Maple Roasted Pear Pizza with Pistachio Olive Oil, Caramelized Shallots, Crispy Prosciutto, + Crumbled Goat Cheese

Sweet + Salty is mah jam. I'm the weirdo that likes dipping french fries in a chocolate milkshake... adding salt to my lattes, pouring maple syrup on my bacon, and so on + so on. Last year, we went to our favorite pizza place, Hearth, and my dreams were made. Their pizza special that night was a pear pizza. What? PEAR ON A PIZZA.... that's genius! I knew then and there that I would have to recreate this masterpiece. I ending up changing most of the toppings to include my favorite ingredients, and you know what, I thought ours was even better. First, I started off by making a chunky pistachio olive oil by using a molcajete + pestle to pulverize the nuts into the oil. This serves as the base for your pizza. Next up is one of my go-to recipes as of lately... crispy prosciutto. If you don't have prosciutto on you though, you can always sub in some bacon... because... um, bacon is good on everything. It's also a personal belief that every single pizza should have caramelized onions, so I added lots of those too. Then there is the usual of fresh mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese, and for good measure, some tangy crumbled goat cheese (yum). The single most important ingredient has to be the bosc pear, which I shaved using a mandolin. Gently arrange the shaved pear on top of the pizza and brush a light coating of maple syrup over the fruit. The maple syrup not only sweetens the whole pie just a little bit, but helps the pears to beautifully caramelize in the oven. Lastly, you have to season the pizza with fresh thyme (an absolute must), crushed red pepper flake (for a slight kick), and a small sprinkle of kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper. After you have baked the pizza, all that there is left to do is to cut it into slices and devour it while it's still warm. We also loved putting some peppery baby arugula on top for garnish, but that step is completely up to you! I hope you love this ultimate autumn pizza as much as we do!! Enjoy :)

pre-baked pizza

this is what heaven looks like.

For the Pistachio Olive Oil:

1C Shelled Pistachios (can be unsalted or salted)

EVOO (enough to cover the pistachios)

For the Crispy Prosciutto:

6oz Shaved Prosciutto

4 Sprigs of Rosemary or 8 Leaves of Sage

EVOO, For Drizzling

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

For the Maple Roasted Pear Pizza:

1 Batch of Homemade Extra Crispy Pizza Dough (made into two dough balls)

4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

Prepared Pistachio Olive Oil

Caramelized Shallots

8oz Fresh Mozzarella, Shredded by Hand

Freshly Grated Parmesan

Prepared Crispy Prosciutto

1 Bosc Pear, Thinly Shaved Using a Mandolin

High Quality Maple Syrup, For Brushing

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, To Taste

Minced Fresh Thyme, To Taste

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

2oz Crumbled Goat Cheese

Fresh Baby Arugula, For Garnishing (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Extra-Crusting Pizza Dough: Whisk flour, salt, and yeast in a medium bowl. While stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add 1.5 cups water; stir until well incorporated. Mix dough gently with your hands to bring it together and form into a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature in a draft-free area until surface is covered with tiny bubbles and dough has more than doubled in size, preferably 18 hours (but anywhere between 12-18 hours would work as well). Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide into 2 equal portions (depending on thin or thick you want your pizza dough). Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to center to create 4 folds. Turn seam side down and mold gently into a ball. Dust dough with flour; set aside on work surface or a floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining portions. Let the dough balls rest, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, until soft and pliable, about 1 hour.

2. Prepping the Dough: During the last hour of the dough’s resting, preheat the oven to its hottest setting, around 500-550 degrees, and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Working with the dough, dust it generously with flour and place onto a floured work surface. Gently shape the dough balls into a two 10-inch disks. Press or spread the dough dish on top of a baking sheet or pizza stone. Now it’s time to add on the toppings.

3. For the Pistachio Olive Oil: In the bowl of a Molcajete, add in all of the shelled pistachios, and the pour in enough olive oil to just cover the pistachios. Using the pestle, crush the pistachios until they are rough and chunky in texture, and not smashed into a powder. Stir the crushed pistachios with the olive oil to make a cohesive mixture. Set this aside.

