Pesto Veggie Pizza

On Friday, I made this really good Pesto Veggie Pizza. In my attempts to eat healthier I am eating more veggies and this was my attempt to take something I love and still enjoy it. At first I wanted to do the veggie pizza I grew up on but found out it was made with cream cheese and ranch so I thought against it because my wife, Silva, hates ranch and Cream Cheese. I found this on pinterest and it linked up to Taste of Home. It was perfect because I have used pesto in a recipe in the past and loved it and the main topping is broccoli which I also love. And more important no cream cheese or ranch. At first I was weirded out by having to boil and then process the spinach with the pesto but it turned out amazing. Not to bad on the calorie count and very good. I made a regular pizza for the kids and was shocked when Liam, my  year old, wanted the veggies pizza instead. And he loved it. Success! The below photos are from me. The crust was a little too thick so try to get it very thin to really enjoy.

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup prepared pesto

1-3/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli

3/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 green onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the Parmesan cheese, oil, sugar, basil, salt, all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; build up edges slightly. Prick dough with a fork. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add spinach; cover and boil for 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Drain and place in a food processor. Add pesto; cover and process until blended.

Spread over pizza crust. Top with broccoli, green pepper, green onions, garlic and mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1 piece equals 364 calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 29 mg cholesterol, 543 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 19 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 medium-fat meat, 2 fat, 1 vegetable.