$70/Week Challenge - Day Three: Homemade Spinach Ham Pizza

Ingredients:

• 3 C bread flour
• 1 C  warm water
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/4 oz package of active dry yeast
• 1 t sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1 C tomato sauce click here for recipe
• 2 C mozzarella cheese
• 2 T Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 C fresh baby spinach
• 2 slices of Parmesan Pesto Ham, cubed

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, water, olive oil, yeast, sugar and salt.  
2. Using your very clean hands, stir the ingredients until they form a solid ball (this will take a few minutes, and you will have to scrape down your hands several times).  You can use a dough hook on a food processor, but I don't think it comes out the same.
3. Place the dough on a clean smooth surface.  Gently kneed the dough for 8-10 minutes making sure to rotate the dough with each punch (the dough should be smooth and shiny, and have elasticity).  
4. Return the dough to mixing bowl and cover with a warm, damp dish towel.  
5. Allow the dough to rise for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
7. "Punch" the dough down and remove from bowl.  Kneed the dough for an additional minute, on a well floured surface (also dust your hands with flour as well).  
8. This is the part, if you are fancy, where you toss and spin the dough.  If you can do this, form it into an 18" circle.  If  you are not fancy (I am not), take a floured rolling pin and roll it to form. 
9. Top with sauce, spinach, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ham pieces. 
10. Drizzle top with olive oil and sprinkle with dried basil. 
11. Place on a pizza stone, or pizza pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is brown and cheese is bubbling. 

"Baked Fried Dough" -- A Healthier Take On Pizza

My biggest downfall, when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, is pizza. It is my go-to comfort food, my must-have indulgence, and the food most guilty of breaking my discipline.  When I was in college, I ate pizza every single day of the four years I lived on campus, at least once a day (curse you Rathskellar!!).  It wasn't even good pizza.  HA! I have the great fortune of living near New Haven, and marrying a woman from New York, so I know the experience and the essence of a good pie. If you are looking to replicate a NY or New Haven pizza...I haven't achieved that yet; however, if you are looking to satisfy a pizza craving:  this is the recipe for YOU!  I have lived all over the country and will attest that this beats southern pizza, CA pizza, and northern pizza by far...and it is healthy to boot!  My entire family literally giggled as we sampled this, and all agreed on one thing:  This healthier pizza recipe tastes like "BAKED FRIED DOUGH!"  ENJOY! 

Ingredients:

• 3 C Wheat flour
• 1 1/2 C non fat Greek yogurt
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t salt
• 4 Kumato tomatoes (for diabetics:  contains a higher amount of fructose than an average tomato, you can also use larger Roma tomatoes)
• I sheet of rolled fresh mozzarella, cut into 1" x 1"  squares (this is an amazing product...NEVER pay for rolled prosciutto/salami and mozzarella again, brands can be found by googling "rolled fresh mozzarella")
• 20-25 fresh basil leaves
• 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C shaved Parmesan
• 2 t garlic powder
• 2 t dried basil leaves
• 1 garlic clove
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, yogurt, baking soda and 1 t salt. 
3. Wet hands with cold water (to help prevent sticking), and mix ingredients well until they form a ball.
4. Place ball on a floured surface and knead the dough for at least five minutes, or until it becomes firm.  
5. Re-flour the surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll out (this will be a lot trickier than your typical pizza dough, and cannot be "spun" or "flipped--you need to roll the dough's shape) to the shape/size of a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray.
6. Drizzle with 1 T olive oil and place in oven for 10 minutes.
7. Top with tomato slices, mozzarella pieces, fresh basil, shaved Parmesan, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and sprinkle an even coat of garlic powder/dried basil/salt/pepper.
8. Return to oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has bubbled and crust is golden brown. 
9. FRIED DOUGH, RIGHT????  YUM!!!

Pizza Rustica

Ingredients:

• one ready made Pie Crust (with top and bottom crust)
• 3 lb ricotta cheese
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 C each of 3 cheeses, cut into 1" cubes--any combination of mozzarella, American, Swiss, or Muenster
• 1/2 C each of 3 meats, cut into 1" cubes (deli ends work best and you can usually get them for a discounted price...ask your deli clerk)--ham, salami, pepperoni
• 1 T fresh cut parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, cheeses, meats, salt and pepper and parsley.
3. Unroll pie crust and arrange the two layers of pie crust into two different pie pans.
4. Crimp the sides of the pie crust to form the top using your hands or the tip of a fork.
5. Ladle the filling into the pie crust until it is just under the top of the pie crust.
6. Place on center rack and bake for about 50 minutes or until brown and set.

TIP:  you can bake these in advance and then reheat them at 350 for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
TIP: you will have extra filling which you can prepare in a small glass baking dish for those who do not care for crust.