Summer Fruit Chicken Salad with Crispy Fried Goat Cheese

This salad can stay. 

When you receive a fit bump from your husband after dinner, you know you've scored big time. Plus this salad really works better with a partner, since one of you can man the grill while the other fries the goat cheese. Yes. Fried. Goat. Cheese. So perfectly crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside, there's nothing better. Mix that with fresh mango and blackberries, and you've got yourself a KILLER salad. Plus, you can easily make this with your favorite combinations, or whatever is in season. I'm already dreaming about replacing the blackberries in my vinaigrette with strawberry, pineapple, and even mango! So grab a friend or two and get busy before the summer fruit is gone!

so pretty. can't handle.

Summer Fruit Chicken Salad

Blackberry Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. peach white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Fried Goat Cheese

• 8 oz. log honey-flavored goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. high-heat oil (such as peanut or avocado)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Salad

• 1/2 lb. chicken breast
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 mango, sliced
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• butter lettuce leaves

In a food processor, whip together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette until smooth. Keep in the fridge until ready to use. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Add the chicken breast to a large zip lock bag and pour in 1/3 of the vinaigrette to marinate the chicken with. Keep in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.

Slice the goat cheese log into 1/4-inch thick medallions, place into a cutting board and pop into the freezer for about 10 minutes, allowing them to keep their shape when fried. While they are chilling, set up your assembly line. Line up 3 bowls, and add the flour to the first one, your whisked egg to the second bowl, and your panko to the 3rd bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high and grill the chicken until cooked through; a few minutes on each side, until an instant read thermometer reads between 160 and 106 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest.

Add oil to a large frying pan or skillet and heat to high. Cover frozen goat cheese medallions in flour, then egg, then panko, repeating until all medallions are covered. Lower heat to medium-high and fry the breaded goat cheese, for 1-2 minutes on each side, until both sides are crispy golden brown. Remove from the oil and allow to rest on a paper towel, absorbing the excess grease.

Once the chicken has rested, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices, and prepare to plate the salad. Add butter lettuce to the bottom of the plate, top with sliced chicken, fried goat cheese medallions, avocado, mango, onions, blackberries, and top with the blackberry vinaigrette. Serve.

Spring Garden Angel Hair Pasta

Let's get real for a second. We all know that the Easter ham is a staple. Just like corned beef on St. Patrick's day, hot dogs on 4th of July, or, you know, wine after a rough day. Except in my house. It's not a secret that I myself am a outspoken ham hater (I just can't with the texture), and my family has well-adapted over the years and has come to serve anything but ham for me(spoiled much?). You will usually see tri-tip or brisket being served, but this year things are changing. Don't tell my husband (a ham-lover), but ham will be served in addition to red meat this Easter Sunday (blasphemy if you ask me) as a guft by my mother...sorry for all of the parenthesis today. But in case you are a ham-hater like me, or just looking to switch things up for your Easter weekend, may I suggest to you this fresh, garden angel hair pasta. All of the flavors work so perfectly together, and are only embellished by a glass of crispy white wine. 

Spring Garden Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 small zucchini squash, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped asparagus
• 1/3 cup peas
• 1/3 cup korn kernels
• 1 orange or yellow tomato, finely diced
• angel hair pasta
• 4 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. freshly sliced basil leaves
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the noodles and begin to cook, about 3 minutes. Add in the zucchini, asparagus, peas, corn, and pasta noodles. Continue to cook until the pasta noodles are soft. 

Meanwhile add the tomato, lemon zest, 1/2 of the crumbled goat cheese, 1 tbsp. olive oil. and basil in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta and vegetables, reserving 1/2 cup of liquid. Add the drained pasta to the bowl with the tomatoes. Toss to combine and allow the goat cheese to melt. Add in the remaining olive oil and goat cheese, then serve hot. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Penne Pasta

If this is what 2016 will be feeding me, then count me in! For my first recipe of the year, I wanted to bring you all of my favorite things. Roasted squash, pasta, goat cheese, and bacon. I mean, c'mon can it get any better than that? With so many important meetings with wedding vendors, dress fittings, and our friends and family coming in to town to celebrate our wedding with us next month, it is important for us to stay well fed yet healthily, while not missing out on flavor or those ever-so-delicious carbs. 

