Nutritious "Pizza"

When I get a craving for some tomato sauce and bread and gooey cheese, I usually resist the urge to order a pizza and instead make my own nutritious "pizza" using my broiler and ingredients I usually have on hand. Here's what to do.

Toast a piece of whole grain bread. I often do this step in the toaster, but you could do it in the broiler too. (The toaster is better at getting both sides crispy.)

After toasting the bread, drizzle on some olive oil. Then spread on a layer of tomato sauce and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with your choice of cheese (in this photo, I used ricotta, but mozzarella or goat cheese or even cheddar would also be yummy). For extra robustness and healthiness, you can add a layer of vegetables between the sauce and the cheese. Last night I used steamed baby spinach, and it was perfect.

Pop this under the broiler for a few minutes, until the sauce and cheese are warmed. Drizzle on more olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and some chopped fresh basil.

This is perfect as a light lunch, or as a quick weeknight dinner with some extra vegetables or a green salad to go with it. When tomato season is in full swing, I replace the tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes, which makes it even more delicious.

It's better than pizza, if you ask me! Enjoy!