… pizza! Yes, my friends, tonight Chuck and I indulged in an ooey, gooey, cheesy, and healthy (yes, I said healthy) pizza for dinner.
We started with homemade pizza dough, which Chuck made earlier today (see recipe below from Eating Well). Now, Chuck is a professional chef, but he swears this is an easy recipe to make so I have confidence that all of you can make it too!
Once the crust was ready, it was topped with homemade tomato sauce. For the sauce, Chuck minced 6 garlic cloves and roasted them in a dry sauteed pan. When the garlic was fragrant, he added the liquid from a 28-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes (reserve tomatoes) and reduced the mixture until it was almost dry. He then added the reserved tomatoes, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon each of dried basil and parsely, 1 tablespoon balsalmic vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
The sauce was then topped with sauteed spinach (approximately 3 large handfuls of fresh spinach, which cooked down to about 3/4 cup), 8 ounces fresh whole-milk mozzarella cheese (yes, I said whole-milk), and 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Here is the pizza in it’s unbaked state … and yes, that’s a lot of cheese!
Whole-Wheat Pizza DoughIngredients:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann’s RapidRise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2-2/3 cup hot water, (120-130°F)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oilDirections:
1. Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.
3. Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack; preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (we suggest a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.
Note: This crust can be made ahead and stored in a plastic bag coated with cooking spray in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
Makes 12 ounces of dough; 766 calories; 12 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 142 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 16 g fiber.
When we added up all of the components, each slice of pizza was only 7 Weight Watchers points, and believe me, two pieces was definitely enough to satisfy! Here’s looking at leftover pizza for lunch tomorrow …
