Here we are..the first week of a brand new year. It feels pretty good, doesn’t it?
It’s common to want to make better eating choices after the sugar rush we call the holidays. That’s why this month our Wednesday series is titled ‘Reasonable Eats’ – healthier recipes that are still tasty and simple.
Reasonable Eats – Portion Control Tip!
Use a smaller plate. This sounds so simple, but it makes a huge difference. Our dishes are so large these days that we are tempted to fill them up and then we eat more. Try using a 7-inch plate and then when you fill it up it looks like you have a lot of food, but you will be eating less calories.
I took this pizza as an appetizer to a New Year’s Eve gathering that we went to, but it could easily be a paired with a salad for fresh lunch. You can use a store bought pre-baked pizza crust or the kind you have to bake, comes in a tube by the crescent rolls. Me? I made my own using half of this calzone dough recipe. It comes together in a jiffy after that point. I didn’t list amounts because this is like any other pizza, use more of what you like and less of what you don’t.
Mediterranean Hummus Pizza
1 PIZZA CRUST (buy, bake or 1/2 of this make your own)
1 Tablespoon OLIVE OIL
1 GARLIC CLOVE, pressed or finely minced
1 (7 oz.) container HUMMUS, whatever flavor you like (I used roasted red pepper)
CUCUMBER, thinly sliced and quartered
TOMATO, diced (I used grape tomatoes, quartered)
KALAMATA OLIVES, chopped *
MARINATED QUARTERED ARTICHOKE HEARTS, drained *
PEPERONCINI PEPPERS, chopped
FETA CHEESE, crumbles
Preheat oven to 425°.
Place crust on baking sheet. Combine oil and garlic. Brush on top of crust. Prick crust with fork to prevent bubbles from forming.
Bake for about 12 minutes, or until light golden brown, if using an unbaked crust. (About 5-7 minutes, or until garlic smells good, if using a pre-baked crust.)
Let cool.
Spread hummus over crust. Layer toppings as desired. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Cut into slices.
*You can buy these items in a jar. But I went to the deli section of my grocery store and got them from the olive bar. It was cheaper since I bought only as much as I needed.
This was good as leftovers the next day, but I’m not sure how it would be if you use the refrigerated crust.
