Fast and Healthy Pizza Crust With Chicken and Veggies |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes |
Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This is a treat I whip up every once in a while when we're in the mood for pizza and have leftovers to use up. Pizza is generally a bad deal nutritionally, but by making the crust from whole grain and emphasizing low-fat meats, lots of veggies and going light on the cheese, the nutritional rating goes up quite a bit. This is really a crust recipe. Toppings are merely suggestions and can be adjusted in any direction. This is a great recipe to use up leftovers and vegetables that you only have a small bit of. Ingredients:
1/2 cup white flour |
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour |
1/2 cup cornmeal |
1/2 teaspoon salt |
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder |
4 tablespoons butter |
1 cup 1% low-fat milk (approximately) |
2 tablespoons assorted dried herbs (sage and mexican oregano are particularly good) (optional) |
2 -3 ounces shredded cheese (optional) |
chopped sun-dried tomato (optional) |
olive (optional) |
4 ounces basil pesto |
6 ounces chopped chicken breasts or 6 ounces chicken thigh pieces |
3 roasted sweet peppers, cut in strips |
1/4 large red onion, sliced and quartered |
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese |
Directions:
1. For the Crust:.
2. Put baking stone or baking sheet in oven and preheat to 400°F.
3. Mix all dry ingredients, including any herbs, in food processor.
4. Cut in butter until in large pea-sized hunks.
5. If you are adding cheese, tomatoes or olives, do so now.
6. With mixer running, drizzle milk into flour just until it forms a solid ball of dough.
7. Turn dough onto a surface floured with whole wheat and knead a few turns until smooth.
8. Roll or press dough into desired shape.
9. Remove baking sheet or stone from oven and sprinkle with cornmeal. Transfer dough to hot pizza stone or baking sheet and pre-bake for 3-5 minutes.
10. *If you do not have a food processor, cut the butter into the dry ingredients with two knives or your fingers until mixture is like coarse meal.
11. Stir in milk and mix with a fork just until it holds together.
12. Knead briefly to smooth and roll or pat out.
13. For finished pizza:.
14. Drop pesto in spoonfuls over crust and spread evenly.
15. Top with meat and veggies, then scatter cheese evenly.
16. Bake for 10-15 minutes, enough to melt and brown cheese.
17. Other suggested topping combinations:.
18. marinara sauce, Italian turkey sausage, yellow and green summer squash, tomatoes.
19. OR.
20. pesto, chicken, eggplant, green onions, olives.
21. OR.
22. a little curry paste blended into plain yogurt, chicken, summer squash, yellow corn kernels, peas, tomatoes, (after pizza is cooked, top with chutney and cilantro instead of parmesan!).
23. OR.
24. salsa, chicken, peppers, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar and jack cheese.
25. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!
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