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!
[/print_this]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,
This is a great concept and idea!
Mmmm . . . indian food and pizza together? That’s such an wonderful idea!
Brilliant! I love the combination of Indian food and pizza!
T
Sorry, that didn’t post right. The town I just moved to doesn’t have any Indian food either. I couldnt believe it at first, but have finally settled into acceptance. I just use any opportunity to get it when we travel and make it at home. I use the Patak’s curry concentrated pastes. Not super exciting, but better than nothing!
Yes please! I’ll have to check my pantry for garam masala…
There are plenty of good recipes for garam masala if you already have the spices that go in the mix-and it tastes a LOT better if you grind/mix it right before using!
You had me at tikka! Love that dish, so why not put it on a pizza! I am behind in my magazine reading, otherwise if I saw that I would have beat you to it!
I now live in the “sticks” 55 miles NW of Chicago. No Indian food here either! Next time Hannah and I go into the city, we will have to find a place to eat. 😀
I hear you – I have been all over the place but finally Dallas is starting to feel like home. And about Indian food, there are lots of restaurants and you and mr. P should move here 😛 add one more place to your list. I would take this pizza any time..i remember getting from from California Pizza before but not anymore 🙁
What a great idea! We love Indian food and I totally want to try this!
We love Indian food too. Although we have plenty of Indian restaurants where we live, we don’t eat out often because it is expensive. So I can’t wait to try this!
This looks so delicious! I love your creative recipes. I went to medical school in Detroit, and there are a TON of Indian restaurants over that way if you ever find yourselves there. Though from where I think you are, Chicago is probably just as far. But, Michigan isn’t totally devoid of Indian food!
I love Indian food but the hubby? Not so much. Bummer!
We love Indian food! Nearest place is 45 minutes away though, so last weekend we made chana masala, chicken vindaloo, samosas, and mango lassis for a bunch of friends. Gonna have to add these pizzas to the menu next time!
It may not be as common as in Chicago, but I assure you there IS Indian food in Michigan. Both East Lansing and Ann Arbor have a number of excellent Indian restaurants. I’d be shocked if Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo don’t as well, although I can’t say from personal experience.
I do love to make it at home as well though, and this recipe looks great! I am adding it to my menu for next week!
Author
I’m sure…I just want them 50 miles closer 😉 Hope you love the pizzas!
Hey Nicole, just wanted to pop by and tell you that my husband and I made this last night and it was SOO good! Thank you for the great idea and recipe. It was brilliant to use the greek yogurt to cook the chicken breast. We’ve made “real” chicken tikka masala with chicken thighs and the dark meat has a lot of flavor, but can be gristly/greasy/fatty. So w a’re excited to use white meat and cook it this way next time we make regular chicken tikka masala.
Anyway, thanks again for the awesome recipe. It’ll be on the rotation in our house!
Author
Happy husband = happy wife 🙂 Mr. Prevention is still talking about these…Cooking Light hit a home run! 🙂