Sonoma Pizza!

Today was a “cooking” day for me- meaning it’s my day to prepare as much in advance for the upcoming week as I can.  I made some chicken broth (from the bones from the roasted chicken earlier this week), whole wheat breadcrumbs (from the leftover loaf of bread from last week), Sonoma Granola (for yogurt!), made some Blueberry Muffins, made a Sonoma-friendly pizza, and I began a homemade loaf of Sprouted Grain Bread.  I love my cooking days- it sounds messy, but it’s just so relaxing compared to my day job!

Originally, I had planned to post about the Blueberry Muffins, however, that recipe admittedly needs quite a bit of work.  I didn’t like the texture at all, and the sweetness was not quite right…although the blueberries were perfect (there is a secret to this)!  Eventually, when I get that recipe just right, I will post it. 

A happy unintentional delicious accident was the pizza!  We actually were supposed to have some kind of winter-greens-stuffed-beef for dinner, but we both were craving pizza so bad!  My favorite pizza is a Chicago style deep dish with broccoli & spinach; Chris’ favorite is chicken with banana peppers and pepperoni.  We decided to combine our two favorites into one pizza!  We didn’t want to go off the diet, though, so we made it very diet friendly!  Luckily, at the local Wegman’s they offer a refrigerated stone-ground whole wheat pizza dough which is perfectly SD compatible.  I have a recipe for a fabulous whole wheat crust, too, which I will post (because they are hard to come by).  However, the dough I used tonight was found in the refrigerator/freezer section!  There are lots of veggies (including broccoli and spinach) on this pizza, but cooking it at a higher temp allows the veggies to brown, giving them a slightly savory flavor.  Even Chris loves this pizza!!  This pizza also cuts back on the cheese, but we honestly did not miss it!

  Here’s the link to the Honey Wheat Pizza Crust that I love:  CPK Honey Wheat Crust
A word about the “bread flour” called for in this recipe: my fave whole wheat bread flour is King Arthur Flour’s Bread Flour.  I personally think it’s got a superior texture and flavor, and I use it in all my baking.

Chicken Spinoccoli Pizza
1 recipe of pizza dough, or store bought whole grain pizza dough, at room temp
Olive Oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 – 3/4 c. canned diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 c. roasted or grilled chicken
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
1 c. fresh broccoli (if frozen, thaw & steam first)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried basil
salt & pepper
1/2 – 3/4 c. part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. shredded parmesan
10 – 15 turkey pepperoni slices
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  If you have a pizza stone, it is ideal for this recipe.  If not, a cookie sheet will work!  Spray (like with a Misto) or brush olive oil onto the stone/pan.  Make sure the pizza dough is at room temp, then start to stretch it in your hands, working the dough at all angles to pull it into a circle shape.  (It may take a few good minutes, but it’s worth it!)  When stretched thin but not torn, drape the dough onto the stone/sheet.

Spray/brush a little olive oil around the edges of the crust, so it will brown nicely.  Sprinkle the garlic throughout the middle, where the toppings will go.  Pour the tomatoes on top of the garlic, and spread with the back of a spoon evenly across the dough.  Season the tomatoes now with salt, pepper, and basil.  Sprinkle chicken on top of the tomatoes; distribute the spinach leaves all over the tomatoes (it should look full- don’t worry, spinach shrinks quite impressively with heat).  Sprinkle the broccoli over the spinach leaves and spray/brush the broccoli with a tiny amount of olive oil and sprinkle garlic powder, basil, salt, and pepper over the whole pizza.  Sprinkle the cheeses evenly; place the pepperonis evenly on top of the cheese.  Season with basil, garlic powder, salt, & pepper.  Bake pizza at 450 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.  Pizza is done when crust is slightly darker than golden brown, and the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the veggies are slightly browned.  Cut into 8 slices, enjoy!! 

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