Pampered Chef Roasted Pepper Focaccia Food

PAMPERED CHEF ROASTED PEPPER FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Unroll pizza crust lengthwise over bottom of stoneware bar pan (or use 13" x 9" pan).
• Using fingertips, press indentations 1/2 inch apart into surface of dough.
• In small bowl, combine salad dressing and garlic; brush over dough.
• Sprinkle with half of mozzarella cheese. Top with peppers and olives.
• Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and seasoning.
• Bake 25 - 28 minutes or until deep golden brown.
• Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes.
• Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH PEPPERS, FOCACCIA AND BASIL AIOLI

Steps:

• Prepare the chicken: Set the chicken on a work surface breast-side down. Use shears or kitchen scissors to remove and discard the backbone, then cut through the wishbone and along one side of the breast plate to separate the chicken into two halves. In a 9-by-13-inch (or similar size) baking dish, season the two chicken halves with half the oregano, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle with 3/4 cup vinegar. Set aside, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours in advance.
• Blister the peppers: Turn the stovetop gas flames on high heat. Place the peppers directly over the flames, bottom-side down, and blister until the peppers are beginning to soften, rotating until the bottom, sides and tops are blackened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper bag, fold to seal and let cool, 5 minutes.
• Working over a bowl to collect the juices, peel each pepper, then tear into thick strips, discarding the stems and seeds as you separate the pepper. Season peppers with the remaining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and toss to coat.
• Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Tear 2 pieces of focaccia (using about half the loaf) into portions that are slightly smaller than the 2 pieces of chicken. Rub both pieces of focaccia with the halved garlic and transfer to the baking dish. Place the marinated chicken on top of each piece of torn focaccia, skin side up. Tuck garlic heads and peppers around the chicken. Tear remaining focaccia into shards and tuck these around the chicken and peppers. Pour any juices from the peppers over the whole dish and drizzle the olive oil over everything.
• Bake until the chicken comes to 165 degrees, about 1 hour, depending on the size of your bird. If bread or peppers are getting burned before the chicken is fully cooked, cover those areas with aluminum foil and continue cooking.
• Meanwhile, prepare the aioli: Using a mortar and pestle, working in batches if necessary, mash basil with lemon juice, garlic and sea salt until it forms a paste. Either by hand in a bowl with a whisk or in a food processor, whirl egg yolks then begin adding the oil very slowly, whisking or blending until mixture is emulsified and thickened and all the oil has been added. (If mixture seems to thicken too much for the machine as you blend, pause to add a tablespoon of cold water.) Blend in basil paste until combined. Add additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve a dippable texture; season to taste with salt and lemon. (Makes 3 1/2 cups.) Use immediately or refrigerate until use, up to 3 days (see Tip).
• Once chicken is cooked through, remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve directly from the baking dish, family-style, with aioli on the side.

ROSEMARY, LEMON, AND PEPPER FOCACCIA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425F thirty minutes before baking, and place a baking stone, baking tiles, an inverted large cast-iron skillet or griddle, or a heavy baking sheet in oven to heat (I use a baking stone).
• Flour the work surface lightly and roll the dough into a rough circle 11 inches in diameter. Place a sheet of parchment paper roughly the size of the dough on a baker's peel (this is what I use), inverted baking sheet, or a rimless cookie sheet. Transfer dough to the parchment; reshape with your fingers.
• Prick the dough with a fork and brush lightly with some of the olive oil. Grind pepper over it and sprinkle evenly with the rosemary. Cut the lemon in half lengthwise through the stem (reserve other half for another use), then slice crosswise as thinly as you can; remove any seeds. Arrange lemon slices evenly over the dough and brush them lightly with olive oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 15 minutes.
• Slide the focaccia, still on the parchment, onto the hot stone. Bake until the crust is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Brush with remaining oil and sprinkle with the cheese or salt. Cut into wedges and serve at once.