And Bring Us Some Figgy Goodies (Part I)

With the Holiday Festivities and preparations fast approaching, it’s critical to be able to turn to simple, no-stress meals that you can whip up in an instant. After all, we all need to refuel our energy while running around shopping, decorating, and making the excited yet headache-inducing travel plans. So before Christmas, I will share this 2-part Pre-Holiday Recipes on simple yet sophisticated dishes featuring the sweet, succulent, and versatile Fig.

Growing up, the only figs I knew were Fig Newtons, which I really was not a fan of. It wasn’t until I had the chance to eat at Fig & Olive a few years ago that I realized that the sweet juicy flavor of figs could be used to complement savory dishes. So a few days ago, after finishing up my last day at work before my extended Holiday vacation (yay), I threw together a Fig Pizza, with Carmelized Fennel, Goat Cheese and Arugula. The whole process took less than 30 minutes and the result was so good that Sous Chef Brian asks for a repeat performance every day!

The Goodies:

• 4-6 Figs, quartered (*a note – I really wanted to use black mission figs, but my grocery store didn’t have any fresh figs – I know, atrocity – so I was limited to dried kalamata figs, which surprisingly worked just as well!)
• 1/2 bulb of Fennel, sliced very thin
• 1 handful of Arugula leaves
• 1 handful of crumbled Goat Cheese
• Olive Oil, to brush pizza with
• 2 pieces of Pita Bread (yes, this is where the shortcut comes in!)
• 2 Tbsp Xagave Nectar
• 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• A few strips of Proscuitto (optional – I did it for the Sous Chef)

And Bring us Some Figgy Pizza:

1. Cook the Fennel  in a pan with the Cooking Oil. Sprinkle with Salt & Pepper to bring out flavor, and drizzle with Xagave Nectar to carmelize until brown.
2. Brush Pita Bread with Olive oil. Decorate with Figs, Fennel, Arugula, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto. Sprinkle with Salt & Pepper
3. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Easy as Pizza, isn’t it?   

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