Focaccia

I’ve had a ball of pizza dough in the ‘fridge all week. It was left from the pizzas we made when Victor’s family was over. Every day I’ve been re-rolling it and putting it back in its little container – until today. I pulled it out to re-roll and decided I’d done it enough. Time to make something with it!

The dough was my favorite 2-day rise dough – a recipe I’ve now been using for quite a while. The recipe makes 2 pounds of dough – perfect for two pizzas. We made three the other day – one left over and into the ‘fridge. Nothing goes to waste around here.

I had pretty much settled on a take on a dish my sister-in-law Debbie used to make – a chicken and zucchini dish that is easy and tasty as can be – and the idea of a focaccia sprang into mind. A perfect accompaniment.

The chicken dish is really good the way Debbie makes it. I streamlined it, but here’s her recipe so you can make it the right way!

Chicken Zucchini Parmesan

Debbie’s Chicken Zucchini Parmesan

  • 1/4 C dried breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 1-15 oz, can or jar marinara sauce
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1 lb. zucchini, sliced
  • 8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, grated

Mix 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese with dried breadcrumbs. Dip chicken in egg, then into breadcrumbs and cheese. Heat oil; add chicken and brown on both sides. Set aside.

Place 1/2 of the marinara sauce in a pan. Top with zucchini, then chicken. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the jack cheese and 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining sauce. Cover and bring to boil. Simmer 25 minutes until chicken and zucchini are tender.

Sprinkle with remaining jack cheese and Parmesan. Cover and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

For the focaccia, I sautéed sliced leeks until limp. I added a bit of white wine to the skillet and cooked it all down until the leeks were nice and soft.

Meanwhile, I let the pizza dough rise, punched it down, and then placed it into an oiled 9″ square pyrex baking dish. I topped it with the cooled leeks and a generous topping of grated parmesan. I let it rise for thirty minutes and then baked it off in a preheated 500°F oven for 15 minutes.

I took it out of the pan and let it cool on a rack.

Yum.