Veggie Pizza & Pizza Sauce

You may have noticed the new look - i changed it on a whim and I'm still not sure how I feel about it but I've always wanted a template that allows 3 columns instead of two so that's why I started to experiment. Well, onto the recipe of the day...

When I'm running short on time but still want something different and exciting, I rely on store bought pizza crust. I used to buy the refrigerated ones (e.g. Pillsbury) but not anymore... Almost all the supermarkets carry their own fresh made pizza dough and after having sampled them from many stores in my area, i prefer the ones from Harris Teeter. It yields a nice soft, fluffy crust and they also have whole wheat versions of the same which tastes equally good and is a whole lot better than the ones in the cans. I'm also including a recipe for a no-cook pizza sauce which tastes delicious - I got this from the allrecipes website.

I also prefer home-made pizza because I can pile on the veggies, add my favorite Tandoori Paneer & make it spicy. Here are a few of my favorite toppings:


VEGGIE & PANEER PIZZA

Ingredients:
Pizza crust of your preference (store bought/homemade) - 1
Marinara / Pizza sauce - home made (see below) or storebought or use this Thokku recipe
Mozzarella cheese / Pepperjack cheese - about 6 to 8 oz, shredded
Toppings of your choice - choose from Tandoori Paneer, Sliced Red Onions, Bell Peppers (Red & Green), Broccoli, Pineapple pieces, Olives, Mushrooms, jalapenos & Tomato slices.
Chilli Powder, Salt & Pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Method:
1) I usually saute the veggies separately in a tsp of oil and season them with chilli powder and salt. This lends a spiciness to the pizza. As for the Broccoli and mushroom I add salt and pepper (instead of chilli powder). For the paneer follow this recipe to marinate them. Following which, toss them in a pan with some oil for a few minutes or leave them as is and they will get cooked when on the pizza.

2) Preheat oven to 400F or 425F. Roll out (or flip if you feel particularly adventurous :) ) the pizza dough, in a wide sheet pan that has been sprayed with oil, to desired thickness Spread pizza sauce uniformly. Sprinkle some crushed red pepper if you prefer for some added heat or some crushed (dried) pizza seasoning.

3) Sprinkle a good layer of cheese on the sauce. Now place the toppings making sure they are evenly distributed. Add a touch more cheese on the top. You could add a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top but I usually don't because my veggies are already sauteed - maybe if you are using raw veggies that would be a good idea.

4) Place in a preheated oven and cook for about 15-20 mins or until the crust is cooked through. The cheese would've melted & become gooey by now. Remove, cut into slices and serve.


HOME-MADE PIZZA SAUCE (no cook) - makes enough for 2 pizzas

Ingredients:
Tomato paste (canned) - 6 oz
Hot water - 6 oz
Grated Parmesan cheese - 3 tbsp
Garlic - 1 tsp, minced
Honey - 1 tbsp
Onion powder - 3/4 tsp (it's okay to skip if you don't have this)
Dried Oregano - 1/4 tsp
Dried Marjoram - 1/4 tsp
Dried Basil - 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Dried Pepper flakes - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Note: if you don' t have the individual herbs, use italian seasoning or pizza seasoning instead.

Method:
Combine all of the above in a bowl and stir well until they are mixed together completely. Use on pizza as a sauce base.

Comments

  1. pizza looks deicious and the new look of the blog is nice.
    Pizza with homemade sauce should taste awesome

    ReplyDelete
  2. New look of ur blog looks great, pizza makes me drool, very tempting!

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow pizza looks delicious ..specially love this home made pizza sauce (no cook)..yummy

    Satya
    http://www.superyummyrecipes.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always loved the 3 colu too and stick to it. That looks nice ur layout!
    I never tried the sauce at home, should be great!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have wonderful recipes lined up ,following u .Pizza sounds delicious n like to try my hands on with .Like the new look of your space.

    ReplyDelete
  6. that looks very yummy :) hot from the oven.. i am hungry now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yumm! The pizza must've tasted real good!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wowie,I am now going crazy to eat pizzas with paneer,really making me hungry :) Not tried sauce at home,thanks for the recipe Laavanya!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ur blog is the best one i came across..Urs is tempting me to have it rite now ...whenever we go out pizza is the first thing we order ...My whole family just love it ...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bDNMuA795U Pizza is my very favorite one..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pizza looks fresh and delicious...

    Pushpa @ simplehomefood.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the indian touch to the pizza..

    ReplyDelete
  12. Making Pizza sauce at home sounds interesting...Looks delicious...Nice brownie template..luv it :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pizza looks so tempting Laavanya..Love the new look..:)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hey Laavs, Its been so long since I had a decent pizza:( your pics make me drool and crave for some!!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for stopping by and providing your valuable feedback. NOTE: I have disabled Anonymous comments (since I was getting a lot of spam).

Popular Posts