Pear and Prosciutto Sandwich

As I mentioned in one of my earlier post, I will be posting more sandwich recipes...so here goes another one...

This one is made with fresh pear and prosciutto as well as wild arugula and percorino romano cheese.  I also spread one side of the bread with dijon mustard and the other side with pear jam.  The result is a perfect combination of sweet and savory goodness bursting in my mouth...



I would never have dreamed of using both dijon mustard and jam in one sandwich until I found this wonderful recipe from myrecipes.com (original recipe here).  I modified it liberally to make use of ingredients that are readily available or I have on hand.  Well, that and the fact that fresh is not yet available on the market.

I was talking to the produce guy at WholeFoods and was told that it might be a couple or so weeks before they will get a batch of fresh figs...Oh, I cannot wait since I like them a lot. I wonder if they are already available at Costco...hmmm... I do dread going there though because I always end up with a lot of things that I really do not need, such as a huge container of canola oil...thinking out loud again...lol



The sandwich is perfect as it contains a lot of ingredients -bread, pears, cheese, cold cuts, veggies...a balance and complete meat...hehehe....not sure about it being a balance meal but it sure does taste good...hehehe

I used prosciutto di Parma which were thinly sliced by the deli guy at Monsieur Marcel's. This particular prosciutto is made in the city of Parma, Italy which is very famous not only for their prosciutto but also parmigiano reggiano cheese.  Prociutto di Parma is one of the most reknowned prosciutto variety but also pricier than others but not that much though.  If I am not mistaken, the difference is only a little over a dollar per pound.  I am not too sure though as I always buy di Parma.



The bread that I used for this sandwich is a rustic panini bread but feel free to use any bread of your choice.  Just lightly toast it and then spread dijon mustard on one slice and jam on the other slice.  Speaking of jam, I used St. Dalfour gourmet pear jam. This is the first time I am trying this brand.  At about $4 for a 14 oz.bottle, it was worth every penny that I spent on this baby as the taste is like no other that I have tried.



Ingredients:

bread

slices of prosciutto di Parma

wild arugula

shaved pecorino romano

dijon mustard

pear jam

pear, washed thoroughly and then thinly sliced with skin on


1. lightly toast bread

2. spread one side of bread with dijon mustard and the other with pear jam

3. Arrange some wild arugula on one side of the bread, top with prosciutto, then a layer of sliced pear.

4. Top with shaved perorino romano and cover with the other slice of bread.

4. serve immediately.

NOTE: If you wish to place it in a panini press to make it into a panini, you can also do so.  It also taste delicious that way.

Fried Egg, Ricotta Cheese, and Wild Arugula Open-faced Sandwich

Yet another sandwich post...Whay can I say? I love their easy preparation and convenience in eating.  They can be portable and eaten on the go when you are busy. They are also very easy to prepare and can be multiplied easily if you have to feed a small army.  They handy when you are in a rush and do not have time to prepare an elaborate meal.  They can either be dressed down or up depending on your mood :)

 I am also using wild arugula for this sandwich since I still have some arugula left over from my recent purchase at the Whole Foods.  They are fabulous in salad or used as green in sandwiches.  They a little more peppery than regular arugula which I really like.  This is the first dish that I have used ricotta with parmigiano reggiano and arugula since I usually use either blue cheese or goat in combination with other two ingredients.  Surprisingly they go well together considering that it is a lot milder in taste than blue or goat cheeses.

This recipe is not an original recipe but it is from this website.  Of course I have modified the recipe to suit my own taste and preference but I will post the original recipe. Coincidentally, I have also found a few sandwich recipes from this site as well as its affiliate websites that I am very interested in trying so be on the lookout for them in the coming days.  This and the rest of the sandwiches featured in that website are all easy to prepare with ingredients that are easy to find.  

