white bean dip with rosemary and sage

Well, hello there,  2014!!!  By my calculations, I’m only about two weeks late to the party, but, hey…life has a way of being lived sometimes and I have to admit there’s been little time for cooking AND photographing.  Just cooking, lately, and Brownie meetings to supervise, and piano lessons to patiently sit through, and puppy obedience classes to attend.  Also, believe it or not, it gets dark really early this time of year in the desert.  By 5:30, if I haven’t cooked, plated, and photographed, there’s just not enough natural light.

Ahhh, excuses, excuses, excuses.  Enough of that, on to the bean dip.

I made this for the first time on New Year’s Eve 2012.  It was a huge hit with our guests and, even though it was just going to be the three of us this year (one of whom wouldn’t touch the stuff with a ten foot pole), I decided to do it again for our New Year’s Day feast.  We already had too much food, but this dip is so good (and gets better with each passing day), I was happy to have the leftovers for some post-celebration snacking.  It’s low in fat, high in flavor (lots of garlic goodness), and a good source of protein and fiber from the beans.  It’s also really fast and easy to assemble.  Put it together the day before you plan to serve it for maximum flavor mingling!  (I hear there’s a big football game in the not-too-distant future).  Serve with the crackers or crudités of your choice.  Enjoy!!

White Bean Dip with Rosemary and Sage (recipe courtesy Cooking Light, Aug 2007)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• Fresh sage sprig (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Serve with pita wedges crackers, fresh veggies. Garnish with sage sprig, if desired.

grilled vegetable sandwiches

Summer is ending.  Fall is arriving…slowly, but arriving.  We had a couple of evenings recently where we sat on the patio and enjoyed what had the makings of a cool breeze.  I think we’ve survived another desert summer!  Which is good and bad, because that means summer veggies are going by the wayside.  But it also means fall root veggies, key to many comfort foods and soups, will be in abundant supply.

While flipping through a cookbook looking for something entirely different, I came across these grilled veggie sandwiches which sounded (and looked) delicious.  My usual cooking routine includes incorporating a meatless meal or two each week.  And, since no one has put up too much of a fight, I’m not rocking that boat.  These veggie sandwiches were the perfect meatless meal, and made for a tiny celebration of the end of the season by using the last of the summer veggies.  For those of you in colder climates, the benefits will be two-fold: enjoying the last of summer vegetables and lighting up the grill one more time – before the lid is frozen shut!  Enjoy!!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches (recipe courtesy Cooking Light Superfast Suppers, Oxmoor House Publishing)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp light mayo
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into eighths
• 1 (1 lb) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 sweet onion, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
• Cooking spray
• 4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Directions:

• Prepare grill.
• Combine mayo and minced basil; cover and chill.
• Combine oil and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  Add bell pepper, eggplant, onion, and zucchini to dressing mixture;; toss vegetables to coat.
• Place bell pepper and eggplant on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill about 6 minutes.  Add onion and zucchini; grill 5 minutes.  Turn vegetables often, baste with dressing, and cook just until tender.  Remove from grill and keep warm.
  
• Place bread on grill, cut side down, and grill 2 minutes.  Turn bread, cut side up, and place half of cheese slices on bottom half of bread.  Grill 1 minute or until cheese begins to melt.
• Spread mayo mixture over top half of bread.  Top bottom half with vegetables, remaining cheese slices, and top half of bread.
• Serve immediately.

***Cook’s Notes:  I used a grill basket for the veggies, which made worries about losing vegetables through the grill grates a non-issue.  Choose a nice, hearty roll.  The ciabattas are great because they hold up well to the moisture from the dressing, grilled veggies, and melted cheese.  Also, I came across this little gem while working on the post; the website for the book Simply in Season, which offers a fruit and vegetable guide for tips on how to choose, store, prepare, and use selected fruits and vegetables.  Good stuff!

hoisin-grilled chicken with soba noodles

If my kid had to choose one thing to use as a dipping sauce…because, well, meat can’t be eaten in our house unless dipped in something, she’d choose barbecue.  Her sauce of choice is Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet & Tangy.  She’ll put it on everything, but particularly her least favorite meat of all time: chicken.

