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| So good. So good. Soo gooood. |
Cooking for one can be a blast. It’s an opportunity to experiment and try new things, avoiding any pressure if things turn out, um, creatively. But cooking for someone else is a different story. Especially if it’s a boy someone else. Especially if you want to knock said boy someone’s very adorable, argyle socks off.
Serve the pizza with a side salad and baked apples over ice cream for dessert. Easy, seasonal, and pretty to look at.
The boy’s verdict on this meal: “Mind Blowing”.
We’ll take it.
Roast Beet, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza
2 golden beets, peeled, halved & then cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 T olive oil plus more for greasing the pan
kosher salt
1 small onion, thinly sliced or diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c grated mozzarella
2 oz goat cheese
handful of arugula, stems removed
Spices: thyme, Penzey’s Bavarian Spice Mix
1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Use whatever dough recipe you prefer. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll admit to using Trader Joe’s premade pesto dough. If you make your own, I’d consider adding some basil or parsley into the dough--it added a really nice, subtle flavor.
3. Cook the beets however you prefer. I’m a beet boiler, but roasting them in a 400F oven with a bit of olive oil and salt would really enhance their flavor.
4. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic until the onions are brown, basically to the point of caramelization. Set aside for pizza assembly.
5. Spread the dough onto a greased baking sheet or pizza stone, and brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
6. Sprinkle with a thin layer of mozzarella, then layer on arugula, onions, beets, and goat cheese (in that order).
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden, and the bottom of the crust is browned.
Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Baked Apples
2 apples, the more flavorful, the better
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Shake of allspice
Pinch cloves
1 cup hot water
Handful of raisins
Handful of walnuts
1 tablespoon of candied ginger, chopped finely
1. Pre-heat oven to 375-degrees.
2. Remove the core of the apples, creating a well inside the apple approximately 3/4 to 1 inch wide.
3. Mix the brown sugar, oatmeal, spices and extras in a small bowl. Fill the empty wells of the apples with this mixture.
4. Place the apples in a baking dish, and pour the water into the bottom of the dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking uncovered until the apples are baked through and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, an additional 20-30 minutes.
6. You can test the apples to see if they’re done by poking a knife into the apple through the center well. It should slide easily with no resistance. The skin on the apples will also become wrinkled and soft by the end of cooking.
7. Serve with a scoop of ice cream. Whipped cream or panna cotta would also be delicious as a base.
Serve the pizza with a side salad and baked apples over ice cream for dessert. Easy, seasonal, and pretty to look at.
The boy’s verdict on this meal: “Mind Blowing”.
We’ll take it.
Roast Beet, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza
2 golden beets, peeled, halved & then cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 T olive oil plus more for greasing the pan
kosher salt
1 small onion, thinly sliced or diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c grated mozzarella
2 oz goat cheese
handful of arugula, stems removed
Spices: thyme, Penzey’s Bavarian Spice Mix
1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Use whatever dough recipe you prefer. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ll admit to using Trader Joe’s premade pesto dough. If you make your own, I’d consider adding some basil or parsley into the dough--it added a really nice, subtle flavor.
3. Cook the beets however you prefer. I’m a beet boiler, but roasting them in a 400F oven with a bit of olive oil and salt would really enhance their flavor.
4. Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic until the onions are brown, basically to the point of caramelization. Set aside for pizza assembly.
5. Spread the dough onto a greased baking sheet or pizza stone, and brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
6. Sprinkle with a thin layer of mozzarella, then layer on arugula, onions, beets, and goat cheese (in that order).
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden, and the bottom of the crust is browned.
Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Baked Apples
2 apples, the more flavorful, the better
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Shake of allspice
Pinch cloves
1 cup hot water
Handful of raisins
Handful of walnuts
1 tablespoon of candied ginger, chopped finely
1. Pre-heat oven to 375-degrees.
2. Remove the core of the apples, creating a well inside the apple approximately 3/4 to 1 inch wide.
3. Mix the brown sugar, oatmeal, spices and extras in a small bowl. Fill the empty wells of the apples with this mixture.
4. Place the apples in a baking dish, and pour the water into the bottom of the dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking uncovered until the apples are baked through and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, an additional 20-30 minutes.
6. You can test the apples to see if they’re done by poking a knife into the apple through the center well. It should slide easily with no resistance. The skin on the apples will also become wrinkled and soft by the end of cooking.
7. Serve with a scoop of ice cream. Whipped cream or panna cotta would also be delicious as a base.
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