Thyme and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Thyme and Caramelized Onion Pizza1 batch pizza dough (I love this recipe from la cucina italiana.  you make the dough the night before which gives it a wonderful flavor.)

1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 medium Vandalia onions, sliced
3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh garlic, minced
tomato sauce (optional)
1 large ball fresh mozzarella, sliced

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven.  Preheat your oven to 425.

Stretch the pizza dough to form a roundish pizza on a piece of parchment paper.  Allow it to rest while you prepare the toppings.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir until it begins to turn golden (about 1 minute).  Add the onions, and stir regularly until they begin to caramelize and turn golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in thyme, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

To assemble the pizza, pour the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough.  If you prefer a white pizza, brush the dough with olive oil.  Arrange the mozzarella in slices over the sauce followed by the onions.  Slide the pizza onto the hot stone in your preheated oven.  Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the crust is brown.

Recipe Notes: If you want to skip a step, buy pre-made dough.  I haven't tried it, but I have heard that Whole Foods makes really good frozen pizza dough.  This pizza would also be delicious with goat cheese instead of the mozzarella cheese.  If you use goat cheese, however, don't use tomato sauce!

Panko Crusted Veal With Prosciutto, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella

Panko Crusted Veal with Prosciutto, Tomatoes and Mozzarella1 Lb Veal Cutlets
1-2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup panko crumbs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/3 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Olive oil

Pound the vealPound the veal so that it is about 1/4 inch thin. Mix together the flour, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Coat a large non-stick skillet with olive oil and heat over medium high heat.  Meanwhile, dredge the veal cutlets in the flour mixture, followed by the eggs, followed by the panko crumbs.  Place the veal in the hot pan and cook about two minutes on the first side until the veal is golden brown.  The Assembly Line for Coating the VealUsing tongs, flip the veal and cook for about another two minutes until it is golden.  Remove and place on a baking tray. Work in batches so that you don't crowd the veal.

The Veal should be golden brown. Position the racks in our oven, so that the tray of veal is positioned about two inches below the broiler.  Layer one piece of prosciutto on each piece of veal, followed by 1 tbs of tomato sauce, and a slice of mozzarella.  Broil just until the cheese meltsPlace under broiler for about 3 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

Recipe Notes: I used a meat mallet to pound the veal.  However, if you don't have one, a rolling pin or even a heavy spoon will do the trick!

Tomato Ragu

1 onion, copped
5 cloves garlic, minced
10 tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped
olive oil, salt, and pepper
1/2 cup red wine

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a sauce pan.  Add garlic and saute until you can smell the garlic, about 30 seconds.  Add the onion and saute until the onion is translucent.  Add the tomatoes and wine.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.  Reduce until the sauce is thick, about 45 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Recipe Notes: To easily peel the tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Core the tomatoes and using a sharp knife mark an "X" in the bottom of the tomato (this will make it easier to peel the skin off).  Prepare a large bowl of ice water.  Working in batches, place the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately put the tomatoes in the ice water.  This will stop the cooking and make it easier to peel the skin off of the tomatoes.  Peel off the skin and then literally squeeze the tomatoes to remove the seeds.  You can either use the tomatoes immediately or freeze them for later use.

Eggplant Stacks with Mozzarella and Tomato Ragu

They taste as delicious as they look!4 Baby Eggplants, Sliced but not pealed
Fresh Mozzarella
Grated Parmesaman
Fresh Basil
Olive Oil
1 lb dried pasta cooked in plenty of salted water
Garlic infused olive oil
1 Recipe Fresh Tomato Ragu

Heat about 1 Tbs of the Olive oil over medium high heat in a large non-stick skillet.  sprinkle the eggplant liberally with salt and pepper and cook until golden on one side, about 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the eggplant.  Flip and cook on the other side.  Work in batches until all of the eggplant is cooked.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place one piece of the eggplant on a baking sheet.  Place 1 Tbs of the tomato ragu followed by parmesan cheese, 1 basil leaf, and a thin slice of mozzarella cheese.  Place another piece of eggplant on top and continue until the stack has three layers of eggplant.  Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Meanwhile, toss the cooked pasta in the infused olive oil, fresh chopped basil and plenty of parmesan cheese.  Serve the eggplant stacks over the pasta and enjoy!

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Mustard and Soy

2 Lbs Leg of lamb, butterfliedGrilled lamb with asparagus and potatoes
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs each, Chopped fresh Thyme and Rosemary

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and olive oil and whisk vigorously to mix.  Add garlic, mint, thyme, and rosemary and combine.  Add meat and marinade for 1 hour.  Grill the lamb over hot coals for about 7 minutes per side.  Allow the meat to rest for ten minutes.  Slice and serve!