Mini Pita, Haloumi and Zucchini Pizzas

Have you had haloumi cheese before? Haloumi really is one of my favourite cheeses to cook with. It's great in sandwiches, to top salads and even to use on top of your favourite burgers during this summer's BBQ season. Haloumi in often used in Middle Eastern cuisine and has that perfect mix of saltiness and sturdiness - which makes it the ideal cheese to grill and melt.

This recipe was born out of a desire to make weeknight meals more exciting and easier to put on the table. During this time of year, there is no excuse not to use seasonal produce. I tend to move away from heavy meals (especially for dinner) and to concentrate on crisp, fresh dishes that I can get to the table in minutes. These pizzas really hit the spot in our household - I use mini pitas as a base (for all those times when making fresh pizza dough just isn't an option)and pack them with fresh veggies and gooey cheese. The pita also helps make the pizzas lighter and ensures that you have a paper-thin crust that will cook in no time. These are also really perfect for entertaining - the pizzas cook in a flash and are great to enjoy outdoors, with an ice-cool glass of watermelon juice (recipe to come soon!).

And on another note, the winner of my Clean Start Cookbook giveaway is Marcella - congratulations!

Mini Pita, Haloumi and Zucchini Pizzas
Makes 12 mini pizzas

6 mini whole wheat pitas
1/4 cup of olive oil + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon of grated parmesan
1 clove of garlic, very finely minced
1/4 tsp of dried oregano
1 small green zucchini
1 small yellow zucchini
1 good squirt of lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of pitted Greek olives
6 medium thick slices of Haloumi cheese
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preheat your oven to 400F. Carefully cut each pita in half lengthwise to get two round bases. Lay out the pitas on a parchment-lined baking sheet, inside facing up.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup of olive oil, Parmesan, garlic and oregano and generously brush the mixture on each pita half. Using a vegetable peeler, peel thin strips of zucchini and place in a bowl. If the strips are too large, cut them in half lengthwise using a small paring knife. Add the quartered cherry tomatoes and olives. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper and gently toss to coat. Don’t add too much salt as the Haloumi and olives are both quite salty.

Evenly lay out the zucchini, tomato and olives on each piece of pita, leaving a small border. Cut each slice of Haloumi cheese into 2 or 3 pieces and add them evenly to each pita. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the zucchini just starts to wilt. Serve immediately.

July Cookbook Giveaway!

As promised, here is the Chocolate Shavings cookbook giveaway of the month! I'm giving a copy of Clean Start, Inspiring you to Eat Clean and Live Well to one lucky reader! The summer being in full swing, it's really the perfect time to start eating right (if you weren't before!) Terry Walters' book is a wonderful resource for all of us who love food but also want to properly nourish our bodies and eat healthy, delicious, balanced meals. The book takes you through a variety of methods to eat right. The book is based on some pretty fundamentals principals: eat local whenever you can, know where your food comes from, read labels carefully but try to avoid food that need them - and eat foods with beautifully vivid colours with a lot of healthy greens. Terry Walters' gives you some easy to follow tips with some fabulous meals ideas using some ingredients you'll love to add to your diet like miso, ginger root and tofu.



Here are just a few of the mouth-watering recipes you will find in the book: Maple Mustard and Tahini Glazed Carrots, Green Beans with Figs and Pistachios in Balsamic Reduction, Rhubard Cream with Strawberries and Candied Ginger.

To win a copy of the book, leave a comment on this post or write a comment on Chocolate Shaving's facebook page. You can write a comment on both and your name will be entered in the contest twice. Simply let me know what healthy meals you like cooking the most. If you haven't been cooking a lot of healthy meals lately, poke around the recipes on Chocolate Shavings and comment on the ones you'd like to try! The contest ends on July 28th, at midnight. The winner will be drawn at random and you must be a Canadian or American resident to enter. Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you!

Favourite Tomato Recipes

Have you been the feeling the heat as much as we have here in Toronto? It's been incredibly warm and humid these past few days, the kind of temperatures that make you want lighter meals paired with a ice cold drink!

As the full swing of summer is making its way, I thought I would do a little roundup of my favourite tomato recipes to enjoy all summer long!

- Pita Sandwiches with Flank Steak, Tomato and Avocado and Lemony Yogurt Sauce
- Homemade Tomato Sauce
- Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic-Infused Oil and Goat Cheese
- Fresh Tomato Tart with Goat Cheese Cream and Oregano

What to do with Leftovers? Roast Chicken Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

This is the very first recipe of a new series I'm starting here on Chocolate Shavings. "What do with Leftovers" will bring you some fun and easy ideas to effectively use leftovers and turn them into dishes that will feel new. If your kitchen is anything like mine, there is often a plethora of foods to sample... which usually means a lot of leftovers! Roast chicken is a very common leftover in our house. Let's face it, no matter how moist and flavourful the chicken was straight out of the oven, once it's been in the fridge overnight it tends to get a little dry. Using chicken in a well balanced salad really gives it a new life. The key is to thinly shred the chicken and to make sure there is enough dressing on the chicken itself. This salad is, of course, very versatile. All the ingredients used here meld wonderfully with chicken, but don't hesitate to use any other leftovers you might have in the fridge. I've made this with soft crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds, mandarin oranges, and baby spinach leaves...


Roast Chicken Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Serves 2

1 Roasted chicken breast, discarding the skin
1 cup of chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 avocado, sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 mini mozarella ball, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
6 caper berries
3 basil leaves, coarsely torn
A few Parmesan shavings

Shallot Dressing:
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1 good squirt of lemon
1 tablespoon of very finely diced shallots
A good pinch of salt and pepper
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients

Add all the salad ingredients to your serving bowl. Right before serving, add the dressing and mix well. Enjoy!

A Few Favourite Bites

It's been a little silent over here lately, but the wait is up! There will be plenty of new recipes coming this way soon but in the meantime I leave you with some of my favourite photos from a recent trip to France.

















1. Red Mullet Served Over Sauteed Vegetables 2. Melon from the Local Market 3.Salmon Carpaccio 4. Charcuterie Plate with Chorizo, Jambon de Bayonne, Saucisson and Caper Berries 5.Beautiful Roses to Brighten up Any Kitchen Table 6. Colourful Carrots!

Jenn's Favourite Kitchen Things: Mellow Yellow

It's been a little silent around here lately - I'll explain why very soon! In the meantime, I’m launching a new section here on Chocolate Shavings: Jenn's Favourite Kitchen Things! As well as having a never-ending passion for everything culinary, I’ve always had a particular interest for how we decide to decorate our tables and display our food. This summer, yellow is my color of choice! Here are some of my favourite items to add a bright, crisp, colourful splash of yellow to your dining table.

1. Yellow Pitcher
2. Modernist Bowl
3. Ice Cream Scoop
4. Pomeroy Yellow Candle Pot
5. Sunshine Tea Towel
6. Beam Mug
7. Spun Vase
8. Coiling Dots Mug
9. Radio Yellow Plate
10. Yellow Fork
11. Marimekko Pieni Unikko Lime Tray

A taste of Summer: Shrimp, Cherry Tomato and Oregano Bucatini

As the weather is getting warmer, I've been craving light pasta dishes tossed with fresh ingredients and a mix of vibrant colours. This dish fits the bill pretty perfectly! I like using different types of pasta to spice up weeknight meals and the bucatini works beautifully in this one. It's a thicker cut than spaghetti with a nice bite and swirls wonderfully amongst the fresh cherry tomatoes, peas and shrimp. I also like finishing off these types of pasta dishes with a few simple steps: a little lemon juice (to brighten up all the flavours), some fresh herbs and a few creamy feta cubes. It's really the perfect spring or summer meal!

Shrimp, Cherry Tomato and Oregano Bucatini
Serves 2

Bucatini for 2
4 garlic cloves, thinly minced
12 shrimp, deveined and peeled
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/4 cup of diced feta
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
4 sprigs of fresh oregano (leaves roughly torn)
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Add the peas to the pasta pot when there are 5 minutes of cooking time left.

While the pasta is cooking, place a pan on low heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and stir to coat. Add the shrimp with a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the shrimp just becomes pink and opaque. Remove from the heat and add the cherry tomatoes. Once the pasta and peas are cooked, drain and add to the pan with 2 teaspoons of pasta water and return to medium low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice, zest, cream, feta and oregano.

Transfer to a serving platter adding a good drizzle of olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!