4. For the Crispy Prosciutto: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the prosciutto evenly between both baking sheets, making sure to lay them flat. Brush the tops of the prosciutto with some EVOO and scatter the fresh sprigs of rosemary or sage on top. Bake the prosciutto until the fat turns golden and the meat is darker in color. This will take about 15 minutes (making sure to rotate baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through the baking time). Using tongs, carefully transfer the prosciutto to paper towels to drain (it will continue tot crisp as it cools). Set them aside until you are ready to assemble the pizza.

5. Assembling the Pizza: Get your two prepped pizza dough disks on baking sheets and press two cloves of minced garlic into each dough round. Place the pizzas into the preheated oven and bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and begin assembling the toppings. Start by spooning and spreading the pistachio olive oil, followed by scattering the caramelized shallots evenly over the pizza dough. Next add on the shredded mozzarella, freshly great Parmesan, crispy prosciutto, and shaved pears. Brush the tops of sliced pears with some maple syrup, and then sprinkle the surface of the pizza with crushed red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper. Lastly, crumble the goat cheese on top to finish off the pizza. Boost the oven up to broil and place them back into the oven for about 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted, the pears have begun to crisp around the edges, and the crust has a toasty golden brown color (make sure to rotate the pizza pans, so they evenly cook).

6. Remove the pizza from the oven and cut into slices. Garnish the pizza with fresh baby arugula on top, if you please! Enjoy!

Christmas Cranberry Sangria

I've got to keep this short & sweet since it's Christmas Eve n' all!! Happy holidays to everyone out there, and I hope that you are having a blast with your family and friends. We're actually enjoying this drink right now as I type and it really is just perfect for a Christmas party or a family meal. It's easy to make and definitely easy to slurp down!! Enjoy :)

Christmas Cranberry Sangria with Vanilla Bean

For the Sangria:

1 Large Orange, Sliced

1 Large Apple, Chopped

1 Large Pear, Chopped

12oz Bag of Fresh Cranberries

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 Vanilla Beans

1 ½C Bottles of Red Wine

2C of Sparkling Cranberry Soda

½C Brandy

½C Sugar

1T Vanilla

Directions:

1. Add orange slices, apples, pears, cinnamon sticks and cranberries to the bottom of a big pitcher. Pour wine, cranberry soda, brandy, sugar and vanilla extract over top. Scrape vanilla beans out of their pods and add to the mix. Then throw the entire empty vanilla beans in. Mix with a giant spoon to really combine everything.
2. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving. Taste to determine if you’d like more sugar, and if so – add it! Spoon some of the fruit into glasses before pouring, then add ice and sangria on top. 

source: winter sangria. 

Fried Goat Cheese Arugula Salad with Raspberry-Red Wine Vinaigrette, Pears, & Candied Walnuts

As I mentioned in my previous post, I served these delicious salads along with our date night meal of Angry Mussels. I can honestly say that fried goat cheese is by far my biggest weakness. Like, I'm obsessed with it. I like it on a salad, in my soup, or just slop it on a plate and let me go at it. I love the tangy goat cheese that oozes out of the crusty breading. Seriously, if you have never had fried goat cheese, you're missin' out. And on a salad... well, it's perfection. I probably could have just eaten this by itself, while my Mountain Man chowed down on the mussels. The spicy arugula, tangy cheese, candied walnuts, fresh pear, and the fruity vinaigrette just played off each other amazingly. It's one of my favorite combinations. Next time when I whip this salad up, I'm adding some sliced chicken or steak, and callin' it a meal. Because that is all I need in life to be happy. Well, that & chocolate!! Enjoy :)

Fried Goat Cheese Arugula Salad with Raspberry-Red Wine Vinaigrette, Pears, & Candied Walnuts

For the Candied Walnuts:

¾C Walnuts, Roughly Chopped

¼C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon, & Cayenne

For the Raspberry-Red Wine Vinaigrette:

1/3C Water

¼C Olive Oil

¼C Red Wine Vinegar

2T Honey

½t Dijon Mustard

1C Raspberry Puree (strained of seeds)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Fried Goat Cheese:

