I saw this recipe for a butternut squash pizza on Real Simple and knew I could make it real simpler. Instead of using the refrigerated dough the recipe calls for, I turn to my quickie standby for mini pizzas: the pita. This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes with the pita as the crust. If you wanted to use the refrigerated dough or get even fancier and make your own dough, I’m sure the results would be irresistible.

I jazzed up the recipe a bit by using a goat’s milk ricotta with smoked paprika. Oh hell yes. This lovely fresh cheese is made by a local Texas company called Poia. If you can’t find it you can mix a little paprika with some regular ricotta. The smokiness of the paprika works well with the sweet roasted squash, so give it a shot.

Butternut Squash Pita Pizza

Serves 6
Total time: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: $3

1 butternut squash, or 1 package of pre-cut if you are feeling REALLY lazy
1 small yellow onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 package of 6 whole wheat pita bread
1/2 cup fresh part-skim ricotta
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel and cut the squash into bite-sized chunks, about 1/2 inch. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch rings.Put the squash and onion in a bowl, drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss. Place in a baking dish and roast about 20 minutes. Transfer back to the bowl.
3. Spoon the squash and onion mixture onto the pitas. Mix the ricotta with the paprika (if using) and place little dollops of the ricotta around the pita. Sprinkle with the thyme.
4. Place the pitas back in the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the pita starts to brown and the cheese melts.

Was I kidding about the vitamin A? This little pizza is a nutrition boon. I pictured it above with the Tangy Roasted Brussels Sprouts I made the other day. After eating that meal I felt like SuperWoman.

What follows is only in the loosest sense a pizza. I thought about calling it a garden flatbread, but that sounded poncey. Plus my new favorite book, The Recipe Writer’s Handbook, discourages cryptic and silly recipe names. I’m so, so guilty of that.

If you don’t have all of the ingredients I list below, not a big deal. You can use a technique I like to call im-praaaaah-visation. As long as you can cut it into bite-sized pieces and it won’t be ick if you cook it, throw it on the pita. The combo I use below, however, is quite magical and has plenty of iron from the pumpkin seeds, which toast up in the oven. I love the bitterness of the radishes, the sweetness of the squash and pumpkin seeds, and the saltiness of the feta and olives all mingling together.

Garden Pita Pizza

Serves one
Total time: 10 minutes
Cost per serving: $3-5 depending on your toppings

1 whole wheat pita
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup (1 oz) fresh spinach
1/3 cup (1.5 oz) thinly sliced squash
1 radish, thinly sliced
4 green olives, quartered (I used some marinated olives from the olive bar)
2 tablespoons (0.5 oz) raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup (1 oz) feta cheese
Italian seasoning (optional)

1. If you are using a conventional oven, heat it to 350 degrees. I use a toaster oven so I skip this step. If you haven’t already prepped the veggies you could do that while the oven heats.
2. Drizzle the olive oil on the pita, and spread it around with your fingers. Sexy.
3. Spread the spinach out on the pita, then top with the squash and radish slices. Sprinkle on the olives, pumpkin seeds, and feta. Toss a few dashes of Italian seasoning on top, if using.
4. Place in the oven for about 5-8 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds begin to brown. Serve cut into wedges.

Check out the nutrition information for this meal. The cholesterol should actually be 8%, but for some reason it keeps calculating to 33%. I think it’s just a glitch. More importantly, look at the fiber and vitamin content! You could do a lot worse

My camera is on the fritz, so I had to use the BlackBerry to take this

Hummus Sandwich and Non-Authentic-But-Still-Delicious Tzatziki

Total time: 10 minutes tops
Total cost per serving: a couple of bucks?

2 cups plain non-fat yogurt
1 small cucumber
1 large tomato
1 small garlic clove
a handful of pita chips
1 piece of whole grain bread (I use Whole Foods Seeduction Loaf here)
about 2 tablespoons of prepared hummus
1-2 tablespoons prepared pico de gallo
a handful of spinach leaves
1-2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
a handful of cherries
1 kiwi fruit

1. Grate the cucumber on the small holes of a box grater, or if you don’t have a grater then chop the buh-jesus out of it. You want small pieces. Chop the tomato and mince the garlic fine. Mix all of that in a bowl with the yogurt. This is the tzatziki, or at least my version. You can sprinkle a little salt in there if you want, but I don’t think it needs that.
2. Cut the piece of bread in half. I am only making a halvsies sandwich here, you could go for a whole one. I just know that with the tzatziki and the fruit I won’t need a whole sandwich for dinner. Spread the hummus on one piece, then spread the pico de gallo and feta on top. Is it weird to put pico on a sandwich? I think it tastes delicious, and it’s so easy. Top with the spinach and the other piece of bread.
3. Serve the tzatziki with some pita chips, with the cherries and kiwi for dessert. I leave the peel on kiwi fruit and just eat it for the extra vitamins and fiber. Also possibly weird, but that’s how people from New Zealand eat it…or so I heard.
   ]]> http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/06/09/quick-and-cheap-dinner-hummus-sandwich-and-tzatziki/feed/ 1 http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/05/18/quick-and-cheap-dinner-omelet-on-a-pita-and-tomato-soup/ http://www.drmiggy.com/2009/05/18/quick-and-cheap-dinner-omelet-on-a-pita-and-tomato-soup/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 02:20:47 +0000 drmiggy http://drmiggy.com/?p=376 I call this thing I just made up Omelet on a Pita because it’s basically the same ingredients I would whip together for a Sunday morning omelet, except they’re not actually IN an omelet. Just read on and I’ll explain myself.

   

   Omelet on a Pita and Tomato Soup

   Total time: 15-20 minutes
   Total cost per serving: I didn’t calculate exactly, but I’d be surprised if more than $4-5

   2 eggs
   1 can of chunky tomato soup (Whole foods makes a tasty one)
   1 clove garlic
   Italian seasoning
   1 whole wheat pita
   Olive oil
   1/3 cup chopped frozen spinach (eyeball it)
   about 1 oz feta cheese
   grapes

   1. If using an oven (I use a toaster oven) pre-heat to 375 degrees. Hard boil the eggs about 10 minutes. While they are boiling, dump the soup into a pot and squish the garlic clove into the pot with a garlic press. If you don’t have a garlic press then just mince it and add it to the soup. Sprinkle in Italian seasoning to taste. Heat through on med-low heat.
   2. Nuke the spinach for 45 seconds. Drizzle a little olive oil on the pita and spread it around with your fingers. Don’t be shy, olive oil is supposed to be good for your skin Squeeze out some of the water from the spinach and spread it around on the pita. Sprinkle the feta on top of the spinach and place in a toaster oven (or a regular oven). Bake at 375-400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt a little and the edges of the pita brown.
   3. Cool the eggs under cold running water and peel. Mash them up in a bowl with a fork and sprinkle about half on your cooked pita. Cut the pita and serve along side half the the soup with the grapes for dessert.

   The cool thing about this “recipe” is that you can serve two by adding another pita and some more spinach and feta, or you can repeat tomorrow night in even less time because the eggs are ready to go.

   In case you haven’t noticed, I love chopped frozen spinach. All the work is done for you and there is no worry of the spinach going bad before you can eat it all. I live alone, so bagged fresh spinach often gets all nasty before I can eat the whole bag. In this recipe in particular the chopped frozen spinach works really well, almost like a spinach spread. Is that gross? It sounds a little gross, but it’s really good, I promise! Of course you could use fresh spinach in this recipe, too. I’d tear it up and sprinkle it on the pita with the cheese and put it right into the oven.

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