If you've read my blog for the past 6 months, you know I LOVE pizza! What's better than bread, veggies, marinara sauce and cheese. YUM!
I have to admit, however, that I have not ordered-out for pizza in over 2 years. It may be longer. Let's just say, I can't remember a time when someone has delivered pizza to my door or I have picked up pizza after ordering it. I LOVE making my own pizza. I have not attempted to make my own dough but I think I have come up with every carb-creation possible for my veggies and sauce to cook on.
Karel and I save pizza for the weekend (usually sat with a movie) but last week I was craving pizza. I was heading to the grocery to pick up some ingredients for a pizza but I remembered I had a coupon for Hala bread (buy 1 get 1 free) at the local HALA store. Hala bread (not Challah, the Jewish bread) is kinda like pita bread. I'm not sure if you have a Hala store in your area but google-around and see if there is one nearby.
Here's a little about the arabic word Halal: (from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Counsel of America)
Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. The opposite of halal is haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. Halal and haram are universal terms that apply to all facets of life. However, we will use these terms only in relation to food products, meat products, cosmetics, personal care products, food ingredients, and food contact materials.
While many things are clearly halal or clearly haram, there are some things which are not clear. These items are considered questionable or suspect and more information is needed to categorize them as halal or haram. Such items are often referred to as mashbooh, which means doubtful or questionable.
All foods are considered halal except the following, which are haram:
* Swine/pork and its by-products
* Animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering
* Animals killed in the name of anyone other than ALLAH (God)
* Alcohol and intoxicants
* Carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears
* Blood and blood by-products
* Foods contaminated with any of the above products
Foods containing ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes, emulsifiers, etc. are questionable (mashbooh) because the origin of these ingredients is not known.
The bread there is super cheap and with my coupon, I could pass up whole grain and white Hala pita bread for pizza!
You could use a pita or wrap in place of the Hala bread if you want. With all of my recipes, I try to take meals that we all love and make them in a healthy, affordable and quick way. I don't measure, I just chop and load. Enjoy!
Quick and Easy Hala Pizza
Hala bread
Marinara sauce
Shredded cheese
Veggies- onions, chickpeas, green peppers, mushrooms, corn, tofu.
1 clove garlic (chopped)
Tomato (sliced)
Spices - cayenne, chili flakes, pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
2. Cut hala bread in half around the edges.
3. Spread 2-3 spoonfuls marinara sauce on pizza.
4. Layer veggies on pizza (I pre-cooked my veggies with a little olive oil on a skillet. You can use fresh, frozen (defrosted) or canned (rinsed) veggies if you are short on time).
5. Top with slices of tomato.
6. On a cooking pan, lined with tinfoil, cook for 10-15 min until Hala bread is toasted.
7. Top with shredded cheese and spices.
8. Serve with colorful side salad.
I have to admit, however, that I have not ordered-out for pizza in over 2 years. It may be longer. Let's just say, I can't remember a time when someone has delivered pizza to my door or I have picked up pizza after ordering it. I LOVE making my own pizza. I have not attempted to make my own dough but I think I have come up with every carb-creation possible for my veggies and sauce to cook on.
Karel and I save pizza for the weekend (usually sat with a movie) but last week I was craving pizza. I was heading to the grocery to pick up some ingredients for a pizza but I remembered I had a coupon for Hala bread (buy 1 get 1 free) at the local HALA store. Hala bread (not Challah, the Jewish bread) is kinda like pita bread. I'm not sure if you have a Hala store in your area but google-around and see if there is one nearby.
Here's a little about the arabic word Halal: (from the Islamic Food and Nutrition Counsel of America)
Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. The opposite of halal is haram, which means unlawful or prohibited. Halal and haram are universal terms that apply to all facets of life. However, we will use these terms only in relation to food products, meat products, cosmetics, personal care products, food ingredients, and food contact materials.
While many things are clearly halal or clearly haram, there are some things which are not clear. These items are considered questionable or suspect and more information is needed to categorize them as halal or haram. Such items are often referred to as mashbooh, which means doubtful or questionable.
All foods are considered halal except the following, which are haram:
* Swine/pork and its by-products
* Animals improperly slaughtered or dead before slaughtering
* Animals killed in the name of anyone other than ALLAH (God)
* Alcohol and intoxicants
* Carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears
* Blood and blood by-products
* Foods contaminated with any of the above products
Foods containing ingredients such as gelatin, enzymes, emulsifiers, etc. are questionable (mashbooh) because the origin of these ingredients is not known.
The bread there is super cheap and with my coupon, I could pass up whole grain and white Hala pita bread for pizza!
You could use a pita or wrap in place of the Hala bread if you want. With all of my recipes, I try to take meals that we all love and make them in a healthy, affordable and quick way. I don't measure, I just chop and load. Enjoy!
Quick and Easy Hala Pizza
Hala bread
Marinara sauce
Shredded cheese
Veggies- onions, chickpeas, green peppers, mushrooms, corn, tofu.
1 clove garlic (chopped)
Tomato (sliced)
Spices - cayenne, chili flakes, pepper
1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.
2. Cut hala bread in half around the edges.
3. Spread 2-3 spoonfuls marinara sauce on pizza.
4. Layer veggies on pizza (I pre-cooked my veggies with a little olive oil on a skillet. You can use fresh, frozen (defrosted) or canned (rinsed) veggies if you are short on time).
5. Top with slices of tomato.
6. On a cooking pan, lined with tinfoil, cook for 10-15 min until Hala bread is toasted.
7. Top with shredded cheese and spices.
8. Serve with colorful side salad.
