"Gourmet" Thin Crust Veggie Pizza

This is one of those recipes I love because it's so simple and cheap, yet it tastes like something you would pay much more for if you were eating out. I often enjoy this for a quick lunch or even for a light supper. There are many ways to mix it up--use a variety of vegetables, try different cheeses, or even bake it outside on the grill instead of in the oven. As I have said, I really try to watch my sodium intake, but in this recipe, the sprinkle of Kosher salt along with the olive oil and fresh cracked black pepper is a MUST for optimal flavor!

I am usually only making one of these for myself since the kids like theirs with organic pizza sauce and mini turkey pepperoni, so that is how I'm writing the recipe. Very easy to make as many as you need! I either eat the whole thing as a meal on its own or just half of it with a spinach and kale salad and some fresh fruit.

My grocery store sells their own brand of whole wheat tortillas that are very reasonably priced compared to the big name brands. They also sell their own organic cheese, which is still more costly than a regular cheese, but a little goes a long way in this recipe, and I use organic dairy products whenever possible. I enjoy the other flavors in this pizza so much that the cheese is really just there to act as a glue (albeit a tasty glue)!

Whole wheat tortillas are a good source of dietary fiber and protein, and of course we all know we should be choosing whole grain foods over their refined counterparts. There's calcium and protein in the cheese, good fats in the olive oil and a lot of Vitamin C even in just 1/4 cup of bell pepper.

"Gourmet" Thin Crust Veggie Pizza

1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup organic part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
3 mushrooms (white button, crimini, etc.), sliced
6 grape tomatoes, halved
1 tsp olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions: Drizzle olive oil on tortilla and sprinkle with Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Add veggies, top with cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Confession: I LOVE mushrooms, but only if they are well cooked, so I saute my mushrooms in a little olive oil before putting them on my pizza.

Cost:

Whole wheat tortilla: $1.66/pkg of 8, used 1 = $.21

Mozzarella cheese (organic): $3.99/8 oz pkg, used 1/8 of pkg = $.50

Mushrooms (white button): $1.76/8 oz pkg, used 1/5 of pkg by weight = $.35

Red onion: $.75/lb, used 1/4 of a 6 oz onion = $.07

Red bell pepper: on sale for $.99 each, used about 1/4 = $.25

Grape tomatoes: on sale for $2.99/pint, 6 tomatoes was 1/6 of the pkg = $.50

Total Cost: $1.88 (1 serving)

2 servings: $.94 per serving