7.29.2012

VEGGIE PIZZA

This is the second time that I have made this pizza and it has been a hit both times. It is a great "no meat" meal and is really satisfying. I got a new pan a couple of weeks ago and have been in love ever since. It is a Calphalon Unison Sear Non-stick Grill Pan. I have used it to cook steak, chicken and of course pizza all of which have turned out great. It really does  a great job of searing the meat and cooking evenly. With no BBQ it is a great way to get that good sear on meat and it can go straight in the oven too which is really nice. Overall I am incredibly pleased with the purchase.


So enough about the pan lets get to this pizza! I don't make my own crust mostly because of sheer laziness and second of all because i can get good whole wheat crust from trader joes for a little over a dollar. So it is worth it to me to just buy it. 


I open the dough, place it right on the counter with a little flour and let it rest while i prepare the other toppings. Slice peppers, Onions, open a can of sliced olives (again pure laziness!) Open a can of sauce, I use sliced fresh mushrooms too.



I then saute the onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a little butter with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder just until they are a little cooked and to get a bit of the moisture out of the veggies.


When that is finished cooking i set that aside usually on a slanted surface so it can cool a bit and the liquid will drain to one side of the pan. (usually just prop it on one of the stove burners.) In the meantime I roll out the dough the size of the grill pan and place it in. when it has browned on one side go ahead and flip it over.


Now you are ready to put all of the yummy toppings on. Start with the sauce.


Then add the cheese.


Now the sauteed veggies and olives.


Now go ahead and add more cheese if you are like me and just LOVE cheese! I used a blend of cheeses, but you can really use any kind you want, this is just what i had on hand. 


Now the whole thing is ready to go into the oven that has been preheated to 350 Degrees. I usually put it in until the cheese melts and then to get a good golden finish on top i switch it to the broiler for about 5 minutes. When the cheese begins to be a little brown it is FINISHED!


Pull it out of the oven, remove from pan, slice and ENJOY! if you are observant you will notice that this is not the pizza in the previous photo it is from the first time I made it. The last time I made it I pulled the pan out of the oven, the pizza looked amazing, i pulled off my oven mitt and thought oh i need one last picture and not thinking i grabbed the handle of the pan with my bare hand to get a better picture and well it was still hot! REALLY HOT! so rather than getting a great picture and enjoying the great pizza, i sat with my hand in cold water for the next four hours trying to get it to stop burning. Thankfully i didn't get blisters, but I tell you what it HURT! So you get the picture, the pizza looks about like this! It is easy, quick and tastes great! Enjoy it, let me know how yours turns out!

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