Mexican Pita Pizzas

Day 8-I was sick yesterday and was home from work. I wasn’t completely sure if my stomach was going to behave itself enough for me to eat dinner. Luckily, my stomach felt better closer to dinner time, so I decided to give it a go. I originally was going to make the pork tenderloin and peppers, but I was confused as to which wine I should use (dry and white was needed, but I wasn’t sure which of the whites we have were dry and cheap). Anthony was too wrapped up in homework to help me figure out the wine issue. So I put all the pork tenderloin ingredients away and decided to make something I know how to make. Mexican Pita Pizzas. Besides my love of seafood and Indian, I also really love Mexican. Now obviously what I was going to make, isn’t authentic Mexican food. It still has some yummy ingredients though and it’s the closest to Mexican I was going to get last night.

I’ve made these pizzas numerous times. I’ve never tried to make an actual pizza with these same ingredients, but now that the idea is in place I’m putting that on the list. This recipe is a Rachel Ray oldie but goodie. It is supposed to be faster to cook then the way I made it last night (30 minute meals are her specialty). I wanted to make my own refried beans. I didn’t use lard. Sorry people! I have an issue with actually having lard in my house. Ick! I’ve made refried beans before, but I was a bit distressed from the change of plans and wasn’t really focused. I ended up draining the can of pinto beans, which you are not supposed to do. It’s better to mash it all up together. Oops! Then I didn’t cook the onion and garlic long enough. The garlic was fine; it was the onion that was a little crunchy still. Once I put the beans in with the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper that’s when I realized that I drained the beans. So I added ¼ cup of water. I figured its just water nothing bad could come of it. I also decided to give the beans more flavor (I’m not sure what is in the part that I drained) and added some Sazon seasoning. The refried beans were still tasty even after the mishaps.

You can totally omit that step and just open a can of refried beans. Most of the time I do that, but I do love fresh refried beans. The rest of the recipe is super simple. Toast some pita bread. Once it is cooler (I don't wait very long), spread the beans on, add a couple tablespoons of taco sauce, sprinkle a generous amount of shredded cheese, and add diced tomatoes, chopped scallions, and diced jalapeño and you are good to go.

Put the pitas into a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes and you have dinner! Love it! I also made instant rice (gag me), because it was the easiest rice I had to make. I put some Sazon seasoning in the water with the rice. Once it was cooked, I added garlic salsa and some shredded cheese to give it a little something more.

Final Product:

I love these things. They are super easy to make and they taste good. What more could you ask for?!

Totals: 10 minutes prep, 12 minutes cooking time, 1 pot (no pots if you don’t make your own beans), 1 baking sheet

Mexican Pita Pizzas Recipe is from: Veggie Meals: Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals