I'm getting back into the swing of the busy days and nights that come with the beginning of a new school year. I still love to cook after a long day, no matter how tired I am. Something about it is so relaxing, and it gets me out of my "teacher mode" for the day. I always feel better if I've cooked dinner, but - real talk - it's the cleaning up of dinner that sometimes has me reaching for the Thai takeout menu.
I'm trying to get it together more this year. A new school year resolution of keeping a clean, organized kitchen so that I can enjoy my cooking more. Cleaning up as I cook, loading the dishes right away, emptying the dishwasher every morning so I'm ready to go later that night.
Don't ask my husband how this is going. I'm working on it, k?
Naan pizzas might be the best weeknight meal ever. They're quick, so easy, and most importantly absolutely delicious. This one, with a Korean BBQ twist, is completely out of this world. Think the most tender short ribs, creamy mozzarella, and a spicy vinaigrette drizzled on top. Dreamy.
It does take a little bit of work, with slow-cooked meat (from this incredible recipe that I adore) and a homemade BBQ sauce. But! since I cooked the meat in my crockpot all day long, it was mostly passive work! I made the BBQ sauce the day before, but if you'd rather, you can find a good Asian BBQ sauce at the grocery store instead. These are trivial matters. The most important thing is that these pizzas are on your dinner table.
Korean BBQ Naan Pizza
makes 4 pizzas
for the pizza, you'll need:
4 naan breads
olive oil, for brushing
6 tablespoons Korean BBQ sauce (If you'd rather buy it, I've tried this one from Whole Foods, and it's great.)
1 lb. shredded Korean beef
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
for the vinaigrette, you'll need:
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons vegetable stock
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. If using a pizza stone, place inside oven to preheat.
Lightly brush naan with olive oil. Once oven is preheated, place breads onto preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Brush each naan with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce. Divide the beef, mozzarella, onion, and scallions evenly over the 4 pizzas. Return to oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
While the pizzas are baking, whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients together and set aside.
Remove pizzas from the oven and serve with a sprinkling of cilantro and a drizzle of the vinaigrette. Enjoy!