Pita Margherita

I have lunch at home practically every day of the week.  Two or three times a week I have eggs, baked or in an omelette.  The rest of the time I will either have a leafy salad or one with tuna or chicken.  Planning for lunch and dinner on a daily basis can be a full time proposition and coming up with something new can be quite a challenge. 

One of the things I try to avoid to keep my weight in check is bread;  but once a week I will treat myself to a pita sandwich or one of these little pizzas.  If you keep the cheese to a minimum, you can justify the splurge and eat a fairly good lunch for around 350 calories.

You don't have to stick to these toppings.  Try different cheeses, sliced onions, roasted red peppers, chorizo, chicken and salsa, whatever you have around.  You will be surprised at what you can come up with.  No matter the combination always sprinkle some Parmesan over the crust.  It helps to keep it from absorbing the moisture from the toppings.

These little pizzas also come in handy when unexpected guests drop in for lunch.   

Ingredients:

• 1 round pita bread
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 very ripe tomato, unseeded and sliced
• 1 ounce fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon prepared basil pesto or basil leaves
• Parmesan cheese 
• 1 slice of prosciutto)optional)

Method:

Position rack in center of oven. Place baking sheet on rack. Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush both sides of pita with olive oil.* Cover top side with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, sliced tomatoes, prosciutto, cheese and basil leaves.  Drizzle some olive oil on top.

 Transfer to hot baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is crispy.

For a really crispy crust,  prebake the crust for 5 minutes before you add the toppings.

Serves 1


All photos Lindaraxa