Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza

Inspiration:
A recipe in the Top Chef Cookbook (from Frank, season 2), modified to include arugula.

Ingredients:

Pizza Sauce:

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, minced
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 15-oz. can tomato puree
  
• 1 T tomato paste
  
• 1/4 cup red wine
  
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
  
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
  
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Crust and Toppings:

• 4 whole wheat pita bread rounds
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• salt and freshly-ground black pepper
  
• 12 oz. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  
• 8 slices prosciutto, torn into pieces
  
• 1 bunch arugula, washed, stemmed, and torn into pieces
  
• Balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.


2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until soft, about 1 minute. Add the tomato puree, tomato paste, wine, oregano, basil, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool slightly.


3. Drizzle the pitas with the oil and season with salt and pepper.


4. Spread the sauce over the pitas, then top with the cheese.


5. Place the pizzas on a baking sheet, transfer to the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp, about 20 minutes.
   


6. Meanwhile, toss prosciutto and arugula with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.


7. Remove from the oven and scatter the prosciutto and arugula mixture on top. Cut each pizza into 4 slices and serve immediately.

Notes: The sauce is delicious. The pitas were crispy. I will be using and continuing to modify this recipe in the future!

Suggested beverage: red wine

Liz's Rating: 10/10 for the sauce and toppings, 8/10 for the pita crust.
Tim's Rating (he had a pepperoni version): 8.5/10 (When he was done eating: "I'm sad it's over.")

Hung's Clay Pot Rice

Inspiration:
Hung, the winner of Top Chef season 2, was featured in the February 2008 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. I decided to try his recipe for Clay Pot Rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup short-grain rice (7 ounces)
• 3 ounces mixed mushrooms such as oyster and stemmed shiitake, quartered if large (2 cups)
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 thick slices of fatty bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice (1/2 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, cover the rice with water and let soak until the grains turn white, about 1 hour. Drain the rice.
2. In another bowl, toss the mushrooms and scallions with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper; let marinate for 10 minutes.
3. In a small, enameled cast-iron casserole, clay pot or medium saucepan (I used a 4-quart enameled cast iron dutch oven), cook the bacon over moderate heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soaked rice and stir to coat with the fat. Add the ginkgo nuts, marinated mushrooms and scallions, the water and the remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Drizzle the oil around the edge of the pot so it runs down the insides.
   
4. Cover the pot and cook the rice over low heat until tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high and cook the rice, covered, until sizzling and a crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Notes: The crispy crust part of the rice is the best part- just like paella!

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Lemongrass Chicken

Inspiration:
Hung, the winner of Top Chef, featured in Food and Wine magazine.

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 scallions—whites chopped, greens sliced, for garnish
• 1 large stalk of lemongrass, bottom two-thirds chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems, plus sprigs, for garnish
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a mini processor, puree the garlic, scallion whites, lemongrass, cilantro stems, sugar, lime juice, salt and pepper to a paste.
   
2. Rub the paste all over the chicken thighs. Put the chicken on a plate, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.Scrape the marinade from the chicken.
   
3. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken, and cook over moderately high heat until cooked through; transfer to plates, and garnish with scallion greens and cilantro sprigs. Serve with lime wedges and the dipping sauce.

Notes: The flavors were really good, but I don't think that the marinade was strong enough for chicken thighs. The original recipe called for pompano fillets (fish), so I might try it next time.

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Hot-Sweet-Tangy Dipping Sauce

Inspiration:
Hung, the winner of Top Chef, featured in Food and Wine Magazine.

Ingredients:

• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 2 Thai chiles, minced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir the lime juice with the fish sauce, chiles and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10