The other day, I set out my lunch in the break room then ran back to my desk to grab something. As I approached the kitchen, I heard hushed voices:
"I know! I thought they were olives too!"
"They're not olives? What are they?"
"I mean, who would put that on a pizza? I've never seen that before."
I smiled to myself, rounded the corner, and announced: "It's effing delicious."
I won't have nobody talking smack about me putting blueberries on my pizza.
Blueberries might just be my favorite berry. Except maybe blackberries. Or strawberries. Oh screw it, I just love berries.
Blueberries in particular lend themselves beautifully to savory dishes; paired with the spicy arugula on this flatbread, the flavors complimented each other quite well.
I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with arugula. At least I did until today. I was somewhat flummoxed with arugula; its spicy notes can easily overwhelm my palate unless I balance it out with other flavors. On this flatbread, the sweet blueberries, salty and tangy cheese, and nutty almonds all work to compliment the arugula. Plus, it ups the nutrition factor, because you're basically covering your pizza with a salad.
Probably the easiest thing about this dish was that instead of making my own flatbread, I utilized one of my favorite frozen varieties - American Flatbread. Sous Chef and I discovered the brand at Whole Foods, and have since seen it in several other area grocery stores. We love the simple, all natural ingredient list, the ease and speed of preparation, and (of course) the flavor.
The crust is really thin, with a nice crunch on the outside and chew on the inside - just the way I like my pizza dough. My favorite variety is Cheese and Herb - and it's the one I used for this recipe. I love its simplicity, and nowhere else on Earth (that I've found) can you eat an entire half of a pizza for 555 calories, unless it's one of those disgusting pieces of cardboard diet food.
The whole meal came together in less than half an hour - and that includes thawing time for the flatbread. Not only is it ridiculously easy, it's ridiculously delicious. And gorgeous, too!
Blueberry Arugula Flatbread
Serves 2-41 full-size Cheese & Herb American Flatbread
2-3 cups fresh arugula
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thaw the flatbread according to package directions.
2. Spread the arugula over the flatbread. Top with blueberries, tucking some o the berries into the greens like a nest. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over top.
3. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the crust is golden and the berries are glistening and look about ready to burst!
4. Cut into slices and serve. You can top with a little crushed red pepper for an added spicy note!
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