Isn’t chicken supposed to be every kid’s favorite meat?  I mean, it’s generally tender, virtually devoid of any offensive flavor (or, flavor of any sort unless dredged in Sweet Baby Ray’s)?  Well, not my kid, I guess, resulting in this recipe being a sort of double whammy – she detests chicken and the sauce is NOT Sweet Baby Ray’s.  The sauce is better, in my opinion, but I don’t have the culinary sensitivities of an eight year old.

I love hoisin sauce.  I love Asian-inspired dishes.  I won’t go so far as to say I love chicken because handling raw chicken is enough to make me contemplate full-time vegetarianism.  But once it’s cooked, I’m OK with it.  Fortunately or unfortunately, chicken is flavorless unless you do something good to it.  In this case, the sauce.  The hoisin adds sweetness and the chili-garlic the heat.  I love the savory warmth of dark sesame oil, too.  But the really interesting flavor comes from the Chinese 5-spice blend.

You can make your own at home; it’s a combination of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and Szechuan peppercorns, but 5-spice blend is readily available in the spice aisle at your local grocery store.  The spice adds a deeper warmth to an already savory combination of flavors.  Overall, this Asian-inspired barbecue sauce was quite good.  Don’t worry, Sweet Baby Ray’s.  A certain eight year old will  make sure my pantry remains well stocked with your products.  Nice change of pace, though.  Enjoy!

Hoisin-Grilled Chicken w/Soba Noodles (recipe adapted from Cooking Light, July 2013)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 3 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 6 ounces uncooked soba noodles (or pasta of your choice)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved diagonally
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
• 2 tsp lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste), or 1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning after 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain,
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook 2 minutes. Add peas; cook 1 minute or until noodles are tender. Drain. Combine rice vinegar and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Add noodle mixture; toss to coat. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with about 3 1/2 ounces chicken. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and onions.

***Cook’s Note:  Per the picture, I was convinced I had Soba noodles in my pantry when I didn’t.  Substituting any pasta will serve you well, however.

balsamic marinated tomato and mozzarella salad

I know there are a lot of food purists out there who will say this is a travesty; the bastardization of the Caprese Salad.  Yes, there is balsamic vinegar which some say you would never find on a Caprese Salad in Italy.   And yes, I served it as a side dish as opposed to a starter as they would in, you guessed it…Italy.

Alas, we are not in Italy.  We are in the United States of America and here?  Here, I put balsamic on my Caprese Salad and serve it as a side dish.  Except there’s one, minor detail.  This isn’t really Caprese salad.  Because it also has minced garlic and chopped onion.  So, there.  Take that, Italy.  It’s a side salad!

Don’t get me wrong.  I love me some Caprese Salad.  It’s the most tantalizing starter at any summer meal.  But this version is basically a balsamic marinade, and the added onion and garlic gives you an added kick in the taste buds.  It really was very, very good.  Lots of robust flavor with the same summer freshness of the purist’s Caprese Salad.  Keep this recipe on hand for summer weekends where you’re not hosting a formal sit down meal with several courses.  This has summer picnics and barbecues written all over it, especially if you’re invited to a summer meal where you’re asked to bring a dish to pass.  Make it ahead and let the flavors mingle.  It’s all good.  Enjoy!

Balsamic Marinated Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (recipe courtesy Food.com)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• black pepper
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, cubes
• 1 pint grape tomatoes or 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine cheese pearls and tomatoes.  In separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and chopped basil.  Stir to blend evenly.   When dressing is evenly mixed, toss over cheese and tomatoes, stirring gently to coat.

Chill until ready to serve.

Cook’s Notes:  Especially where dressings and marinades are involved, always use the best quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil you can afford.

mu shu pork wraps

These were delicious.  I don’t think there’s anything else I can add.  Oh, yes, and messy!  Not to mention really easy to make.  And delicious.  Did I say that already?

