Spinach Artichoke Sauce Pizza (Whole Grain Crust))

Today I walked by a can of artichoke hearts at the store, and got inspired to make something with them tonight. This is what I came up with. I had fun doing the edge of the crust a little different style. It kind of looks like a quiche in this picture. * This sauce would be wonderful on pasta, rice or other whole grains. I did one pizza without bacon bits and 2 without. I thought my children would enjoy it. I liked the one without the bacon flavor.


Here is a recipe for whole grain pizza crust(I had a mix of whole grains in the flour brown rice, quinoa, spelt and wheat)

Sauce: (I made 3 pizzas)
*Prep 8 hours ahead or over night would be even better. Put 1 C of cashews pieces in 2 C of water. The longer you soak the better. It will make it creamier. I rushed it tonight and only soaked it 30 min. It turned out well, I think it would be even better if it had soaked longer. *

Ingredients:
4 T butter or coconut oil
1 onion chopped up in pieces
1 14oz, artichoke hearts chopped up and drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves minced
3 C cashew cream or 3 C half and half
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
2 to 3 tsp sea salt w/ iodine
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 C frozen spinach
1 T fresh basil
1 C of freshly grated Parmesan
*1 T whole grain flour for thickening if needed
Bacon bits 2 to 3 T per pizza

Directions:

1. (Cashew Cream) The process for making the cashew cream. Soak cashews as long as you can or overnight. In 2 C water. After soaking is complete drain out the water and then add 1 C water while you blend in a blender till creamy. Set aside.

2. In a frying pan on the stove heat to medium-low heat and put in butter or oil. Pour in the onions and heat for 3-5 min till soft. Put in minced garlic and stir and cook for another minute or two.

3. Turn up the heat to medium to medium high heat and add the chopped up artichoke hearts and stir until lightly browned. Turn down the heat to medium low. Pour in the cashew cream or half and half. Continue to stir.

4.Then add zest, juice, salt, pepper, basil, spinach and 1/2 C grated cheese. Continue to stir and add 1 T of flour if needed to thicken. You want it to be a thick mixture before you put it on the pizza.

5. Heat oven to 400 to 425. Have it preheated before you put the pizza in the oven. Roll out pizza to desired thickness. ( rolled it out thin.)

6. Pour the sauce on to the crust. Then put on some grated cheese. I used about 1/2 C. of cheese between 3 pizzas. You can put on the bacon bits if desired.

7. I cooked the pizza right on the hot stone. Cook until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Serve it nice and hot.

*Cooked Chicken would be good on it too.

Here is another recipe with spinach and artichokes.

Whole Grain Thin Crust Pizza

This pizza was inspired by getting a free sample from from a Bistro yesterday. :) I thought it would be fun to try and recreate it with wholegrain flour. It was a fun change not having sauce, just cheeses, spices, tomatoes and olive oil. It made a light nice meal. I have found adding a little bit of vinegar works as a nice leavening agent with whole grains.

Ingredients:
Whole Grain Pizza Dough:
1 T Yeast
6 C whole grain flour (I used spelt with)
2 1/2 T kosher salt
1 T olive oil
1 T apple cider vinegar
2 C warm water

Pizza toppings: (Choose your preference)
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
fresh cut tomatoes (Roma would be great) sun dried would be yummy
2 minced garlic
Italian seasoning, basil, oregano and rosemary and ?
mozzarella cheese
a little kosher salt
aged provolone and or Romano
olive oil

Directions:
1. Pour all the ingredients for the dough into the bowl at the same time. Except start with 5 cups of flour and add more slowly. Keep adding flour until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead about 3-5 min. Take dough out, rub olive oil all over the dough. Place in bowl. Cover and let double in warm spot. Punch down and let rise another 20 min. Then punch down.

2. Heat oven to 400. Roll out dough thin on oiled parchment paper. That is on the back of a cookie sheet.

3. Rub olive oil on to the dough and place the toppings you choose on top.

4. If you have a pizza stone. Slide the pizza off the cookie sheet (keeping the parchment paper underneath) on to the pizza stone. The other option is just cook it on the cookie sheet.

5. Bake about 15 min. or until cheese bubbles. Enjoy!

Healthy Mexican Pizza on the Barbecue

This is another pizza that I made on the barbecue. Find the original crust recipe and procedure here, and then add these easy toppings and sauce:

Sauce
For the sauce I used salsa. Use the ingredients found in Picco de Gallo here, but instead of chopping them up small, pulse them in a blender until slightly smooth. Spread a thin layer on crust.

Toppings (for about 2 pizzas)
Mexican cheese (or preferred flavor)
1 lb. ground turkey
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
2 Tbsp. dried onions
1/4 c. water
4-5 tomatillos, chopped*
5 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped

Brown turkey in frying pan. Add taco seasoning, onions, and water just as it is finishing cooking. Mix in tomatillos. Cover pizza crust with a layer of cheese.

Cook pizza in barbecue following the directions found here.

Top with fresh tomatoes and avocado.

*optional

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Pizza Dough

1 T. yeast
1 c. warm water (warm to touch)
2 T. olive oil
2 T. honey
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c. whole grain flour (I used spelt you could use more wheat flour instead)
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix yeast, warm water, olive oil, and xagave (or sugar) together in mixing bowl. Let sit 5 minutes.

Add dry ingredients to your mixer. Mix on medium speed and stop adding flour when dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Knead for 5 minutes by mixer or by hand. Then let the dough rise for 15 minutes.

Roll dough to desired thickness on pizza pan. I usually turn my cookie sheets upside-down and place a piece of parchment paper on top, and then roll the dough out on that. That way it's less mess! I prefer a thicker crusted pizza so my crust is 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Add toppings and then cook until crust is golden brown, or about 10 minutes.


Barbecue Sauce

3/4 c. tomato sauce
1/4 c. apple cider
1/2 c. brown sugar or sugar substitute
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. honey
1 T. minced garlic
1/4 t. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients together in small saucepan. Cook on medium heat at least until it is thick (from 20 minutes to 1 hour). The longer it simmers, the better the flavor, so as long as the sauce isn't burning, let it simmer while you make the dough.


Assembling the Pizza

Rolled out pizza dough
Barbecue sauce
2 cooked, shredded or chopped chicken breasts
Chopped red onions
Fresh cilantro
mozzarella cheese

Spread barbecue sauce liberally on pizza dough. Top with chicken, onions, cilantro, and cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees until crust turns a light golden brown. In my oven, this takes about 10 minutes, but every oven is different, so watch pizza closely.

Makes 1 pizza.

Enjoy!


P.S. One of my daughters also tried a variation with barbecue sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh basil, and it was surprisingly delicious. Yes! Barbecue sauce and sun-dried tomatoes. It doesn't sound good, but it was sweet and savory. Maybe just try it on half a pizza if you don't believe me.