DIY Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza? No one, that's who. At least no one that I've ever met can resist sinking their teeth into a gooey, stringy, chewy peice every now and then. But how much does that pizza cost you? Probably 20 bucks by the time you pay the delivery and tip, but I'm also talking about the nutritional cost. A slice of cheese pizza from Papa John's, for example, is about 212 calories and 8 grams of fat. A slice of pepperoni from Domino's will run you 324 calories and 13 grams of fat. Ever eaten half a pizza in one sitting? Yeah, me too. Yikes.

Your best bet (as usual) is to make your own pizza, crust and all. It is really much easier than you might think. If you make your own, you get to control what goes into the crust. Soaked in butter? No, thank you. White whole wheat flour (my favorite!)? Yes, please. The easiest way to make a pizza crust is with a food processor but it's not that much harder to make if you don't have one. Take some time on a weekend afternoon to whip up a big batch of dough, let it rise while you are busy with other things, then divide it up and freeze for later. You can just pull out a dough ball from the freezer on a weekday morning, let it thaw in the fridge during the day and use it when you get home for a quick and easy dinner.

The toppings are up to you: I recommend lots of veggies such as red onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes. For the sauce you can just use canned pasta sauce (look for "light" varieties- they actually do make the stuff without sugar). If you are a meat lover's pizza person, you can use turkey or vegetarian versions of pepperoni or sausage in order to cut down the fat and calories. I'll bet Pizza Hut can't do that for you!

We all know it wouldn't be pizza without cheese. Instead of the inch-thick layer you find on many restaurant pizzas, just try a thin sprinkle of part-skim mozzarella. Three or four ounces will do for a whole pie, and with that amount you won't feel deprived.

This recipe for homemade pizza will deliver lots of satisfaction for a fraction of the calories. And by a fraction, I mean about half- approx. 150 per slice with only 4 grams of fat and (bonus!) almost 4 grams of fiber per slice. Now this is a pizza of which you could eat half and not feel too guilty :)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1tsp instant yeast

1 tsp sea salt

1T olive oil

2/3 cup canned pasta sauce

1/3 cup canned mushrooms

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper

crushed red pepper or italian seasoning to taste

3 ounces shredded part-skim mozarella

1. Combine the flour, yeast and salt in food processor using dough blade attachment. Turn the machine on and add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 T olive oil through the tube. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water about 1T at a time until the dough forms a ball that is just slightly sticky. (You can do this step by hand with a mixing bowl and wooden spoon.)

2. Turn dough onto floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds, forming a smooth, round ball.

3. Put 1/2 T olive oil in a bowl. Roll dough ball in the bowl then cover with plastic wrap and let rise until dough doubles in size (1-2 hours, but you can skimp if you are short on time).

4. When dough is ready, roll into a even, flat round or press into a pizza pan. Top with pasta sauce, toppings and shredded cheese

5. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese and crust are lightly browned.