I’m a Cooking Light subscriber, but I must have overlooked these somehow when I received this issue, because I’d have been all over them like…well, nothing you want to talk about in a cooking blog.  Whatever the reason, they went unnoticed until I was working on a weekly menu plan some time last month.  The combination of ingredients was enticingly colorful and…crunchy.  I’m a crunch person, so I can’t go wrong with any dish full of  crisp, fast-cooked veggies.

Although the original recipe called for a head of green or Savoy cabbage, the day I did my shopping I was in a purple kind of mood.  This dish wouldn’t have a lot of color otherwise and I thought the purple cabbage would be a nice compliment to the carrots.  (I know you’re all busting out your decorating color wheels right about now).  Also, everyone’s always telling you to eat a rainbow, right?   Purple cabbage is full of antioxidants and has more of vitamins A and C, and iron than green cabbage.  So, it looks pretty in the dish and it’s good for you!

The prep for this dish is really simple and the ingredients go together quickly, so it really is perfect for weeknight cooking.  My only lament is I didn’t find the recipe sooner.  Enjoy!

Mu Shu Pork Wraps (recipe adapted from Cooking Light, September 2012)

Ingredients:

• 1 small head green or Savoy cabbage
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 (8-ounce) boneless pork loin, trimmed
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots $
• 4 mushroom caps, thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions, divided $
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 package flour tortillas

Directions:

1. Remove any loose outer cabbage leaves. Shred remaining cabbage to measure 2 cups. Combine soy sauce and next 3 ingredients (through cornstarch). Cut pork crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack several slices vertically; slice pork into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Repeat procedure with remaining pork. Add pork, carrots, and mushrooms to soy sauce mixture; toss.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1/4 cup onions; sauté 30 seconds. Add shredded cabbage and water; sauté 2 minutes. Remove cabbage mixture from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add remaining 1/2 cup onions and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add pork mixture; sauté 3 minutes or until done. Add cabbage mixture; toss.
3. Place about 1/3 cup pork mixture into each tortilla, wrap and serve.

Cook’s Notes:  The original recipe uses the large, outer cabbage leaves for the wraps.  As I’d recently fed my husband dinner wrapped in lettuce, I opted for something a little more substantial and used the tortillas.  You can only get away with lettuce wrapped meals so many times a month!

simple spinach fritatta

If you give my kid the chance to pick dinner it’s either going to be one of two things; homemade mac and cheese, or “Brinner.”  Brinner, you ask?  What the heck is that??  Well, it only takes a little stretching of the imagination to take Brunch (breakfast for lunch) and turn it in to Brinner: breakfast for dinner.

I don’t mind breakfast for dinner.  It’s the sort of brain-dead dinner plan I can get into given I cook every night of the week.  We’re not big fans of eating out, so I have to be on my game planning meals every. single. day.  And, that, fair readers (or, reader, if you will), is a boat load of work.  But, while Brinner is always pleasing to a seven-year-old palate, that doesn’t hold true for her daddy.  After a long day at work, pancakes don’t cut it.  Honestly, neither do scrambled eggs, especially since he’s working on lowering his cholesterol through diet and exercise.  Nothing says, “I love you like a heart attack,” than a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon for dinner.

Which is where the adapted fritatta comes in.  It’s scrambled eggs only…fancy!  It’s also a dish that’s a completely a blank canvas.  You make it whatever you want it to be.  The original recipe called for lots of fresh eggs but I chose cholesterol-free Egg Beaters.  You want onion?  Add onion.  You like yours with a little meat?  Add some turkey sausage or diced ham or leftover shredded chicken.  I kept this one vegetarian because that’s what I had on hand.

It certainly felt more like a meal than a plate of plain-Jane scrambled eggs and hubby gave it great reviews (with a splash of hot sauce).  Next time I might man it up for him a little more with some meat, but even meatless it was delicious.  Enjoy!

