Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Mini Pizzas On The Grill



One of the best parts about spring/summer is getting back to the grill. Even though my diet has drastically changed over the past nine months, grilling is still a big part of our family dining plan. For the easiest dinner ever, we grill some sort of protein (chicken, salmon, steak, etc) and a bunch of veggies (my favorites are zucchini, tomato, red onion, eggplant, asparagus, mushrooms, corn). I make my "grilled veggie salad".....just take the grilled veggies, chop them up, toss them with some olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar, and serve on a bed of greens.

Making flatbread pizzas on the grill is also easy and fun for the kids. It's an excellent choice for a party, since the kids can choose their own toppings. I buy fresh pizza dough at the grocery store (some places have whole wheat dough available, but I prefer the white dough for my pizza....*hangs head in white flour shame*). I put out bowls filled with toppings next to the grill, and we make each mini pizza to order. I have red sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil and chopped ham for the kids (mini ham and cheese pizzas!), and more sophisticated stuff for the adults. Here is my recipe for Greek-Style Flatbread Pizza....

Penny's Mini Greek Pizzas!


Ingredients

*Store-bought fresh pizza dough, divided and rolled into mini circles (5-6" wide), sprinkled with olive oil on both sides, and salt/pepper if desired
*Chopped artichoke hearts
*Crumbled feta cheese
*Chopped good Kalamata olives
*Chopped fresh oregano (or basil, chives, any herb you prefer)
*Fresh lemons
*Arugula greens, chopped
*Olive oil
*Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders marinating in lemon juice and olive oil

First, take the chicken tenders, throw them into a ziploc bag with juice of one lemon and some olive oil, salt and pepper. (I skip the salt!). Let this marinate for a bit. When you're ready to start cooking, put out bowls with all of the ingredients next to the grill. Grill the chicken tenders first, let them cool, then shred or chop into small pieces.

The flatbreads need to be grilled on both sides FIRST, then you add the toppings and quickly heat it through. This goes very quickly on a hot grill, so watch them like a hawk or they will burn. Put the circles of dough on the grill, when they start to puff up and brown, flip them and grill lightly on the other side, then remove from the grill and place on a cookie sheet. Place arugula greens on the pizza, then scatter chicken, artichokes, feta, olives, and herbs on top. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil and lemon juice and S/P on top to taste. Put the pizza back on the grill to heat the toppings. If you are worried about the bottom burning, you can put a piece of foil underneath to protect the dough while the toppings melt. Remove from grill when heated through. These can be served individually, or cut into triangles as an appetizer.

We have a big tub on our deck filled with beers (for the adults) and juice boxes for the kids, and hang out munching these yummy pizzas.

Happy Munching,
Penelope