4oz Log of Goat Cheese, Chilled & Cut into Medallions

¼C AP Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

2T Milk

½C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling

For the Salad:

Baby Arugula

Prepared Candied Walnuts

Prepared Raspberry-Red Wine Vinaigrette

Fried Goat Cheese Medallions

1 Bosc Pear, Cut into Bite-Size Cubes

Directions:

1. To Candy the Walnuts: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the walnuts to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before adding them to the salad.
2. To Make the Raspberry-Red Wine Vinaigrette: In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients, except for the oil, and blend until smooth. Drizzle in the oil slowly, while blending, until the dressing is emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. To Make the Fried Goat Cheese: Set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, use the Italian Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the medallions of chilled goat cheese into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded slices on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the sticks rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a medium sauté pan, heat about 2 inches of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the goat cheese medallions for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden-brown & crispy (without over-melting the cheese). Place them onto a baking sheet & sprinkle with salt. Keep them warm in the oven while you fry the remaining medallions.
4. To Assemble the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss the arugula, candied walnuts, and pears in the raspberry-red wine vinaigrette until thoroughly coated. Place the tossed salad into serving bowls and garnish with the warm, crispy goat cheese medallions. Serve immediately.

Soup Sunday: Thai Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs, Chive Cream, & Candied Pepitas

Whenever we go out to eat at a restaurant, I always take little mental notes in my head of the dishes that I loved, so I can try to recreate them at home. Well, when we went to lunch at one of my favorite little cafes in Savannah, Cafe Zeum, we had the best thai tomato soup with goat cheese. We seriously gobbled it up, and I knew that I just had to make it. However, I make tomato soup all the time, and since it is pumpkin season, I decided to switch out tomatoes with roasted pumpkin. The soup was so hearty and delicious. I put my own little twist on the recipe by frying goat cheese balls, drizzling it with chive cream, and topping it with candied pumpkin seeds. This seriously is the oddest soup, but somehow all the components come together to make a tasty Thai concoction. And for all you people who love to kill yourself with spicy food (like we do... we like to be in pain from heat), drizzle some Sriracha on top to really put the dish over the top!! Enjoy :)

Thai Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs, Chive Cream, & Candied Pepitas

Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs are the Best Ever. Trust Me. 

For the Soup:

2 Small Pumpkins, Cut into Halves & Roasted

1 Onion, Roughly Chopped

1 Pear, Chopped

3T Butter, Room Temperature

2 14oz Can of Coconut Milk

1C Chicken Stock

1T Lemon Juice

4oz Thai Red Curry Paste

4 Thai Basil Leaves, Minced

Sugar, To Taste

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Candied Pepitas:

1 ½C Pepitas, Toasted

½C Sugar

Pinch of Salt, Cinnamon & Cayenne

For the Chive Cream:

¼C Sour Cream

½C Heavy Cream

Handful of Chives, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs:

Goat Cheese, Rolled into Golf-Size Balls & Chilled

½C AP Flour

1 Egg, Beaten

2T Milk

½C Italian Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling 

 

Directions:

1. To Roast the Pumpkins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully cut each pumpkin into halves and slather them with butter and sprinkle with salt. Place on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down, and place in the oven. Roast the pumpkins for about an hour or until they are tender throughout. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. For the Candied Pepitas: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes until just toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Meanwhile, pour the sugar into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon while the sugar melts. Keep stirring until the color turns a medium amber color. Once that color is reached, add in the walnuts to the pan and quickly stir to coat. As soon as they are coated, spread them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt, cinnamon, and cayenne. Let them cool completely before garnishing on top of the soup.
3. To Make the Soup: Melt the butter and sauté the onions and pear until tender. Add in the roasted pumpkin. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, lemon juice, Thai basil, and curry paste to the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender. Bring up to a simmer again and season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar.
4. For the Chive Cream: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream and heavy cream. Add in the minced chives and seasonings, and then blend with an immersion blender until a smooth cream is formed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
5. For the Crispy Goat Cheese Bombs: Set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs and milk. For the third station, use the Italian Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the balls of chilled goat cheese into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded balls on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the sticks rest for about 15-30 minutes. In a small pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil has heated, fry the goat cheese balls for 1-2 minutes or until golden-brown & crispy (without over-melting the cheese). Place them onto a baking sheet & sprinkle with salt.
6. To Assemble the Soup: Ladle the pumpkin soup into a large bowl and drizzle the top with some of the chive cream and Sriracha. Sprinkle some candied pepitas and minced chives around the edge, and then place a crispy goat cheese bomb on top of the soup, and enjoy immediately (before the crispy ball becomes soggy from the soup).

source: thai-spiced pumpkin soup.

Poached Pear Panini

If any of y'all ever decide to come to visit Savannah, don't ever hesitate to message me about places to go and eat at. One of our favorite nice restaurants to go to is Garibaldi's Cafe. They are known for their crispy flounder with a shallot-apricot sauce, but surprisingly my favorite dish is a small salad. The salad has wine-poached pears, blue cheese fritters, spicy arugula, and a balsamic-wine vinaigrette. I actually crave this salad, it's that good. It's so sweet from the pears, but salty & tangy from the blue cheese. So, since I can't have their salad, I decided to make a Poached Pear Panini. I started off by poaching the pears in a vanilla white wine syrup. I then made a sandwich with the sliced poached pears, arugula pesto mayo, crispy prosciutto, crumbled gorgonzola & creamy havarti, and a light drizzle of honey. I know it sounds super weird, but it really does work. I was surprised how much Clayton liked this panini. I wasn't hungry enough to make a full sandwich, so I just made a small crostini, and that was plenty! Enjoy!

Whole Poached Pear Panini

Spicy Arugula Pesto Mayo, Sweet Poached Pears, Crispy Prosciutto, & Creamy Gorgonzola

Weird, But Delicious Poached Pear Panini

For the Poached Pears:

2 Firm, Ripe Bosc Pears, Peeled & Halved & Cored

2T Lemon Juice

1C Water

½C Dry White Wine

6T Honey

½ Vanilla Bean, Split Lengthwise

For the Arugula-Walnut Pesto:

2C Arugula Leaves, Packed

½C Shelled Walnuts, Toasted

½C Fresh Parmesan Cheese, Grated

½C Olive Oil

6 Garlic Cloves, Lightly Roasted

1t Fresh Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste  

 

For the Arugula-Pesto Mayo:

¼C Pesto

4T Mayo

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Panini:

2 Slices of French Bread, Fried in Olive Oil

1 Poached Pear, Sliced

Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

Arugula Pesto Mayo

2 Slices of Havarti Cheese

8 Slices of Prosciutto, Fried till Crispy

Drizzle of Honey

Directions:

1. To Make the Poached Pears: Toss the pears with the lemon juice in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine water, wine, and honey in a medium saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean and add in the bean as well. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add in the pears. Cover the mixture with a round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning halfway through cooking, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the poached pears to a large bowl. Boil the poaching liquid until reduced to ¾C, about 2 minutes. Cool the syrup. Pour the syrup over the pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove the vanilla bean and strain the pears out of the liquid. Carefully pat dry and cut into thin slices. Set aside.

2. To Make the Arugula Pesto: Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels in a skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in place, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins. Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown. In a food processor, combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted garlic, and raw garlic. Pulse while drizzling in the olive oil. Remove the mixture from the processor and put into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate.

3. To Make the Arugula-Pesto Mayo: In a small bowl, combine the fresh pesto with the mayo. Add in salt & pepper to taste. Whisk to combine. Set-aside until ready to make the sandwich.

4. To Make the Sandwich: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a pan with tin foil and spray with Pam. Set this aside. Fry the slices of bread in olive oil. Then assemble the sandwich by spreading a layer of the arugula pesto mayo on each slice, and then lay a slice of havarti cheese on top of each slice. On one of the slices lay down the crispy prosciutto, then top with crumbled Gorgonzola and drizzle some honey on top, and the poached pears. Top with the other slice of bread & cheese. Place the sandwich on the prepared pan and bake in the oven in order to heat the fillings and melt the cheese. Cook for roughly 5 minutes (depending on your oven). 

5. Serve the sandwich and enjoy!

source: honey poached pears. arugula pesto.