Broccoli Pita Pizza – A Simple Toaster Oven Recipe

My go to meal when I’m exhausted, hungry and just can’t fit cooking into my schedule.

Broccoli
I love broccoli. I eat it in some form almost every day, even if it’s just raw with a nice sharp piece of cheese as a snack after work to hold me over until dinner. Lucky for me it’s one of the healthiest foods around: one stalk of broccoli gives you 220% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin C; it is full of vitamins and minerals; it’s high in fiber, low in fat and calories; and high in calcium and potassium which help with cardiac and skeletal muscle function. AND, some researchers believe that a cup of broccoli a day is enough to help ward off certain breast tumors.

Sambal Oelek
Sambal Oelek is an Indonesian chili paste, very spicy and absolutely delicious (I wrote about it in more detail in my Pasta with Carrot Sauce post). If you don’t like hot food, certainly omit that from the recipe. If you want to try it and live in the Boston area, you can find it at Christina’s Spice Shop in Inman Square (1255 Cambridge Street, Cambridge).

You’ll need (for 1 person)
1 pita bread (any size you want)
Pasta or pizza sauce
Broccoli
Black pepper
Cheese (whichever kind you like, I use low fat cheddar)
Sambal Oelek (optional)
Non-stick aluminum foil for baking sheet

1. Start by cutting up broccoli in smaller pieces. The size is not very important; I like pretty big pieces, but you can just sprinkle on a little bit of the florets if you like.

2. Place your pita bread on a baking sheet lined with foil (I always use non-stick). Spread pasta or pizza sauce on the bread, as much or as little as you like. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Add the broccoli in an even layer and place the pizza in the toaster oven (middle rack). Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (times might vary slightly from oven to oven).

3. When the 10 minutes are up, take the baking sheet out of the oven, add the cheese (grated or sliced, as much or as little as you want) and put it back in the oven.

4. Broil until cheese is melted and is starting to change color.

5. Take it out, put on a plate and enjoy! I like to eat it with a tiny bit of Sambal Oelek with each bite, but if you don’t like your food hot, skip that.

Vegan version: Replace the cheese with vegan cheese.

UPDATE: Since I quit dairy and can’t find any vegan cheese I like, I just make it without cheese, and it is absolutely fine without it. Give it a try!

For another vegan pizza, also see my Healthy Mexican-inspired pizza recipe