Summer Dinners - no. 4

We are loving our family dinners on the deck this summer! We find that we just linger in conversation longer there, enjoying the breeze and the sun glinting through the trees. This summer slow down has been a good thing, as we are sharing our time with one another and spending more time talking. This week I’ve got some super tasty recipes for you, a new Summer Dinners playlist, and a fun conversation starter that’s really more like a shout-out. The kids will love it!

Even though we live on the east coast now, I am a southern California native. And sometimes, I’ve just got to have good Mexican food, which can be difficult to find in this northeast corner of the United States. When I want a really tasty taco, this is my go-to recipe, Verde Tacos. Verde means “green” in Spanish, and this taco recipe calls for both green chilies and green salsa. One of the best parts of this one-platter meal is that you don’t have to heat up your kitchen to make it. The chicken goes in the crockpot! And you don’t even need to set the table with any silverware, because this is a super casual, hands-only meal. Summer at it’s best! Platter available in the shop here.

Verde Tacos

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 t. chipotle chili powder

1/2 t. ground cumin

kosher salt

pepper

1—4 oz. can diced green chilies, undrained

1—15 oz. jar salsa verde, divided use

1 c. chicken broth

1—10-ct. pkg. (fajita size) flour tortillas

shredded cheese

lime wedges

cilantro

tortilla chips

Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with: chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spoon diced green chilies over chicken. Pour 1/2 jar of the salsa verde over chicken. Add chicken broth to cover chicken breasts completely. Cook on low for 4 hours.

Remove from crockpot to a plate and shred chicken with two forks. With a slotted spoon, skim some of the chilies from broth in crockpot and add to shredded chicken (to suit your taste for spicy vs mild). Add a couple of spoonfuls of broth to moisten meat.

With metal tongs, heat tortillas one at a time over oven flame, flipping consistently. They should be warm and slightly charred, but not crisp. Fill each tortilla with meat.

Serve cheese, lime wedges, cilantro, remaining salsa verde, and tortilla chips on the side.

This week’s pizza recipe, Three Cheese White Pizza, was my husband’s favorite! It’s smoky, savory, tastes of garlic, and is loaded with cheese. I made it easy on myself this week, and I bought ball of refrigerated pizza dough. The one I chose used beer instead of yeast for its rising property, and I can’t recommend that enough! It adds a whole other taste dimension to your pizza. So, if you can find that, I’d highly recommend using that. Pizza peel found here, and mezzaluna found here.

Three Cheese White Pizza

For White Garlic Pizza Sauce:

2 T. butter

2 T. flour

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. dried oregano

1 c. half-n-half

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

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1 bag store-bought pizza dough

1/4 lb. hot Italian sausage

8 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

2 T. butter

1/4 of a small red onion, sliced

4 oz. smoked, fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced in 1/4” thick slices

6 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded

1/8 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

cornmeal

To make White Garlic Pizza Sauce:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and oregano and sauté for 30-45 seconds. Add flour and stir. Slowly add half-n-half in small portions, whisking continuously after each addition until smooth and thickened. Add 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Cook hot Italian sausage in a small skillet until browned. Drain fat.

Heat 2 T. butter in a medium skillet until melted and frothing stops. Add mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. When mushrooms are almost done, add most of onions (reserving some) and stir.

Roll pizza dough to desired thickness for crust. Sprinkle a flat baking sheet or pizza pan with cornmeal. Place dough on baking sheet and spread with White Garlic Pizza Sauce. Top with half of shredded Fontina cheese and cooked mushrooms and onions. Top with remaining Fontina, sliced mozzarella, and remaining fresh onion slices. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 500 degrees for 12-14 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Makes one, 12” pizza.

The Summer Dinners - no. 4 Playlist is available on Spotify. I think I might best describe it as a mix of my California background and the original Parent Trap movie. I hope you enjoy these fun, summer tunes as much as I do!

Here’s something a bit different for your dinner conversation starter. It’s a shout-out to some of summer’s favorites! It will be fun to see if your family or friends all have the same answers, or if they vary widely. And it’s easy to let even the littlest ones at your table join in the fun this week!

This week’s popsicle, the Piña Colada Popsicle, can be made for the whole family (as you’ll find it), or you can soak the pineapple in a small amount of rum before adding it to the other ingredients. It’s super refreshing for a hot, summer night. Popsicle Mold and Summer Popsicle Sticks available in the shop here.

Piña Colada Popsicle

1 pt. vanilla frozen yogurt, softened

1—14 oz. can coconut milk

1/2 of an 8 oz. can crushed pineapple

1/2 c. shredded coconut

In a medium-size bowl, blend together the softened frozen yogurt and the coconut milk until smooth and pourable.

Stir in crushed pineapple and shredded coconut.

Pour mixture into popsicle molds. Insert sticks. Freeze.

Makes 10 popsicles.

I hope you make some great memories around the patio table this week!