Pizza Pizza Pizza

I love a good slice of pizza…In Chicago, nothing beats the one slice, pack of fries and a drink special at Ricobene’s or the cornbread crust at Gino’s East. One of my best foodie finds in L.A., was the BBQ Chicken Pizza at California Pizza Kitchen. That slightly sweet honey wheat crust, the smoked gouda cheese, the tangy sauce and red onions combined for a delicious treat. I would add Cheddar Cheese, forego the cilantro. Nice.

 But I can’t get to the restaurants and the frozen variety just doesn’t make the grade. Although, I want to get my hands on that new create-your-own frozen pizza kit.

 

La' BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Pizza

But I still love and crave pizza. Lately, I’ve been making my own quick pizzas, using pita, naan or flatbread.

I even came across a recipe using flour tortilla and one for a cauliflower crust. I'm sure the tortilla would make for a nice crispy crust.

Still trying to wrap my mind around the veggie crust…

These flatbread pizzas are super easy and super quick, taking less than a half hour depending on your toppings.

That’s right.
Add the toppings that rock your boat.

Make it a meal by adding a delicious side salad.

Here’s how I do it:

 

 

 

 

La’s BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Pizza

1 cup grilled chicken breast, diced

A few slivers of Red onion

¼ cup Red onion, diced

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 tsp chicken seasoning blend (onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme,

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp mustard

2 squirts Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Shredded cheddar cheese

1 small flatbread

·         Preheat oven to 400F.

·         In a bowl, mix ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, honey, brown sugar and vinegar. Adjust to taste. NOTE: You can omit this step and use your favorite BBQ sauce.

·         Add light coating of sauce to flatbread, reserving some sauce for the chicken.

·         In a skillet or sauce pan, sauté ½ cup of diced onions in olive oil. Add garlic. Add chicken. About ½ minute until warmed through. Add chicken seasoning and remaining sauce. Constantly turning for another minute or so. Lightly cool  

·         Sprinkle Cheddar on flat bread

·         Add onion slivers

·         Spoon chicken on top

·         Add more cheese if desired (I love Cheddar)

·         Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbly.

·         Enjoy!!!!

 

 

La’s Pepperoni Pizzazz

7 to 10 pepperoni slices

1 Naan bread

¼  cup of pizza sauce (tomato sauce or ketchup mixed with Italian pizza seasonings, onion powder, garlic powder)

½ cup Pizza cheese blend

Olive oil

·         Preheat oven to 400F

·         Lightly coat bread with pizza sauce

·         Sprinkle Cheese on top

·         Cover pizza with pepperoni slices

·         Sprinkle a wee bit more Pizza seasonings for flavor

·         Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbly

Fashion Just Got Scandalous: New Scandal Collection Debuts

Kerry Washington has been my celebrity girl crush ever since I saw her in She Hate Me.  She is smart, stylish and sexy. She always owns her fashion sense, whether walking the red carpet or speaking out as an activist or addressing the Democratic National Convention. Washington made history as the first Black woman to play the lead in a prime time drama in more than 30 years.

If you are a true fashionista like me, I tune into Scandal each week to  not only find out what top secret confidential  situation is to be handled,  but also I live to see what chic ensemble Olivia Pope HGIC (Head Gladiator in Chic) is wearing. And I’m not alone,  I cannot count how many times someone  tweets about who designed a certain coat, jacket, sweater, bag, etc. and how can they get the look. There’s even a website dedicated to Olivia Pope style.

Well, Gladiators, if you really want to dress like Olivia Pope, then head on over to The Limited and snatch up a few pieces from the new Scandal Collection, which debuts in stores and online today.

Washington and Lyn Paolo, costume designer for the hit show, collaborated with The Limited to create a 78 piece collection priced from $49 to $250,  of stylish and sophisticated separates including pants, pencil skirts, blouses, coats and jackets _there’s even Pope’s signature cape.

'Women often feel that they have to be either smart or beautiful, powerful or pretty, either fashion forward or successful, and I think this clothing line says you can be all of those things,” says Washington, who is not just the face behind the collection. She’s one of the designers.

'With these 78 pieces, you could come up with about 3,000 different looks because you can interchange pieces with each other and stuff from your own closet,' said Paolo. Based on Washington’s award winning character, the collection is comprised of cool, neutral colors and feminine yet tailored separates.

My only con -where is the luv for Curvy Girl Gladiators?

Now,  I  hope there is an Olivia Pope doll in the works.