Sunday Summer Salad Pizza

This is what I ate for dinner tonight- it looked so pretty I thought I'd share it. 

Have you ever had salad pizza?  It is so good, and so easy too!  It makes a perfect summer supper.  Try it - you'll like it!!!

SUMMER SALAD PIZZA

INGREDIENTS

 Pizza dough - homemade  (recipe below - if you take this route you'll have to prep it a couple of hours in advance) or store bought - you can buy some from your local pizza joint )

flour for dusting

olive oil

cooking spray

salt

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

Parmesan cheese

herbs for flavor - oregano, rosemary, sage or anything you like (optional)

mushrooms - 1 small can or 1 cup fresh, sliced

1 bag mixed greens

any additional veggies you like - I added tomatoes, but whatever you like in your salad will work!

1/2 cup white beans (optional)

Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, or whatever you like - store bought, or make your own

OK!  So, for mine, I made a personal pizza, but here is how to do it for a group.  (If you do want to make 1 or several small pizzas, just split the dough into 4 and divide the salad up between them.)

Take your dough out of the fridge to come to room temperature.  Preheat your oven to 425.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray - if you have a pizza stone you could use that too.  Set aside.

For the mushrooms - skip this if you're using canned.  Or, if you don't like mushrooms you could use another veggie of your choice - roasted red pepper, sun dried tomato, olives, etc.  Heat a frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the slices mushrooms and saute until tender, about 7 minutes.  Set aside. 

On a clean, dry counter top dusted with flour, roll your dough into a ball.  Flatten and stretch with your hands into a circle (or a square of rectangle, if that's your thing).  Use a rolling pin, or a wine bottle or what ever you've got to make it nice and thin.  Add more flour as you need if it gets sticky.  Transfer to your prepared pan. 

Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil onto the crust, and spread around with a pastry brush or the back of a spoon so that dough is coated evenly.  Sprinkle chopped garlic on the crust, followed by a couple of pinches of salt.  Add any herbs you like - I used dried sage (about 1/2 tsp), but be creative!  Add 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan.  Top with mushrooms and put in the oven.  Cook for about 20 minutes, or until edges of crust are lightly brown.

While your pizza is cooking, put together the salad in a large bowl.  I used a bagged salad to make things easier, then added some extra chopped tomatoes I had on hand.  I also tossed in some beans I had leftover for some added protein, but you can basically use anything you like in a regular salad - nuts, hard boiled eggs, grilled chicken, tofu, goat cheese, tuna, leftover veggies, etc.  Mix your salad together but wait to add the dressing until pizza is out of the oven.

When dough is cooked, remove it from the oven and set aside.  Add 1/4 cup of your favorite dressing to your mixed greens and toss until coated.  Scoop the salad onto the pizza and distribute evenly with a spoon.  Slice and enjoy!

(This is my first recipe - if anything is confusing please let me know.) 

Oh!  And if you want to make your own dough, here is the recipe I used - it was very simple, just takes some pre-planning since you have to let it rise for a couple of hours.  You could make a bunch beforehand and freeze it to have it ready to go when you need it!

PIZZA DOUGH

from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman - awesome cookbook, by the way!

makes: 1 large or 2 (or more) small pies

time: 1 hour or more

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all purpose flour or bread flour, plus more as needed

2 tsp instant yeast

2 tsp course kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1) Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor.  Turn the machine on and add 1 c water and 2 tbsp oil through the feed tube.  (To make the dough by hand, use a bowl and a heavy wooden spoon.  When the dough becomes too heavy to stir use your hands.)

2) Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.  If its dry, add another tablespoon or 2 of water (but not more than a total of 1/4 in this step) and process for another 10 seconds.  (In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour 1 tbsp at a time.)

3) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball.  Put the remaining oil in a bowl, turn the dough ball in it, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1-2 hours.  (You can cut this time short if you're in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6-8 hours.)  Proceed to step 4 or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or a resealable bag and freeze for up to 1 month.  (Defrost in the bag or a covered bowl in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before shaping.)

4) When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and divide it into 2 or more pieces if you like;  roll each piece into a round ball.  Place each ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour, and  cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Let rest until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.