Who doesn't love pizza? I love pizza. My husband loves pizza . But I love my husband, so I don't let either of us give into our pizza cravings very often. A great compromise is to say to one's self, if I really want pizza I will make my own. This almost guarantees that it will be healthier that the pizza at your local pizza shop. I will concede that homemade pizza is not a cheap meal or quick to make, but if pizza is what you are craving then it is well worth it to take the time and make it yourself. In our house we are great fans of the personal sized pizza. Rather than dough we use pitas for the crust, it's a pretty good substitute and will crisp up when baked. Homemade pizza has very different rules and expectations from pizzeria pizza. When I go to a pizzeria, I'm looking for quality cheeses, tangy flavorful sauce and an incredibly light crisp crust. Homemade pizza is an entirely different food as far as I am concerned. I do not have a brick oven or a multi-generational sauce recipe. What I do have is a corner vegitable market - and that's a great place to start for making homemade pizza. Fresh ingredients are the key to making pizza at home. fresh tomatoes, basil, and real cheese - not processed. Unlike the pizzeria where every topping adds .99 cents to you bill, when you make pizza at home you can afford to indulge in toppings and what you do use up can simply be co-opt for another meal. The grand master of pizza at my house is Todd, so I'm sharing his pizza recipe with you today. (shown above)Basil And Garlic Personal Pizza
Serves 2
⅓ lb Fresh Mozzarella
4 Fresh Garlic Bulbs
1 Red Onion
2 Baby Portabello Mushrooms
1 Cup Of Organic Marinara Sauce
1 Vine-Ripened Tomato
1 Red Pepper
3 Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 Fresh Basil Stalk
2 Pieces Of Rounded Flat Bread
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp Oregano
2 tbs of shredded Romano cheese
Dice your veggies to size, lightly crush and finely chop your fresh garlic. Shred your basil and Cut your mozzarella into thin slices
Drizzle your olive oil over the flat bread and spread with a spoon until evenly coated. Now spread a light coat of marinara sauce over your bread, mixed with a little bit of fresh garlic and basil.
Lay your mozzarella out evenly over your pizza. Generously top with red onion, portabello mushrooms, sliced fresh and sundried tomatoes, red pepper, and fresh garlic. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and oregano to taste.
Cook on low heat in a frying pan lightly greased with olive oil until bottoms are crisp. Then bake in oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and veggies crisped. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes, and top with the rest of your fresh basil.
Drizzle your olive oil over the flat bread and spread with a spoon until evenly coated. Now spread a light coat of marinara sauce over your bread, mixed with a little bit of fresh garlic and basil.
Lay your mozzarella out evenly over your pizza. Generously top with red onion, portabello mushrooms, sliced fresh and sundried tomatoes, red pepper, and fresh garlic. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and oregano to taste.
Cook on low heat in a frying pan lightly greased with olive oil until bottoms are crisp. Then bake in oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and veggies crisped. Take out and let cool for 5 minutes, and top with the rest of your fresh basil.
