Here is one for the pizzalovers out there
Pizza Heaven
(Colorful vegetable pizza with pesto and feta)
2 cups of sliced mixed mushrooms * (see hint below)
1 cup of broccoli florets, cut small
¾ cup thinly sliced zucchini
½ cup each thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers
1 small red onion thinly sliced into rings
1 tbsp. Pesto sauce **
1/3 cup of pizza sauce
1 - 12 inch unbaked pizza crust ***
2 tbsp. Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
½ cup of crumbled light feta cheese (2oz)
½ cup of shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 oz)
Spray a large non-stick skillet or wok with non-stick cooking spray. Add the mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, red and yellow peppers and onions. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender. (about 6 minutes) Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto sauce. Mix well.
Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the unbaked pizza crust. Sprinkle with Romano cheese. Top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle feta and mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake at 450 degrees fro 13 to 14 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned and cheese is completely melted. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 - 12 inch pizza, 6 large slices
Nutritional Value per slice
214 calories
7.1 grams of fat
2.7 grams of Sat Fat
10.5 grams of protein
27.8 grams of carbohydrates
2.4 grams of fiber
14.1 mg of cholesterol
517 mg of sodium
(Hints)
* Common white mushrooms will work fine with this recipe but with so many different verities why not try something new and different. Look for fresh Japanese shitake mushrooms the next time you are in the store. When cooked they are meaty and silky with a woodsy flavor. They have tough stems however which need to be removed before cooking.
Or how about some cremini mushrooms? They are a dark brown slightly firmer variation of the everyday white mushroom with a much fuller flavor.
Then there is the white, fan shaped oyster mushroom, with it’s chewy flavor and mild flavor. The young small ones ( about 1 ½ inch in diameter are considered the best. Try these different mushrooms separate or all together to give your pizza the maximum mushroom taste.
** What is pest sauce and where can I find it? Pesto sauce is a dark green , fresh tasting uncooked sauce the originated in Genoa, Italy. It is a combination of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. The ingredients are usually pureed in a food processor until they reach the constantans of a thick paste. Pesto sauce is most commonly tossed with pasta, but it also makes a zesty pizza sauce. It is sold both refrigerate and unrefrigerated in small tubs or jars
*** Wherever you choose to let your dough rise, make sure that it is free of drafts. They are enemies of yeast and can cause the dough to rise slowly and un-evenly. One of the best places for dough to rise is in your oven. Turn the oven onto 200 degrees for 2 minutes the turn the oven off and place the covered bowl of dough inside.
Enjoy,
IC