 Roasted Butternut Squash Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped sage
• 2 tbsp. freshly chopped rosemary
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss butternut squash and onion with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven then add the sage and rosemary, toss to mix and place back into oven. Roast for 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to boxed directions, and drain, saving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta noodles back into pot with reserved water. Add in the roasted veggies, crumbled goat cheese, and crumbled bacon. Toss and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot. 

One-Pot Lemon Basil Pasta

I felt inspired to make a spring-inspired Italian dish, seeing as Andrew and I will be exploring the streets in Italy in just 1 year form now, on our honeymoon!!! Insert all of the emojis here. I have been making more and more of these one-pot pastas for dinner. It is seriously the easiest thing to throw together for dinner since the crock pot, but tastes like I worked all day creating the perfect sauce. I bought one of those cheap basil plants at my farmer's market for like $3 a couple of weeks ago, expecting it to dry out and die within a day or so, but Andrew and I have been really good about watering it a little every day, keeping it in the shade for most of the day, and it is really flourishing! So much so, that I was able to throw in almost 3/4 of a cup of fresh leaves into this pasta dish, and you would never know that I ever took a single leaf. What I also love just as much as basil is fresh lemon. This dish calls for lemon juice and lemon zest. Double the fun! It makes for a very light dish, and if you're not a goat cheese fan, feel free to use cream cheese or heavy cream instead. But you all know me, and anything I can sneak goat cheese into, I will. I served this as a vegetarian meal, but feel free to add in some grilled chicken or sausage for an added boost!

One-Pot Lemon Basil Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta of your choice, I used linguine
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2-3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• fresh parsely for garnish

In a large stock pot, add in the pasta, broth, water, basil, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a medium boil, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the liquid is almost all absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Turn off the heat, add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, mozzarella, goat cheese, and parmesan. Stir until all of the cheese has melted into the pasta and a nice cream sauce forms. Serve hot and garnish with fresh parsley.

Cheddar Bacon Jalapeño Egg Bake with Goat Cheese

Doesn't breakfast for dinner remind you of your childhood? It was like breaking the rules, but in the best way possible. It wasn't often, but when my little brother and I would ask for breakfast for dinner, mom and dad would make a huge serving of hash browns, eggs, pancakes, and bacon. Complete with lots of butter and a large bottle of Aunt Jemima syrup. This breakfast for dinner is slightly more grown up and a lot more spicy than when I was a kid being shuffled back and forth from dance practice and play dates. For my birthday this year, some friend's of ours bought me this amazing quiche dish  and I have been just dying to make something like this in it. You can make the recipe as large or as small as you like, or even bake it in individual serving ramekins if you want, it's extremely versatile. But one thing is for sure. Breakfast for dinner rules!

Cheddar Bacon Jalapeño Egg Bake with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 2 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 large jalapeño, sliced
• 2-3 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a round baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheddar, scallions, bacon, salt and pepper.

Pour egg mixture into the prepared baking dish, top with the sliced jalapeños and goat cheese.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until set. 

Grilled Chicken Skewers with Mint Yogurt Sauce

Like a true Arizonan, I went from bragging about the sunny weather to complaining about the massive heat wave in a matter of, oh, 5 days. As a Phoenix native, I usually stand up for the Valley of the Sun, telling people they will get used to the heat. But then every summer comes around and I'm like, "this is the hottest summer we've ever had" or "ouch! my skin is melting to my black leather seats". So in order to save a few bucks on our A/C bill and to save our sanity, we have stopped using the oven (unless it's to bake delicious cookies, of course), and we are only using the grill to make dinner until we are back under 90 degrees on average. Case in point, these grilled chicken skewers. If you're like me and ham isn't your thing on Easter, try something different this year and serve a hot set of skewers with a cool mint yogurt sauce. Trust me on this one. 

