Healthy Home-Made Pizzas

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Pizza is a favourite food for many, and there’s a good reason. These doughy, cheesy
creations can be incredibly tasty and satisfying. Unfortunately, for many people, the only
real pizza is from a takeaway and comes laden with grease. Did you know that even a
medium-sized delivery pizza from one of the big chains can be 1400 – 1500 calories?
And that’s before any extras, like a stuffed crust or dip! Thankfully, there is a way to
satisfy your pizza cravings without drastically expanding your waistline. Making your own
Italian-style pie can be tasty and relatively healthy. Read on for some suggestions.

The Base

Pre-risen bases are now a common sight in mainstream supermarkets, but if you’d
rather make everything from scratch, you can do so without too much of a challenge.
This recipe makes a few bases, with exactly how many being dependent on how large
your pans are and how thick you like your crust.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups plain flour – preferably genuine Italian ‘00’ style, which is very finely ground
Generous pinch of salt
1 tbsp sugar
7g (approx 2 tsp) dried baking yeast
1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup warm water

Combine the dry ingredients first, then add the oil and finally the water. Spread out into
a vaguely ‘pizza-looking’ shape and place in your pan. If you don’t have a pizza pan, a
square shape will do just fine.

The Sauce

Dead easy, and customisable. If you’re trying to boost your vegetable intake but you
know there’ll be no more room for toppings, or if you have fussy kids and you want to
hide a few of their ‘5 a day’, simply chuck in the veg of your choice and blend the sauce
to achieve the right consistency. A bell pepper or two, and possibly a chili, serve this
purpose well.

Basic Ingredients:

14oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 – 2 garlic cloves, crushed
Basil, to taste

Simply fry the onion and garlic until slightly softened before adding the tomatoes and
olive oil. Simmer until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.

Toppings

This is the fun part, and is also where you can start skimping on calories without losing

flavour. A more sparse covering of cheese results in a less greasy and more ‘genuine’
Italian-style pizza. if you aren’t getting a thick layer of cheese in every mouthful, you’re
better able to taste the delicious base and sauce that you cooked up. Try depositing
some buffalo mozzarella in chunks, spread out across the whole pizza. Before serving,
fill in the gaps with fresh basil leaves or rocket.

If you’re a meat eater, steer clear of the sort of pepperoni you’d get with a takeaway.
Instead, try real salami or some Spanish chorizo for a smokier taste. Add a liberal
sprinkle of black pepper or even parmesan cheese, and you’re all set.