Apple, Fennel, and Bacon Flatbread

Apple, Fennel, and Bacon Flatbread

 

 

As you all know, Fall is my absolute FAVORITE season! I cannot wait to go apple picking! And speaking of apples, do I have a whirlwind of apple recipes coming down the pipe for you! Not only will they be easy, but healthy and Paleo friendly!

I am also SUPER excited about this recipe in particular because this is my recipe submission for the #KitchenAidContest in which you come up with a creative original recipe using the almighty apple! If you win, you will have the opportunity to fly to NYC to have a private cooking lesson with the great Chef Zakarian, and the new black stainless steel suite of appliances from KitchenAid! I am SO excited!

UPDATE: Unfortunately I didn't win but I think this recipe is a winner in my book. Another favorite for those who like to hide healthy in plain sight! 

I put pen to paper and got to work on all things apple. Since I am more of savory person than sweet, I decided to follow my instinct and create something with a whole profile of savory flavors that enhance the apple. What I came up with was a Paleo flat bread with Italian flavor topped with Granny Smith apples, goat cheese, caramelized fennel, crispy pancetta, and to top it off: a drizzle of a cinnamon honey Dijon sauce!

I literally scarfed some of this down for breakfast this morning! This flatbread would make a wonderful Fall appetizer to share with guests this season or you can make it a meal by adding a cup of hot soup and a lush green salad! Either way you can’t go wrong with this flatbread!

For the Paleo Crust:

4 cloves of garlic

1 ¼ cup of almond meal

¼ cup of tapioca flour

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 tbs olive oil

2 eggs

¼ cup of full fat coconut milk

For the toppings:

1 granny smith apple, sliced as thin as you can get it

4 oz of crumbled goat cheese

1 fennel bulb, sliced thin

3 oz of pancetta

For the Cinnamon Honey Dijon Sauce:

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs honey

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 420

In a food processor, pulse the garlic until finely minced

Add the flours, salt, oregano, and crushed red pepper and pulse until thoroughly blended

Add eggs, olive oil, and coconut milk and pulse until dough is consistently smooth

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pour dough (its pretty wet- don’t worry) and smooth evenly with spatula until you have an even rectangle

Bake in oven for about 5 minutes to harden a bit

Take the crust out and arrange the apple slices on top along with the goat cheese

Place back in the oven to bake for an additional 12-15 minutes (or until edges of crust or golden)

While the flatbread bakes, begin caramelizing the fennel

In a medium skillet, add pancetta and sauté on medium heat

Stir pancetta and let cook until almost crispy (about 3)

Add the fennel and stir until fennel has browned (about 4 minutes)

Take flatbread out of the oven and top with the fennel mixture

While the flatbread cools a bit, make the Cinnamon Honey Dijon sauce by combining the oil, honey, mustard, and cinnamon together

Drizzle sauce over the flatbread

Slice and serve!

The contest runs until September 14^th! Good luck! For details, click here