Barbecued Pizza
My husband and I enjoy using the barbecue all year round and especially love grilling bread on it. Commercially produced pizza can be high in salt, fat and calories but if you prepare your own, you can make it according to your dietary needs. A vegetable pizza with just a little cheese can be healthy without all the extra fat and cholesterol normally associated with meats and cheese. If you are a meat fanatic and just can’t handle your pizza without meat, add some grilled chicken to your vegetable pizza. Chicken offers many health benefits that other meats don’t. Onions are rich in sulfur compounds and flavonoids which help to maintain a healthy immune system and may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Other veggies that can add antioxidant and nutritional punch to pizza are artichokes, spinach, red peppers, broccoli, and even slices of steamed squash. Tomato sauce that adds a touch of sweetness to a pizza is an excellent source of lycopenes (strong antioxidants). A veggie filled slice of pizza is a tasty way to get your daily vegetable quota.
Makes 8 (small pizzas)
recipe from Dish magazine
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Dough:
500g flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast
300ml warm water
4 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings (any of the following):
mozzarella or bocconcini, goat’s cheese or feta
blanched or roasted asparagus
grilled zucchini or eggplant slices
roasted tomatoes or red bell pepper
caramelized onions
prosciutto or salami
artichoke hearts
olives
pesto, tepenades, tomato paste or sauce
fresh basil, mint, flat leaf parsley
For the dough, combine flour, salt, sugar and the yeast in a bowl. Stir the water and oil together and pour into the flour. Use a fork to make a loose dough then tip onto a lightly floured counter top. Knead until smooth then place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in size – about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the barbecue. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll out thinly on a lightly floured counter top. Brush one side with olive oil. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the dough has puffed up a little and the underside is golden, then turn over. Spread with pesto or your favorite tomato sauce and top with several of the suggested topping ingredients. If using toppings that don’t need to be hot, remove the pizza when both sides are cooked and place on a serve plate. Top with your own combination. Add dressed salad leaves if desired.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: This is my kind of pizza! Easy to make and assemble and loaded with flavors! What a wonderful way to get children involved in the process of making their own pizza. Teach them how to prepare the dough and let them know of the nutritional benefits of the vegetables as well as introducing new veggies to them. I’m not a fan of thick-crust pizza so these pizzas were just the right thickness for me. I’ve also come away from putting any tomato sauce on my pizzas and prefer olive oil or a really nice homemade pesto. Enjoy!