Pita, Feta & Spinach Pizza

I sat here for several minutes debating on what the name should be for this pizza. It was not an easy decision. You see, this dish was a mistake. Kind of like my younger brother. And me, as we found out over Christmas dinner.

Merry freaking Christmas to you, too, mom.

Anyway, there's this new place in Greenville called Your Pie, and it's kind of like a Moe's for pizza. You get to choose your dough, sauce, toppings-the works. What's really amazing about this pizza is the crust. It is so thin. And while I love bread, there's nothing quite like that *crisp* of a thin crust pizza.

So whenever we grace Your Pie, Tim orders something very similar to this, and it is astounding. The pita "crust" is our own little concoction, as our local grocery store was out of whole wheat pizza dough. On the bright side, it is severely fewer calories than pizza crust.

The main idea of this pizza is freshness. I wanted it to be all-natural cheeses, sauces and veggies. That way, eating a pizza is more of a good decision, instead of the type of decision you have to burn off later at the gym.

You're welcome.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat thin pitas
• Pizza sauce
• Olive oil
• Mozzarella cheese
• Feta cheese
• Spinach leaves
• Green bell peppers (optional)
• Basil
• Garlic salt

Directions:

Throw your pita on a baking sheet. At first, I was extremely upset that the grocery store was out of pizza dough, so I figured I'd settle for this. Little did I know that I was settling for pizza dough all along. The beauty of a thin pita is a) fewer calories than pizza dough, and b) a very thin crust that is hard to achieve with pizza dough.

Pour some olive oil on the pita and spread evenly.

Then add the pizza sauce. I won't be a bully and tell you which kind to buy; however, I will tell you that the pizza sauce at Whole Foods is by far the best I've ever had.

Grab a block of fresh mozzarella cheese and shred it. Yes, you can buy the normal pre-shredded bag of cheese. This will result in a perfectly normal pizza. If you want it to be amazing, get the fresh stuff.

Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the sauce.

Top with spinach.

Ooooooooh. Wow. Feta cheese. Top it with as much as you'd like. I used half the package. Don't judge me.

Throw on the green bell pepper. Or red. Or none. I opted for the latter; spinach is about as healthy as I get.

Sprinkle with basil and garlic salt. I know the garlic salt seems a little strange, but it adds an incredible kick to the pizza.

Throw it in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, but you know the drill-keep an eye on it. I can't help but compare this pizza to a caterpillar. It's a little ugly and awkward, but it goes into its little "cocoon," and...

...well would ya' look at that. It's a butterfly. A cheesy, delicious butterfly.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm starved.

Love and thin crust,

Simply perfect chicken pasta

This isn't the most masculine meal I've ever made, but my man loves it, and he's anything but dainty. My other obstacle is that he's definitely not one to request a dish with spinach. But this meal is creamy, filling, and has so many different flavors all packed into one dish. And he absolutely loved it.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of your favorite pasta
• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tbs. flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup frozen spinach
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 can drained chick peas (optional)

Directions:

• Cook pasta in a large pot according to directions on the box
• Drain when finished and return to pot
• Pour olive oil into large pan over medium heat
• Add minced garlic and stir continually for 1-2 minutes
• Place chicken breasts into pan and cook over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked
• Once the chicken is fully cooked, use 2 forks and tear the chicken apart 
• Keep chicken over low heat while we work on the sauce
• In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat
• Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Turn the heat to low.
• Add the garlic salt and stir continually for 4-5 minutes. Letting it cook that long helps eliminate the flour taste.
• Slowly add the milk while continuing to stir
• Continue to stir until smooth and thick
• Add the chicken and sauce to the pot of cooked noodles
• Microwave the spinach for about 2 minutes, or until completely thawed and hot. 
• It's important to drain the spinach. My mom always taught me to do so by placing thawed spinach into a clean dish rag and squeezing over the sink. If you use a paper towel, it will break, and you'll burn your hands.
• Once the spinach is thawed, chop it up and add to the chicken/sauce/pasta mixture.
• Turn the stove heat on low and stir until well-combined.
• Serve with french bread and soup.

Maybe I just go into way too much detail, but don't be intimidated by the length of this post; this pasta dish took less than 20 minutes to make, start to finish. It's one of my "go-to" recipes when I'm in a rush.

Love and convincing-your-husband-to-eat-spinach,
Rachael