Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Arugula Pizza

One day I'll actually post a picture of food again, but for now, I'm sure you're pretty darn familiar with what a pizza looks like so no biggie, right?  This was inspired by the Bacon, Brussels Sprouts and Goat Cheese Pizza I saw on another food blog, but when I saw the pre-diced pancetta at Trader Joe's (love, love, love that Fort Worth is now lucky enough to have a TJs!), I decided that would be a slightly yummier and easier way to go.  Then when I mentioned what I was making to Colin, he was not thrilled with the idea of brussels sprouts on a pizza, so I skipped that (I roasted them and we had them as a side dish instead--yum!) and subbed in a little arugula instead.  This ended up being so freaking good and I'm really glad I made the changes to the recipe.

Pizza dough (I went the store bought route and used the whole wheat crust from Trader Joe's)
3 oz. diced pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing on the edges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 cup arugula

Place a pizza stone or sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 500 for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile cook the pancetta in a medium skillet until just browned and crispy, making sure to stir often.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel lined plate.  Discard the grease.  In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.  On a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly floured, stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle.  Brush the perimeter with a little olive oil.  Sprinkle the dough with the cheddar and Parmesan, leaving a small border around the edge.  Spread the shallots mixture and then top with the pancetta and goat cheese.  Carefully transfer the pizza and parchment to the pan in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven, let rest for about 5 minutes, then top with the arugula, slice and serve. 

Pork with Pomegranate Pan Sauce

Now that I feel like I've moved slightly past the novice cook stage, I've been trying to expand my cooking repertoire, so pork it is! I've actually had this recipe for over a year--we planned to have Colin's parents over for Christmas Eve dinner at our house last year and I wanted to try something new and kind of "fancy" for the occasion. Unfortunately, Mother Nature disrupted our plans, delivering a serious Christmas Eve snowfall and my in-laws couldn't safely make the drive to our house. Somehow, I've never actually gotten around to making this recipe until now--and I'm actually kind of glad I didn't try it out when we were hosting guests! Since I'm not a pork pro, I definitely overcooked these. It was still decent and had good flavor, so I definitely think it's a recipe I want to try again and hopefully I can improve my pork cooking skills!

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4 oz.) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
3/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle over pork chops. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops; cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. Add shallots to pan; cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add juice, sugar and vinegar; bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Serve pork with sauce.

Source: Cooking Light magazine

I served these with a spinach and arugula side dish that was so good, so thankfully the whole dinner wasn't a bust!

Sauteed Spinach and Arugula with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese

4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
1/4 lb. fresh arugula
Salt and pepper to taste
A few spoonfuls of goat cheese (around 1 oz. per serving)

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a very small pan (so there's some depth to the olive oil) on medium heat. Once hot, add in pine nuts and let fry for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Then transfer them using a slotted spoon to a separate bowl. Once cooled a bit, lay them out on a paper towel to soak up some of the excess oil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add in spinach and arugula and saute until wilted. Add in salt and pepper to taste. To serve, toss spinach mixture with pine nuts and add in a few spoonfuls of goat cheese.