Cool Veggie Pizzas

Make a quick and simple vegetable pizza easy appetizers with prepared pizza dough. In this recipe, you can use either premade frozen pizza dough, which can be bought in the grocery store or you can use homemade pizza dough. The pizza is topped with nutritious and delicious greens including broccoli and Swiss chard, two of the healthy food on the planet.

Before topping the pizza appetizer recipes with the veggie, you need to cook the vegetables first until they are tender and al dente. Make sure that you do not overcook the vegetables; their color should remain vibrant and green. After cooking the vegetables, use a paper towel to remove all excess moisture. If the vegetables are wet and soggy, they will also make the crust soggy. Instead of boiling the vegetables, you can opt to steam, grill, or sauté them lightly in oil. If you prefer to sauté the vegetables, remove the excess grease with paper towels before using them as topping.


The key to a crispy and chewy perfect crust is a very hot oven. Preheat the oven at least 30 minutes before cooking the pizza. If you are using frozen pizza dough, you should allow it to come to room temperature before using it to make the pizza. Leave the frozen pizza dough in the refrigerator overnight to thaw completely. When you are ready to make the pizza, leave the chilled dough in room temperature for thirty minutes. The dough will be a bit stiff so knead it gently but not overly or the gluten will develop and the crust will become tough. Punch it down with your knuckle and stretch the dough incorporating air pockets so that it comes out fluffy and airy when baked. Spread the pesto evenly and thinly, as it can be greasy if you put on too much.


Ingredients
7 oz. pizza dough
3.52 oz. broccoli, well chopped
1/3 cup water
10 cups Swiss chard
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
3/4 cup pesto
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese