Naan Flatbread ‘Pizza’ (Vegetarian, Non-Dairy) By Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan

      

January 24, 2020

 

Many years ago, a working mother (mine) would make individual mini pizzas using split English muffins as the base.  They were buttered and toasted under the broiler first to crisp-up the surface and then the usual pizza toppings were piled on top and then back into the oven to melt and ooze.  The sauce was always a bit of leftover ‘red gravy’ (marinara sauce) from the weekend’s cooking; never sauce from a jar!

 

Fast forward to 2020 and we have a plethora of pizza crusts and substitutes readily available.    In this recipe I have used the ‘slipper-shaped’ naan bread, which is a traditional Indian flatbread.  At Foodies, we sell Stonefire Naan…there are two ‘slippers’ per package at 4.4 ounces each.   The naan bread comes in plain, whole wheat and garlic varieties.

 

It’s the base for this quickly made meal, using only vegetables and NO cheese!

 

And on the table in well under an hour!

 

 

  • Prep: 40 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yields: 2

Ingredients

1/3rd cup diced white or Spanish onion, finely minced

½ green bell pepper, small dice

Optional: ½ green or red (‘Fresno’) jalapeno pepper, finely diced

2 pieces scallions, green & white parts separated and finely minced

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 package (10-12 ounces) of prepared & chopped cabbages/coleslaw mix to include green & white cabbages, kale, carrots, etc.

kosher salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 tablespoons chipotle ranch dressing (or your favorite flavor)

8.8-ounce package of naan bread, ‘slipper-shaped’

garnish ideas for the top of flatbreads:

small chopped salad, dressed with the same dressing used on the bottom

baby spinach, arugula or mesclun greens

a fried egg

grilled chicken, thinly sliced

smoked salmon cut into thin strips

fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions

how to…...

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Rinse and dry the peppers. Finely dice and set aside. Dice the onions and scallions and set aside. (Keep chopped scallion whites & green separate.)

Chop the packaged ‘coleslaw mix’ into smaller pieces and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet on the stove. Use medium heat and do not let the oil get too hot (not smoking!) Add the diced onions to the pan along with a pinch of kosher salt. Cover the pan and turn heat to low and cook until onions have turned translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Add the peppers and another pinch of salt. Stir to combine, re-cover pan and cook until peppers have softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan along with the chopped cabbage mix and the minced scallion-whites and another pinch of salt. (Save the scallion-greens to use as garnish.) Stir well to combine. Cover pan again and cook over low heat just until cabbages mix is cooked through. Taste them. You still want a bit of crunch left to the vegetables. Turn off heat and mix in the ground cumin and fresh black pepper.

Let cool for 5 minutes.

Unfold the naan ‘slippers’ and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Spread each piece of naan with up to two tablespoons of your preferred ranch dressing. Be generous but not sloppy!

Divide the cooked vegetable topping between the two naan breads and spread on top of the dressing.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle the surface with the reserved scallion greens and one or more of the other suggested garnishes...or your own topping idea.

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