Caramelized Onion Pizza

1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 6- to 7-inch whole wheat pita bread rounds
1 large tomato, quartered and sliced or 1 cup cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup finely shredded Romano cheese (1 ounce)
1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves or shredded fresh basil

1. In a medium saucepan cook onion slices and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until onion is very tender, stirring occasionally; set aside.

2. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around the edges of the grill. Test for medium heat in the center of the grill. Toast one side of each bread round directly over the coals for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from grill. Top toasted side of each bread round with onion mixture, sliced tomato, mozzarella cheese, and Romano cheese.

3. Return bread rounds to center of grill (not directly over coals). Cover grill. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are heated through. Remove from grill and top with basil before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Mixed Mushroom Pizza

1 recipe Pizza Dough (see Pizza Margherita recipe)
8 ounces Fontina Valle d'Aosta, fontina, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Walla Walla), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups assorted sliced mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, cremini, chanterelle, morel ,and/or button)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
Snipped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Pizza Dough using the 16x12x1-inch pan. Arrange cheese slices on top of dough in pan.

2. In a large skillet, cook onions, covered, in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat for 13 to 15 minutes or until onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Uncover; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes more or until onions are golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, combine mushrooms, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic, and rosemary. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are tender; drain well. Spoon mushroom mixture over cheese. Top with onions.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until crust bottom is slightly crisp and brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut the pizza into 4-inch squares and serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.

Shrimp and Roasted Pepper Pizza

1 pound fresh or frozen peeled, cooked medium shrimp
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see Pizza Margherita recipe)
1 12-ounce jar Alfredo pasta sauce
2 tablespoons purchased dried tomato pesto
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips
3 tablespoons pine nuts

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen; set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Pizza Dough, using the Individual Size Pizzas directions.

2. In a small bowl, combine Alfredo sauce and pesto. Spread evenly over dough in each pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Top pizzas with roasted peppers and the shrimp. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust bottom is crisp and brown. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Pizza Margherita

1 recipe Pizza Dough (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes, undrained (1-3/4 cups)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
16 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
Fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. Prepare Pizza Dough as directed, using the Thin-Crust Pizzas directions. Drizzle dough with olive oil.

2. For sauce, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, snipped basil, garlic, and tomato paste. Spread a thin layer of sauce over dough in each pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove pizzas from oven and place mozzarella in single layer on top of the sauce. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes more or until crust bottom is crisp and brown. Top with basil leaves. Cut pizzas into wedges and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Herbed Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe: Add 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cups bread flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 teaspoons dried and crushed basil or oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon active dry yeast or bread machine yeast to a 1-1/2- or 2-pound bread machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select the dough cycle. When the cycle is complete, remove dough from machine. Punch down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

For thin-crust pizza: Divide dough in half. For each pizza, grease an 11- or 12-inch pizza pan or a large baking sheet. On lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough into a 12- to 13-inch circle. Transfer to prepared pan, building up edge slightly. Prick crust with a fork. do not let dough rise. Bake in a 425 degree F oven 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Add desired topping. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until edge of crust is golden brown and the topping is bubbly.

For thick-crust pizza: Grease a 13- or 14-inch pizza pan. With greased fingers, pat dough into prepared pan, building up the edge. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until nearly double. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Add desired topping. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until the topping is bubbly.

Makes two 11- or 12-inch thin-crust pizzas or one 13- or 14-inch thick-crust pizza (6 servings).

Recipes for Health: Homemade Pizza

Sure, you can buy ready-made pizza dough, but often it contains quite a bit of fat and sometimes it’s hydrogenated. This dough is an easy, no-hassle alternative. It takes about five minutes to put together in the food processor, and it’s easy to stretch or roll out. The dough recipe makes enough for two 14-inch pizzas (or three very thin 10- to 12-inch pizzas). You can roll all of it out and freeze what you don’t use, so long as it’s wrapped airtight.

What goes on the pizza? Start with a good tomato sauce and some mozzarella, then you can decide what else to add.

For the dough:

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 3/4 to 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (may substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for 1/2 cup of the white flour)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

For each pizza:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh tomato sauce or a good prepared marinara sauce
3 to 4 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella cheese (packaged slices are usually about 1 ounce each, which makes it easy)

Optional:

Thinly sliced tomatoes (2 or 3, preferably Romas)
Sliced red onion, rinsed with cold water and patted dry
Sliced red or green bell pepper
Sliced mushrooms
Pitted olives

1. Mix together the yeast, sugar, water and olive oil in a small bowl or measuring cup until the yeast is completely dissolved. Let stand for a few minutes. Place 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse once or twice. With with the machine running, pour in the yeast mixture. Process until the dough forms a ball on the blades. Remove from the processor, and knead on a lightly floured surface for a couple of minutes, adding flour as necessary for a smooth dough.

2. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm spot to rise for one hour. The dough will have nearly doubled in bulk and will stretch as it is gently pulled.

3. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Roll each ball around on your work surface under the palm of your hand until the ball feels smooth and firm, about one minute. If the dough is sticky, brush the work surface with a little bit of olive oil. Put the dough on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover with pan-sprayed plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave to rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Place a pizza stone, if you have one, on the middle rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly oil a 12- to 14-inch pizza pan, and dust with semolina or fine cornmeal. Roll or press out the dough to fit the pizza pan, and line it. With your fingers, form a slightly thicker raised rim around edge of the circle. Brush everything but the rim with one teaspoon olive oil.

