White Pizza with Arugula Salad

I first tried a version of this recipe last summer from Ina Garten's "Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics." I immediately fell in love. It is a perfect summer dinner. Hot crispy crust, luxurious gooey cheese with the added snap of goat cheese topped with cool, lemony arugula salad. As the summer wore on, I experimented with the recipe. I have changed the crust to 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white flour and reduced the salt content. I changed up the cheeses and added truffle salt and truffle oil to the vinaigrette for a nice hint of earthiness. Arugula is in season during the spring and summer months and reappears in the fall. Be sure to buy it locally while it is in season.

Recipe

For The Dough

1 1/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups white flour, preferably unbleached

2 packages dry yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil


1 tablespoon honey

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

Pizza Topping

1/2 cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves sliced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

12 ounces grated mozzarella

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

6 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon truffle salt

1/4 teaspoon truffle oil

pinch freshly ground black pepper

Salad

8 ounces fresh, baby arugula

Rinse your bowl with warm water and place it on your mixer. Warming the bowl will help develop the yeast during the proofing process. Combine the water, yeast, honey and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. While the yeast is dissolving, combine the white and whole wheat flour in a bowl. Add 3 cups of the flour to the bowl and the 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Mix on medium-low speed. Add more flour from the bowl, a little bit at a time, until you have a soft dough. Knead the dough with the dough hook until it is smooth and has formed a ball. This should take between 8-10 minutes. Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It will be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl coated with a small amount of olive oil. Turn the dough over to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.


While the dough is rising, mix the vinaigrette. Whisk together the 1/3 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, truffle salt, truffle oil and pepper. Set aside.

Next, make the garlic oil. Place 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, thyme sprigs, and red pepper flakes in a small sauce pan. Place the pan over low heat and bring it to a gentle simmer. Cook gently for 10 minutes to toast the garlic to a golden brown. Be careful not to scorch the garlic. Garlic can scorch very quickly, so be attentive.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Place 2 dough pieces on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. In total, you will need three sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Cover the dough with a damp dish towel and let it rest for 10 minutes. If you want to cook the pizzas later, the dough will keep wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for several hours. If you refrigerate the dough for later use, be sure to remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.

Form each dough piece into a ball. Press and stretch into an 8 inch circle and place two circles onto each parchment paper lined sheet pan. Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil and sprinkle with some kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with the cheese. Drizzle each pizza with more garlic oil. Bake the pizzas in a 500 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is crisp and golden.

When the pizza is done, toss the arugula in a large bowl with the vinaigrette. Place a large mound of arugula salad on each pizza and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Tips

Truffle salt and truffle oil can be purchased in the gourmet section of many grocery stores. You can leave them out of the recipe, but they are well worth seeking out.

Kale Pesto

Kale is abundant right now. It is a nutrition powerhouse. One serving of kale packs 70 percent of the RDI for vitamin C with a mere 20 calories per serving. If you participate in a CSA, you have been getting plenty of it for the last several weeks. It is also available at your local farmer's markets. I love the slightly bitter, peppery flavor of kale, but the other member of my family is not a fan. How could I get him to happily eat kale. This recipe did it. A classic pesto with kale instead of basil.

Recipe

1/2 pound kale leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 whole garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of black pepper

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large sauce pan. Wash the kale and strip the leaves from the stems. Add the kale to the sauce pan and cook until tender. This should take between 15-20 minutes.

Drain the kale and immediately shock the drained leaves in ice water. This stops the cooking process and maintains the bright green color of the leaves. Remove the leaves from the ice water and squeeze the leaves dry.

Add the kale leaves, the toasted pine nuts and garlic cloves to a food processor. While processing, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube. Process the mixture until smooth. Scrape the pesto into a bowl and stir in the freshly, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Taste for seasonings. Toss with hot pasta, rice or slather it on a sandwich. Serves 6.

Tips

Cover the pesto with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. It will keep for several days. When you bring your kale home, store in the fridge unwashed. It is best to eat the kale within one to two days. The bitter flavor becomes more pronounced the longer that it is stored.

