The versatile and delicious topping for this pizza is a sautéed shortcut version of ratatouille, which is sometimes called ciambotto in Italy. It cooks in only 15 minutes and is so flavorful and has such a great melting texture that no sauce is needed for the pizza.
- Put a baking stone on the lowest rack in your oven. (Move the top rack up or out of the oven for easiest maneuvering). Heat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- In a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet, heat 3 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the eggplant, peppers, and 1/4 tsp. salt, and turn the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently as the vegetables begin to brown, until the vegetables are softened and all of them have some browning (some will be very brown), 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cherry tomatoes, the remaining Tbs. of olive oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring and scraping the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes have started to collapse (some will brown) and the mixture is well-integrated, 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and drizzle with the balsamic glaze or syrup, if using. Season to taste with salt. Transfer the mixture to a plate or tray and divide it loosely into thirds.
- Combine the oil and garlic in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Arrange the garlic oil, topping, cheeses, and salt near your work area.
- Sprinkle a pizza peel or the back of a large cookie sheet with cornmeal. Lightly flour your work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Gently press one dough ball out with your fingers and hands until it forms a flat cake on your work surface. Using the rolling pin, roll the dough out to an 8-inch circle. If the dough is bouncy, let it rest between rolls.
- Transfer the rolled dough to the pizza peel or baking sheet.
- Spoon about 1 scant Tbs. of the seasoned oil (including the garlic) onto the dough and brush or use the back of a spoon to spread it all over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edge. Spoon one portion (a third) of the topping on the pizza and nestle 6 to 9 pieces of the mozzarella in it. Sprinkle with a few teaspoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano and drizzle with a bit more of the garlic oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and cook until the crust is golden brown around the edges and crisp and golden on the bottom (check with tongs), 8 to 9 minutes. Use the peel (or tongs and a baking sheet) to transfer the pizza to a wooden cutting board. Top with a third of the fresh basil. Slice and serve.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and topping to make two more pizzas.
- In dry saucepan, toast dried chipotle pepper, mustard, chili pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, clove, allspice berries and peppercorns over medium-high heat, shaking pan, for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add 2 1/2 cups water, vinegar, sugar, salt and bay leaf; bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool for 20 minutes. Add peaches; transfer mixture to pint-size sealable jar or container. Refrigerate for 24 hours. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Tip: Substitute ancho chili pepper for chipotle pepper if desired.
- Heat oil in large skillet or wok set over medium-high heat; cook bok choy, ginger, garlic and chili flakes, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until tender-crisp.
- Stir in soy sauce and 1 tbsp water; cover and cook for about 3 minutes or until greens are just tender. Transfer to serving plate. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Tip: Substitute Chinese broccoli (gai lan), spinach, kale, mustard greens or Napa cabbage for bok choy if desired.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Halve parsnips lengthwise; depending on the size, cut into quarters if desired. Toss together parsnips, olive oil, garlic, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Spread on parchment paper–lined baking sheet; bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until slightly charred and tender. Remove from oven; toss with pecans and parsley. Arrange on serving platter and drizzle with raspberry balsamic glaze.
Tip: Sprinkle dried cranberries over top if desired.
Crisp jícama, sweet corn, and black beans come together in a refreshing salsa.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Run the back of a knife along cobs on all sides while holding over the bowl to extract the corn milk. Toss all ingredients and let stand for 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and toss before serving.
- Serve with Homemade Tortilla Chips.
- Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10-inch straight-sided sautÈ pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, saffron, pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 Tbs. oil, the garlic, coriander, and cinnamon and continue to cook for 1 minute more. Add the couscous and 1 1/2 tsp. salt and stir constantly until the couscous is lightly toasted (the color will turn a light brown), 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the water to the pan with the couscous, stir to combine, cover, and cook at a simmer over medium-low to low heat until the couscous is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 10 minutes.
- Add the dates, pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and chopped cilantro and toss to combine. Season to taste with more salt if necessary. Transfer to a platter or distribute among individual plates, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.
Tip: You can easily make this dish an hour or two in advance, let it sit at room temperature, and gently reheat it before serving (you may need to carefully break apart any clumps with a wooden spoon). But hold off on adding the pomegranate seeds and pine nuts until the last minute, so they don’t lose their texture.
