‘R’ and I made pizza together. It was a definite stretch from our typical cheese-laden gooeyness, but we all declared it (for the most part) a winner.
A nutrition class I am taking has taught me to saute items in veggie broth instead of oil. It really has been a wonderful way to cook healthier without sacrificing flavor.
For the pizza, I sautéed onion and garlic, then added orange peppers, artichoke hearts, and black olives. I added dried basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme and kept adding veggie broth as everything cooked down.
In the meantime, ‘R’ made the pizza sauce. He took a can of tomato paste, and added some water, then added garlic, and all the herbs listed above, as well as a little salt and pepper. His special secret ingredient to take it over the top was a little bit of Cajun Power sauce. It made just the right bit of flavor and bite.
We layered the pizza sauce on the Whole Foods whole wheat pizza crust and added the sautéed ingredients. I layered fresh basil on top, then place them in a 400 degree pre-heated oven. We cooked it for about 30 minutes. I was not happy with how the crust cooked. My guess is that there was no oil to crisp it up. Still, the flavor was very good and everyone was happy. Next time I think I will cook just the crust by itself a little first and see if that helps.
