ORLANDO, Fla. — A local, fast-casual Mexican joint in Lake Nona is throwing in some Italian influences.
“We wanted to be a little bit different from everyone else,” said Jon Pavano, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill’s brand director of operations.
He said Lime Fresh is reinventing the Mexican pizza.
“So what we’re doing is using a naan flatbread,” Pavano said.
He demonstrated two very different pizzas, starting with the Hot Honey Chicken Pizza. The second one is an homage to the NHL’s Florida Panthers.
“The fun thing with this pizza is instead of mixing it with hot honey like we did with the last pizza, we use a hot guava sauce.”
Let’s cook!
NOTE: These recipes were provided by Lime Fresh Mexican Grill.
Panthers Pizza
Ingredients
1 each Stonefire naan flatbread
1 fluid ounce chopped smoked bacon
1/2 fluid ounce canola oil
1 ounce pico de gallo
2 ounces salsa roja
1 fluid ounce chipotle ranch dressing
4 ounces mixed cheese
1/4 each avocado
4 ounces grilled chicken
Chopped cilantro, to sprinkle
1 ounce guava barbecue sauce
Cotija cheese, to sprinkle
Directions
Remove one piece of Stonefire naan flatbread from the package.
Gently coat the puffy side with oil, and place that side down on a flat top.
Leave on it for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, or until it begins to crisp and brown.
While waiting for flatbread to brown, mix together 4 ounces of chicken and 1 ounce of guava barbecue sauce in a mixing bowl.
Remove the flatbread from the flat top, and place on a tray, with the flat side facing down.
Using a 2-ounce scoop, apply roja and cover all the way across the flatbread.
Apply the mixed cheese so that the cheese is coast to coast.
Add the chicken, bacon and pico de gallo.
Place on a flat top, and cover with a chef’s cap. Leave on flat top for 1 to 2 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp.
Remove flatbread, and place it on a flat tray. Cut down the middle, the long way, and then down the middle on the thinner end. Make two more cuts, halving the flatbread. You should have eight pieces.
Drizzle chipotle ranch dressing at an angle, creating six to eight lines.
Dice a quarter avocado, and scatter the pieces across the top of the pizza.
Sprinkle with Cotija and cilantro.
Transfer to a sheet tray with a liner and serve.
Hot honey chicken pizza
Ingredients
1 each Stonefire naan flatbread
1 ounce pickled red onions
1/2 fluid ounce canola oil
1-1/2 fluid ounces hot honey sauce
2 ounces salsa roja
1 fluid ounce avocado ranch dressing
4 ounces mixed cheese
Chopped cilantro, to sprinkle
4 ounces grilled chicken
Cotija cheese, to sprinkle
Directions
Remove one piece of Stonefire naan flatbread from the package.
Gently coat the puffy side with oil, and place that side down on a flat top.
Leave on the flat top for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, or until it begins to crisp and brown.
While waiting for the flatbread to brown, mix together 4 ounces of chicken, 1 ounce of hot honey sauce in a mixing bowl.
Remove from the flat top, and place on a tray, with the flat side facing down.
Using a 2-ounce scoop, apply roja and spread the length of the flatbread.
Scatter the mixed cheese across the full length of the flatbread.
Add the chicken and pickled onions evenly across the flatbread.
Place on a flat top, and cover with a chef’s cap. Leave on the flat top for 1 to 2 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and crisp.
Remove the flatbread, and place it on a flat tray. Cut down the middle, the long way, and then down the middle on the thinner end. Make two more cuts, halving the flatbread. You should have eight pieces.
Drizzle the avocado ranch dressing at an angle, creating six to eight lines.
Drizzle the remaining hot honey sauce on the flatbread.
Sprinkle the Cotija cheese and cilantro across the top.
Transfer to a sheet tray with a liner and serve.
Dining and Cooking