Thursday, March 21, 2013

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!


7 comments:

  1. What a great idea! I'm always hunting for healthy lunch ideas if we don't have any leftovers in the fridge. I'll have to try this.

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  2. I think it's right up your alley :)

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  3. Hi Kate, I just ran across your blog yesterday and have loved looking through your archive of posts. I'm a fellow piano teacher! I saw that you went to Notre Dame. Not sure when you graduated, but one of my closest friends is now the Music Librarian there--his name's Rob Simon. Happen to have met him? Anyway.... so nice to have found your blog!

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  4. Hi Stacey! I'm happy you found my blog too! Great to "meet" you.


    Rob Simon sounds so familiar...I can't picture a face, but I probably have met him. I graduated in Dec 2009 (class of 2010). What a funny coincidence! :)

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  5. Oh my goodness that sounds delicious and so incredibly easy. I love me some saucy/cheesy goodness but this is such a healthier version. You can bet I'll be trying it!

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  6. Great! I hope you love it like I do!

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  7. I am a self-professed pizza addict, and this looks delicious! It reminds me of a bruschetta that one of my favorite restaurants in DC makes. The combination of flavorful tomatoes on crispy bread with olive oil is absolutely divine. I will definitely be trying your version. :)

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