Grilled Avocado Pita Pizzas with Wilted Arugula

O U T S T A N D I N G

Wilted arugula that is still crisp tender gets infused with garlic and topped on some beautiful fresh tomatoes with smokey roasted red peppers. A crowning of creamy avocado all sitting on a bed of jalapeño cheddar gets gilled on a pita to a crisp perfection.

I threw this easy recipe together a few weekends ago and determined that I could eat this everyday this summer and be one happy mama.

A note about the pita: Look at the ingredients! Find a good quality pita with ingredients you recognize and can pronounce. Flour, salt, oil, yeast, sugar.... there really isn't need for anything else. I sent my husband to the store for pita once. What he brought home had an ingredient list that was ten lines long. The taste and texture was so awful they went straight to the trash. Make them yourself or search for some good quality bakery ones.

We sprinkled our pita with raw hemp seeds for extra protein. You'll notice they are missing from the photo. They came post pizza photo shoot. We love hemp so much we add it to almost every meal we eat.

Grilled Avocado Pita Pizzas with Wilted Arugula 
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:

5 pita rounds
1 package arugula (about 8 ounces or so)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
8 ounce block jalapeño cheddar or jalapeño jack cheese, shredded
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 avocado, sliced
hemp seeds (optional, will add extra protein)
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat your outdoor grill to a medium high heat. These pizzas cook quickly. If the flame is too high, they will burn.

2. Use kitchen sheers to cut your pizzas around the circumference so you have two halves. If your pita doesn't want to split, you can leave them whole for a thicker, chewier pizza crust. Brush both sides of the pitas lightly with olive oil. (This will be about two tablespoons from the oil called for above.)

3. Add the remaining two tablespoons of oil to a medium sized skillet. Add the four cloves of minced garlic to the oil. Turn on the heat to a low flame and slowly cook the garlic in the oil for about a minute or two, just until it becomes fragrant. If you burn the garlic, your entire dish will be bitter. Turn the flame up a bit and add the arugula. Toss the arugula in the garlic oil and add a dash of salt. Cook the arugula just until it begins to wilt. I like to have my cooked lettuce to remain slightly crisp. This should only take a minute or so.

4. Top each pita round with shredded cheese. Next, add the sliced tomatoes and give them a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. Finally, top the pizza with the wilted arugula and roasted red peppers.

5. Grill the pita pizzas for about one to two minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the pita crisps up and gets a nice golden brown color. Watch them closely! They will burn.

6. Top your grilled pizzas with fresh sliced avocado and a sprinkle of hemp seeds. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Linked to: Weekend Potluck #132