broccoli + tomato pizzas

My sister told me awhile back (perhaps two years ago!) that our Linda B. made pizza using naan from Trader Joe's, and ever since then I've been wanting to try it.  

So last night I made these broccoli and tomato pizzas using Trader Joe's Tandoori Garlic Naan (six small-sized naan to a package).  They were a hit with all three of us.  :)

It is a simple and straightforward recipe.  My only advice would be that if you can't find naan, use good-quality FRESH pita bread ... you don't want flat and dry (probably any kind you get at a regular grocery store will be dry), you want puffy and soft/a little oily (from a farmer's market or middle-eastern market or a Greek restaurant or someone's grandma ... just make sure it tastes good by itself with nothing on it and doesn't remind you of sawdust).  The flavor comes from the naan/pita itself and the garlic, so make sure those are good.

Also, you know this already, but don't buy those bags of pre-shredded mozarella. :) It's too dry. Get a ball or block of mozarella.  I get a block and cut it into about four chunks and run each chunk through the food processor with the grater/shredder disc in it.  (And there's always the good ol' box grater.)

I may have used quite a bit more mozzarella than is called for. :D

Here's the recipe from Woman's Day. (I don't own a stovetop steamer basket so I microwaved the broccoli in a little microwave steamer I have.)

Ingredients

2 cups small broccoli florets
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 whole-grain naan or 3 whole-grain pocketless pitas (note: I used small naan, so we made more)
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 cup lowfat ricotta
1 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 475ºF. You’ll need a baking sheet. 

2. Place a steamer basket in a large skillet. Add water to come up to bottom of basket and bring to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli; cover and simmer 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Lift basket from skillet; drain water from skillet. Add olive oil and garlic to skillet; add broccoli and toss over medium heat 1 minute or until fragrant. 

3. Place naan or pitas on baking sheet. Spread each with sauce and top with broccoli, ricotta, tomatoes, and mozzarella. 

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts and bottoms are crisp.