Kale, Mushroom, and Bacon Personal Pizzas
from a recipe by Hannah Klinger for Cooking Light
Ingredients:
- 2 (6-in.) whole-wheat pitas*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 (15-oz.) can unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 center-cut bacon slices**
- 1 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 8-oz. sliced shitake mushrooms
- 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 4 cups baby kale
Directions:
- Preheat broiler to high.
- Split each pita in half horizontally into rounds. Arrange pita rounds on a baking sheet; broil 1 minute on each side or until toasted.
- Place oil, rosemary, rind, juice, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and beans in the bowl of a mini food processor; process until mixture is smooth.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; crumble. Add onion and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add kale to pan in batches, stirring until kale wilts.
- Spread bean mixture evenly over rough side of pita halves; top evenly with kale mixture. Sprinkle with bacon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.
* Don’t have pitas? – you can substitute a variety of “bases”. Try halved English muffins, naan, tortillas, or regular mini pizza crusts.
** For a satisfying vegetarian main, omit the bacon; instead, sauté the vegetables in 2 teaspoons olive oil, and sprinkle pizzas with 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese for a hit of salty, savory flavor.
