What's for Dinner?!...Fig and Sausage Pizza

This morning I'm not feeling it.  I'm not sure what "it" is, but I just know I'm stinking worn out and not up for anything.

I did go to Whole Foods this morning after I dropped Tid Bit off at school...my little grocery oasis.  You know you've come a long way from the days of driving a convertible and playing til all hours when your "oasis" is a specialty grocery store.  But it is.  I even bought flowers to make me feel happy...they're kinda working.

I've told you before that the Hubs is working like a dog here lately.  It is REALLY starting to catch up with the boys and me.  And it's not like the days are that bad, it's the nights...or rather, from 4pm-bedtime.  I miss my honey.  My boys miss him.  And we're all pretty weary of not seeing one another.

So if you're wondering why I haven't posted a fabulous recipe here for a bit...it's because we've been living on Tyson Chicken nuggets and Kashi microwave meals.  Really...I should buy stock in Kashi.  Their sales have increased significantly in the past month...I promise.  Me telling you that is probably a bit like insider trading....here's to hoping it doesn't go for me like it did for Martha.

But for real.  I have ZERO motivation to cook when my honey isn't around to appreciate it.

The one thing I've been craving for months now won't be ridiculously amazing again til it's fig season in the summer, but I bought some dried figs today and am going to try reconstituting them (that's done by soaking them in boiling water til they plump up again) to make this most amazing recipe.  I'll go ahead and post it for you now, but know that I'm going to post it again this summer so that you don't miss it when figs are in high season.

Here's the really fun part.  Make salad one night from this and make the pizzas the next night for dinner.  So you get 2 amazing dinners from one time of real prep work...there's a winner for the uninspired for sure!

Grilled Sausages with Figs and Mixed Greens

Ingredients
•6 fresh lamb sausages, spicy Italian sausages, or garlic sausages (i used mild Italian sausages that i crumbled and sauteed)
•4 1/2-inch-thick red onion slices
•10 tablespoons Pomegranate-Cumin Dressing, divided
•12 cups mixed greens ( i mixed spinach and arugula)
•3/4 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese
•6 fresh figs, halved
•1/4 cup (packed) sliced fresh mint leaves


Preparation
•There are 2 ways to do this.
Way 1) Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Brush sausages and onions with 3 tablespoons dressing; grill sausages until cooked, 15 minutes, and onions until charred, 10 minutes.
Way 2) Here's where I did it differently.  The first time I made this I did it this way above that was suggested, but I honestly thought it harder and not as tasty.  The next time I made it and how I do it now, is to crumble and brown the sausage and caramelize the onions inside over the stove earlier in the day.  So by dinner time all I'm doing is rolling out the dough and assembling the pizza.  I think it tastes better this way too because it's easier to bite and each bite is tastier with the crumbled sausage b/c it spreads around more easily.

Toss greens with remaining dressing; mound on plates. Slice 4 sausages (reserve 2 for pizza). Top greens with sausages, cheese, figs, and mint.

Dressing recipe

Pomegranate-Cumin Dressing
Makes about 1 cup 
Ingredients
•7 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•4 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
•3 tablespoons sliced fresh mint leaves
•1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
•1 tablespoon ground cumin
•6 tablespoons minced shallots

•INGREDIENT INFO
If you can't find pomegranate molasses at the supermarket or a Middle Eastern store, make your own by boiling 1 cup pomegranate juice until reduced to 3 tablespoons syrup, about 15 minutes. (this is what i did and it was really easy.) And I made extra and froze it in 2 Tbsp portions in a silicone ice cube tray so I'd have the pomegranate molasses any time I wanted it.

Preparation
•Whisk first 5 ingredients in bowl. Mix in shallots; season with salt and pepper.


Fig and Sausage Pizza

Ingredients
•1 pound purchased fresh pizza dough
•5 tablespoons Pomegranate-Cumin Dressing, divided
•1 cup coarsely grated Fontina cheese
•Fresh arugula
•2 italian sausages, I actually remove the casing and crumble and brown them on the stove...easier and then there is sausage in every bite.
•6 fresh figs, quartered
•2 thin red onion slices, rings separated - I also caramelize onions on the stove too
•1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese
Preparation
•Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Halve dough; roll to 10-inch rounds. Brush tops with some of dressing.
•Grill pizzas, seasoned side down, until golden on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn pizzas over. Top with Fontina, arugula, sausages, figs, and onions. Drizzle with more dressing. Cover; grill until Fontina melts and pizza is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Top with goat cheese. Grill until goat cheese softens, about 1 minute.


I'll take step by step photos when I do this this summer again, but for now you must see what you can do to try it.  I'll let you know how reconstituting the figs goes too.

Ok...hope that whets some appetites out there.  Did mine for sure!

I'd say "thank goodness it's Friday" here, but since it's likely the Hubs will have to work tomorrow (making today another regular weekday for us,)  I'll just say "happy Friday" to you instead.

- Logan