Thursday, April 17, 2008

That's Amore !


According to Dean Martin, "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that's amore". Well in my case when you think whole wheat pitas, turkey pepperoni and 2% mozzarella cheese tastes good - that's amore! It is no secret that I am a junk food junkie, however, eating "bad for you" food isn't an option in my household. My husband is a Type 1 Diabetic, better known as juvenile diabetic. He was diagnosed at age twelve and is insulin dependent. Along with many other daily effects on his life, it is very important that he eat responsibly and make healthy food choices. As the household cook, it is my responsibility to make sure that I help him in his cause. I try to incorporate as many whole grains, fruits, vegetables, non-fat/low-fat dairy and lean meats into my recipes as possible. One of my concoctions that fulfills these requirements are my Whole Wheat Pita Pizza's made with Turkey Pepperoni and 2% mozzarella cheese. This is one of the few things I make that I didn't find in a recipe magazine or on a recipe website - so excuse the informality of the recipe below. I got the idea for this recipe from my sister's father in law and modified it to fit our needs. These pizzas are super simple to make, can be prepared and cooked in less than 20 minutes, and tinkered with to fit anyones taste buds.

Wheat Pita Pizza

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Olive Oil
Turkey Pepperonis
2% Mozzerella Cheese
Garlic
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Pre-made Pizza Sauce
Mushrooms
Crushed Red Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute mushrooms and garlic in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Place Pita Pockets on baking sheet. Brush the edges of the pockets with olive oil using a pastry brush. Spread 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on in the center of the dough. Sprinkle pizza sauce with dried oregano and dried basil. Scatter Mushrooms over the sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese over each pizza. Place Pepperonis on the top of the pizzas over the cheese. At this point, if you aren't trying to achieve an ultra healthy status you can sprinkle more cheese over the top of the pepperonis. {Above is a picture of the pizzas before they are placed into the oven} Bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with crushed red pepper and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if you so desire.

These pizzas turn out surprisingly delicious and you can change the toppings in order to mix it up. I have made them with red peppers, goat cheese and caramelized onions and proscuitto.
The crust will become crispy during baking and the reduced fat cheese is undetectable. I make these for dinner and they are the perfect personal sized pizzas to serve along side a salad. One could also make several of them with different toppings and cut them up to serve at a party as an appetizer. I really suggest trying this healthy take on a classic junk food and I promise you will be pleased.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Bizz. Love the recipes! mybe I can get uncle mike to make some of them. Luv:) Aunt Eilene

Woody said...

i ate the pizza for Lunch today and it's even better on the second day. -The Diabetic Husband-