Caprese Pizza

Caprese season is here: tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic vinegar.  I love making a caprese salad on a bed of spinach with balsamic vinegar or a caprese pizza. The caprese pizza is a good idea for an appetizer or for a meal.

Caprese Pizza 

Ingredients:

- Whole wheat pizza dough ball (1 lb)

-2 large tomatoes or 3 medium

-8 oz  fresh mozzarella, sliced

-1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced

-Sprinkle of Italian season, garlic powder, onion powder

-1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

(This picture is half the recipe.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. On a baking sheet (unless you have a special pizza pan) sprinkle flour so the crust does not stick, roll out pizza dough flat on tray with edges folded, and sprinkle with spices.

3. Bake for about 5 minutes to get a crispy crust.

4. Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into thin slices, while keeping their round shape.

5. To slice the basil: Stack and roll them like a cigar, than slice through them to make a chiffonade (thin ribbons).

6. Take the crust out of the oven, add tomatoes and mozzarella, place back in the oven for a couple minutes (about 5). Once cheese is a bit melted, add basil on top and bake for about 5 more minutes until cheese gets a bit brown in color.

7. Bring out of the oven, let cool for a bit, than drizzle balsamic vinegar on top.

8. Enjoy!!!

*Fun Tips About Tomatoes*

- 1 average size or 1 cup (or 8-10 cherry, 2-3 small, 1/8 cup paste, 8 oz canned, 1/2 cup juice)= 32 cal, 292 mg potassium, 7.1 g Carb, 2.2 g Fiber, 4.7 g sugar

-1 medium= 30% vit A, 38% vit C

-Tomato is a fruit, but prepared and served as a vegetable

-Lycopene (a carotenoid pigment)= deep red color, antioxidant properties, good for bone health, good for your skin, heating tomatoes provides more lycopene

-Heart health: antioxidant support and regulation of fats in bloodstream

-They continue to ripen after being picked, so choose a lighter red/green color fruit to be ready in a couple days up to a week.

-When looking for a ripe tomato choose: slight pressure, smooth skin, bright-red color

-Store them in room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

-If overripe, place in fridge for 2 extra days and remove 30 minutes before using

-Come in different sizes and shapes:

cherry= sweet, usually in salads

plum= (aka Italian or Roma) pear-shaped, meaty, used in tomato sauce

Slicing= round, used for commerce and processed products

beefsteak=round, juicy, in sandwiches