Pizza . . . . Yes, It Can Be Healthy!

I don't know about you, but when I think about pizza, two things happen: my mouth waters, and my brain starts overheating trying to think of all the things I'll have to do to burn off such an unhealthy meal. Can't I just have the mouth watering? I'd really rather not have to run calorie calculations in my head while I'm enjoying my food. I bet you don't want to do that either.

Well, with this recipe, now we don't have to! This healthy take on pizza will still make your taste buds do a happy dance, but skip all the regret and guilt typically associated with this normally greasy meal.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat Crust 
1. Whether you're making the dough by hand, or buying a pre-made crust, whole wheat is going to be your best bet. But make sure you look on the ingredients list. If you see "enriched" anywhere on the list, or wheat flour isn't the first ingredient, skip it and look for something different.
2. Ingredients for a great wheat crust: 
1. 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2. 1 2/3 cups White Flour
3. 1/2 packet Whole Wheat Yeast
4. 1/2 cup warm water
5. 2 cups room temperature water
6. 2 TBSP Olive Oil
7. 1/2 tsp Salt 
2. Sauce
1. As yummy and delicious as pre-made pizza sauce is, it's usually LOADED with an obscene amount of sugar and preservatives. Making your own sauce, while a little more time consuming, will be healthier (and probably taste better) in the long run. 
2. If you don't have time to make your own sauce, take a little time to read labels, and look for sauces with the lowest sodium and sugar contents. 
3. Ingredients for Sauce: 
1. 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (or fresh tomatoes)
2. 1 1/2 cups water
3. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
5. 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
6. 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
7. 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed. 
8. Pepper (to taste).
3. Cheese - opt for low-fat mozzarella. 
4. Toppings: 
1. VEGGIES!!! Nothing you can top your pizza would be better than fresh veggies. Personally, I love mushrooms, red and green peppers, and onions. But you can add whatever veggies strike your fancy (or even fruit, like pineapple). As long as it's fresh, you're headed for a healthy pizza! 
2. Meat - Unless you're a vegetarian, you're probably going to want meat on your pizza to give it a little extra protein and flavor. 
1. The biggest tip for choosing a meat to put on your pizza, is to read the labels. Stick to low fat/low sodium options (especially for pepperoni, which is not typically a very healthy topping, unfortunately). Chicken and lean ground beef are great options!

Directions: 

Crust: 

1. Combine the yeast & 1/2 cup 110 degree water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes (it should expand). 
2. Add rest of water & oil to this mixture. 
3. Combine with flour & salt. 
4. Knead dough 7-8 minutes. 
5. Spray a bowl with cooking spray & place dough into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise 75 minutes (until double in size). 
6. Once finished rising, spread out on baking pan or pizza pan (any comparable piece of kitchenware will work) into whatever shape you desire.

Sauce: 

1. Mix together the tomato paste (or tomatoes), water and olive oil. 
2. Mix until well-blended. 
3. Add garlic and seasonings (oregano, basil, rosemary, and pepper). 
4. Mix until well-blended. 
5. Let sit for several hours for flavors to blend*
6. Spread on crust. 

*This is not necessary if you don't have time, but will enhance the flavor, so if you have time, do it! 

Bake your pizza at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Check on your pizza a few times, to make sure you don't burn it, or under cook it. 

Enjoy!!