Simple Spinach Fritatta (recipe adapted from Love & Lemons)

Ingredients:

• 1 carton egg substitute (I used Egg Beaters Original)
• 1/2 cup milk (any kind, I used 1% low fat)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• olive oil
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup (or so) scallions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
• pinch of paprika or other spices you like (totally optional)
• chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (also optional)
• salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (preheat a cast iron skillet in it if you like)

Combine Egg Beaters, milk, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and any spices you want to add.  Whisk together until well combined.  Add spinach, scallions, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.   Mix gently.

Pour the whole mixture into your cast iron skillet.  Shred cheese on top and bake in the oven until it puffs up and becomes golden brown. I used an 8″ skillet and cooked them for about 28 minutes. You can eyeball it here or poke at it a bit until your eggs are firm and cooked.

Let cool then slice and serve.

pork and brussels sprouts stir fry

I’m a huge fan of the Brussels Sprout.  It’s probably my favorite vegetable of all time, or a close second to….hmmm (long pause while I think about what might be a close second).  Nah, it’s the Brussels Sprout, hands down!  Sadly, though, for lovers of these delicious orbs of savory goodness, the season is quickly coming to an end.  Yes, spring vegetables are on the way.  There will soon be bunches upon bunches of young, firm spears of vibrant green asparagus, which I also adore.  But I’ll miss the Brussels Sprouts clear through to next winter.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, yet again.  It seems to be where I’m finding a lot of really good recipes these days.  The only adaptation I made was to reduce the amount of chili pepper paste from 2 tablespoons to just a smidgen over 1 tablespoon given a seven-year old was eating and I’d rather have not quite enough heat than too much.  Reduced heat means increased odds of the kiddo actually trying what I’ve cooked for dinner.  It turned out to be just the right amount for us and it’s clearly an ingredient, like the garlic, you can add/subtract according to your palate.  I never reduce garlic, though.  That would be a travesty!

This dish got thumbs up around the table.  It’s super easy to put together and calls for just a handful of ingredients.  I served it with Jasmine rice – which is very aromatic and flavorful on its own, but didn’t overpower the great flavors of this dish.  I’d say it’s probably even better for lunch the next day but I didn’t get the chance to find out.  No leftovers.  That’s a winner at our house.

So gather ye sprouts while ye may, right?  Indulge in the best of winter veggies before it’s too late.  Enjoy!

Pork and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry (recipe courtesy BetsyLife – A Sunny Perspective)

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound boneless pork loin chops, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved and loose leaves removed
• 2 scallions, whites and greens sliced separately
• 2 Tbsp Gourmet Garden garlic paste
• 2 Tbsp Gourmet Garden chili pepper paste
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 c bean sprouts, fresh

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and cook until golden; transfer to plate.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sprouts to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add scallion whites, garlic and chili pepper; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, brown sugar and 1/4 cup water; cook until sauce is slightly thickened.

Return pork to pan and toss to coat. Top with scallion greens and bean sprouts and serve immediately.

Cook’s Notes:  The first time I made this recipe I used the designated amount of pork (1/2 lb), but I have to admit I felt cheated on the meat.  This time I doubled the pork to a full pound and found that to be a better proportion, especially with a full pound of Brussels Sprouts.  Also, I used Earthbound Farm Organic brand for the garlic and chili pepper paste.  The brand of your choice will do.

herb-roasted pork shoulder

I love how the perfect weekend recipe always seems to appear in my in-box around Friday afternoon.  Generally, my other half cooks on Saturday night, giving me a much-needed break from six previous nights of cooking.  But by Sunday I’m geared up and ready to go at it again.  And Sunday cooking is more a labor of love.  Weeknight dinners are usually selected for ease of prep and timeliness.   On Sunday, there isn’t that same chaotic, mad rush.  Sunday meals are slower.  Sunday meals are more laid back.  It’s probably my favorite night of the week to cook.  There’s a certain satisfaction in chopping garlic and fresh herbs when you know it’s not a race to the finish.

And this is just the epitome of a Sunday Supper: roasted, aromatic, savory, slower, laid back, and delicious!  The herb rub is heady and flavorful.   The crispy pork skin??  Well, I don’t eat such things but I’m pretty sure my husband buckled at the knees.  The pork shoulder is a fattier cut of meat than I normally choose, but a little fat sure goes a long way; the roast was tender and juicy.  We used the digital meat thermometer and cooked to an internal temp of about 160°.

