Magical Veggie Pizza

Veggie Pizza
Originally uploaded by L.TON

Oh, how I have been craving a perfect slice of NY cheese pizza the size of my head. Unfortunately, once you head west and end up in Chicago, well you get something called "deep dish", which to me is more like pizza casserole and indigestion.

Anyhow, I'm headed off to spring break in mere days and have to consume what ever produce I have left, ASAP so I've been making veggie everything. Okay- so I've only tried to make pizza once before, a long long time ago and I remember it coming out distinctly terrible. Besides, with this business of studying, I really don't have time to make/roll out the dough nor do I own a pizza stone. SHORT CUT: BUY A FROZEN CHEESE PIZZA!!! So for $3.99 at Trader Joe's I bought myself a frozen pizza. But how to piazza it up?? Simple additions of some veggies here and there and voila, 8 dollars later, you've got yourself a pretty much organic veggie pizza of magical proportions. I'd say it straddles the line of homemade if you ask me!

I roasted the pepper (instructions to follow), sauteed the spinach in lots of garlic, sliced up a tomato and and mushrooms, followed baking instructions plus 5 minutes and voila, 20 minutes later, pizzzzaaa!!!

If you are like me and pretty much cook for yourself or don't have a well stocked fridge, I'd raid either the salad bar or loose veggies section to get your veggies to sprinkle on top.

Magical Veggie Pizza

ingredients

1 frozen pizza
1 on the vine ripe tomato (sliced, quartered or halved)
3 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper (i used a yellow one)
2 cups of spinach
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tblspn olive oil
salt and pepper


instructions

1. Roast your bell pepper. You must have a gas stove, or else I don't really know what else to tell you except google "electric stove, roasting bell peppers". Place your bell pepper on the stove, heat high. Let each side char and rotate until all sides are charred. It should look something like this.

Also, use metal tongs. You don't want to melt your plastic ones.
2. Place your piping hot pepper into a small bowl and place a dish towel over it to let it steam itself. This will help make removing the skin easier.
3. While the pepper is cooling, saute your spinach and garlic together in some olive oil.
4. Once the pepper has cooled enough to handle (5-10 minutes), you should be able to easily rub off the skin. If you can't well, then you didn't char it enough now did you? Don't worry about not being able to remove all the charred bits. As tempting as it might be, DO NOT RUN THE PEPPER UNDER THE SINK. You'll wash away the flavor.
4. Once its nicely peeled, jullianne the pepper.
5. Preheat your oven to 425F (or what ever the pizza box calls for)
6. While your oven preheats, decorate your pizza with your veggie ingredients
7. Bake as instructed, plus 5-10 minutes depending on your pizza size.
8. Let cool, then cut and serve! Remember, hot cheese is taste bud searing cheese.

Serves as many people as the pizza size you bought.