 
Grilled Chicken Skewers with Mint Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast, cut into 1-2-inch chunks
• 1 can artichoke hearts
• 10 green beans, ends trimmed then broken into 2-inch segments

Lemon Herb Marinade

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Mint Yogurt Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2-3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of red pepper flakes

If you are using wood skewers, be sure to soak them in water for a couple of hours before placing food on them so that you don't end up with little pieces of wood in your food!

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, about 350-400 degrees F.

Place the chicken and veggies on the skewers, alternating them in a pattern. I started with 2 green beans, then an artichoke heart, then a piece of chicken. Repeat until you have about 1-2 inches left on each end of the skewer. Repeat this until you have run out of skewers and or food. I made 4 skewers, but this could easily make up to 5 or 6.

Grill the skewers until the chicken is cooked through, turning them occasionally to cook on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, whip up the lemon herb marinade by whisking all ingredients together in a medium bowl and setting aside. Also make the mint yogurt sauce by whisking all of the listed ingredients together in a separate serving bowl. Place the yogurt sauce in the fridge until ready to serve.

Once the skewers are done cooking, place them into a long baking dish and pour the herb marinade over the top and allow it to set while the chicken rests, about 3-5 minutes. Serve warm with the mint yogurt sauce.

P.S. thanks to my best friends Ashley and Todd for this amazing serving tray!

Holiday Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Goat Cheese

 

With Christmas just one week away, I couldn't wait to share this festive holiday side dish with you all! The perfect red, green, and white combination that even Santa would approve of! Yep! I still believe in Santa (wink wink!). My mom says that as long as you believe, Santa will keep bringing you presents. At 27 years old I still receive gifts from Santa under the tree. Not a bad deal if you ask me. Anyways, these sweet and creamy sprouts are then drizzled with a little bit of balsamic vinegar, which adds a little acidity to the dish and really makes the flavors pop!

Holiday Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, stemmed, outside leaves removed, and then halved
• 1 tbsp. bacon fat (or oil)
• 2/3 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/3 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Heat bacon fat over medium heat and add in the brussels. Cook, turning occasionally for 5 minutes. Add in the cranberries and cook for another 3 minutes, until the brussels have softened and the cranberries are beginning to burst.

Add in the pecan halves and the balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute more, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, top with the crumbled goat cheese.

Mini Orange Scented Goat Cheese Cheesecakes

I personally am a huge advocate for taking a small slice of each dessert at Thanksgiving so that I get to have a taste of each piece of heaven. This usually includes a classic pumpkin pie (my mom's favorite), a wildberry pie (my doing), and maybe a pecan or apple pie from the neighbors. These individual serving cheesecakes are the answer of trying to decide how big or small of piece to cut after stuffing yourself (both as a Thanksgiving pun and literally) because they decision has been made for you. Just sit back, top these babies with some of this Cran-bernet Sauce, and you and your sweet tooth are all set!

Mini Orange Scented Goat Cheese Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• 10 gingersnap cookies
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor, process cookies to fine, even crumbs, about 30 seconds. Add sugar and pulse two or three times to incorporate.

Add warm butter in slow, steady stream while pulsing; pulse until mixture is evenly moistened and resembles wet sand, about ten 1-second pulses.

For individual cheesecakes, spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1 tbsp. of the mixture to a muffin tin and press down firmly using the bottom of a small glass.

Bake until fragrant and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

• 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 6 oz. goat cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp. orange zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature

For the cheesecake, place cream cheese, goat cheese, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla in large bowl. With an electric hand mixer/in your stand mixer, beat until just smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. In two additions, beat in sugar until mixture is creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating and scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is very smooth.

