Last night was a hectic one. I ended up having to work a little extra late, we had a meal to put on the table and we had to be ready for our annual family pictures – all within an hour. The results – a fast meal and a furiously, frantic mom rushing around trying to cook, snap photos, keep the kids clean and finally get us all dressed and ready to go. Fortunately everything looked pretty darn good by the end of the night. Even Miss A’s hair was cooperating. 😉
Since we were still cooking from California, we found another healthy recipe that was seemingly right up Miss A’s alley – Turkey Avocado Pita Pizza. The ingredients are simple and fresh. We started with some Compari tomatoes since they are on the sweeter side and extra juicy. 
We quartered the tomatoes and placed them in a greased baking dish. The original recipe from the cookbook, Best of America, Traditional Regional Recipes, by Carla Capalbo and Laura Washburn adds olive oil, salt and pepper to the tomatoes. Knowing this was going to be the tomato sauce though, we had to improvise a bit by also adding some red wine and a dash of sugar. 
The tomatoes are then baked for 20-25 minutes at 450F. 
Next we mashed the tomatoes and removed the skin to make the pizza sauce. 
After setting the sauce aside, we prepared the toppings. We used low-fat, Colby Jack cheese. 
We also diced up some deli turkey (We’re not big fans of deli meat, but Hormel puts out a nitrate free variety.), 
sliced some avocados, 
and brushed some olive oil over the wheat pitas. 
It was then time to assemble the pizza. First we added the sauce and avocado slices. 
Then we topped it with the turkey and cheese. 
The pita pizzas baked for about 10 minutes and were then ready to serve. 
This is a great healthy lunch or dinner pita recipe. It goes especially well with chips and pineapple jicama salsa – I know because I’m eating mine for lunch today. Dad and I both give the pita pizzas 3 spoons. They’re healthy, fast, fresh and tasty. Mr. N gave them a 2 spoon vote. He picked off the avocado and was only mildly into the rest. Miss A, our little avocado and cheese lover, seems to be on a hunger strike as of late. She refused to eat anything other than some more fruit. I suppose it could be worse. She does like her fruit.
Happy weekend everyone!
Print this recipe: Turkey Avocado Pita Pizza
Eat, Play, Love 
Miss A reminds me of my nephew (age 3), all he will eat is fruit most of the time. My mother believe that’s a great thing and keeps him loaded with it lol. He’s happy, so everyone is happy. But this Turkey Avocado Pita Pizza really looks good. And I don’t think most kids like avocado too much.. I know I didn’t. Not until I got older.
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You know these little ones often know what they need more than they do. 🙂 Your nephew sounds like he’s got it figured out. 😉 Miss A loves avocado…Mr. N, not so much. I’m with you though – I didn’t like it until I was older.
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Are you kidding me?! You did all this right before exiting for photos and after a late day of work? Wow. Super mom. The roast tomatoes look ridiculously good and nitrate free deli meat has saved me on numerous occasions…(by the by, vitamin C helps prevent formation of nitrosamines – your beautiful tomatoes are an abundant source).
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Not really super mom – I just have an awesome hubby who’s there to help when things get crazy (and even when they’re not crazy). 🙂 That’s great to know that vitamin C breaks down the nitrates. I never knew that. You always have the best nutrition info! 🙂
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Basic Bread/Pizza Dough (1 1/2 pound loaf)
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading
1 1/4 cups water, divided ( 1/4 cup warmed slightly)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 packet ( 2 1/4 tsp) granulated yeast
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
In a small bowl, stir 1 tsp sugar into 1/4 cup warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Let rise for 10 min until the mixture is frothy.
Put the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the activated yeast mixture, the olive oil and the rest of the water with a fork until it holds together into a ball. Remove the ball of dough to a floured surface and knead 8-10 min until the dough is smooth and elastic. Oil the mixing bowl lightly and put in the ball of kneaded dough. Cover with a piece of saran wrap and a large towel/cloth and put in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Prepare a baking sheet with sprinkled cornmeal. Shape the dough into 2 baguettes onto the baking sheet, cover again and let rise a second time until the baguettes have doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Brush or sprinkle the tops of the baguettes with water and place a pan of boiling hot water on lower shell in the oven. Place tray with breads so they’re in the middle of the oven. Bake at 400 F for 20 min
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My Dilly-Onion Braid
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 – 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 pkt instant yeast
2 tbsp sugar, divided
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dill seed
1 tbsp dill weed
3/4 – 1 cup sour cream
1 egg (2nd egg may be used for brushing top of braid)
Fry onion in olive oil, let cool.
Activate yeast in 1/4 c warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Beat egg into sour cream.
In a large bowl, add 3 1/4 c flour, salt, remainder of sugar, dill seed and dill weed. Stir in cooled onion and oil, activated yeast and egg/sour cream mixture. Knead 5-8 min, adding enough flour to make a loose dough. In an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hr or til doubled. Cut into 3 pieces, roll into 12-14″ strips and braid onto seasoned/oiled baking sheet. Or you can sprinkle corn meal onto baking sheet.
