Put Your Pizza on a Diet

Errrr......I'd rather not skimp on my pizza. Sometimes you just have to indulge a little. They say everything in moderation is the key but once in a while I think it's OK to give in to those not so healthy tasty delights, just so long as you make up for it with a little extra exercise.

So many people would never try pizza without cheese, but it really is delicious if you have enough veggies on it. You don't really miss it if there's extra sauce and veggies. I'm not even vegan!

I bet homemade is MUCH better than ordered. How about just making it at home...You can decrease the cheese, add way more veggies, and make a whole wheat crust! If home made pizza is not allowing indulgence, I don`t know what is !!!! YUMMY

We make a batch of oven-roasted vegetables with broccoli, onions, whole garlic cloves, all colors of bell peppers, cauliflower, Finnish Gold potatoes and whatever else we have on hand. Just slice fairly thinly (3/8"-1/2"). Marinate an hour in 1/2 c. good olive oil, 1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar, 1 T. sugar, several pressed cloves garlic and 2 T. Italian seasoning. Toss frequently. Spray large, shallow baking sheets with non-stick spray, spread vegetables thinly (if you pile them up or use deep pans, they will steam and not roast). Bake at 350, stirring every 15 minutes or so. As they bake, they condense, so they increase in flavor while decreasing in size/moisture. Remove broccoli and cauliflower before other vegetables; they take less time, but do let them crisp up. When fairly tender, with some blackened edges, they're done. Make pizza dough (it is so easy, refrigerates and freezes great), then use these vegetables for topping. I use Trader Joe's red pepper/eggplant puree for a sauce, or cook down a can of Italian stewed tomatoes and smoosh that around on the crust first. Then add a little shredded cheese as a binder for the vegetables, followed by vegetables and lean sausage (optional), finishing with more cheese. I don't use a lot of cheese, though I do splurge and dot the pizza with small chunks of bleu cheese (Gorgonzola, Stilton, regular bleu). Bake on lowest shelf 15 minutes at 400. It's done when crust in center on bottom is dry. (Avoid super high temps for prolonged time with olive oil because it has a low smoke point and is bad for you if cooked too high. You can also use canola oil for the marinade; it has a higher smoke point.) Sprinkle cooked pizza with chopped fresh basil and rosemary, if you have them. Nothing beats the fresh herbs. This pizza is so good, many times I've heard it was the best someone has ever eaten, including picky vegetarian teens.

I also use oven-roasted vegetables on my pizza. My favorit days are in the late spring when all the produce is really starting to come out at the local farmers market. I make homemade pizza dough and then use the fresh ingredients from the market. Don't be afraid to try new things on your pizza! For example I grilled some fresh beets and put them on my pizza and it was wonderful!! Another great way to go if your cutting down on cheese add some light feta! It has a more intense flavor and will satisfy that craving.