Greek Pita Pizzas

At this time of the year, when it's freezing (-30 on Thursday? Cool) and dark at 4:00 and I am exhausted from getting back into the work routine, quick, easy meals are something to be cherished.  In addition, quick, easy meals that are vegetarian get bonus points.  And extra credit for being both Greek and healthy.  So these Greek pita pizzas get an A+ in my book.

Picture this: whole wheat pitas crisped up in the oven, topped with hummus in lieu of sauce.  Then they're sprinkled with your choice of Greek toppings (I skimped on the red onion but used olives, grape tomatoes and feta).  Then there's mozzarella cheese and a light dressing made from red wine vinegar, fresh oregano and olive oil.  They get baked again to melt everything together beautifully.  The recipe suggests topping them with tzatziki sauce after they bake, but I thought there were already enough flavors going on.  The bright dressing was more than enough - is there anything better than fresh oregano?  Not to mention the salty feta, creamy mozzarella and those bright pops of grape tomatoes.

These pizzas are quick, light, delicious, and totally customizable.  Skip the olives, add the red onion, do the tzatziki, whatever your little Greek-food-loving heart desires.  Just promise you'll make these soon (it takes under 30 minutes!), and eat them for dinner, and then for lunch.  You won't be sorry.

Recipe:

Greek pita pizzas
from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 8-inch whole wheat pita breads
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup hummus
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta
tzatziki sauce for serving

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over both sides of the pitas.  Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake about 5 minutes, or until lightly golden.

2) Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine.  Toss with the olives, onions and tomatoes.

3) Spread 2 tablespoons of the hummus over each pita, leaving a small border.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella on each pita.  Divide the vegetable mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle with feta.

4) Cook until the vegetables are softened and the cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes.  Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve.

Cooking from Dawn till Dusk!

Well, I am certainly not a fan of setting my alarm clock 30 minutes earlier than usual to have time to pop a breakfast casserole into the oven and make a blueberry sauce, but it certainly felt worth it when I was dining with Kenzie at 7:30 before we left for work this morning.   The overnight blueberry French toast was a hit with both of us (and apparently later on in the morning with my mom!).  I wish there were more people living in my house, though, because there is a ton left.  Looks like we will be eating breakfast casserole for a few more days!  Even though it was good, that whole 12 eggs thing really freaked me out, and this casserole has most likely seen its last days at the Tucker house.  I do think, though, that if I had a big crowd coming over (or if Glenwood was the old Glenwood and we still did our monthly staff breakfasts), it would be perfect.  It's sweet, syrupy, crunchy and soft at the same time.


After work, Mom was craving pizza, so I made up two doughs.  In the end, we decided to make just one pizza on a cookie sheet instead of two, one at a time, on our one pizza stone.  Mom and Mark covered half with grilled peppers from the other night, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, and sliced onions.  I had herbed goat cheese along with the mozzarella.  I can definitely say that this was one of the best pizzas ever!  My crust, if I do say  so myself, was perfect: puffy, soft, and chewy, and our strange mix of toppings just worked.  We all enjoyed, considering I made two doughs and the three of us ate all but three pieces :)  I liked this pizza dough recipe just as much as the last time I made it.  Bobby Flay knows his food.  I think I should sell my doughs (or pizzas?) at the Westminster farmer's market!

Recipe:
pizza dough

How cute is my mom, sitting on the floor to watch our pizza cook?