Hearty Winter Pea Soup

This is a perfect winter soup. It is hearty and comforting. The grainy liquid retains the sweetness of the peas, the surprise warmth of the allspice and the richness of the sweet Italian sausage. It is a snap to make and keeps for several days in the fridge. I make a batch of this on Sunday and we will have another dinner of soup later in the week. It always tastes even better the second time around. Just put the pot of soup on the stove to reheat and warm some crusty bread in the oven.

Recipe

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

1-12 ounce bag of dried split green peas

1 onion

2 carrots

2 sticks of celery

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

5 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

Remove the sausage from the casing. Crumble into a heavy bottom soup pot. Brown the sausage over medium heat. Once the sausage is browned, remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Place the sausage in the refrigerator. Drain all of the fat from the soup pot.

Peel the onion, carrots, and garlic. Cut the onion, carrots and celery into chunks. Put them into the work bowl of a food processor along with the garlic. Process until finely chopped. Pour the oil into the bottom of the soup pot and warm over medium heat. Scrape the vegetables into the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened.

Add the ground allspice and stir. Add the split peas and stir. Pour in the stock and water. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for one and a half hours. The peas will be tender and the soup will be sludgy when done. Add more water as needed during the cooking process. Sometimes the peas thicken before the soup is done.

Add the cooked sausage. Heat till bubbling. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately or cool in an ice bath for serving later. Will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. Serve with hot, crusty bread. Serves 6-8

Tips

This can easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and soy sausage in place of the sweet Italian sausage. Dried peas, just like dried beans, are a good source of protein and fiber.

Brandied Cranberries

This is an essential recipe in my kitchen from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
It is quick, delicious and only has three ingredients. First, I serve the tart, sweet cranberries with Thanksgiving turkey. Then, I use the leftovers gently warmed to top grilled pork tenderloin. I always make sure to save some to put over vanilla ice cream. The brandied goodness mingled with sweet vanilla is sure to get you in a holiday mood.

Recipe

12 ounces cranberries-picked over and washed

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup brandy-be sure to use a good quality brandy.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spread the cranberries in a 9" by 13" glass baking dish. Sprinkle the cranberries with the sugar. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the cranberries for half an hour. Remove from the oven and gently turn the cranberries over scraping the bottom of the dish. The goal is to lift the sugar from the bottom of the dish over the cranberries without breaking them. Cover the pan with the foil and return to the oven for another half hour. Total baking time is one hour.


Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Gently fold in the brandy. Try not to break the cranberries. You want them to look like jewels. When the cranberries are cool, place in an airtight jar.

Tips

The cranberries will keep in an airtight jar for a month or longer. I give these to several friends as a holiday gift. My friend Nancy loves serving these with her Christmas Day roast beef feast. Write a note with the gift with serving ideas: relish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, warmed sauce for pork, duck or chicken and festive topping for vanilla ice cream.

Sesame Wontons with Smoked Salmon and Wasabi

This appetizer is a favorite of mine for spring and summer entertaining. I served it for the first time at a New Year's Eve Party and got rave reviews. Everyone asked for the recipe. I have been making it multiple times a year ever since. The source for the recipe was the December 2004 issue of Bon Appetite. The wontons provide just the right crunch accompanied by the spicy wasabi and cooling salmon.

Wonton Recipe

1/4 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 egg white

8 wonton wrappers

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk 1/4 cup of the sesame oil and the egg white in a small bowl until blended. Place the wonton wrappers in a single layer on a cutting board. Brush the wonton wrappers with half of the oil and egg mixture. Sprinkle with half of the sesame seeds.



Fold the wonton wrappers in half diagonally. Brush with the remaining oil and egg mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds. Next, cut each triangle in half resulting in two triangles.

Carefully, place the triangles on a baking sheet. Bake the triangles until golden. Approximately, 13 minutes. Cool. Then, place the wontons in an air tight container such as a cookie tin.



