Ezekiel Crust Vegetable Pizza & Raw Salad with Ginger

Do you need to eat more vegetables?  Do you want your kids to eat more vegetables?  This idea is much easier than, say, deep-frying broccoli!  As far as I’m concerned, eating pizza is a good way to eat more vegetables.

I realize that’s not really the all-American point of view about pizza!  But I can’t even remember the last time I ate a meat lovers or pepperoni pizza.  It’s delicious, I’m sure.  It’s just not my thing.

I’m more excited about asparagus or kale or goat cheese on my pizza.

Ok, I’m weird.

So how does one DO THIS you say???  Here’s one simple idea, just to give a clue about how to make a quick and easy vegetable pizza.

You start with any kind of small tortilla.  Sprouted, flour, corn, kamut, rice, spelt —  whatever you like.

The key is don’t use a huge one (like a big burrito size tortilla) because it will most likely be unwieldy.  Too hard to eat.  Floppy and sloppy.  But…in a pinch, you can roll it, fold it over, etc.  Actually, it will taste so good, you won’t care how it gets into your mouth!

My personal favorite is Ezekiel tortillas  because they have some “body” and they come in two sizes.  Small and large.  The small ones work better.

Smear Trader Joe’s Pizza Sauce over each tortilla (or somebody’s pizza sauce.)  When my cupboards were bare, I have been known to resort to a glass of good red wine salsa (might need to drain it just a bit, save the juice for the salad dressing) or simple fresh tomato slices on the bottom layer.  All of them work.

Add steamed leftover vegetables — say cauliflower (sliced or crumbled a bit) this time.  Add a few slices or small chunks of fresh tomatoes, roasted garlic (leftover from making a baked chicken), small dollups of heavenly Chevre goat cheese, a sprinkle of feta (it’s salty — nice contrast), and a few chopped green onions.  Sprinkle lightly with Penzey’s Pizza Seasoning and bake at 425 or 450 degrees until it browns a little and barely bubbles.  Add a salad of any kind and you’re done.

Get the idea?

Here is the combination I made last night for dinner.  You can see that the variations are endless.

And with my kind of pizza, the least important emphasis (meaning what fills you up)  is the crust — the crust is really a vegetable delivery system!

Need more vegetables in your diet? This could work!

Ezekiel Crust Vegetable Pizza and Raw Salad with Ginger

You need:

1. Small Ezekiel Tortillas (or any small tortilla) for the number of people you’re serving.  Usually 2 small (or 1 larger size) per person.

2. Leftover cooked vegetables. I had eggplant/tomato/basil/green pepper/red onion that I had used as a side dish.  Sometimes I just have leftover broccoli or asparagus or cauliflower.  Once I even put parsnips on a pizza.  I have to tell you, it was fabulous.

3. Fresh, raw vegetables. I had rainbow chard, leftover marinated tomatoes, green onions, red cabbage.  Chop everything fairly small.  It works better.

4. Cheese. I had this variety available:  Cream cheese with olives (leftover appetizer), fontina, cheddar, 2 slices of fresh mozzarella (that was in with the marinated tomatoes) and parmesan.  Use combinations you enjoy.  Opposites work great — like soft and creamy goat cheese or cream cheese or mozzarella with salty parmesan.  Use less cheese than you think.  It needs a suggestion of cheese.  It doesn’t have to be covered in cheese to be delicious.  Not at all.  The cheese should accent the vegetables, not smother them.

Use a variety of ingredients, but don’t overload the pizza.

Assemble pizzas on a pizza stone or cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is soft and melted.

Raw Salad with Ginger

GRATE THE FOLLOWING raw vegetables IN WHATEVER PROPORTIONS YOU ENJOY:

Carrots

Turnips

Red Cabbage

Golden Beets

Fresh Ginger ( to taste).  Peel a small chunk and either grate it or cut small slivers off the peeled chunk.   I like actual small pieces of ginger in this salad, so that the flavor surprises and delights.   “Adding a kick” is a good way to warm up a fall/winter salad.

Dressing

A good rule of thumb is to use about a tsp of vinegar and a tsp of olive oil per serving.  For this salad, you don’t need much dressing.  You just need enough liquid for the flavors to begin to mix.  So for 4 people, you’d need a generous Tablespoon of olive oil, a generous Tablespoon of Bragg’s Cider Vinegar.  Add the salt and pepper. Taste it.  If you like more dressing, add more of each.

Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Enjoy your Ezekiel Crust Vegetable Pizza and Raw Salad with Ginger, and get more vegetables in your diet for you and your kids!