Veggie Pizza & Pizza Sauce

You may have noticed the new look - i changed it on a whim and I'm still not sure how I feel about it but I've always wanted a template that allows 3 columns instead of two so that's why I started to experiment. Well, onto the recipe of the day...

When I'm running short on time but still want something different and exciting, I rely on store bought pizza crust. I used to buy the refrigerated ones (e.g. Pillsbury) but not anymore... Almost all the supermarkets carry their own fresh made pizza dough and after having sampled them from many stores in my area, i prefer the ones from Harris Teeter. It yields a nice soft, fluffy crust and they also have whole wheat versions of the same which tastes equally good and is a whole lot better than the ones in the cans. I'm also including a recipe for a no-cook pizza sauce which tastes delicious - I got this from the allrecipes website.

I also prefer home-made pizza because I can pile on the veggies, add my favorite Tandoori Paneer & make it spicy. Here are a few of my favorite toppings:

VEGGIE & PANEER PIZZA

Ingredients:
Pizza crust of your preference (store bought/homemade) - 1

Marinara / Pizza sauce - home made (see below) or storebought or use this Thokku recipe
Mozzarella cheese / Pepperjack cheese - about 6 to 8 oz, shredded

Toppings of your choice - choose from Tandoori Paneer, Sliced Red Onions, Bell Peppers (Red & Green), Broccoli, Pineapple pieces, Olives, Mushrooms, jalapenos & Tomato slices.

Chilli Powder, Salt & Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Method:
1) I usually saute the veggies separately in a tsp of oil and season them with chilli powder and salt. This lends a spiciness to the pizza. As for the Broccoli and mushroom I add salt and pepper (instead of chilli powder). For the paneer follow this recipe to marinate them. Following which, toss them in a pan with some oil for a few minutes or leave them as is and they will get cooked when on the pizza.

2) Preheat oven to 400F or 425F. Roll out (or flip if you feel particularly adventurous :) ) the pizza dough, in a wide sheet pan that has been sprayed with oil, to desired thickness Spread pizza sauce uniformly. Sprinkle some crushed red pepper if you prefer for some added heat or some crushed (dried) pizza seasoning.

3) Sprinkle a good layer of cheese on the sauce. Now place the toppings making sure they are evenly distributed. Add a touch more cheese on the top. You could add a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top but I usually don't because my veggies are already sauteed - maybe if you are using raw veggies that would be a good idea.

4) Place in a preheated oven and cook for about 15-20 mins or until the crust is cooked through. The cheese would've melted & become gooey by now. Remove, cut into slices and serve.


HOME-MADE PIZZA SAUCE (no cook) - makes enough for 2 pizzas

Ingredients:

Tomato paste (canned) - 6 oz

Hot water - 6 oz
Grated Parmesan cheese - 3 tbsp
Garlic - 1 tsp, minced
Honey - 1 tbsp
Onion powder - 3/4 tsp (it's okay to skip if you don't have this)
Dried Oregano - 1/4 tsp
Dried Marjoram - 1/4 tsp
Dried Basil - 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Dried Pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Note: if you don' t have the individual herbs, use italian seasoning or pizza seasoning instead.

Method:
Combine all of the above in a bowl and stir well until they are mixed together completely. Use on pizza as a sauce base.