Blog & Food Journal

Tonight I decided to make pizza and really wanted to make something fantastic.  My kids only know "pizza" as the very

greasy cardboard stuff they get at school.  Of course I wanted to make vegetarian pizza, but I also wanted my kids and

meat-loving hubby to enjoy it.  It was a complete success!  Each of my 4 children asked for seconds (which NEVER happens

no matter what's for dinner).  And my sweet husband didn't scourge through the fridge afterwards looking for something else

to satisfy his appetite.  I'll be honest, it was delicious.  Now keep in mind, I used real cheese which always makes things taste better

but doesn't make this the healthiest of options.  Truthfully tonight I didn't mind too much, because I just wanted them to try (and love)

something other than the pizza they were used to.

To start, I made a very basic pizza crust.  Normally I do half wheat and half white flour.  Tonight  I was in a HUGE rush so I didn't have

time to grind my wheat into flour.  I used Organic, unbromated white flour instead (once again adding to the flavor but not to the nutrients).

BASIC DOUGH:

3 cups of flour

1 tsp yeast

2 tsp salt

1 and 1/3 cup of warm water

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stir with a spoon until it forms a rough ball shape.  This is a very quick and easy process so I didn't

even get out my mixer for this.  Dump the "ball" onto a floured surface and knead for 3 minutes (adding flour if the dough sticks to your hands

or surface).  Then put the dough back in a greased bowl, cover it, and let rise for about an hour and a half.  After the dough has risen roll it out into

the desire shape of the pizza.  I rolled mine onto parchment paper, and will then transfer the whole thing directly onto a pizza stone using a pizza peel.

This is when I started preparing the toppings, which allows the dough to rest.

One of the keys to a great pizza is using a pizza stone.  I usually put mine in the oven for at least 30 minutes

before I cook the pizza.  Ideally, you want the oven at about 500 degrees with the pizza stone in it, and then turn

the temperature down when you put the pizza in.

For the topping:

1/2 an onion, chopped finely

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4-6 large leaves of swiss chard, stalks removed and finely chopped

14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped in small pieces

1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes, chopped

sauteed mushrooms (as mush as you want)

cheese for the top

Saute the onions for about 6 minutes and then add the garlic and swiss chard.  Saute for 4-5 minutes and then

add the artichoke hearts and tomatoes (to chop theses I just put them in my food processor together and pulsed it

briefly). 

Add pizza sauce to the prepared dough and then add the swiss chard mixture.  Top with sauteed mushrooms and

then add the desired amount of cheese. Using a vegan cheese would be a great option too.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is gold brown.

Dig in and enjoy -- I know we did (maybe a little too much :)!