Fig & Bacon Pizza

 

Hellllllloooooo Stranger!!! 

 

It's been weeks {and that is being kind} since I have blogged and I am absolutely ashamed of myself.  It's not that my creative juices have left my kitchen or that I haven't enjoyed some amazingly flavorful dishes....it's just that this stay-at-home mom thing keeps me unforeseenly busy!  Now don't get me wrong, I am loving every chaotic second of the hustle & bustle---I just don't have a free hand to capture anything on camera!!

 

So, one of the great little weekend trips we were able to take this summer {since I'm not working!!} was to the stunning college campus of Stanford.  What a breathtaking site--the architecture is a flawless beauty and the lush grounds make for a perfect afternoon stroll.  After wandering the campus for a few hours we stopped for lunch at Pizza My Heart.  Just when you thought you have tried every pizza combination out there, this pizza joint will prove you wrong in so many yummy ways.  The slice that stole my heart was the Figgy Piggy. 

 

Not that I really need to explain any further than figs-n-pigs but the fusion of ripened figs, crispy bacon,  fresh sage and feta cheese is uncanny. I could just feel my taste buds dancing about :)

 

 

My re-creation of this pizza wonder was simple and just as
 fig-tastic.  And once I had perfect pizza dough {courtesy of the master, Mr. Bobby Flay} within a few minutes, I thought to myself....why don't I make scratch pizza dough more often?

 

On a side note--my apologies for the terrible photo.  I was able to get one lousy shot and then my family devoured the pizza in the middle of my photo session!  Must be that good.

 

Have a Splendid Day!

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Ingredients

by Splendor in the Kitchen 

 

1 14inch Pizza Crust from Fresh Pizza Dough recipe by Bobby Flay

6 Slices Bacon, cooked until crisp and then crumbled

6-8 Fresh Figs, peeled & sliced

3/4 Cup Feta Cheese, crumbled

2 Tbsp Fresh Sage, sliced thin

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar for drizzling

Directions

 

Prepare pizza dough according to directions. 

 

Prepare a large piece of aluminum foil with non-stick cooking spray.  Arrange pizza dough crust to a 14 inch {approx.} circle on the prepared foil.  Brush olive oil across the entire crust surface.  Layer pizza with feta cheese, fig slices, crumbled bacon and sliced sage.  Crack pepper generously over the top. 

 

Heat grill or bbq to medium-high heat.  Keep pizza on the foil and cook on grill until the dough is cooked through and slightly crispy, about 15-20 minutes.  If the crust is charring, turn heat down to medium-low. 

 

Remove pizza from heat.  Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread Fruit Pizza

Hi Everyone! 

I see a small shimmer of sunshine {I will take what I can get!} amongst the 6 feet of snow outside my window--I'm on a company retreat in the mountains and even though it appears to be winter outside, the calendar says Spring and that's what I choose to believe. So, I wanted to share this fruity-creamy-gingerbread-y dream that I came up with a few weeks ago and will go perfect for a Spring brunch, dessert, or even a "just because". 

It all acutally started with my son's 3rd grade class.  They participate in a "Feed Me Friday" program which instills healthy snacks into their bodies & brains every week, provided by the ever so supportive parents in his class.  And as they are scarfing down the healthy goodies, they get to discuss and introduce new flavors {with a mouthful, I might add}. 

Now I have this undying need to please everyone at some point or another in life --I think I may channel Martha Stewart slightly {maybe in my own imagination!}, so I wanted to ensure the kiddos and teacher were happy so I threw some health into a gingerbread cookie with whole-wheat flour and  a little greek-nonfat yogurt.

Good Stuff. 

Use any kind of fruit you like-- I used purple grapes, rasberries, strawberries, kiwi, plums, blackberries, and wild maine blueberries. As far as amounts go-- just use enough to cover the "sauce", no need to pre-measure or anything which will slow down the time frame of you getting to relish in the "fruits of your labor".  Pun intended, haha.

Enjoy!

  

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Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookie "Pizza Crust"

adapted from allrecipes.com

2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour 
2 Tsp. Ground  Ginger
1 Tsp. Baking Soda 
1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon 
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cloves  
1/4 Tsp. Salt 
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened     
1 Cup Brown Sugar             
1 Egg, beaten      
1 Tbsp. Water       
1/4 Cup Molasses, unsulphered
1/4 Cup Greek, nonfat Yogurt

Ingredients for Yogurt-Cream Sauce

by splendor in the kitchen

1 Container Fat-Free Cool Whip, thawed    
11/2 Cup Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tsp. Honey 
1/4 Cup Lowfat Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature  
Zest of 1 Orange 
1 Tsp. Vanilla    
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Ingredients for Fruit Topping

Assortment of fruit; blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, grapes, plums, wild maine blueberries, fresh mint or orange mint {optional}

Directions for Gingerbread Cookie "Pizza Crust"

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.               

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water, yogurt and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. If dough is still sticky, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.

Shape dough into round ball and roll out onto a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick.

Place on baking sheet lined with a Silipat mat, or lightly greased with butter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookie to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.              

Directions for Yogurt-Cream Sauce

Place all ingredients in medium-sized bowl and mix together until smooth.

Assembly
Spread yogurt-cream sauce over entire cookie crust.  Arrange fruit over the top of the sauce in rows.  Garnish with mint if you like. Store in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and pull out just before serving.

About 15 small pieces, or 10 large