I was watching The Dr. Oz Show the other day and he had a few celebrity chefs as guests who had come up with lower calorie recipes for our favorite take-out dishes… Hamburgers, pizza and tacos. I thought I’d be most interested in the taco, but after watching Chef Todd English prepare his pizza, I was convinced I needed to try it.
Now, if you’ve read my recipe posts before you know I never follow a recipe exactly. Sometimes it’s because I don’t have the exact ingredients on hand, don’t care for a particular ingredient or frankly, I just forget a step or two. Let’s face it, if I were a master chef I’d have my own TV show and wouldn’t be writing this silly blog. Having said that however, let me say that my pizza was Uh-may-zing!
Growing up, one of my favorite dinners was to make individual pizzas. Everyone got to make whatever they wanted, pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, green pepper; if you wanted it you could have it. No rules, nothing was out of bounds. But if you made it, it was dinner. I’ve carried on the pizza tradition with my daughters as well and it’s always been a favorite for them too. It’s so much fun to design the perfect pizza in your mind, create it in your kitchen and enjoy it in your belly.
The recipe I followed (for the most part) from Todd English called for whole wheat Naan, but of course I forgot that part and picked up a package of whole wheat pita bread instead. I’ve listed my pizza ingredients below, but feel free to check out the original recipe and short video if you want to see the real deal.
Ingredients
1 cup quartered artichokes*
2 tsp Mezzetta chimichurri sandwich spread*
2 Tbl low fat ricotta
4 or 5 large basil leaves, cut into thin ribbons
¼ cup shredded low fat mozzarella
4 or 5 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
½ cup arugula
1 tsp EVOO
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt
*Chef English’s recipe called for grilled artichokes, but I just used the regular quartered ones out of a can. He also used what he called artichoke spread, but I couldn’t find that at my grocery store, so when I found the Mezzetta sandwich spread on the shelf I chose the chimichurri flavor (cilantro, parsley and garlic). It sounded like the perfect complement to the other flavors in the pizza. Well, needless to say it smelled and tasted delicious. I definitely see sandwiches in my future with the spread on the bread (can’t have the rest of the jar go to waste!).
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350. Spread the chimichurri across pita to create a thin layer. Add quartered artichokes and tomatoes. Mix the ricotta and basil to create a smoother creamier texture. Drop a few dollops on pizza. Top pizza with shredded mozzarella. Bake for about 7 or 8 minutes. Ricotta mixture should begin to spread out a little bit. It won’t melt down completely, just settle in.
While pizza is cooking, put arugula in a small bowl, add EVOO, lemon juice and a little bit of salt. Toss by hand to coat completely. When pizza is ready, top with fresh arugula salad… sounds unconventional I know, but trust me you won’t be disappointed.
I was able to use fresh basil and tomatoes from my yard (always a bonus) and maybe next year I’ll have more ingredients for this pizza growing in one of my gardens. My pizza was so yummy, it was… is yummilicious a word? If not, it should be.
Gathered around the dinner table tonight were my husband and one of my twin daughters. I made pizza sauce for their pizzas (my basic recipe: tomato sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, onion salt, and pepper). My husband’s pizza was pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pineapple and fresh basil. He loved it.
My daughter made a pineapple and jalapeno pizza and as you can see I couldn’t get to her soon enough to take the picture before she started in on it. She loved hers too.
Remember, it’s all about you. What tickles your taste buds? This isn’t a pizza you have to share; it’s yours, all yours. Don’t be afraid to use this philosophy in other recipes too. There are some rules you should stick to, like fish and cheese shouldn’t be served together, but for the most part, think outside the box. If you like an ingredient, throw it in there. If it doesn’t turn out, chalk it up to a learning experience, but imagine if it’s fantastic! You could be the next big thing, if not on Food Network, at least in your very own kitchen. And which place is more important anyway?
Happy cooking.
My Bungalow Days 
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