Pour batter into prepared crusts, filling them to the top. Bake until edges of cheesecake look set and the center is still soft and slightly jiggly, about 30 minutes. Place pan on a rack to cool completely in the pan. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Green Chile Turkey Stew

I've been hoping that the weather would be colder here in AZ by now. High of 85 doesn't exactly scream fall. But I just try and pretend like it's in the 50's in my little food blogger world. Stew is the answer to this problem. We like to pretend it's cold by turning on all the fans and then cuddling up under a blanket on the couch, eating stew. Then it feels like it's fall. This dinner isn't for the faint of heart though. It's damn spicy actually. Not intentionally. I just started throwing things together in the crock pot, and then I was like, oh, that's a lot of spice. But I wasn't about to start over. And if you've known me for all of 3 seconds, you know I like things spicy. Like, let's order this amazing salad with jalapeños and serrano dressing, I promise it's not that hot, and then my boyfriend has immediate hiccups at the dinner table. Sorry babe! So serve this with a nice cold beer, crushed tortilla chips, and some cold sour cream to cool your palate. This stew also doubles as a way to clear up any sign of the sniffles if you're feeling under the weather!

Green Chile Turkey Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 roasted hatch green chiles, chopped (or 4-oz. can)
• 1 chipotle is adobo, minced + 1 tsp. sauce
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes in sauce
• 1 14.5-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 12-oz. can beer (I used Four Peaks Kiltlifter)

In a large skillet cook the turkey over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until browned. Add in the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes, allowing the onions and garlic to cook.

Add the turkey mixture to your crock pot, tossing in the green chiles, chipotle, tomatoes, pinto beans, and beer. Mix well and cook on low for 8 hours, allowing the flavors to merry and your house to become deliciously fragrant. 

Serve with shredded cheddar, cilantro, sour cream, tortilla chips, whatever you desire!

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Apple Grilled Cheese

Whew! That was a mouthful. But I just couldn't leave out a single ingredient from the title. If you follow me on instagram, then you saw me post this last week, and now I am bringing the simple recipe to life. All of the flavors work together so perfectly. Turns out finding half a package of peppered bacon in the freezer, an opened jar of fig jam and a solo green apple in the fridge are the perfect lunch combination. Plus, who can turn down goat cheese? 

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon, Apple Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of bread
• 4 slices cooked bacon
• 1/2 green apple, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. goat cheese
• 2 tbsp. fig jam

Toast the bread until golden. Spread the jam on one slice and the goat cheese on the other slice. top with the bacon and the sliced apples and press together. Cut in half and serve.

Spiced Autumn Crostini

I'm back at it again. This How Sweet It Is recipe is from Seriously Delish, and includes all of my favorite fall flavors. Pumpkin. Creamy cheese. Sage. Crunchy Hazelnuts. Oh, and bread. Never overlook the bread. If I was stranded on a deserted island and had to bring 3 items, one would most surely be bread. Give me all of the empty calories. I made these for our annual Halloween dinner party last weekend, but I find that these are perfect through out the month of November, especially as a side or appetizer at Thanksgiving dinner *hint hint*. Oh yeah, Thanksgiving is now upon us. Don't even think about mentioning Christmas to me yet. Thanksgiving deserves it's dues. This will definitely be in  my appetizer rotation. These crostini bites are perfectly crunchy, creamy, and savory all at the same time.

Spiced Autumn Crostini

Ingredients:

• 1 large baguette, sliced into 1-inch slices
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 4 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 10 fresh sage leaves

In the bowl of a food processor add the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, pumpkin, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to assemble the crostinis. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the sliced bread on the baking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes until crispy and warmed through.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel to cool. Once cooled, mince finely. 

Once the bread is crispy, top each crostini with a spoonful of the pumpkin cheese puree and sprinkle with some chopped hazelnuts and the minced sage.

Autumn Harvest Cobb Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I'm clearly on an autumn kick here lately. Two blog posts about it in one week is really saying something. But I just can't help it. We don't really have seasons here in AZ other than hot and hotter, so I like to take advantage of this brief period where the weather can't seem to make up it's mind. This weekend the farmer's markets are back up and running, Andrew and I got new hiking boots to break in, and we plan on working on some landscape renovations ourselves in the backyard. What are your plans for this gorgeous autumn weekend?!

