Chicken Tikka Pizzas

When people ask me where I’m from, I almost don’t know how to answer that question any more.

I’m from Chicago, but I haven’t lived there in a long time. I lived in Champaign, Illinois during college, but I would never say I’m “from” there. I moved back to Chicago for grads school, but that was a very brief 18 months. From there, I lived in Italy with Mr. P and then to Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was actually in Oklahoma that this here little blog started! Fond, fond memories of Oklahoma and Mr. Prevention and I agree…we’d move back in a heartbeat. Tulsa has all the conveniences of a big city with a very small town feel. The people? So kind. There is nothing like some good southern hospitality and good manners.

From Tulsa, we moved to Ohio. My hatred for Ohio runs deep for a few reasons, most of which have nothing to do with Ohio itself. For us, being “from” Illinois, Ohio is that very inconvenient distance of a really long drive, but not far enough to fly. We also didn’t live close enough to Columbus to take advantage of all the joys of a big city. And then, there’s Ohio State. If you follow my blog at all, you know that Ohio State is my nemesis. Had the Big 10 not chocked so badly in the Sweet 16, I would’ve been much happier to see them lose.

We made some good friends in Ohio and Ohio had some great restaurants — I’ll give them that. You might’ve had to drive an hour to get to them, but they were good.

When I tell people that now I’m “from” Michigan, I get a lot of apologetic responses. Yes, Michigan is cold…sometimes. But we have seasons and most importantly, we have the beach. Plus, we are way closer to family and friends than when we lived in Ohio or Tulsa, that’s for sure. With the good comes the bad, but overall, we’re huge fans of Michigan. Please note, this opinion is after a rather mild winter 😉 Opinions are subject to change as the years pass by.

What Michigan doesn’t have? Indian food! None. Nada. SOL.

So, I make it at home. While not truly authentic, this pizza combines a personal Indian favorite, Tikka Masala, with Mr. Prevention’s favorite: pizza. Mr. Prevention gave this a very firm two thumbs up!

• Chicken Tikka Pizzas from Cooking Light
• 10 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2/3 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3 tsp garam masala, divided
• Cooking spray
• 5/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 3 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly vertically sliced
• 3 oz (3/4 cup) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Preheat broiler to high – 500-550 F.

Cut chicken into 1-inch, bite-size pieces. Combine chicken, yogurt, and 1 teaspoon garam masala. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Broil 5 minutes, stirring half-way through. Check frequently to avoid burning.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place tomatoes in a mini chopper; pulse until almost smooth. Add oil to pan. Add 2 teaspoons garam masala, ginger, red pepper, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; simmer 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and cream; cook 1 minute. Add chicken to pan; toss.

Place pitas on baking sheet. Broil 1 minute each side. Spoon 1/3 of the chicken onto each. Top with onion and cheese. Broil 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: 3 pizzas

Nutrition Information (per pizza): 423 calories; 11.7 g. fat; 68 mg. cholesterol; 969 mg. sodium; 40.0 g. carbohydrate; 6.3 g. fiber; 41.0 g. protein; 6.7 g. sugar

Result: Mr. Prevention LOVED these — he ate 2 😉 Indian food meets pizza is something I knew he’d love, so I’m not at all surprised. What I loved was how quickly they came together…and other than being on the high side for sodium, the fat and carbohydrates are in good ranges, there’s lots of fiber, and the protein has lots of staying power. We’ll be making these again!

Has spring sprung? 🙂

Happy Belated Birthday to Mama Prevention and my most favorite father-in-law who share 4/1 as their special day!

Be well,