pizza w/ prosciutto, pears & feta

The weather has been so ridunkulous lately that it's been pretty much unbearable to spend any amount of my windowless, a/c-less kitchen. That's why I've either been eating out, getting take out, or making things that take less than 5 minutes to make. This one isn't much of a recipe, but if you're in a situation like mine, you'll appreciate the idea.

I love a good, easy, personal-sized pizza (as you'll see here, and here, and more to come soon). Here's what you'll need for this masterpiece:

• 2 multigrain flatbread
• 6 slices of provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 lb. of prosciutto 
• 1/2 cup arugula
• 1 pear, sliced

roasted pears w/ raspberries, blackberries & ricotta

Today we have the rarest of all types of posts here on BonChap - dessert! I'm not a huge dessert person in general, usually I'll just have a yogurt or piece of fruit. Which, now that I've typed that, I see that this recipe is just a baby step away from that. Still - baby steps! It's a great dish that actually fills you up. Best of a night when you've had an early dinner and need something to hold you over 'til bedtime. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 unpeeled pears (I used half Bosc and half Bartlett), quartered, cored
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 12-ounce package frozen blackberries and raspberries (or really any frozen berry combo)
• 1 cup fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese (it'd be perfectly tasty with vanilla ice cream as well)

pears w/ fig jam & pecorino romano

Dessert! I don't make it often. When I do, I tend to gravitate towards cheese or fruit-based dishes. This one in particular has both. It was unique, simple and delicious. Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons toasted almonds (or hazelnuts)
• 1/4 lb. moist, dry figs
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
• 6 oz. wedge of pecorino romano
• 3 ripe pears (I went with Bosc)

Begin by trimming the stems from the figs and cutting each into 4 or 5 small chunks. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the figs with 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

While that's cooling, put the nuts in a food processor and pulse a couple times. Add the figs (along with the water), brandy, sugar, lemon zest and juice and pulse until the figs are coarsely chopped. Taste and add more sugar if desired.

Using a knife, break the cheese into several smaller chunks. Lastly, halve the pears, coar them, and slice thinly lengthwise. Serve the cheese, pears and jam together on a serving platter, or eat them right then and there.

This dish was pretty great. It could totally work at breakfast/bruch, as finger food at a party, or just a simple dish to chow down on for a snack.

Bon chappétit!

pork chops w/ pears & shallots

I seem to be noticing a trend with my recipes as of late: I'm gravitating towards meat with fruit. Perhaps this is normal to you, but it's very different to me. It's not something I was brought up eating, but it's something I'm really starting to enjoy. Today's dish mixed pork with pears. Here's what you'll need:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 pork chops
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 unpeeled small pears (I used 1 Bosc and 1 Anjou), quartered
• 4 teaspoons butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 3/4 cup pear nectar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix oil, garlic, and chopped thyme in small bowl. Rub the mixture over the pork, shallot and pears. Heat a large ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and shallot, turning, about 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer shallot to a platter, and transfer pork to baking dish (do not clean skillet). Bake pork while you wrap up the rest of the recipe, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pears to the same skillet and cook over medium-high heat until they brown on the cut side, turning once or twice, about 4 minutes total. Then transfer the pears to the platter (again, do not clean skillet).

Next, mix the butter and flour in a small bowl. Add the broth, pear nectar and butter mixture to same skillet, and boil until the sauce thickens, scraping up browned bits, about 7 minutes.
Remove the pork from the oven and arrange on the platter. Surround it with the pears and shallot. Finish by drizzling the sauce over the pork. It makes for a great combination of flavors that I haven't come across very often. Very hearty. I definitely recommend it next time you're in the mood for something different.

Bon chappétit!

pear & potato salad

So here's a simple side dish I paired with the maple-glazed tuna recipe. It could easily go with a number of dishes. I was shocked at how well these ingredients go together (pears and potatoes? who knew!) And, along with the tuna steak, this took under 20 minutes from start to finish. Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 Bosc pears, cut into 1/2-inch piecees
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sauté until golden, about 12 minutes or so. Add the pears, onion, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt, pepper and squeezed lemon. And done! Again, simple preparation, incredible taste.

Bon chappétit!