Autumn Harvest Cobb Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 pear, seeded and chopped
• 1 green apple, seeded and chopped
• 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup pecan halves
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 3 cups mixed greens, chopped (I used a mix of spinach and romaine)

Poppy Seed Dressing

• 1/3 cup greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

To make the dressing, simply whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make salad, place the greens down on a large plate or bowl. Top with rows of the pear, apple, egg, bacon, cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese.

Top with the poppy seed dressing and serve cold.

Pumpkin & Roasted Pear Soup with Goat Cheese

After buying out what seemed like the entire Costco grocery section for our housewarming party last weekend, we have leftovers galore. Yogurt, bacon, pancakes, waffles, juice, fruit, you name it, it's in a zip lock bag or tupperware in our fridge. With that being said, I have had to get quite crafty with dinner so that we can use up what we've got before heading out on yet another grocery store run. This recipe is the perfect case in point. Leftover pears, ginger, and goat cheese paired perfectly with the can of organic pumpkin puree in my pantry, and I served the soup alongside some crispy jalapeno jack grilled cheese sandwiches. The soup is actually very light in flavor, which pairs perfectly with the rich goat cheese. Eating this made leftovers the very last thing on my mind! Plus we received these adorable soup bowls from my old roommate and her boyfriend as a housewarming gift, and just had to break them in right away!

Pumpkin & Roasted Pear Soup with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 ripe pears, stemmed and cored then chopped
• 2 tbsp. butter, divided
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2-inch knob of ginger, finely minced
• 1 L chicken or vegetable stock
• crumbled goat cheese for garnish

Heat 1 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet and add in the chopped pears. Cook for 5-7 minutes until they are softened. Place cooked pears aside in a bowl. In the same skillet, heat up the other tbsp. of butter and add in the onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook another 5-7 minutes until softened. Add in the minced ginger and stir, cooking for another minute. Add the cooked pears, onions, and ginger to a large soup pot. Add in the pumpkin puree and add the chicken broth until the mixture is just covered. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Use and immersion blender, or blend in batched in a standard blender, and whirl until smooth. Serve hot with crumbled goat cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper on top.

Fresh Fig, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

 

I'm back with yet again another pizza recipe, but what I love about pizza is that it can be so versatile.  We make pizza about once a week in my house, and we have yet to have a repeat offender. We have done everything form a leftover Thanksgiving turkey pizza, to a breakfast pizza, to a sausage and pepper pizza. But today is all about the sweet side of the pizza world. Onions when caramelized take on a very sweet note, and well, figs are just the sweetest little morsels to ever grace this planet. Especially when topped with a little sea salt and honey. Mmmmm, I'm getting side tracked in a foodie day dream here. But don't be alarmed that this pizza is too sweet. The saltiness of the cheese and the flaky sea salt cut through some of the sugar, which balances out perfectly. And trust me when I tell you that you won't even miss the sauce that you would have on a standard pie. My boyfriend is an avid sauce lover, and when he saw me preparing this, he was like, "what sauce are you going to use?". When I told him none, I thought I had lost him for good, but the trooper that he is went along on this adventure with me and didn't mention the sauce once! He was too busy shoving his face with pizza.

 

Fresh Fig, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 ball pizza dough
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• cornmeal for dusting cooking surface
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4-6 black mission figs, chopped
• 5 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
• sea salt for garnish

 

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add in the sliced onion, then season with salt and pepper. Toss the onions well to coat in the oil and then lower the heat to low. Allow the onions to cook and caramelize for about 15-20 minutes. They will turn a deep purple color and will be very aromatic.

Once the onions are cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a pizza stone or large baking sheet by dusting it in cornmeal.  Stretch our pizza dough into a large round, as bis as will fit onto your stone or baking sheet. Place on the prepared sheet and cook in the oven for 5 minutes.

Remove the dough from the oven and then top with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Then evenly cover the pizza with the caramelized onions, the chopped figs, and the goat cheese. Place back in the oven and cook for 15 minutes or so, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with just a little bit of flaky sea salt. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.