If your house is anything like mine, you eat more pizza than you like to admit. While I really love pizza, I often find myself ordering delivery because I’m strapped for time or just can’t fathom coming up with yet another dinner plan. So what if there was an easy fallback recipe that doesn’t make you feel guilty? When I came across this simple and healthy pizza recipe in the Power Foods cookbook, I had to try it. Topped with nutritious ingredients and a snap to make, after taking a bite of this pizza you might reconsider calling for delivery too.
The Power Foods cookbook is from the editors of Whole Living magazine. The goal of the book is to help people live healthier lives by adding more wholesome ingredients to their daily meals through simple recipes. Their recipe for Whole-Wheat Pizza with Artichokes and Pecorino looked scrumptious. Unfortunately, I did not read the recipe closely before heading to the store and ended up in a quandary when I couldn’t locate frozen artichoke hearts. Vacillating between fresh and canned, I eventually opted for fresh which led to extensive Googling and Messaging friends on Facebook trying figure out how to prepare a fresh artichoke to stand-in for frozen. Now as I review the recipe for this blog post, I see they clearly state that canned artichokes can be used in place of frozen. Using canned artichokes (not marinated) instead of fresh will greatly speed up your prep time, as would using prepared pizza dough. The only thing that would make this recipe better? A little garlic and real homegrown tomatoes. The garlic is easy, but alas, the tomatoes will have to wait until August.
Without further ado, here is how I adapted the Power Foods recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 fresh artichoke heart, steamed (they used frozen)
- 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 recipe of bread machine pizza dough
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 plum tomatoes, sliced
- 1-1/2 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler
- Course salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/8 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- Thinly slice artichoke hearts, toss with lemon juice.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil baking sheet, sprinkle with corn meal. Stretch dough out on prepared baking sheet, spray with olive oil. Drop ricotta over dough by spoonfuls. Top with tomatoes, artichokes and 1/3 of the pecorino. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake until crust is browned, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining pecorino and fresh basil.
