Naan Pesto con Proscuitto Flatbread

Now that I am back in the work grind I am finding it hard to stay motivated, especially after work, to cook a healthy dinner I won't feel guilty about. I feel like that summer ease to stay active in the kitchen is long gone! Being in that kind of a rut is so frustrating, especially when options exist but you just can't think of anything. My guilty go-to is always pasta. It's easy to cook and easily my favorite food on the planet. I go for pesto when I want to keep it light, and spicy marinara or butter when I feel like diving into the "I'm SO HUNGRY I don't even care" abyss.

When I do care, a feel a little creative, I tend to experiment with my favorite flatbread: naan. I prefer greens on my homemade flatbreads - like pesto. Arugula is great, too! When I make my pesto flatbread, I feel like I am getting a little taste of my favorite dish! It's not necessarily healthy, but the portions are small and are probably less carbs than pasta.

So...introducing my new pesto flatbread favorite. The ingredients are simple - in fact, the simpler the better because pesto is such a flavorful base in itself. Proscuitto, pecorino, a little bit of mozzarella - and in this case, capers. No measurements, just what looks about right and will stay on your flatbread in the oven!

I love how the proscuitto (ripped into strips) are crispy after only 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees. The pecorino holds its' shape, while the mozzarella melts and holds everything down. Capers were a last-minute decision, but may have competed a bit with the pesto itself. Capers are really salty, and taste good with a chicken piccata sort of dish...maybe not this one.

This pairs {really} well with a nice wine and some olives, cheese, and other antipasti. 2 small, circle-shaped naan flatbreads are more than enough for a nice lunch or an appetizer.

ciao! xo

some cool-weather europe travel inspo

As you can see...

I am craving chilled, foggy hills that emit a gloomy sort of glow.

Small villages perched on cliffs, with houses made of stones.

Lights of all kinds flickering on the snow.

Jagged rocks with cold salt water lapping about.

The distant shrills of the Orient Express as it passes on a long bridge.

Europe in the fall and winter is looking so attractive to me right about now! 

I am not sure why - but I am really itching for a visit in the England/France/Germany/Austria/Switzerland area.

So pretty much everywhere.

I'm envisioning midnight sleigh rides, 

light films of frost on the countryside,

bright waters and verdant landscapes.

sigh!! 

ciao, xo

coffee diaries | boro bean

 We stumbled upon Boro Bean after taking a wrong turn on our route towards Princeton, NJ - best mistake in as long as I can remember!

Hopewell, NJ is the most charming simple American town. Its' lovely main street, Broad Street, was having a fall festival of sorts. It was a glorious, chilly Saturday of sidewalk sales, open houses and markets, and people walking together along the street. Our stop at Boro Bean was very serendipitous, as it was the first business we saw as we turned on to Broad, with twinkly lights adorning the rustic wooden porch. I loved the look of the front porch with creaky old wood. It had just the right amount of space to feel cozy yet spaced out, and there was a table right up front that I had my mom snag.

Our order was a pumpkin spice latte and a regular coffee, Jet Fuel blend (!!) for our autumn afternoon.

I was floored by the small-town feel of this cafe, where the barista was kind enough to engage me in conversation about what specifics I wanted for my latte, what I was doing in town today, what I was photographing (he noticed my camera). It's what all cafes should be like.  Nick, my barista, is clearly a master at creating a pumpkin spice latte with the works - whipped cream, cinnamon, pumpkin flavor, and perfectly steamed skim milk. It was just as delicious as it was beautiful!

So, these pictures capture a really special few moments of my day. Amazing cafes do exist outside big metropolitan areas and crowded streets. I can't wait to make my pilgrimage back here every fall, and a bunch of other times in between.

ciao! xo

Boro Bean
9 E. Broad Street
Hopewell, New Jersey
@BoroBean