Enjoy!

Herb-Roasted Pork Shoulder

Ingredients

• 1 5-to-6 pound boneless, skin-on pork shoulder (mine was about 3 lbs)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1  Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1  Tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F with a rack in the middle position. Score the skin of the pork in a criss-cross diamond pattern every 1½ inches. Turn the pork skin-side down and rub with the garlic, rosemary, sage, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Roll up the pork with the skin on the outside and tie every 2 inches with kitchen twine. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Roast the pork for 1 hour. Reduce heat to 350° F and continue to roast until the skin is very crispy and pulls away from the meat easily, 2 to 2½ hours more. Transfer to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

roasted cabbage rounds

I love cabbage.  There are people out there who need to be convinced, cajoled, tricked into eating cabbage.  I’m not one of those people.  On any given day, I probably have cabbage in my veggie crisper.  In the summer it morphs into slaws and salads.  In the fall it takes the form of soups and stews.  But the other day I was looking for a vegetable side dish and came across this recipe (which seems to be making the rounds on Pinterest).  If you’re so inclined, you can follow my pin boards there, too.

But, I digress.  Anyway, I saw this recipe and had to give it a try.  It originated at MarthaStewart.com and, despite my eye-rolling at all things Martha Stewart, I do concede she employs a lot of really talented and inspired people (No, Martha, I don’t believe you come up with all these amazing things on your own).  I used the remnants of a head of Napa cabbage I’d used for a salad recently and, admittedly, I don’t think it held together as well as green cabbage might have.  But it was simple and delicious and made for what I thought to be a perfect vegetable for a cool, fall evening dinner.  Roasting veggies mellows their flavor so nicely, and that held true for the cabbage.  The caraway seeds were the perfect burst of savory flavor, too.

The original recipe says to roast for 40 to 45 minutes, but the Napa cabbage may be a more delicate cabbage.  I pulled it at about 37 minutes and it was quite done.  It might even have come out a handful of minutes earlier, so watch it closely at the end of your cook time.  Enjoy!

Roasted Cabbage Rounds

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp plus 2 more Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch thick rounds (I used Napa)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp caraway or fennel seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Place 1-inch-thick rounds in a single layer on sheet and brush with olive oil.
3. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds.
4. Roast until cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

This recipe is also linked up over at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday.  Click over and I guarantee you’ll find something good to eat!!

chicken and herb white pizza

The first thing my husband said to me after eating this pizza was, “You can make that one anytime!”  Need I type more?  This pizza was so good I don’t even have words for it.  If you’re bored with same-same pizza (we eat ham and pineapple pizza almost every time we eat pizza since it’s Kat’s favorite), this recipe is a breath of fresh air.  It’s full of incredible flavor from the savory white sauce and plentiful fresh herbs.  Better yet, it doesn’t come with the overwhelming guilt of a regular pizza.  The nutrition info provided with the recipe was for a six-slice pie, but I cut mine into 8 pieces.  Taking that into consideration, the 8-slice pie contains approximately 272 cal, about 6 g of fat, and a little less than 20 g of protein per slice.  See?  Practically no guilt.  Have seconds.

Truth is, I had two slices and never saw another slice of this pizza again.  A certain someone (a-hem) called dibs on the leftovers for lunch the next day and that was that.  Next time I’ll make two.

Chicken and Herb White Pizza

Recipe courtesy Cooking Light, October 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray; let dough stand, covered, for 15 minutes.

3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add flour and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 3 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

4. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal; roll dough into a 12-inch circle on prepared baking sheet. Spread white sauce over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Top with chicken and onion.  Bake at 450° on bottom oven rack for 17 minutes or until crust is golden.  Sprinkle with herbs.

Kitchen Notes:  I used a raw pizza dough from Sprouts Farmers Market and followed the baking directions provided with the dough: 375 for 20 minutes.