Grilled Chicken and Red Pepper Pizzas

When dinner time rolls around, serve "dinner in the round" personal pizzas.

Rounds of Middle-Eastern “pocket bread,” or pita, make a perfect base for mini-pizzas topped with grilled chicken, feta cheese, red onions, and bell peppers. Because feta is so flavorful, you only need a small amount, and that helps keep the fat levels low.

Prep time 20 min.
Cook time 25 min.
Serves 4

You Will Need
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 medium red onions, cut into thick rings
2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into flat panels
4 whole-wheat pita breads (6 inches)
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (scant 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

What to Do
1. Spray a grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Grill until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat into bite-size shreds.

2. Place onions and bell pepper pieces, skin-side down, on grill. Cook until onions are tender and peppers are charred, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use a paring knife or your fingers to peel off the charred skin on the bell peppers. Thickly slice.

3. Top pitas with onion rings, peppers, shredded chicken, and feta. Grill until pita is crisp, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle mint over tops.

Cook’s Clue
If it’s not a day for outdoor grilling, you can cook the chicken, onions, and peppers under the broiler. Be sure to place the peppers skin-side up on the broiler pan (as opposed to skin-side down when grilling).

Health Hint
Whole-wheat bread brings with it the nutritional benefits of the whole grain’s bran and germ. When shopping for whole-wheat bread, look for the word “whole” before “wheat flour” on the ingredient list on the label. If it just says “wheat flour,” then it is not whole wheat.

Round Out the Meal
Start with gazpacho and serve sliced peaches for dessert.

Way Back When
In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Italy invited famous pizzaioli chef, Raffaele Esposito, to cook for them. To show his patriotic fervor, Raffaele chose to top flat bread with food that would represent the colors of Italy: red tomato, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil. It became a hot item and was sold on Naples streets for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Various toppingswere introduced to the pizza over the years. Pizza arrived in America toward the end of the 19th century, as a peddler walked the streets of Chicago carrying a washtub of pizzas on top of his head, in the traditional way it's sold in Naples. (Source: http://www.aboutpizza.com)

Per serving
316 calories / 16% from fat
2.5 g saturated fat, 5.5 g total fat
49 mg cholesterol
515 mg sodium
44 g total carbohydrate
4 g dietary fiber
22 g protein

From Cooking Smart for a Healthy Heart

 

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