I promise this post is about pizza, but have you noticed my obsession with kale and leeks? If you see a recurring theme in my blog, it’s got to be leeks and kale in just about every post. I’ve had friends mention they’ve never considered cooking with leeks previously, but it’s always been such a staple in Afghan cooking so I grew up with it at home. And kale — well, I don’t even need to explain to you how great kale is, do I? And the two of them together — beauties!

Sorry to those who can’t stand it, but this pizza I want to gush to you about features both — but as with the theme of this blog, you can certainly swap out both of these for other toppings of your choice. Improvise! You will want to pre-heat your oven to 350 while you prep the pizzas. Total time will be roughly 15 minutes and can make for a great snack or meal.

First step is to spread pesto on your tortillas. I choose the smaller artisan tortillas which are whole wheat and have fun ingredients such as blue flax seed, but you can use any tortilla. Most importantly, leave a bit of distance from the edges as the pesto (and mozzarella) will melt off the edges.

Add your sliced leeks and mozzarella. The leeks soak up just a bit of the pesto’s oil to help them caramelize into a sweet decadent flavor pop in each bite. In between and around the leeks and mozzarella, place little bite-size tears of kale. Be sure to remove the stems and use only the leafy parts. As the pizzas cook, the kale crisps up and gives you a nice kale chip taste and texture. You can accentuate this by brushing on some of the pesto ever so slightly.

Finish off the pizza with any other toppings you want — bacon, mushrooms, peppers, whatever. I bet a fried egg in the last few minutes of cooking would be excellent. But for me, the kale and leeks is exactly how I want it. Sometimes I add fresh cilantro if I have it. Lastly, I sprinkle just a bit of Cavenders and a dash of salt.

Place the pizzas on a tin foil covered baking sheet on the middle rack for approximately 5-7 minutes. Check on it periodically to see how the cheese is melting. Then switch the broiler on also at 350 degrees. For an additional 2-3 minutes, broil the pizza (still from the middle rack) until you see the cheese starting to brown.

I think I’m onto something here, guys. Give it a try and let me know your thoughts! Enjoy!

Total cook time, approximately 10 minutes plus 10 minutes to prep.

1/2 cup kale
1/4 cup leeks
3 tbsp pesto
1/5 cup cilantro
1 Artisan Style Multigrain Tortilla
1/3 cup mozzarella
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

Makes 1 serving.

Calories: approx 450 per serving