Blackberry Pizza with Goat Cheese, Honey and Pistachios

December 31, 2013 by Mackenzie

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to the new year – I know I am! We cooked a multi-course meal on New Year’s Eve and every recipe was worthy of 10 stars so I look forward to sharing the recipes with you! This pizza was our appetizer for the evening – and it was fantastic! Blackberries, goat cheese, honey, pistachios… It’s so unique and so delicious!

Blackberry Pizza with Goat Cheese, Honey and Pistachios
Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five
Makes one pizza, serving 2-3

Ingredients:
1 recipe for pizza dough
Olive oil
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
3 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Directions:
1. Prepare crust according to recipe instructions. Roll out to a 12-inch circle and brush with olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until it is golden brown and no longer soft on top.

2. While crust is baking, mix the goat cheese and honey in a small bowl. The cheese will kind of dissolve into the honey and it will look slightly creamy. Halve the blackberries and chop the pistachios. When the crust has baked, pull it out, brush it with the goat cheese/honey mixture and top it with the blackberries. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the blackberries are warm. When it is done baking, sprinkle with the pistachios, drizzle with more honey and enjoy!

Pear Bites with Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Honey

December 19, 2013 by Mackenzie

It’s finally Christmas break! I’m so happy to be home, to be able to spend time with my family and to craft some new recipes. Check back often because I’ve got a lot of good ones to share!

Today, I’m sharing an appetizer that I made for the first time last Thanksgiving and has been a hit at every family gathering since! It’s very simple to make, yet the flavors meld so uniquely and give each bite a complex, sweet and salty flavor. They would be perfect as an appetizer at a Christmas or New Year’s gathering – I promise you won’t disappoint yourself, or your guests if you make them!

Pear Bites with Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Honey
Makes 12, but easily multiplied
Recipe from Eat.Drink.Smile.

Ingredients:
12 thin slices pancetta (about 1/3 lb)
1 large Bartlett pear
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Freshly cracked pepper
Honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Carefully peel the pancetta slices apart and arrange on the baking sheet (keep in circular shapes). Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Lay a paper towel over a cooling rack and transfer the pancetta to it. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool and get crispy.

2. Core pear with a corer (just so the core comes out not an apple slicer! If you don’t have one, you can find them pretty cheap at a kitchen gadget store like Bed, Bath and Beyond). Cut pear crosswise into 12 thin rings (see photo for thickness). Arrange slices on serving platter then place one slice of crisped pancetta on each pear slice. Top each slice with goat cheese and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve right away (they don’t keep well for a second day so you better eat them all!)

Winter Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Pomegranate Seeds, Goat Cheese and more!

December 6, 2012 by Mackenzie

Libby and I made this salad for dinner last night and it was oh so good!! Libby made it up so I’m giving her all the credit 🙂 It’s awesome and will definitely be made again soon!

Winter Salad

Serves 2

1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake until tender, about 25 minutes.

2. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together: 1/2 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt and pepper. We eyeballed these ingredients and did our best just now to think of how much we used… so definitely taste and see if it needs more of anything.

3. In a large bowl, add mixed greens, walnuts, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, dates, sweet potatoes and vinaigrette! Serve with a piece of toast with honey butter.

photo-16

Mackenzie

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