When you get the question, “What’s for dinner?”  Here’s a simple and tasty solution.  Naan bread pizza. You know naan bread, it’s all the rage now.  You can top it with anything from meats and cheeses to fruits and veggies to herbs and spices.  (For me the spicier the better!)

I love that you can easily find whole grain naan bread.  It’s high in fiber and has a hearty flavor and texture.  It holds up to topping well, too.

Today let’s boost ordinary chickpeas with aromatics like rosemary, garlic and smoked paprika with a dash of salt and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.  The great thing about chickpeas is that they hold flavors well.  I love them plain, but you can roast them in the oven with spices, puree them into a hummus or toss them into soups, stews and chilis.

I cut into the small red peppers and thought they were sweet.  I mistakenly rubbed my eye with my hand and soon realized that they were higher on the Scoville Scale than I thought!  They are Fresno Chili Peppers, which are considered ” medium” heat, but I thought they packed a significant punch on my tongue. Hint: removing the seeds and membranes helps turn down the heat a bit.

Caution: if you don’t like heat and spice, choose a more mild pepper, such as a pappadew or poblano. 

These red beauties add bright color to the beige chick peas.  These peppers give true meaning to coloring your plate.   I love the bold, fresh red against the hints of green from the finely chopped rosemary.

Another level of color is the Brussels sprouts.  It’s simple, just take a raw one and gently grate it over the mixture.  And Wha-lah!  Not only does it add color, but Brussels sprouts are a superfood as they can contain plant compounds that helps your body fend off certain cancers and heart disease.

 Simple Naan Pizza: Spicy Chickpeas and Shaved Brussels Sprouts @Stonefirenaan http://wp.me/p4K3in-10h #simplecravingsrealfood Click To Tweet

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large whole grain naan bread

1/4 cup canned tomato sauce or puree

1/2  15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 Fresno Chili pepper, diced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

 1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 large or 2 small Brussels sprouts, shaved

1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

On a naan bread, spoon on the tomato sauce covering the whole bread close to the edges.

In a small mixing bowl, toss in the chickpeas, oil, rosemary, peppers, paprika, garlic and salt.  Mix until blended.  Grate in the Brussels sprouts.

Spoon ingredients on top of the naan bread; sprinkle with cheese.

Place naan bread directly on the oven rack and cook for 5 – 6 minutes.  Remove for oven when cheese is melted and edges of the bread are golden brown.   Cut into quarters.  Enjoy!