Wasabi Dressing Recipe



2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar



2 tablespoons chopped chives



1 1/4 teaspoons wasabi paste



1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger



Whisk the vinegar, chives, wasabi, ginger, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl. You will need 6 ounces of thinly sliced smoked salmon for the recipe. To assemble: place one slice of salmon on a wonton, drizzle with a little of the wasabi dressing, fold over the salmon and top with another drizzle of dressing. Tip: If radish sprouts are in season, I garnish each salmon slice with some radish sprouts. Pea shoots also make a pretty and tasty garnish. Makes 16 appetizers.


Tips


The wonton crisps can be made the day before and stored in an air tight container. Another way I serve them is topped with a dollop of chicken or shrimp salad and garnished with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

Strawberries with Creme Anglaise

I eagerly anticipate the arrival of local strawberries. They are fragrant, flavorful and pack a juicy, strawberry bite. Yum! I was overjoyed when I picked up my farm box last week to find a big bag of the ruby colored beauties. Immediately, I had visions of strawberries in a thick sauce of custardy lusciousness. Time to go home and stir up a batch of creme anglaise. I have tried many recipes for creme anglaise, but this is my favorite. It comes from "Joy of Cooking." I have made a slight change by adding some vanilla bean to the recipe.

Recipe

6 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar in a mixing bowl until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Add the 2 cups of milk to a heavy saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.

Now, whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Add the milk a little bit at a time whisking constantly. If the hot milk is added too quickly, it will scramble the eggs.

Return the egg, sugar and milk mixture to the saucepan. Rinse out the mixing bowl with hot water and dry. Place the saucepan with the milk mixture over low heat. Stir the sauce constantly with a wooden spoon. Make sure to cover the entire surface of the bottom of the pan with the spoon. Do not stir too briskly. Stir gently. You do not want to damage the egg bonds. Do not let the sauce boil. The sauce is cooked when it is slightly thickened and has reached a temperature of 170 degrees. Another way to test if the sauce has thickened is to run your finger along the back of the spoon. If it holds a line in the sauce, it is done. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the sauce for a minute or two to complete the cooking process.

Place a fine mesh sieve over the mixing bowl and strain the sauce. Let the mixture cool in the bowl for 10 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean. The sauce can be served warm or cool. If you are going to serve the sauce chilled, let the sauce cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge. If it covered before it is completely cooled, condensation will form on the wrap and water down the sauce. This will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Serves 8.

Tips

You will know that the sauce is almost done when you feel the spoon slip across the bottom of the pan as you stir. If the sauce is overcooked, it will curdle. This sauce is delicious over any kind of fresh berries. It can also be served over bread pudding. When I serve it over bread pudding, I add 1 1/2 teaspoons of cognac along with the vanilla.

Chicken Milanese with Arugula Salad

I first saw this recipe in the February 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. Over the years, I have tweaked the recipe adding more lemon juice and arugula. This is a quick, easy and budget friendly spring dinner. The chicken is hot, crunchy and juicy. The arugula salad is the perfect counterpoint of cool and spicy with a zing of lemon. Arugula is in season during the spring and summer months with a reappearance in the fall. Be sure to buy it locally while it is in season through your CSA program or at a farmer's market.

Recipe

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

2 large eggs

1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs

4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 cups packed baby arugula (about 3 ounces)

Using a meat mallet, flatten the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap to a thickness of 1/2 inch.

Whisk the eggs in a flat dish such as a pie plate. Mix the panko, 2 tablespoons parsley, oregano, salt and pepper on a plate. Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and turn to coat.

Dredge the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture. Make sure to cover the whole breast. *Tip-Use one hand to dip the chicken in the egg mixture and one hand to dredge the chicken.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until golden brown. This will take about 5 minutes per side. If your pan is not large enough to hold both breasts, saute 2 breasts at a time. You may need to add a little more oil to the pan. Do not crowd the chicken breasts or they will not brown properly. Transfer the chicken to plates. Sprinkle with 2/3 of the lemon juice.

Toss arugula with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1/3 of the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mound the arugula salad atop the chicken breasts. Garnish the plates with the rest of the chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Tips

Wash arugula under cold running water. Dry in a salad spinner. Always taste a little arugula before you prepare it, as it can range from mild to extremely peppery. Arugula grown in late summer or during a dry season will have a stronger flavor. Adjust the amount of arugula you wish to use according to your palate.