Greek Lemon Chicken Pizza

Friday night! The end of the work week and two days of peace and quiet with no phone ringing and clients needing help and payments not processing and claims and applications and enrollments and....... 

So I'm sitting here working out some recipe ideas......tossing things around in my brain..... thinking about the upcoming recipe contest Sinful Food is holding, and wishing I could enter. I think I have a winner here.....

Everyone loves pizza, right? I do, but I do get tired of the same red sauce and cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms pizza we always seem to go with. Instead of using red pizza sauce I've gone with a brushing of olive oil- Sinful Food garlic olive oil to be exact. Then instead of fatty sausage or pepperoni, boring mushrooms and peppers, I went to the Greek Isles with Greek-marinated chicken, Kalamata olives, preserved lemons (a Mediterranean mainstay) and feta. You don't want a thick bready crust for this pizza- think thin and cracker-like crust. You can use homemade or store bought pizza dough or mix, or even pre-made crusts. I've also included a recipe for easy pizza dough if you want to make it homemade. It's a breeze with a stand mixer- mix the dough with a dough hook instead of kneading it.

If you haven't tried the Sinful Food oils yet, you absolutely MUST!! Get yours by clicking HERE.

Greek Marinated Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup Sinful Food olive oil, garlic or Italian herb
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely minced preserved lemon
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, juice, preserved lemon and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove about 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate for later.

Place the chicken breasts in a large zip top bag. Add the marinade, seal the bag and pop in the fridge for a minimum of four hours. Overnight is best.

To cook, remove the chicken and discard the marinade. Pat the chicken dry. You can either cut the chicken into cubes before you cook it or after. Heat a skillet, grill pan, or grill until hot. Add a couple teaspoons of oil to the skillet or grill pan. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle. When chicken has cooled, cut into bite sized cubes and place in a clean zip top bag. Drizzle about half the reserved marinade over. Seal bag, and refrigerate until ready to use. Save the last of the marinade too.

You can make the chicken a day or two ahead of time or double the recipe and serve chicken with grilled veggies for dinner one night and reserve a couple boneless skinless breasts for pizza night. This Greek chicken is delicious in sandwiches and salads too.

Greek Lemon Chicken Pizza

pizza dough
Greek lemon chicken
1/2 cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
1 small onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely minced preserved lemon
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup feta cheese
chopped fresh parsley
Sinful Food garlic olive oil

Cut the onion in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise. Cook in a small skillet until just beginning to brown. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Set aside.

I mixed the cooked chicken, the onion, garlic and lemon
together before topping the pizza.

Stretch the pizza dough to form a thin crust. You want a cracker-like crust, not a heavy doughy crust. Place dough on baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. 

Brush a couple tablespoons of Sinful Food garlic olive oil over the crust. Scatter chicken cubes, olives, onion mixture and minced preserved lemon. 

Sadly I forgot to save some kalamata olives for this recipe.
I had to use sliced ripe olives in their place. 

Top with shredded cheese and feta cheese. You may not need all of the mozzarella. Drizzle with additional olive oil. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Remember that reserved marinade? I like to make a small salad of arugula and Italian parsley leaves dressed lightly with the marinade and piled on the baked pizza. So fresh and delicious. As promised, here is that pizza dough recipe: 

Homemade pizza crust recipe

1 packet yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
3-4 cups all purpose flour
Sinful Food Italian herb olive oil

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Allow to rest about 5 minutes. Pour over 3 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix the dough together gently, adding more flour as needed until you have a smooth dough. Knead for about 3-4 minutes, or use a stand mixer. Form into a ball. Wipe out the bowl, pour a couple tablespoons oil in the bowl and brush it around. Place the dough ball in the bowl and turn over to coat with oil. Cover with a towel and place in a warm spot for an hour or so, until dough doubles in size. Punch down, and you're ready to make pizza.

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