Recipe

Grilled Chicken Pizza Margherita

Prep Time: 2 hr

Cook Time: 25 min

Serves: 4

One of the best ways to enjoy pizza is by having it cooked on the grill. Grilling both the chicken and the finished pizza imparts a lovely, smoky flavour. It may be your first grilled pizza, but it won’t be your last!

Contributed By: Developed for CFC by Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc

Ingredients

12 oz (345 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp (5 mL) basil, fresh, minced

1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil

1 whole wheat pizza crust, recipe follows

1 cup (250 mL) tomato and basil sauce

5 oz (145 g) mozzarella cheese, sliced

2 oz (60 g) Asiago cheese, thinly sliced

1/2 cup (125 mL) basil, fresh

hot red chili pepper flakes, (optional garnish)

2 tomatoes, medium

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:

2 cups (500 mL) whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour

2 pkg dry active yeast

1 tsp (5 mL) salt

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) sugar

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water, lukewarm

1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) olive oil

flour, for the work surface

Instructions

1 Preheat grill to medium-high. Prepare a quick marinade for the fresh chicken breasts with 2 cloves of minced garlic, minced basil and olive oil in a bowl. Add chicken and turn pieces to make sure they are well coated. Grill chicken until cooked through. Cool and slice across the grain into thin strips.

2 Place crust on greased pizza pan. Evenly spread sauce over pre-made crust. Sprinkle with remaining two cloves of fresh minced garlic. Top with sliced tomatoes, sliced cheeses, fresh basil leaves and chicken in a circular fashion making an artful arrangement over the pizza base. Ingredients look best slightly overlapping.

3 Close cover and grill over medium heat, rotating occasionally, 10 minutes or until sauce is hot and cheese is melted. Be careful not to let the bottom of the pizza burn.

4 Season with red pepper flakes (optional). Serve immediately.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 Combine flours, yeast, salt and sugar in a mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a food processor with a dough blade). While the mixer is running, gradually add water and mix on low speed until the dough is firm and smooth. Turn machine off and remove dough hook.

2 Drizzle olive oil along the side of the bowl. Roll dough ball around the bowl until the surface of the ball is oiled. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk (about 2 hours).

3 Punch the dough down and divide into 3 portions. Put 2 portions into resealable plastic bags and freeze for another time. Place the third portion on a generously floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches across. If the dough tears, just pinch the edges back together.

4 Grill the crust over medium heat, for 1 minute or until bottom is browned. Using tongs, flip crust over and grill for 30 seconds.