To be honest, I've been eating this same sandwich for breakfast three days in a row.  The reason is not because I couldn't get the recipe right but because I could not get the pictures to come out the way I want them to.  So for the past three days, I have been preparing this same sandwich, photographing it, and then have it for breakfast... I do not mind, of course, since this is a great sandwich...hehehe... this batch of pictures is much better than the previous two batches...Ughhh, I really need to read that book that I purchased on how to take better food photography to improve my techniques. I am too lazy to read at times though... wish it comes in audio book format...

Ingredients:

4 slices of whole-wheat bread (I used bagel)

cooking spray

2 cups wild arugula

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp freshly grounf black pepper, divided

4 large eggs

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

1 tsp thyme, chopped

1. Preheat broiler or toaster oven

2. Coat both sides of bread with cooking spray and broil for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.

3. Combine arugula, 2 tsp EVOO, lemon juice, 1/8 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss gently.

4.  Heat remaining EVOO in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Crack eggs into pan and cook for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for an additional two minutes or until egg whites are set.  Remove from heat.

5. Combine 1/4 tsp salt, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, and thyme.  Spread over bread slices.  Divide salad and egg and place evenly over the bread.  Sprinkle remaining 1/8 tsp salt and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper over the eggs.

6. Serve immediately.

Recipe source: cooking light

Wild Arugula, Glazed Walnuts, and Apple Salad

I was over at Whole Foods today and they had really fresh greens which were begging me to take them home...really, they were, I swear :0 ...

 They had good looking wild arugula and basil which I bought and took home. I was thinking of using the basil for pesto since it has been a while since I've made some but the wild arugula is intended for a salad so I picked up other ingredients like glazed walnuts (they're great as they help to cut down cooking and prep time)as well as lemons and pine nuts (for the pesto). The only thing I forgot was to buy some pears which I only remembered when I was already halfway home. I could have stopped at another supermarket but the temperature was getting warm so I was really itching to get home as fast as I can. So instead of using pear, I used some gala apple instead which I already have in my refrigerator.

Arugula has a peppery, nutty taste to it. It is sold at the supermarket as either baby or mature leaves. Cultivated baby arugula are usually rounder in shape and often resemble the shape of a spinach only smaller. Will arugula, on the other hand has a stronger and more pronounced peppery, nutty taste to it. The shaped of the leaves are also slightly different in the sense that lobes and smaller in size. It is an annual plant that is rich in vitamin C and potassium. They were once considered aphrodisiac. It is great as a salad but it can also be used in pasta or pizza.

Ingredients:

5 oz wild arugula

1 apple or pear, cored and sliced thinly

1/4 cup store bought glazed walnuts

shaved parmigiano reggiano

salt and pepper, to taste


 1. Toss the first three ingredients together.

 2. season with salt and pepper according to taste

 3. top with shaved parmigiano reggiano

 4. Drizzle with dressing (see below)

Dressing:

10 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

5 Tbsp lemon juice salt and pepper, to taste

1. Combine and whisk EVOO and lemon in a small container.

2. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

 ***left over dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days. Just make sure to let it thaw and shake well prior to use.

Linguine Fini in Creamy Arugula-Walnut Pesto Sauce with Crispy Prosciutto

I went grocery shopping yesterday, the second time for the week, and bought prosciutto di parma, arugula, walnuts and other basic ingredients. I could not wait to get home as I already have something in mind that I wanted to eat. Went home and started making arugula-walnut pesto which is a variation on the original pesto sauce with the substitution of arugula and walnuts in place of basil and pine nuts. It is a less pricey alternative to the expensive pine nuts and basil (darn, I need to grown my own as these babies are getting pricier each time I shop for them)and pine nuts but taste just as good. Arugula usually has a rich, peppery taste but surprisingly mellows when placed in combination with the other ingredients in pesto sauce.

