Roasted Vegetable Pizza

After getting a little nutty earlier this week, I've now transitioned into being cheesy.  If you follow along with my rambling posts, you know I did a gentle whole foods cleanse for about two and a half weeks in January.

Since the cleanse ended on January 24, I've slowly added back some whole wheat, eggs a few times, a handful of chocolate chips once, and a cocktail here and there.  I've stayed away from dairy, just because I haven't really wanted any.  Until today, that is.  The cheese craving hit me like a ton of cheddar this afternoon and I knew I'd be making something cheesy for dinner.

But what kind of cheese did I want?  Salty feta with some olives?  Melty fontina in a panini?  Funky gorgonzola on an apple salad?  Brie, fresh mozzarella, or smoked gouda?  They all sounded mouthwatering, but I settled on some tangy creamy goat cheese to top my roasted vegetable pizza.

This pizza was a masterpiece.  A masterpiece, I tell ya!  In addition to the lovely chevre, I added roasted mushrooms, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, and butternut squash (a true Friday night clean-out-your-fridge dinner).  The "sauce" is beet hummus, although any regular hummus or traditional tomato pizza sauce would work just as well.  Even with all these great ingredients, it was the crust that got me rejoicing to the heavens.

Hallelujah!  Miracles really do happen and prayers can be answered!  It was less than a year ago that I wrote on this blog that I wished for a local pizza joint that would sell me some whole wheat pizza dough for a reasonable price.  Ask and ye shall receive...Di Noko's Pizzeria is a brand-spankin'-new neighborhood gem that sold me a wheat dough tonight for $2.50.  That's two DOLLARS and fifty CENTS.  Do you know how much time I would have wasted with the yeast and the rising and the stress and the cursing if I had tried to make this myself?  It is the greatest bargain in the universe.

My roasted vegetable pizza with beet hummus and goat cheese was everything I could have wanted.  The sweetness of the squash, earthiness from the beet hummus, and that great smooth creamy goat cheese made for a symphony of flavors on top of a beautifully charred wheat crust.  The crust had a satisfying crunch and held up all those toppings with ease, and also had a great chewy texture.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza
Serves 2

1/2 whole wheat crust, homemade or purchased from a local pizzeria
1 cup beet hummus (or regular hummus, or pesto, or red pizza sauce)
2 cups roasted veggies (I used onion, mushroom, cauliflower, broccoli, and butternut squash)
1/2 log fresh goat cheese
chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)
salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees, and roast your veggies if you haven't already done so.

Cut your prepared dough in half (save half for another day), and spread on an oiled baking sheet.  It helps if your dough has rested at room temperature for awhile to reduce elasticity.  Bake dough for 4-5 minutes or until beginning to turn golden brown.

Spread par-baked dough with hummus/sauce, and scatter with roasted veggies.  Dot top with goat cheese.  Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Bake for 4-5 more minutes, or until crust is charred around the edges and cheese has melted.

Note:  my oven runs hot so you may need to bake longer, or increase your oven temp if you can.

Remove pizza from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Cut and serve immediately.  Bask in your smug superiority.

ONE YEAR AGO:  Pesto Potato Salmon Salad
TWO YEARS AGO:  Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts
THREE YEARS AGO:  Tuna and White Bean Salad