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CHEF Recipes: No-Bake Veggie Pizza

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We’re back with a recipe that is versatile and handy year-round.  This is a fresh take on an old favorite– pizza! While we chose zucchini, bell pepper and mushrooms to top our pizza, you can use the vegetables you like best. If the produce section of your local grocery store is looking dreary this winter or if you’re in a hurry, a bag of your favorite frozen vegetables will work great. During the summer, because this recipe does not require much cooking, you could use it to make a delicious meal with local produce, while taking a welcome respite from the summer heat.

Here’s the CHEF breakdown for this recipe:

Cheap:  We spent $11.58 for our ingredients for this pizza, which should feed 2-4 people.  You can reduce that price by shopping around for your crust. Often, you can find bagged, frozen pizza dough at a good price at the grocery store, or you could even use toasted pita bread or English muffins (preferably whole grain, of course!).

Healthy: Using a whole wheat pizza crust, low-fat cream cheese (aka Neufchâtel cheese) and vegetables, you’re on your way to quite a healthy pizza.  The only thing to watch with this recipe is the sodium. Traditional dip mix can contain quite a bit of sodium.  One great alternative though, is Mrs. Dash or another salt-free seasoning blend (found in the herbs/spices section of the grocery store).  You can replace the dip mix with about 2 Tbs. of one of these seasoning blends for a tasty and lower-sodium pizza. If you are watching your sodium intake, also compare the sodium content of different crusts and choose a low-sodium option. We forgot to check, and our crust contained more salt that we expected!

Easy:  No special techniques or equipment are needed! Stirring, sautéing, and maybe a quick burst in the oven make this an easy meal to prepare.

Fast: This recipe should take 20-30 minutes to prepare. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is probably chopping the vegetables, so if you’re really in a rush, using bagged, pre-chopped fresh or frozen vegetables could save you a few minutes.

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust or package of pizza dough (preferably whole wheat)

1 bell pepper

1 medium-sized zucchini

1 – 8 oz. container of fresh mushrooms

1 – 8 oz. block of low-fat cream cheese/ Neufchâtel cheese

1 package of ranch dip mix or 2 Tbs. of salt-free seasoning mix

(Optional) 1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Instructions:

  1. If your pizza crust requires baking, start by preheating the oven to the appropriate temperature. Prepare the crust according to package directions and let cool before topping.
  2. Clean the vegetables and chop them into ¼ inch slices. Note: To clean the mushrooms, you can quickly run them under the faucet and then wipe or blot them dry.  It is also good to trim the ends off the mushroom stalks before you begin chopping.
  3. Heat 1 Tbs. of vegetable oil in a medium-sized pan at medium heat (or use a non-stick pan and skip the oil). Sauté the vegetables for 5-10 minutes until they have the desired texture.  Note: the pizza will not be cooked after it is assembled, so this is your only chance to cook the vegetables.
  4. Put the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until just softened.  (This should take about 10 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave.) Add the dip mix or seasoning mix to the cream cheese and stir until combined.
  5. To assemble the pizza, use a spoon or spatula to spread an even layer of the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust. Then, sprinkle the cooked vegetables over the cream cheese layer.
  6. Cut and serve with a side salad!

Divided among 4 people, each quarter of the pizza contains about 343 calories, 15 grams of fat, 11 grams of protein, 39 grams of carbohydrate, and 547 milligrams of sodium.

Thanks to Megan Bolejack for this recipe!


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