fig, pear and arugula grilled goat cheese flatbread pizza

Hey there.

I just wanted to drop in and let you know that I made possibly THE BEST PIZZA EVER the other night.

Remember this pizza?

Well, I just added some stuff to take it to the HNL. (hole.nutha.level.) Watch the video you should watch it.

This was so good that when I tasted it before bringing it in to present to hubby, I stood there by the sink and, like a true closet eater, finished the whole piece in pure bliss. 

Fig, Pear and Arugula Grilled Goat Cheese Flatbread Pizza

1 Recipe for Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza, minus the basil

1 Pear

About a half of a sweet onion, sliced

Brown sugar

Arugula

Prepare the pizza according to instructions. Here's what you'll do differently:

-Caramelize the onion: Heat a skillet to medium high, then add a pat of butter. Add sliced onions and a couple teaspoons of brown sugar, and a sprinkle of salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and brown. 

-Add the pear to the pizza when you add the figs. 

-When the bottom of the pizza has finished cooking (after you've added the figs, pears, bacon and goat cheese), turn off the grill. Add the arugula on top (as much as you want), then the caramelized onions. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.

fig and goat cheese grilled flatbread pizza

No beating around the bush today. 

No fun stories. No hilarious jokes. No charming anecdotes.

Just pizza. 

Just delicious, sweet, salty, tangy pizza. 

Just chewy, crispy (yes, both at once), ridiculous flatbread pizza.

Fig and Goat Cheese Grilled Flatbread Pizza

(Adapted from Former Chef)

1 ball of pizza dough (you can use pre-made or make your own. I used the recipe from here, I just prepared the dough without baking it)

4-5 ripe figs, sliced 1/4 thick, skin on

2-3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

2 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

4-5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for the grill

Balsamic Vinegar

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare the dough. Spread or roll it very thin, but even. Try not to get areas which are too thin because these will form holes and burn easily. 

When the dough is ready, start the grill and get it very hot. If your grill has a temperature gauge, let it get to about 400 degrees.

Prep all the toppings. 

Spray or brush the surface of the dough with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Place that side down on the hot grill. Cook until the dough begins to firm up on the bottom and gets a nice brown color. Brush the uncooked side of the dough with olive oil and flip over.

Add the figs, goat cheese and bacon to the top of the grilled flat bread and shut the lid of the grill for about two minutes so the toppings can get warm and the bottom of the bread can finish cooking.

When the bottom is well toasted, remove the flatbread to a platter or cutting board and sprinkle it with chopped basil and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Tip: If using an outdoor grill, rub the surface of the grill with a rolled kitchen towel (use an old one you can throw away), lightly dipped in oil (be careful, use tongs to do this). This will help keep the dough from sticking. If you are using an indoor grill, it is probably nonstick and you will probably not need to do this.

sneak a peek

Here's a sneaky little peek at our deeelicious dinner from tonight. More on it later.

Here's also a picture (what kind of grammar is that?) of disaster that struck in my kitchen tonight.

Delectable disaster. I figured it out eventually. I'll tell you about it too.

kale, bacon and caramelized onion pizza

I've never bought kale before.

Gasp.

I feel so slow on the uptake. Kale seems to be the darling green, making appearances in juices, soups, as chips, everything. It's downright cool. Kale is cool. Or kool? ...Nope, that doesn't work.

Forgive me if I'm behind on my trends (flashback to me in grade school), but I finally got some kale on my hands (from my wonderful farmers market haul) and was determined to do it proper.

So naturally I put it on pizza. It just felt right. 

This pizza was scrumptious. So scrumptious in fact, that when my husband asked me how I prepared the kale I didn't answer him for a good two or three bites. It was that particular kind of scrumptious where we made satisfied grunts or sound effects after almost every bite.

The sweetness of the onions acts as a perfect balance for saltiness of the bacon and the earthiness of the kale. 

And goat cheese is always a win. 

Kale, Bacon and Caramelized Onion Pizza

 Unbaked pizza dough of your choice (I made the same flatbread crust I used in this recipe. So good.)

4 pieces of bacon

1/2 medium-large sweet onion, sliced into approx. 2-inch slices

1 clove garlic, minced

3-4 cups of loose kale, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (approx 6-8 stems)

1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan or other similar cheese (I used parrano dutch cheese)

3 oz. fresh chevre

2 T. Olive oil

2 tsp. Honey

1 T. brown sugar

Salt and Pepper

Smoked paprika, optional

Crust:

Prepare crust and roll or stretch it out onto a greased sheet pan or pizza pan. Preheat oven to 400.

Toppings:

Fry bacon in a large skillet. Remove and drain on paper towels.  In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, and brown sugar to the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté, tossing occasionally, until caramelized and golden, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon. Add the kale to the caramelized onion mixture and give it a few tosses to coat it. Add the bacon and continue to toss the mixture until the kale turns a beautiful bright green and is just slightly wilted, about 1 minute.

Mix together olive oil and honey in small dish and brush onto crust. Add kale/onion/bacon mixture to crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little smoked paprika (if using). Sprinkle with parmesan or whatever cheese you chose. Crumble chevre on top, distributing evenly.

Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the kale has started to brown on the edges and the cheese is melty.

 

Kale success! 

goat cheese, tomato and rosemary pizza

I love goat cheese.

Rather, I adore goat cheese.

If I'm reading through a restaurant menu and I see the words "goat cheese", I'm pretty much sold already. I'll just have that, whatever it is.

Naturally I try to think of all the ways I can use it at home.

So naturally I put it on a pizza.

This pizza is so light and delicious. You know what took it to the next level though?

The homemade flatbread crust.

 I was so in love with it. It was exactly the right combination of crisp and light, with almost a hint of sweetness.

Needless to say I will be finding many other things to put on top of it in the future. Stay tuned.

Goat Cheese, Tomato and Rosemary Flat Bread Pizza

(Flat bread recipe found here)

Crust:

1 pkg fast-acting dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

2 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

3/4 cup warm milk
 2 1/2 to 3 c. sifted flour

Toppings:

One large tomato, sliced

About 3 ounces of fresh goat cheese, crumbled (more or less to taste)

One sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped, or other herb of choice

Olive oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Italian Seasoning

Kosher salt and Fresh ground black pepper


Prepare Crust:

Soften yeast in warm water. Combine in mixing bowl the butter, sugar, salt and warm milk. Add 1 cup of flour, stir well, then add the yeast mixture. Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn out on a floured surface, cover with a bowl, let rest for 10 minutes. Knead lightly until smooth, 4-5 minutes.

Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place until light, about 45 minutes. Divide dough in half. You can put one in the refrigerator to use within a couple days or in the freezer if you won't use it right away. Or you can just prepare both, if you want to make two pizzas. Put dough onto a greased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Let rest for 5 minutes. Then stretch or roll or press dough into a rectangle or circle that is about 1/4 thick.

Assemble pizza:
Brush prepared dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian Seasoning. Add tomato slices, followed by goat cheese crumbles. Sprinkle the rosemary on top then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melty.