Meat and Cheese on Bread, refined

As I think I've mentioned recently, I'm substantially pregnant and it just does not bring out the best in my culinary repertoire. Especially early on, I want cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, maybe a few hot dogs. In short, I'm not so much on the salads while with child. But we can't just give in to every craving, lest we emerge from the baby-having heavier and with elevated triglycerides.

But sometimes I can work the standard craving profile into something delicious to eat that is less of a dietary landmine. The following pizza is not only super quick and easy, but it has everything I'm looking for (meat? check. cheese? check. bread? check.) without derailing my nutritional standings entirely. You've likely seen a similar combination on restaurant menus lately since the ingredients are a classic flavor profile from Italian cooking. The key here is to use really good ingredients and just baaaarely cook them so the retain their own perfect flavors and textures. Hey! Bonus! That makes this a super fast dinner option too! Enjoy!

This dish is so popular around my house because it really has everything. Not only are meat, cheese and bread all well represented, but it has the perfect Salty Sour Spicy Sweet (that sounds sooo familiar) balance that we strive for around here. What more could anybody - pregnant or otherwise - want? If you feel like going the extra mile, check out my co-blogger's pizza dough recipe from March 2009 for a homemade crust. The figs have a short season, so if you can't find them, use just the fig preserves. The flavors will be almost as good.

Prosciutto & Fig Pizza with fresh Arugula

Ingredients:

2 loaves white or whole wheat Lavash (Middle Eastern flatbread)

3 - 4 T. fig jam or preserves (available at decent cheese counters or Whole Foods)

1/2 pint black mission or turkish figs, stems removed, quartered

1 cup freshly grated or shaved hard Italian or Spanish cheese, such as Parmiggiano Regiano, Asiago or Manchego (it really is better if you grate it yourself)

1 tsp. red pepper flake

1/4 lb. imported prosciutto, sliced paper thin

4 cups fresh baby arugula

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp. olive oil

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions:

Arrange oven racks so that the top rack is at its highest setting under the broiler. Preheat oven to 375. On each of the 2 loaves of lavash, spread half the fig jam, scatter half the figs and half the cheese. Season to your taste with red pepper flakes.

Bake pizza for about 5 minutes on top rack until cheese is melted. While that is happening, toss the arugula, lemon juice & olive oil together in a bowl. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.

After 5 minutes baking at 375, turn the oven to Broil and slide the top rack out just far enough to scatter 1/2 the prosciutto on each pizza. Return rack to oven and broil pizzas for about 3 minutes until prosciutto is warmed and cheese is browning. Don't turn your back! you could be about 30 seconds from black pizzas depending on the strength of your broiler. Remove pizzas from oven. Top each with half of the seasoned arugula and cut into quarters. Grate a little more cheese on top if you want. Serve immediately.