Food Friday: I want naan of it

Leave it to my culinary husband to offer an incredibly thought-provoking, astute review of dinner.

"It tastes just like the stuff at Taj but it's different. Like, crunchy."

Wow. Thanks. ... I think.

Mark is usually pretty heavy on the compliments when I cook (I think it's because he wants to keep eating) so anything that's not "Oh my gosh, this dinner is excellent. The chicken is moist. I love the complex flavors in the pasta. I am so glad I married you" is cause for concern.

And clarification. Thankfully, he liked it. A lot.

By the way, "it" happened to be the naan of our Chicken Tikka Masala Naan Pizza. Inspired by our favorite Indian dish and courtesy of the kind folks at Stonefire, it features tikka masala simmer sauce (thank you, Target), grilled chicken, sauteed red onions, mozzarella cheese and peas. Yes, peas. They're awesome. I swear. I put it all on the naan, baked it for 12 minutes at 400 degrees, taking it out when the cheese was melty and the crust was crisp.

Hence, Mark's observation of "crunchiness."

I could give you more of a recipe but that would insult your culinary stylings and make me write more about this delicious meal, the lovely flavor of the naan and welcome break from heavy holiday meals. The latter not necessarily a bad thing but I'm completely ravenous after an early a.m. Turbo Fire session and a mid-morning Real Ryder class, and I might start scavenging soon.

Or driving to my house for naan.

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If you'd like to try Stonefire, the company is hosting a giveaway on Facebook that ends Dec. 24. The winner will receive a Calphalon Stainless Steel Cookware Set and a variety pack of Stonefire authentic flatbreads. Share with friends for extra entries!

Cruise to the Mediterranean

It was supposed to be a love tap. Instead, it was more of a punch to the bicep. A punch that had Mark grasping his arm in pain and trying not to scream as to not wake Miles.

Oops. My bad.

At least I made him a good dinner. Dinner totally makes up for punching your husband (and then laughing at him). Right? Right!

Greek Isles Pizza

(named as such because it just sounds jazzy)

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pizza crust
Olive oil
Oregano
1/4 to 1/3 cup hummus
3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
8 ounce chicken breast, cooked and sliced
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup reduced-fat feta cheese
Optional: sliced Kalamata olives
Cucumber sauce, for drizzling

For the crust: I follow this recipe but use 2 cups all purpose flour and 1.5 cups whole wheat flour. This recipe is, hands down, the best dough recipe I've made. It is equal parts chewy and crunchy, and I've never once effed it up.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust a pizza pan with olive oil and cornmeal (helps with sticking) and stretch the dough to fit the pan. Brush the crust with olive oil and oregano; bake for 7 minutes. Cool slightly.

For the pizza: Once the crust has cooled slightly, use a spoon to spread hummus, starting from the center and moving outward. Top with spinach, tomato, onion and chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top and add sliced olives, if using.


Note: At this point, you can cover the pizza in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. I made my pizza in the morning before work and baked it when I got home.

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 375 or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Slice pizza into eights and serve with cucumber sauce.

Nutritional stats, for one slice (without sauce): 212 calories, 6 grams fat, 25 grams carbohydrates and 14 grams protein.

This pizza is a bit higher in calories than a traditional pie because of the hummus but I cut down on the cheese to make up for it. And, to be honest, you won't even notice as there's so much flavor with the hummus, feta and cucumber sauce.

What's your favorite kind of pizza?