Roasted Vegetable Pizza
As an impish youth, I was prone to a bit of mischief and trouble making. Nothing too felonious, mind you, but when the opportunity presented itself, I have to admit that I would often give into temptation. Like the time I stabbed my friend’s “Stretch Armstrong” with a pair of scissors. Or like the time cheated while playing “Battleship” with my sister. All were opportunities too good to pass up.
And what happens when you have your best friend sleep over at your house? And it just so happens that your parents are going to be out for the evening at their monthly bridge club? And your babysitter is your older sister who happens to have her boyfriend over and is too busy making out in the living room to keep an eye on you? What happens? Well, I will tell you what happens. You and your best friend decide to make prank calls to anyone and everyone you know.
Back before caller ID, you could actually spend three or four hours cracking yourselves up asking people, “Is your refrigerator running?” But the coup de grace came with the introduction of pizza delivery in the early 80’s. Yes, this service, designed to make life easier for hardworking mothers and guys too lazy to get off the couch during football season, escalated our hijinks and transformed simple prank calls into fresh and hot large double black olive and double anchovy pizzas. Yeah, a kid in my class was the recipient of numerous pizzas over the course of several months.
But then my friend got an Atari, my sister broke up with her boyfriend, and prank calls didn’t seem as much fun anymore. However, it is in the spirit of those calls and the numerous pizzas delivered to unsuspecting people that I present my version of the ROASTED VEGETABLE PIZZA. Inspired by the recipes in the Engine 2 Diet Plan series, this pizza uses no cheese or added oil. And while the pizza is full of flavor, I promise it won’t show up on your doorstep unexpectedly.
Ingredients
- 2 Med. Zucchini
- 2 Med. Yellow Squash
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- 1 Lrg. Eggplant
- 2 Portobello Caps
- 2 ½ Cups of Vegetable Broth
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 Tsp. Dried Thyme
- 2 Tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 Tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 6 oz. Baby Spinach (steamed & chopped)
- 4 Med. Onions (sliced)
- 1 Cup Hummus
- 8-10 Fresh Basil Leaves
- 4 Whole Wheat Flat Breads
Instructions
First, you will need to preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Chop your zucchini, squash, peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms into bite size pieces. Place the veggies on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Drizzle the vegetables with ½ cup of vegetable broth and all the red wine vinegar. Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, and paprika to the veggies and toss everything to combine. Roast the veggies for about 30 minutes stirring every 10 to ensure nothing sticks to the cookie sheet.
While your vegetables roast, add your onions and ½ cup of vegetable broth to a skillet (I use my cast iron one) and place over medium heat. Slowly sauté your onions until they begin to brown and caramelize. During this process you will want to add ½ cup of broth at a time to ensure that the onions do not stick to the bottom of the pan or burn. This entire process takes about 30 minutes but it is well worth it because you get sweet caramelized onions without any added fat.
Let your vegetables and onions cool down enough to handle. Divide the hummus evenly over the four flatbreads. Pitas will work in this case, but the flat bread is a bit thicker and more sturdy. Top the hummus with caramelized onions and the spinach. Then add your roasted vegetables to the pizzas. Finish the pizzas with the fresh basil leaves. You can roughly chop the basil or just tear the leaves into pieces. Bake in the 425 degree oven for 10 minutes.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/vegetable-pizza/
Roasted Veggies
Your pizza is ready
Now, you have your own pizza loaded with tons of vegetable goodness. Although it didn’t magically arrive at your door, it still has enough flavor to make you forget about the cheese and added oils. And if someone happens to call you one night asking if “your refrigerator is running”, calmly answer “yes, I better go catch it.” Longer Letter Later. Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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