Document text
School countdown calls for pizza, please I know there must be households where June is a peaceful month, a period of good weather and pleasant tempers, a time when the most pressing problem is what to do about the aphids on the new roses. But that ain't where I live. At my home -- and the homes of most families with children -- June is the calendar equivalent of a rocket launch, a countdown toward the climactic moment students -- and their teachers -- burst free from school. Trust me, it's not a pretty process. Last-minute deadlines and end-of-the-year glitches make every evening a scramble to finish something -- fast. An oral presentation on 1960s feminists? Due tomorrow. A complete family tree, including the names of long-dead great-grandmothers? Due tomorrow. A report on mass extinction, excluding the dinosaurs? Tomorrow, too. Add to that year-end parties, teacher appreciation gestures and graduation preparations for kids from kindergarten through college and you've got a volatile mix. Toss in a sunny day or two and it's like lighting a fuse. "Only 9 more days, Mom!" were the first words my son uttered upon awakening last Wednesday. Today, of course, the count is even lower -- 7, 6, 5 -- and by next Wednesday -- 3, 2, 1 -- he'll be free. But in the meantime, it's up to me -- and moms everywhere -- to make sure at least something goes smoothly during the mid-June frenzy. Let's talk dinner. It should be obvious that now is not the time to trot out strange ingredients or experimental dishes for the family to try. What they need is something familiar. What they need is something flavorful. What they need is something fast. What they need, in short, is something pretty darn close to pizza. I'm not too proud to say I see nothing wrong with serving pizza multiple times during weeks like these. Sometimes, of course, it's by default. When the schedule calls for a 6 p.m. baseball game 22 miles from home, the only possible answer is Abby's. And when the end-of-school gala turns into an all-night slumber party at YOUR house, a quick trip to Papa Murphy's is probably in order. But serving pizza doesn't mean your only choices are dine-in or take-and-bake. There are plenty of easy, tasty, fast pizza recipes you can make at home to soothe even the crankiest scholar. And they don't even have to have pepperoni. One recipe I rely on during these trying times is a gourmet chicken pie so grown-up it hardly qualifies as pizza. The recipe calls for one of those Italian bread shells, but that's not what I always use. Sometimes I'll make my own dough using a quick-rise recipe I have. Sometimes I'll stop by a pizza place and pay $2 for a ball of dough -- all I have to do is ask. Then I stir chunks of skinless, boneless chicken in a spicy Asian marinade, grate two kinds of cheese, add pine nuts or almonds, bake for a bit and call it delicious. Best of all, it's done in 40 minutes or less. You'll find the recipe on Page 2. If the boy at my house is really cranky, I'll make him his own pizza -- a dollop of bottled sauce, a sprinkle of cheese and a handful of pepperoni -- and he's happy. Meanwhile, my husband and I can enjoy a glass of wine and a quick-but-elegant main dish before the next countdown crisis occurs. "Is it summer yet?" my spouse will say. He should know better. He's a teacher. Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast 1/2 cup sliced green onions 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 16-ounce Italian bread shell 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 2 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced almonds Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the green onions, the minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, the red pepper and black pepper. Add the chicken pieces, stir to coat; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon oil; add chicken pieces. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir cornstarch into reserved liquid, add to skillet. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Spoon evenly over bread shell on baking sheet. Sprinkle with Monterey jack cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a 400-degree oven for 12 minutes. Top with remaining green onions and the nuts. REturn to oven for 2 minutes more. Makes 6 servings. Recipe from "75 Years of All-Time Favorites," Better Homes and Gardens, Meredith publishing. (Send questions to A la carte, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501. Reach JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465 or by e-mail at [email protected] ) Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA