Guilt Free Jazzed Margherita Pizza

Pizza for me is like the ultimate comfort food AND probably one of the unhealthiest things I eat.  I mean, hey, I'm from Chicago (Evanston) so don't I get a pass?  I grew up eating literally the best pizza in the entire world--sorry CA & NY but ya'll know the Chi has the best pizza on the planet ;-).  Deep dish pepperoni from Lou Malnatis, Unos, Giordano's...take your pick!  My mouth and tummy is excited just thinking about it, but I digress.  I won't lie to you and say that any pizza (besides my homemade version of this favorite) will give you the satisfaction of sitting in a Chicago pizzeria and enjoying that amazingly awesome buttery crust and gooey cheese. However, if you are like me and could stand to lose a few (or a lot) of pounds, I can give you an option that will be virtually guilt free.

This jazzed (I call it Jazzed because that's what I call any recipe that I Jazzmyne-ify) recipe was born out of a pasta  that I have made for years plus my Chicago roots and my thought that the "sauce" would make an awesome version of a Margherita style pizza (margherita pizza basically means a thin crust pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, garlic and basil).  The result ended up being a lower-calorie yummy pizza that is sure to cure you craving for its high cal step brother.  It was also a great way to showcase veggies and get my kids to eat them.  I hide vegetables in food just like every other mom, but my new philosophy is to showcase them in really awesome recipes so that my kids learn to LOVE fruits and vegetables. If they never know what they are eating when the food taste good, they will grow up not wanting to eat them. This awakening came the other day in the grocery store when I got into a full blown argument with the 4 year who is convinced that mushrooms and spinach are yucky.  Never mind the fact that she eats this combo in pasta all the time and thinks its AMAZING.  I decided I have to a better job of not only making sure they eat healthy, but also making sure they know that eating healthy doesn't have to taste bad.  Otherwise, they'll end up like me and the hubby, deprogramming themselves as adults trying to make healthy choices without feeling deprived.  All said and done, this pizza is less than 350 calories with only 16 g of fat, 25 g carbs and 24 g protein per slice.  Comparatively, it reduces the calorie count and fat grams of a Classic Margherita pizza by 51% and that version doesn't even have chicken!  Add to that that you get a good boost of Vitamin C. Try it out, I promise, you won't feel deprived!





Prep It

This is one of those recipes where prep is key so here goes...

• In the morning macerate the tomatoes in a large bowl by combining:
• 2 pints halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 2 tbls minced garlic
• 8 julienned basil leaves
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

     Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at MINIMUM of 4 hours.

• Pre-bake your pizza crust for 5-7 minutes at 425 degrees, crust should be stiff but not browned.
• Chicken can be baked in advance (recipe below)

What Goes In It

• 8 boneless, skinless, chicken tenderloins
• Non-stick cooking spray
• 2 tbls Italian seasoning
• 1 tbls Garlic pepper
• 1 pkg Pillsbury thin pizza crust dough
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 pieces sliced mozzarella cheese
• 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/8 cup julienned basil leaves

How To Make It

1. Place the chicken tenderloins on a broiler pan that has been lightly coated with cooking spray.
2. Spray the chicken with a light cooking spray and then sprinkle the each side with the Italian seasoning and garlic pepper.  Bake chicken in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until edges are golden.
   
3. Remove chicken from oven and let cool.
4. Meanwhile, start building your pizza.  On the pre-baked crust, first lay down the sliced mozzarella in a pinwheel pattern being sure not to overlap the cheese. You can add extra slices if you need to but 7-8 slices should be plenty.  Remember, as the cheese melts it will spread so its ok if there is a bit of space in between each of the slices.  This a key step to shield your crust from getting soggy during the cooking process.
5. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the macerated tomatoes over the cheese. Be careful not to catch too much of the un-absorbed olive oil, otherwise your pizza will get too soggy.  You can use a pastry brush to evenly distribute the olive oil over the crust.
   
6. Thinly slice the cooled chicken then evenly distribute on the top of the pizza.
7. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top of the chicken and tomatoes.  This is a great time to get the kiddos involved.  I was assisted by my sous chef Jade.
   
   
   
8. Top with basil leaves and bake at 450 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until edge of crust is golden brown and cheese is melted..
   
9. Remove pizza from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Slice, serve and enjoy!
   

Extra Tips/Shopping List

What You'll Need

• Basil
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced mozzarella
• Pizza crust

What You Should Have on Hand

• Chicken
• Italian seasoning
• Red pepper flake
• Garlic pepper
• Shredded mozzarella
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

Tips

• The pizza can be made without the chicken to further cut fat and calories or would taste great with shrimp
• The cooking method used for the chicken is one you should memorize, its how make chicken for wraps, pastas, sandwiches or even to top salad
• Cooking the chicken on the broiler pan is key to get a crispy outer layer on the chicken without drying it out
• If you don't have a broiler pan, the same cooking method can be achieved by placing a wire rack on top of a baking sheet that has  1/2 inch wall to prevent the drippings from escaping the pan
• Fresh mozzarella can be used in place of the shredded cheese
• Believe it or not but the thin pizza crust is the lowest calorie option versus the whole wheat crust
• This recipe can be made gluten free by using a gluten free crust or bread
• Tomatoes can be macerated the day before and then refrigerated overnight, but they need to sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours for the breakdown on the tomatoes to occur
• Reserve olive oil (after all tomatoes are on the pizza) can be used as a light salad dressing
• This is an awesome recipe to get the kids involved.  I find that when trying something new, they are more likely to eat it if they helped make it!