Nectarine, Prosciutto and Arugula Flatbread

In the age-old battle of battle of toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe, we have some new contenders: pro-shoot and pro-shoo-toe. Today' story is of Fruit and Pro-shoot (rhymes!). A quick google search informs me that some italians have taken it upon themselves to drop the last syllable of the word, but regardless of the pronunciation, this recipe brings together the salty and the sweet in perfect harmony to create a little something savory. 

I will be the first to admit that I constantly find myself brainstorming ways to incorporate fruits into recipes other than desserts, but when we're talking sweet, juicy nectarines it is 100% warranted. Nectarines are the long lost cousin of the peach and in my experience; the pros - no "peach fuzz", the cons - they can be very difficult to cut around the pit. I have often had more luck finding flavor-packed nectarines...there have been one too many times I ended up with a bland peach. But my new rule to live by for peaches is: if you can smell the flavor you'll be able to taste it. So regardless, either variation will work for this recipe. Especially because when paired with the prosciutto (something I always consider a treat) and other ingredients, this flatbread becomes a prime candidate for a dinner party appetizer that won't go unnoticed. 

Another great way to elevate the flatbread is to add a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top. But whatever you do...

I guarantee this won't last long!

The recipe:

Flatbreads (like Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Whole Wheat Flatbread)

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, divided

Prosciutto (about 1.5 thick slices or 3 thin strips per flatbread, enough to mostly cover)

Nectarine, sliced

1 tbsp chopped basil

1/3 c. arugula

Olive oil

Pepper

Oregano

Preheat broiler. Drizzle olive oil over the flatbread and spread around to lightly coat. Sprinkle with

pepper and oregano. Sprinkle half of shaved parmesan over the flatbread. Place in the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese.

Remove and drape prosciutto slices over (about 3 thin slices), arrange nectarine slices atop prosciutto.

Return to broiler for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile mix together basil and arugula and drizzle with a tiny bit of

olive oil (<1tsp). Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula mixture.

Top with remaining parmesan (if you wish). Cut into pieces and serve. (Also - try drizzling with balsamic glaze for some additional contrast!)

Another note: After melting the cheese you could skip any return to the broiler for more of a cool and refreshing nectarine/prosciutto combination, while still maintaining the crispy crust.

Speculoos Rice Krispie Treats with White Chocolate Drizzle

Discovering new ingredients can be both a blessing and a curse. Take for example Trader Joe's Cookie Butter - a take on Speculoos spread (which essentially tastes like teddy grahams in spread form). I have officially proved that I am incapable of exercising enough self control to keep a jar of this magical spread around my apartment. 

While I would be perfectly content to just eat spoonfulls of cookie butter (come on, who hasn't eaten a spoonful of straight peanut butter at some point - same thing), I don't think it ranks too high on the scale of socially acceptable actions.

My solution was to instead keep a container at work for both myself and my colleagues to enjoy (I figured judging eyes - within 3 ft on either side of me - would prevent overindulgence). Despite this solution, I still knew I wanted to craft a Speculoos dessert; one fateful day the skies parted and it dawned on me, SPECULOOS RICE KRISPIES! While it turns out I wasn't the first one to come up with this brilliant combination, I was nonethless still excited to try it.

I think these treats received the coworker stamp of approval, as proven by the empty plate sitting on my desk!

The recipe:
4 tablespoons butter
1 bag (10.5 ounces) miniature marshmallows
½ cup cookie butter
5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
½ cup white chocolate chips + ¼ cup for drizzle
1 tsp. milk or cream

Line a 9inch baking pan with parchment paper and coat with non-stick spray; set aside ( I used about a 6x12 pan which worked fine as well). 

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted - be patient. Stir in the cookie butter until melted. Remove from heat.

Add the Rice Krispies cereal and 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. Stir until well coated. Spread the rice krispies into the pan and using a piece of wax paper, evenly press the mixture into the pan. 

Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and milk/cream to a dish and melt in the microwave. Drizzle over top of the rice krispies. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until set. Cut into squares and serve.

Cucumber Watermelon Gazpacho

We celebrated America's birthday this year with soaring temperatures and fireworks; luckily in NYC our fireworks consisted of more than one marvel of an explosion (whoopsie, San Diego). As I sat on my rooftop, enjoying the random middle-of-the-week break from work, I was soon  greeted by my neighbor carrying a large speaker that easily surpassed him in girth, almost in height. After our brief exchange about his soon to begin party, I decided this would be my queue to relocate my sunbathing to the West Side Highway. 

As the day progressed, my previously non-existent evening plans evolved and before I knew it, I had a last minute 4th of July potluck dinner to attend. This sure beat my original plan of hoping I could see the fireworks from my roof, hah. So, potluck, what to bring? On days when it's a challenge to even stand idle outside without breaking a sweat, it's sometimes hard to be motivated to crank up the oven and test out new recipes. With several of the good old classics already covered for the evening, I knew I wanted to bring something light and refreshing to the table (sorry, I love puns). The solution: a refreshing new take on gazpacho. Cucumber Watermelon Gazpacho to be exact.

I adapted the recipe from epicurious, so a few things to point out that I changed: used only 1 orange pepper in place of the 2 peppers originally called for; substituted basil for the mint; did not use jalapeno (mostly because I didn't have one); left off the vinegar. I also blended everything instead of leaving large chunks in the soup. Despite the changes, I still loved the outcome, though I think the jalapeno would have added a nice kick...next time.

The recipe:

5 cups (approx) seedless watermelon, diced

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced

1 cup red bell pepper, seeded, diced (I used orange because Trader Joes was out of red, but red will better preserve the color)

3 pale green inner celery stalks, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup chopped basil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup greek yogurt

Puree 4 cups watermelon in blender until smooth. Transfer puree to large bowl. Blend remaining 1 cup diced watermelon and all ingredients (except yogurt) to desired consistency. Then stir with previously blended watermelon to combine. (Or if you have room in the blender, puree the first batch of watermelon then add in other ingredients into the blender and pulse to desired consistency).

Cover gazpacho and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Dollop greek yogurt on top before serving. 

Sip, slurp, or spoon and be refreshed!

Mini Zucchini Pizzas

There are few things as enjoyable as a (2 years overdue) weekend reunion with your college roommates and best friends. Said another way, there are few things as gluttonous as a reversion to one's college habits...

After an amazing time spent with friends, it was back to reality and time for some clean eating. Riding back on the train, I thought to myself, what can I eat that might at least somewhat make up for those potato chips and kit kat bars (don't ask) consumed in the wee hours of the morning. Answer: vegetables.

This was a quick and easy one. I also decided to make the pizzas a bit more exciting by making a quick stop at the whole foods antipasto bar for some artichokes, olives and gigante beans (all optional).

The recipe:

1 large zucchini, sliced

2 tbsp. pasta sauce

1 tbsp. unsalted tomato paste

1/4 tsp. oregano

Dash of garlic powder

2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup reduced-fat parmesan cheese, shredded

Suggested additional toppings:

Roasted Peppers

Gigante Beans

Artichokes

Olives, pitted and chopped

Preheat your broiler on high (toaster oven works well for this quantity).  Slice your zucchinis at a slight diagonal and place zucchini slices on a baking sheet. Place in broiler for 2 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, mix together pasta sauce, tomato paste, oregano and garlic powder. Remove zucchini from broiler and spread sauce over each slice of zucchini.  Top with chopped basil. Add any desired extra toppings on each zucchini slice then sprinkle cheese on each slide.  

Place baking sheet in the oven to broil for about 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately and enjoy!