Let rise again, covered, til doubled in size. Brush with milk or and egg beaten with a tbsp cold water and bake at 350 for 30-40 min or until golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when rapped with knuckle.
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Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Bread
3 1/4 – 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 packet yeast
1 tsp dried basil
1/4-1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Use instructions from the Basic Bread and divide dough into two pieces.
Shape into 2 baguettes, brush top with water and place pan of boiling hot water on lower shelf. Place tray with breads so they’re in the middle of the oven. Bake at 400 F for 20 min.
NOTE: Top is crunchy but also gets very dark due to extra sugar and tomato so you may want to cover with sheet of aluminum foil for last 5 min.
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Oooh! You can bet I’m going to print these out. 🙂 Thanks so much!!!
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Great looking pizzas! I love the addition of avocado. I’ll have to tip toe on over to my neighbor’s avocado tree this weekend!
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Oh now that would be fun! I would love to have an avocado tree (or a neighbor with one!). Thanks for visiting and commenting Lisa!
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Two things I totally take my hat off to here:
1. in a rush but didn’t used canned tomatoes
2. still had time to take some awesome pictures!
Looks yummy!
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Thanks Aimee! 🙂
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You did a great job organizing supper in such a short time and even made your own pizza sauce! Impressive. 🙂 I would have never thought to put avocado on pizza though I love avocado in sushi, as guacamole on on home made chicken or beef fajitas or beef tacos.
I’ve done more than a few pita pizzas in my day though lately I’ve gone back to making my own pizza dough by hand since my old faithful bread machine had to be scrapped due to a faulty/crumbly baking pan seal. I forgot how much fun it is to get my hands in there and knead instead of just setting the machine and going away for 1 hr 20 min.
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Thank you! I had never had avocado on pizza either, but the flavors all went together really well in this recipe. I’m so impressed by homemade bread without the bread machine. I’m attempting one tomorrow. Stay tuned for those results. It’s my first real bread without the bread machine. I’m totally nervous. 😉
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I look forward to your posting. 🙂 And I have a couple of really tasty bread recipes to share if you’re interested in some interesting variations once you’ve got the basics down.
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Thanks! I’d love the recipes. It may take me a bit to get the basics down. 😉
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I’m so impressed that you were still able to whip up such a healthy, homemade meal with everything else going on. Wonder woman much!? This sounds great and super easy.
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LOL! Thanks Caroline. I don’t know about Wonder Woman…more like a crazed and frantic lunatic. 😉
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In a hurry and still make sauce from scratch. I love it. Looks just great too.
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Thanks! I’m just glad they saved me one. I didn’t have time to eat before pictures and by the time we got home, I just went straight to the fridge for my cheesecake. LOL.
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This look really good and super fast and easy..I know those fast and furious days..horrible..glad you managed so beautifully..
my 2 year old is giving me a horrible time with food too..my heart goes out to you
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I know I’m not the only one to have those kind of nights…they are horrible. It’s nice when they actually turn out with good results though. (Even if at the moment it’s utter chaos.) 🙂 Let me know if you figure out how to get your little one to eat. Miss A goes through these little phases. I just figure she’ll eat when she’s ready, and she usually does.
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It might have been a speed cook but it definitely looks like something to be proud of, although I agree with you on the deli meat – not a huge fan, even if it has no nitrates. Stick some chorizo on that bad boy and I’d be good to go! Speaking of eating nothing but fruit – they’re selling huge boxes of white nectarines and peaches at my local store for about €4 at the moment. They’re SO good, I’m getting through them so fast :p
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Oh I just saw a great peach cobbler recipe and would love some peaches! It’s nearly midnight here and I’m so bummed I don’t have any on hand. I know I would have made one just for fun tonight. Probably good I didn’t though. 😉
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So smart with the pita bread. I love roasted tomatoes. I am sure they make a huge difference in flavor.
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I can’t imagine this recipe with store bought sauce. The key to this dish is fresh ingredients. 🙂
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What a fabulous meal!!! I’m almost drooling over the roasted tomatoes, and the final products is making my mouth water too!! What a perfect dinner and it looks so pretty too! 🙂
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Out of all of the different states and countries we have cooked from – California is by far the most colorful! 🙂
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~Could I hire you, pleaaaaaaaaaaaase?!! xx
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LOL! Thanks Kim. 🙂
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Omg, the sauce looks amazing! I love quick dinners and this one looks like a winner. I never tried avocado on my pizza but I’m so hungry for it now!
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Thanks Lisa! The sauce was good. I’ve never had avocado on my pizza either. I usually am not a big fan of “gourmet” pizza, but these weren’t too bad – and so easy!
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