Beef and Feta Pide


Pide is essentially a Turkish pizza, traditionally baked in a wood fired oven. While the traditional dough is slightly different, this simplified version uses ready-made pizza dough.



Serves: 8
Ready In: 55 minutes
Prep Time: 25
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
500 g extra lean Ontario Ground Beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small Ontario Onion, coarsely grated
2 Ontario Greenhouse Tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
Half Ontario Greenhouse Sweet Red Pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) tomato paste
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Parsley
1 prepared pizza dough (700 g)
1 cup (250 mL) crumbled Ontario Feta Cheese
Fresh Ontario Parsley Leaves
7 Ontario Greenhouse Cherry Tomatoes, halved



Cooking Instructions:

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef, garlic and onion. Cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes, red pepper, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally then more frequently near end of cooking, until tomatoes have completely broken down, about 15 minutes. Stir in the 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped  parsley. Transfer to medium bowl and refrigerate while preparing dough.

Flour hands and dough generously. On well-floured surface, roll dough to 8- x 16-inch (20 x 40 cm) rectangle.

If dough bounces back, let rest a few minutes. Transfer to large parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Stir half of the feta into beef filling. Spread filling down middle of dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border on all sides. Roll in long sides and pinch to form edge. At short ends, squeeze and twist dough to make points (it should resemble a canoe).

Bake on lower rack in 400°F (200ºC) oven until dough is browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with remaining feta, parsley leaves and cherry tomatoes. Cut into 8 strips.