Mediterranean Pizza Night

The Nutrition Twins
Lyssie Lakatos RD, LD, CDN, CFT & Tammy Lakatos Shames RD, LD, CDN, CFT
The Nutrition Twins®, share more than identical features; they share a passion to teach people how to eat healthfully and exercise so they’ll have tons of ENERGY to live happy lives. Over the past 13 years, they’ve focused their limitless energy on building a thriving private practice in New York City helping thousands of individual and corporate clients.  You can learn more about them by visiting their website or saying hello to them on Twitter @NutritionTwins.

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When we were growing up, every Thursday night in our house was pizza night.  Whether we were coming in the door from a long day of school followed by soccer practice or a speedskating session, we always looked forward to pizza night.  One of our favorite versions of pizza that our Mom used to make was a Mediterranean version.  And now we still make this pizza for ourselves and our families.  It’s such a pleasure to feel like we’re really indulging while providing a nutritious meal.  

We’re all for anything that is healthy, delicious and gives us energy like this pizza does—and in fact, that’s what the Mediterranean diet is all about.  We love that Mediterranean cuisine is predominantly plant-based, low in saturated fat and high in fiber.  It helps to keep you trim while helping to prevent chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease, and so much more.  It keeps energy levels high and blood sugar levels stable because it’s rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and seeds—wholesome, high fiber foods and low-fat protein sources, both of which prevent energy crashes while providing the micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that keep energy levels high.

These nutrient-rich foods are the backbone of a healthy diet—and exactly the foods that we help our clients to incorporate into their diets to become healthier, fight disease and achieve and maintain a healthy weight.  These are also the foods that we focus on eating ourselves and have developed meal and diet plans around in our books: The Secret To Skinny and Fire Up Your Metabolism.  

Here’s our recipe for Mediterranean Pizza. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Mediterranean Pizza

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons honey

1 ½ teaspoons dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
⅓ cup cold water
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 plum tomato, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup chopped red onion
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup (3 ounces) pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella
½ cup crumbled feta cheese with basil and black olives

Directions:
Combine the water, yeast, and honey in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of oil. Next, stir the flour and ½ teaspoon salt into yeast mixture. Slowly add ⅓ cup cold water, stirring until dough forms a ball.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes). Roll dough into a 9-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a 12-inch pizza pan coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal.

Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Place tomato slices on paper towels; let stand 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion, cucumber, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add artichokes and 1 ½ tablespoons each of basil and oregano; sauté 30 seconds. Drain. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Set aside.

Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle crust with ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the mozzarella. Place tomato slices on top of cheese. Sprinkle with feta cheese and remaining basil, black olives, and oregano. Bake an additional 6 to 7 minutes or until crust is golden. Serve immediately.