Quick Naan Bread Pizzas

 

Here we are in that no-man's land between Christmas and New Years. Some of us have exhausted our desire for turkey sandwiches and what-not.  We are trying to recoup our energy before preparing to cook our New Years Feast.

These are the days when we are not necessarily wanting to expend a lot of energy on preparing meals. We just want to catch our breaths before the next onslaught! Most of us will have had smaller than normal Christmas celebrations this year.

  

But small or not, they will have required a lot of time, effort and planning to produce. It takes just as much time and energy to produce a meal for one or two as it does for four, six or more people.  Its just cooking on a smaller scale, but  not necessarily less work.

If you are like me, you have a healthy store cupboard and these few days in between the Christmas leftovers and the New Years preparations are the perfect time to avail yourself of some of the convenience contained within! 

It is surprising just how delicious a meal you can produce with a very few ingredients put together in a delicious way. One of those fab and tasty creations are Naan Bread Pizzas!! 

 

Naan Bread is a flat yeasted bread which hails from the North of India.  Similar in appearance and texture to Pita bread, it comes in a variety of flavours. You can get them in a large size, ready to be torn up or you can get them in smaller sizes as well. 

For these pizzas I like to use the plain ones, which are simply flavoured with garlic.  They are shaped like a tear drop and are roughly the size of your hand.

 

They are baked on top of the stove on a flat grill or skillet here, but in India they would be baked in a Tandoor oven. They are incredibly convenient to use as a quick and easy pizza crust, much like a Pita bread would be. 

 

You will also need a nice melty type of cheese. Mozzarella is the normal cheese that is used on Pizzas and is known for its ooze factor. You can use any cheese you like or a combination of cheeses. I love fontina cheese, or Gouda.

You don't need a sauce for the Naan Bread pizzas, but you will want a nice layer of melty cheese to grab your toppings and form a nice flavour base.  You can get as wild as you want with this or keep  it simple. Its all a matter of taste and choice.

 

I always like to keep a variety of olives in my store cupboard. I adore olives. They come in very handy for using in salads, sauces, etc.  And . . . they are wonderful on Pizzas.

In the UK I used to be able to get foil packs of dried and seasoned olives in both the green and the black variety.  They would sometimes be seasoned with garlic and herbs.  They were perfect for use on pizzas.  

 

I would simply tear them up and scatter them over top. I am sure going to miss them. I haven't been able to find them here yet, but I maybe am just not looking in the right places.

Another ingredient I aways keep in my larder are marinated artichoke hearts.  They are such a versatile ingredient. I use them to make Artichoke Chicken and a fantastic Artichoke Dip which is really great when you are entertaining.

 

But they are also fantastic to use as a pizza topping. I like the marinated one because they have plenty of flavour, but you can also use plain tinned ones as well. Both are very good.

 

I tend to use the oil marinated ones, which is naughty I know.  That marinade oil has lots of flavour in it however and is perfect brushed over the Naan breads before you top them with anything else.

It is also very delicious drizzled over top of the finished pizza, again, adding flavour.  They are usually marinated in olive oil with garlic and herbs.  Delicious! I don't like to waste anything.

 

Today I have kept the toppings very simple.  You can go crazy with toppings however. Adding some chopped pepperoni, or ham.  Pineapple even, if you are so inclined.

Other good add ons are chopped onion or mushrooms, or both. I like red onions because of their colour and mild flavour. Spring onion is also very nice. Today I added some fresh thyme leaves.

 

One thing I always, ALWAYS add to my pizzas is Parmesan Cheese. Its a lovely dry and hard cheese that packs plenty of punch. You don't need a lot of it to add flavour to anything. It is the dieter's friend in that way.  

You get the flavour of the cheese without needing a lot of it. I cannot imagine not liking Parmesan Cheese. It is one thing I would never be without if I could help it. Its great on pastas and in salads as well.  

 

I always save the rinds which I throw into soups and sauces when I am making them. They add unimaginable flavour to these things. Never ever throw the rinds away!

 

These are just my suggestions for topping these quick and easy pizzas. You can of course adapt the idea to incorporate your own favourite toppings as and how you wish.

I always make a salad to serve with these, and with the nice bagged salads on offer these days, even that need not take a great deal of effort to execute.  And there you have it, a delicious supper for the family that everyone is sure to love! 

With minimum fuss, and minimum muss. Little to clean up and yet still incredibly edibly pleasing to everyone involved! The perfect catch-your-breath meal!

Quick Naan Bread Pizzas

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mincook time: 10 Mintotal time: 20 Min

These make for a quick and easy midweek supper. Perfect for when you are just exhausted and can't be asked! They are delicious, simple to make and use store cupboard ingredients. You can also make as many or as few as you want.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (280g jar) of quartered artichoke hearts, marinated in olive oil,
• 4 small individual Naan breads (I like the plain ones with garlic)
• 12 ounces (350g) sliced Taleggio Cheese (Dutch Gouda is a good substitute)
• 2 cups (400g) pimento stuffed green olives
• 4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 4 heaped TBS frshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 heaped TBS of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F gas mark 6. Have ready a large baking tray.
2. Drain the artichokes, reserving the oil.
3. Place the naan breads onto a large baking tray.  Brush with a bit of reserved artichoke oil.  Divide the Taleggio cheese between the breads.
4. Top the cheese with the drained artichoke quarters, the olives and the thyme leaves. 
5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over top.  Dust with a bit of sea salt and lots of black pepper. (Remember that the olives and artichokes will probably be quite salty)
6. Drizzle a bit more of the artichoke oil over top.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes in the heated oven, until the cheese is bubbling and the naan are golden brown at the edges. 
8. Sprinkle with some of the chopped parsley and serve hot.

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