5. Use a rubber spatula to spread the tomato sauce over the pizza in an even layer. Top with thin slices of mozzarella. Arrange any of the additional toppings on top. Drizzle the pizza with a tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Place the pizza pan on the stone in the hot oven. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the crust is brown and the cheese bubbling and lightly browned in spots. Remove from the heat, cut into wedges (I use kitchen scissors for this) and serve.

Yield: One 12- to 14-inch pizza

Advance preparation: You can keep the dough in the refrigerator, before rolling out, for a couple of days. Knead for a couple of minutes, and proceed with step three. The dough freezes well, for six weeks. Roll out, line pans, double-wrap with plastic and freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then top and bake as directed.

Focaccia Breadsticks

1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary or 3/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 10-oz. packages refrigerated pizza dough

1. Drain dried tomatoes, reserving 4 teaspoons of the oil. Finely snip tomatoes. Combine tomatoes, cheese, rosemary, pepper, the reserved oil, and 4 teaspoons water in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Unroll dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll each portion into a 10x8-inch rectangle. Spread tomato mixture crosswise over half of each rectangle. Fold in half; cut rectangles lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips and twist 2 or 3 times.

3. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the twisted dough strips about 1 inch apart on lightly oiled baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer breadsticks to a wire rack. Cool completely. Makes 20 breadsticks.

4. Make Ahead: Wrap baked and cooled breadsticks in a single layer in heavy foil. (Or, place breadsticks in freezer container, separating layers with waxed paper.) Seal, label, and freeze for up to 1 month. TO REHEAT, wrap desired number of frozen breadsticks in foil. Bake in a 350F oven about 15 minutes or until heated through.

Vegetarian Pizza

1 16-ounce loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed
1 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small yellow summer squash, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
2 medium red and/or yellow tomatoes, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll bread dough into a 14-inch circle. Transfer to a greased 13-inch pizza pan. Build up edges slightly. Prick dough generously with a fork. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook zucchini, summer squash, crushed red pepper, and garlic in hot oil about 5 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender. Drain.

3. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over hot crust. Arrange tomato slices in a circular pattern atop cheese. Top with zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan or Romano cheese. Bake about 12 minutes more or until cheese melts and pizza is heated through. Makes 6 servings.

Fresh Tomato Pizza with Pesto

1/2 cup purchased pesto or Homemade Pesto
1 16-ounce prebaked Italian bread shell
3 medium ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper
1 2-1/4-ounce can sliced pitted ripe olives, drained (scant 2/3 cup)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

Spread pesto evenly over bread shell. Place on large pizza pan or baking dish. Arrange tomato slices on top. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with olives and Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 425 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese melts and tomatoes are warm. Cut into wedges. Makes 8 servings.

Pizza Crust Tip: If a prebaked Italian bread shell is unavailable for pizza making, you can use a 10-ounce package of refrigerated pizza dough instead. Simply unroll the dough onto a greased 12-inch pizza pan, building up the edges slightly. Bake in a 425 degree F. oven for 8 minutes. If necessary, cover the edges of the dough with foil to prevent over browning. Proceed as directed in the recipes for Fresh Tomato Pizza with Pesto.

Supreme Pizza Fondue

8 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 26- to 30-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 3 1/2-ounce package pepperoni or Canadian-style bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano, crushed
1 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper (optional)
Vegetable dippers(baby carrots, broccoli, etc.), mozzarella or provolone cheese cubes, or whole grain bread cubes


1. In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain off fat.

2. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, pepperoni, and basil. Stir in the sausage mixture.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 3 hours. If desired, stir in ripe olives and sweet pepper; cover and cook for 15 minutes more. To serve, spear the dippers with fondue forks and dip into the fondue. Makes 5-1/2 cups dip.

Whole Wheat Pesto Pizza

1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup torn fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts or almonds
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
2 tablespoons water
1 16-ounce loaf frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed
1 leek or green onion, thinly sliced
1 small yellow summer squash or zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 of a small yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese(6 ounces)
2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1. For the pesto, in a blender container or food processor bowl, combine fresh basil leaves, fresh spinach, Parmesan or Romano cheese, pine nuts or almonds, 2 cloves garlic, quartered; and, if desired, salt. Cover and blend or process with several on-off turns until a paste forms, stopping the machine several times and scraping sides. With machine running slowly, gradually add olive oil or cooking oil and water; blend or process until mixture is the consistency of soft butter. Transfer half of the mixture to a storage container. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Set remaining half (1/4 cup) aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the bread dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Prick generously with a fork. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven.

3. In a medium covered saucepan, cook the leek or green onion, squash or zucchini, and sweet pepper in a small amount of boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender; drain well.

4. Spread pizza sauce over the crust. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Arrange leek mixture, tomatoes, and mushrooms over cheese. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more or until cheese melts and pizza is heated through. Crumble Pesto over top of hot pizza. Makes 6 main-dish servings.