Grilled Chicken Flatbread Pizza

It’s autumn. I’ve been trying to deny it for the last few weeks, but I no longer can. The writing’s on the wall—winter is coming.

The nice, warmish days are now being spent outside. The garden is still producing, and I spent yesterday clearing and straightening up the flower beds. These chores always take longer than I had planned, and by the time I accomplished what needed to be done then went out for a quick run, it was very late. The only television show which I watch (Burn Report, a cable show being rerun on a local station) was on at 8, so I scrambled to get dinner on the table.

I had met my friend Jenni in the Strip District on Tuesday. For those who don’t know, this is an area of Pittsburgh that is filled with food shops, restaurants, and other interesting places to wile away an afternoon. Before we met for lunch I did some shopping and picked up a package of my favorite pocketless pita breads. It was this that I saw when I opened the refrigerator door last evening at 6:45pm, and my inspiration for a very quick dinner.

No recipe, though. How do you follow a recipe when you want to get dinner on the table asap? Who has time to measure (and read)???

I did think ahead and put a large chicken breast half in the microwave to thaw before I went to take my shower so it was ready.

I lit the grill, mixed up some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh oregano, minced garlic, and s&p in a small cut. I brushed the chicken with some of this and grilled it, then also brushed slices of zucchini and onion and grilled those as well. While these cooked, I chopped a tomato and drained it on paper towels for a few minutes.

I removed the chicken and veggies from the grill, turned the heat down and lowered the lid, and chopped the chicken and vegetables. I placed the pocketless pitas on the bottom of a baking sheet (to easily slide the pitas onto the grill) and arranged the onion and zucchini, then the tomatoes and chicken, sprinkled oregano and the rest of the olive oil mix, and crumbled feta over all. The pitas were slid onto the grill and the lid closed. Each one took about 4 minutes (I turned each 45 degrees halfway through), just enough to warm everything and crisp the bottom.

Quick, delicious, and endlessly adaptable to whatever you should have on hand. This might be the last time we have these until next spring (as I only use my grill in the warm months) and I am already anticipating what veggie and cheese mixture I will be able to use then. Spring… asparagus? And pecorino romano? I have 5 months to ponder on this, alas… ;)