Thursday, April 21, 2011

Pizza Make-Over with a Veggie Take-Over

Most people tend to enjoy pizza. But, if you are trying to eat healthy or lose weight, pizza is usually not the best choice. Most commercial brand pizzas are loaded with fat and sodium. Toppings, such as ground beef, ham, pepperoni, sausage, or extra cheese just add to the calorie overload. With a little homemade effort, pizza can still be part of a healthy diet. Start with a handmade crust that incorporates whole wheat flour for additional fiber content. Make your own sauce to reduce added sugars. Then top it with fat free cheese and an assortment of sauteed veggies. This pizza tastes very similar to the veggie pizza at California Pizza Kitchen and is quite filling due to the fact that each serving contains 8g of fiber. Although goat cheese is not low fat, you don't need much at all because of its strong flavor and it is the perfect complement to the other ingredients. Of course this homemade pizza takes more time than calling for a delivery, but you can make the dough and sauce ahead of time. I have even cooked the vegetables the day before and refrigerated them so that I can throw the pizza together in no time at all. Even if you think veggie pizza is just not for you, I think you will be amazed at how delicious it can be. Feel free to change up the vegetables to suit your own preferences. Also, let kids help with the preparation for a great way to teach them about veggies they may have never seen.

Vegetable Pizza
serves 4

Ingredients
dough
1 package yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp Splenda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
up to 1 cup luke warm water

sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp Splenda
1/8 tsp allspice

2 cups broccolini, stems trimmed
1/2 medium eggplant, diced
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup warm water and let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. In a food processor, process the flour, sugar, and salt for 6 seconds. Add the yeast and process for 10 seconds longer. Combine the oil and water and drizzle through the feed tube while the machine is running (Once the dough clumps around the blade, process for 30-40 more seconds. Dough should be a little sticky).
  3. Divide dough in half and store one ball of dough in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
  4. Spray a 16" pizza pan with cooking spray. Press dough from center out until it reaches the edges. Bake for 10 minutes.
  5. For sauce, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Spread over baked pizza crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
  6. For vegetables, spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, spinach, onion, and eggplant and cook over medium-high heat until spinach is wilted. Add broccolini, mushrooms, and black olives and cook for 10 minutes until all vegetables are softened. 
  7. Top crust (and sauce and cheese) with cooked vegetables. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Return pizza to oven for 8-10 minutes.
***You will have extra sauce. You can heat it to use as a dipping sauce or refrigerate it for later use with the extra pizza dough.

Nutrition: (2 slices) 265 calories, 42g carbohydrate, 20g protein, 4.5g fat, 8g fiber
weight watchers points: 5
weight watchers plus points: 7

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4 comments:

Natalie and Lee said...

Saw you graduated from Alabama... I have to comment on all my fellow Alabama girls! ROLL TIDE:) Just came across your blog and loving it:)

kelli@restoreinteriors said...

Thank you so much for commenting on my blog today because I need your blog! I have been trying so hard to fix healthy meals for my family and I am terrified of all the chemicals in our food...I also need to lose about 15 pounds and am having a REALLY hard time being disciplined. We joined the Y for Christmas and I have only been like 5 times...Ouch..
I will be a faithful follower:) Thanks Lauren!

mackenziepage said...

Looks SO yum! So glad I found your blog!!

Mackenzie
mackenziepages.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I liked ur Pizza oven is very much ........it nice to see ur blog..........
I loved ur images of pizza in ur blogs..

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Nutrition student with a passion for giving yummy recipes a healthy make-over. Future RD on a constant search for the best food finds. And new blogger trying to relay my tasty ideas to everyone else.

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Please feel free to email me with any questions, suggestions, or comments at lamandle88@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

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