Pizza
Naan Revisited – “Healthy” Pizza & Cinnamon Rolls
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post for naan, Indian flat bread. I fell in LOVE with this recipe and was inspired by a friend’s comment to try it in new ways.
#1 Pizza:
Naan pizza was fantastic and is a great way to “healthify” a favorite comfort food of mine. Naan is oil free, I used turkey pepperoni, and went light on the cheese, giving me ALL of the glorious taste without grease puddles to mop up. Heaven!
To try this: Make naan as directed, but break it up only into 3 sections. Roll them out, place on a sprayed cookie sheet for the second rising. After the second rising, top dough with your favorite pizza ingredients, and bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes (or as long as it takes to cook through and lightly brown the edges).
#2 Cinnamon Rolls. Again, heaven (and easier than I thought)!
To try this: Make naan as directed, but break it only into three pieces. Roll pieces out into as even a rectangle as possible. Cover dough with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough until you have formed a long ‘log’ and pinch the edges to seal it up. It’s okay if some of the cinnamon slime squeezes out, I spooned the extra over the tops when they were all placed.
Slide a thread (or dental floss could work) just under one end of the log until you reach about an inch and a half, then cross the thread over the log and pull ends until you make a slice through the dough. Remove the now cut roll and place cut side down in a lightly sprayed cake pan. Repeat this for the entire log. Allow rolls to rise the second time. Bake rolls at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned like in the picture. Top with a simple glaze and serve warm.
Simple glazes can be made with powdered sugar, a little melted butter, a little vanilla and a little milk. Happy Cooking!
Homemade Pizza Sauce
I love pizza. It is my great vice in this world. I’ve never been great at making it at home, but I have high hopes for improving my standing. My first great success was with my BBQ Chicken Pizza, now I’ve got sauce down, maybe if I can get over my baking-with-yeast anxiety I’ll try crust.
According to most cooking forums the key to pizza sauce is tomato sauce, tomato paste, a dash of sugar and then any other italian-y spices you can think of. After looking over lots of ideas, I came up with this:
When Jay got home, I told him to try the pizza and tell me what he thought of the sauce:
Jay: I really like your sauce.
Me: Really?
Jay: Yes.
Me: Enough to keep me around?
Jay: Yes.
Me: Enough to buy me a great present?
Jay: Yes.
Me: Enough to father my offspring?
Jay: I already did that.
Me: And all future offs that I may spring?
Jay: Yes.
It’s the positive feedback I get that keeps me going. : )
Homemade Pizza Sauce
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1/2 Tbs. oregano
- 1/2 Tbs. basil
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
Put both tomato products in a mixing bowl, blend together till you have an even consistency. Add spices one at a time, stirring at each addition.
Kim’s notes: This recipe makes enough sauce for 2 normal homemade pizzas, with a little left over. If you don’t use lots of sauce on your pizza it might even stretch to three pizzas. If you’re only making one pizza at a time, the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for longer. Also would make a great dip for bread sticks.
Ideas for making pizza healthier:
Homemade pizza is a great way to get the flavor we love, while controlling some of the fat/calories. I used turkey pepperoni and was so impressed with it that I may never go back. The flavor was great and there were no pools of grease sitting on top after baking. I will say that the texture wasn’t like normal pepperoni, but it wasn’t bad either. It also helps to use a very fine shredded cheese – it covers the pizza but with lots of holes so it isn’t as thick of a cheese layer.
Chicken Fajita Pizza
This is one recipe that I’d recommend to anyone, even if you don’t like peppers, it’s incredible. 
Make it pizza style, or just use the meat mixture for amazing burritos, tacos, or taco salads and it is sure to please.
Chicken Fajita Pizza
- 2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut to bite-size pieces
- 1/2 large onion sliced
- 1 c. sliced yellow pepper (yellow is my preference, but you could use others)
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs chili powder
- 1 Tbs fresh cilantro (I use a bit more because we love it)
- 1 pizza crust (prepared or that you make yourself)
- 1 can refried beans (non-fat)
Saute chicken until outsides are cooked. Add all vegetables and garlic to chicken and cook until the onions and peppers are softened. Add cilantro and chili powder, mix well and let simmer a few minutes. Meanwhile prepare pizza crust by spreading a layer of refried beans over it as a “sauce.” Top beans with the meat and veggie mixture, then bake according to crust directions.
This is a lactose-free recipe, but if desired you can top the finished pizza with sour cream and/or cheese.
