Mediterranean Pizza – 172

I’m going to have to give Eric most of the credit on this one. He is, among other things, the best prep cook on the planet, a premiere sandwich maker, and our reigning pizza king. This pizza yields 8 slices, but I’m going to have to admit that we pretty much split it – with no leftovers. Considering that if you did that with a Pizza Hut cheese only pizza, you’d have double the calories, fat, and sodium….I don’t feel that bad about it 🙂

Mediterranean Pizza

½ red or bell pepper (sliced)
½ cup broccoli florets (chopped)
¼ cup vidalia onion (sliced)
¼ cup baby portabella mushrooms (sliced)
4 – 5  kallamata olives (sliced)
2 – 3 Greek olives (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
½ cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup fat-free shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil (vary to taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (vary to taste)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 100% whole wheat Boboli pizza crust

Tomato Sauce:

1 eight ounce can no salt tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon each: garlic powder,  onion powder, basil, oregano, onion flakes
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Place a pizza stone* in oven and preheat to 500°. Mix tomato sauce and spices together in a bowl. Drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil on top of pizza crust and spread with a pastry brush or paper towel (a mist spray bottle works well for this also). Dump about two thirds of the sauce on top of the crust and spread with a spoon until entire crust is covered (save rest of sauce for another meal). Evenly spread about 1/3 cup of the low-fat mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Don’t worry about completely covering the sauce with cheese at this stage, the rest will go on after the toppings. Evenly spread sliced peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, and olives on top of pizza. Spread the remaining low-fat mozzarella and fat-free mozzarella on top (no tomato sauce should be visible after this stage is complete). Sprinkle the feta cheese, minced garlic, and the oregano and basil evenly across the pizza. Lightly drizzle or spray a small amount of olive oil on top of pizza. Reduce oven temperature to 450°. Using a wooden pizza paddle, place pizza on pizza stone and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.  Ovens may vary, cook the cheese and underside of crust is beginning to brown. Remove pizza from oven with pizza paddle and place on a cutting board to let cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut pizza into eight slices using a large knife or pizza cutter. Sit back and enjoy the tastiest pizza you’ll ever eat!

*If you don’t have a pizza stone, use a baking pan, with or without aluminum foil, and spray it with a non-stick cooking spray.