Taking a Breather

Taking a vacation right after being laid off is doing me good.  We have been too busy doing crazy Moroccan things to even have time to think about the real world!  By the time we return to the hotel each night, we fall into bed exhausted from the day.  There's no time to think What? I don't have anywhere to go when I get back to the US? Nope, it's - head meets pillow - wake up tomorrow.

I'll post more about Morocco when I return, lord knows I'll have plenty of time!  To keep your appetites at bay, here's a tasty dinner I made just before we went on vacation.  Chicken Tikka Pizzas!  After making these, I want to make all my pizzas on pitas.  I also got to use my pizza stone for the first time since I got it for Christmas.  It's just been taking up space in the oven.  The pizza stone really crisped up the pitas before I added the toppings.  Something you can do by just toasting them in the oven for a few minutes.

I've been obsessed with non-traditional pizzas, something my New York friends have called blasphemy.  Apparently pizza is Italian and I should stop putting things like BBQ sauce, garam masala and salad on top of my pizza crusts.  No way.  Pizza is just an open faced sandwich, I'm going to trash it up with all kinds of international toppings!  Maybe I'll come back and make a Moroccan pizza for you all!



One Year Ago: Homemade Ting
Two Years Ago: Casatiello Bread

Chicken Tikka Pizzas

Adapted from Cooking Light

I toasted my pitas on my pizza stone, but you can toss them in the oven on a pre-heated baking sheet instead.  You just want to make sure the pitas are nice and crispy before you add your toppings.  Otherwise the tomato sauce will just ooze into the pita and make it all soggy.

8 ounces chicken breast tenders
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoon garam masala, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch more
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas
1/4 medium red onion, sliced thin
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 F and place a baking sheet or baking stone in the oven.  Mix chicken tenders with yogurt, garam masala and a pinch of salt, toss to coat.  Place chicken on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.  Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Place tomatoes in a mini food processor and pulse for a few seconds to break down the tomatoes a bit.  Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan.  Add garam masala, ginger, red pepper flake and garlic.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add tomatoes and simmer for 4 minutes.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and heavy cream, stir until smooth.  Add chicken to the pan and remove from heat.

Place pitas in the oven on the preheated baking sheet or stone.  Flip pitas in three minutes and let crisp for another 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add some of the tomato topping to each pita.  Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and red onion.  Place pitas back in the oven on the sheet/stone and bake until cheese is melty.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro.