

As you recall, we love to make our favorite Frederico summer beverage to bring us back to our Hawaii memories. Since we cannot find pre-packaged "POG" juice (Passion, Orange, Guava) here on the mainland, I found a perfect alternative to still have that tropical flavor!  Nothing like the most wonderful chilled beverage on the patio to end your day.

The Frederico

1 part, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

1 part, Makers Mark or Gentleman Jack Bourbon

1 part, orange juice

2 parts, Welch's Dragon Fruit Mango juice

2 parts, Welch's Passion Fruit juice

ice

cocktail shaker

Pour all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake well and serve over ice.

Sip responsibly...enjoy!!

This week I started receiving my subscription again to "Cuisine at Home", that I recently renewed and I'm pretty excited about it!  I had a rare opportunity (again) to sit on the patio with my coffee (no Fredericos at 8:00am, thank you very much), the boys taking their post-kibble nap next to me and my latest Cuisine issues.  I pulled out my post-it note pad and started tagging my new recipes to try out.

This grilled pizza really caught my eye and it definitely did not disappoint either.  WOW!!  I would never have thought to put honey on a pizza, but the combination of it with the goat cheese was off the charts good!  This was the perfect date night dinner at home for us, or you could also cut it up into small pieces and serve as appetizer to guests.

Chicken, Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza

Courtesy of Cuisine at Home, July/August 2016

Combine:

4 oz. goat cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon

1 tsp. honey

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 tsp. minced fresh garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Bake:

1 purchased thin-style pizza crust or pizza size naan

2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Toss:

1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup fresh baby spinach

1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup each, thinly sliced kalamata olives and jarred roasted red peppers

Red pepper flakes to taste

shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with baking stone.

Combine goat cheese, milk, tarragon, honey, zest and garlic;  season with salt and pepper.  

Bake pizza crust on baking stone until bottom starts to brown and crips, 3-4 minutes.

Remove pizza crust from oven and brush with 2 tsp. oil.  Spread goat cheese mixture over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border.

Toss chicken, spinach and shallots with 1 tsp. oil; season with salt and black pepper.

Top pizza with chicken misture, olives and roasted red peppers; season with pepper flakes.

Bake pizza until toppings are heated through, 4-5 minutes, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

One Year Ago: Artichoke Gratin

Two Years Ago: Grilled Vegetable Salad