Homemade Pizza... Somewhat!

I was venturing through the isles at Trader Joe's (one of my favorites speciality grocery stores... cheap, convenient, and tasty) when I had the yearning to make pizza.  But, I wanted it that night and didn't want to deal with making my own dough.

Thankfully, TJ's offers a whole wheat dough (along with regular dough and a herb version).  I purchased that along with some other must haves and away I went.  So, you bake the pizza at 450-500 degrees to perfection and in about 20 minutes you have a marvelous meal and oh-so-tasty! 

Follow the directions as stated in the dough's package.  I'm telling you in advance to pull the dough out of the fridge 20 minutes prior to prepping.  Be sure to pre-heat that oven.  While the dough is resting and the oven is pre-heating, chop up your choice of veggies.  The pizza I created I named: Pesto Delight.  The sauce was actually tube of basil spread I purchased from Safeway.  I used this instead of actual pesto paste or sauce because it's lower in calories and fat.  Yet, tastes just like pesto sauce.  I also had chicken leftover from earlier in the week, I sliced some yellow sweet peppers, white onion, and spinach.  Topped half of it with pine nuts for others... But, I do not like the texture or taste of pine nuts that's why only half of the pizza was topped with them.

So, the process (simplified) as follows for the PESTO DELIGHT pizza:

-Get the dough out and let it sit for 20 minutes
-Pre-heat the oven to 450-500 degrees (depends on the dough)
-Chop your veggies
-Cut up some chicken breast
-Roll dough out on a well floured surface, use the flour in accordance to your dough (wheat = wheat flour, white = white flour...)
-Once the dough is rolled out, begin to put the basil spread on the dough
-After that, sprinkle LIGHTLY and SPARINGLY shredded mozzarella cheese on top
-Then add your chicken and veggies
-Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes, depending on how you like your dough and VIOLA! 

DONE.  A very simple and easy recipe in which gives you a pizza in about the same time or less than delivery!  And, MUCH healthier for you! 

It's a clean version of what I enjoy eating most.  I could eat pizza everyday!  But, with the over abundance of calories and processed meats, it doesn't make for a wise food choice.  Now, you too can eat cleaner and better without sacrificing taste or enjoyment!  CHEERS!  Stay tuned for more! 

Clean Calzones

Clean calzones sounds like an oxymoron, but it is not.  I got the dough recipe from the highly acclaimed food magazine, Bon appetite.  It is a no knead dough recipe.  It makes enough for three fluffy and thick calzones or four slightly thinner, yet just as fluffy!  Make this dough in advance because it takes a at least 18 hours to complete the rising of the dough.  Be sure to read this recipe carefully prior to starting your dough so you know EXACTLY what to expect... and what to do. 

Yes, there are quicker ways to make dough, but this dough calls for NO sugar and NO oil.  Plus, it has a rustic, Italian taste to it that you can use to make pizza if you choose not make calzones.  TWO FOR ONER!!!  Heck yes!


Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour (I bought mine from Trader Joe's)
2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water

Recipe:
Whisk ingredients together in medium bowl.  While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly add 1 1/2 cups of water and stir until well incorporated.  Mix dough gently with your hands until it forms a small dough ball.  Transfer to a large bowl (because it's going to rise, baby!!!). Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise at room temp (about 72 degrees) in a draft free area until the surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size (which is approx. 18 hours). 

After it has risen, place dough on a floured work surface.  Gently shape dough into three big or four moderately sized dough balls.  Trick here is to continually fold the corners under the ball using both hands repeatedly.  With this action, continue dusting the dough balls with flour. 

Let the dough rest and cover with plastic wrap or a damp, warm kitchen towel.  You want the dough soft and pliable (approx. 1 hour).  Once this has happened, you are ready to rolllllll that dough out and make them caaaaalzones, baby!!!

For the sauce, I opened up a can of organic, no salt added tomato sauce put in a sauce pan and let it heat up.  Meanwhile, I diced some onions to my liking and garlic.  I tossed those into the sauce and then added some Italian herb seasoning.  I let that simmer for about 10 minutes or so... and then you are ready to put on your dough.  Divide your dough in half... if you are making circular calzones, fold use only one half for the sauce then add toppings... or fillings on top of the sauce. Save some sauce for dipping!  Lightly cover the dough, by the way.  Don't drench these calzones just yet with sauce. 

Toppings... well in this case, fillings can include anything that you'd put on a pizza.  I put chopped spinach, red and yellow peppers, yellow onion, garlic (yes MORE... hehehehehe), mushrooms in mine.  It was amazing!  Add mozzarella cheese, if you'd like!!! 

To finish your calzone, fold the untouched dough side of your calzone over the toppings/fillings and sauce. Then begin to pinch the outer edges together.  You can get fancy and twist... I am not much of a baker and have no patience so I pinched mine in orderly fashion... cross my fingers and they came out fine!  Haha!

Arrange the calzones on a baking sheet and bake in oven on 500 degrees  until the dough on the bottom is a crispy and brown.  The top of the cals should be golden and crispy, as well.  It should be about 10-12 minutes.  CAREFUL!  I'd keep on eye on these bad boys every four minutes.  Once the are cook thoroughly, they are ready to serve.  Be creative!  If you find this complicated, then make pizzas which are pretty much the same thing... except you cover ALL the dough with sauce and cheese... and you don't fold it... 

Good luck and cheers!  Enjoy!