Margarita Pizza

December 9, 2003

I was on one of my gastronomic sorties the other day when I remembered there was a specialist Lebanese baker in the area so I decided to check the place out.

The shop was tucked away but my nose quickly led me to it. I could smell delicious Lebanese style pizza topped with minced lamb cooking. (Check here for something similar).

The pita bread making had finished for the day. The bread is cooked on a conveyor belt-style oven and I can vouch for its quality as I often buy it at my supermarket. It's very light and as well as being great for use as the usual pita pockets, or as a wrap, it also makes a perfect pizza base.

So often pita bread and commercially prepared pizza bases are heavy and doughy. But not these ones and with a bag of them tucked in the freezer, a snack meal can be readily assembled.

Although I already had lunch plans when I called at the bakery, I soon filled a bag with goodies for dinner that night - some stuffed vine leaves a couple of spicy spinach-filled triangular turnovers and a container of tabbouleh. And I bought a bag of pita bread. There were also kibbeh balls, falafels and other fare there, but I decided I would resist those for another day. I also took the chance to stock up on some Middle Eastern ingredients, including a pouch pack of pickled peppers that should add a bit of zip to a platter of nibbles.

When The Spouse is out of town I sometimes take a holiday from cooking and often opt for a snack meal instead of the usual fare. Here is one of my favourites.

Margarita Pizza

For each serving:
1 pita bread olive oil
1-2 tomatoes
1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 basil leaves

Sprinkle a little extra virgin olive oil onto the pita bread. Cut the tomatoes into rough chunks and distribute over the base. Sprinkle on the cheese top with the basil leaves. Bake in a preheated 230C oven for 10 minutes until the cheese bubbles. Serve.

Fleshy Italian tomatoes are a good choice for this recipe. Keep them in a bowl in the kitchen instead of refrigerating. You will be surprised at the taste difference.

If this simple pizza is too plain, you can add anchovy fillets, some black olives, chopped artichoke hearts and a little salami.