After I finished making the pesto sauce, I proceeded to making a creamy pesto pasta with crispy prosciutto. Uhhmmm...yummy good. Nothing can beat a crispy piece of pork, right? Prosciutto di parma is a little bit pricey at $20+++ per pound but so worth it. I usually like to wrap it in around melon slices and eat as an appetizer...ahhh, that one taste heavenly...hehehe. Prosciuttio is Italian for ham. Some of the most famous places where prosciutto are made includes Parma and San Daniele. It makes one think what is up with these Italians and food, right? Hahaha, they must have been blessed by the food gods or something. Anyways, the creamy pesto is quite easy to make and didn't take me long to finish the dish.



Ingredients:

Arugula Pesto Sauce:
2 cups fresh arugula leaves, stems removed
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place walnuts andarugula in food processor.
2. Process until it is grinded. Scrape the sides with spatula.
3. Add olive oil in steady stream while continuing to process using a food processor.
4. Add garlic and grated parmigiano reggiano. Blend until well incorporated.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Transfer to a container then set aside

Pasta:

1/2 lb linguine fini

1. Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add salt and oil before adding pasta.
2. Cook according to direction.
3. Save some of the pasta water before draining water from pasta using a colander.
4. Set aside.

Creamy Pesto Sauce with Crispy Prosciutto:

3-4 pieces of prosciutto
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup arugula walnut pesto sauce
2/3 cup heavy cream


1. Heat pan over medium low and add olive oil. Fry prosciutto until crispy then remove from heat and transfer to paper towel lined plate.
2. Discard all but 1 Tbsp of the oil from the same pan where you fried prosciutto.
3. Add pesto sauce and heat gently.
4. When pesto sauce has warmed thoroughly, add cream. Mix well to make sure that pesto is incorporated well into the cream.
5. Simmer for 2 minutes before tossing pasta in. Coat pasta with the sauce.
6. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.
7. Top with crispy prosciutto.

Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread with Baby Arugula and Shaved Parmesan

This recipe is also from Steamy Kitchen. I have to say that mine turned out great and the dough is fantastic. One dough portion made a huge flatbread though so I am going to use maybe a smaller portion next time so it will just be enough for me.



1 lb fresh pizza dough
2 pears, sliced thinly
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
a nice chunk of good quality Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved with vegetable peeler
1 cup baby arugula leaves
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
flour, for dusting




1. Dust surface of dough with flour. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Stretch surface of dough on each side and tuck under, creating a round, ball with a taut surface. Flatten dough ball a little. Keep the dough covered until ready to use. If using cold, refrigerated No Knead Olive Oil dough (recipe here), let the dough balls relax and warm up for 30 minutes on the counter before trying to roll or stretch out (it’s hard to stretch cold dough.) If using room-temp pizza dough, you may proceed to next step.



2. You’ll bake 2 at a time. Dust surface of dough and work surface with flour. with your hands, carefully stretch into a long, thin, oval shape, about 16″x 6″. The thinner you can get the dough without tearing, the better. You can use rolling pin (esp if your dough is still a little cold). If dough is difficult to stretch or roll, let it sit and relax for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining. Cover loosely with towel.



MY NOTE: I left my dough out for about an hour and a half then folded it 2-3 times. It made it so pliable, easy to work with and shape. I didn't even need my rolling pin to stretch it out.

3. 20 minutes before you want to bake you’ll want to preheat your oven and your baking sheet. Crank up your oven to its highest setting (usually most ovens go up to 500F) and insert an inverted baking sheet.

MY NOTE: I turned the oven temperature up to 500F and used baking sheet covered with aluminun foil.

4. Remove the hot baking sheet from oven and set your flatbreads on top, side by side. Work quickly and carefully. Brush surface with olive oil and layer pears and gorgonzola on top. Bake in oven for 7-10 minutes (keep your eye on the flatbread!) until top and bottom of flatbread is golden brown. Remove and repeat for remaining 2 flatbreads. Top with baby arugula and shaved parmesan.



MY NOTE: I baked mine for about 17 minutes which was the time it turned golden brown in color. The flatbread came off easily from the baking pan, no sticking problem.