Roasted Veggie Pizza & Kale Salad

As many of you know, I'm a follower of the "Cooking Light" religion.  This magazine has changed the way I think and feel about food, and cooking it.  And these two recipes I'm about to share with you are some of my favorites for summer.  They're from the August 2012 issue.  

I've made these recipes several times... and even tweaked them to my specifications. So today, I'm going to share with you my way of making this delicious veggie pizza and Kale salad.  (Buckle up, it's kind of a long one today)

2 Tomatoes

2 cloves of Garlic

2 Bell Peppers: 1 Orange, 1 Yellow

1 Red Onion

1 Zucchini

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

Refrigerated pizza dough, or make your own (I'll show you how below)

A Dash of Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup of chopped basil

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup shredded Italian Cheese (I buy a pre-shredded blend)

Several slices of Turkey Pepperoni

You'll need 1 1/4 cup of warm water, a package of active dry years, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 3 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of salt.

Combine water, sugar and yeast in a glass measuring cup-- whisk together and let sit for five minutes. While the yeast mixture sits, combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor, and pulse to combine.  Then, add the yeast mixture while pulsing as fast as the flour will absorb it.  Remove the dough ball from the food processor-- and knead it on a floured surface until the dough is sort of elastic.

To shape the dough, roll it out in to a flat round shape, and then knead and toss it until it becomes your desired size.  If you don't want to risk dropping the dough on the floor-- then you can continue to roll it, and then place it on a greased pizza tray and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the dough is brown.

Chop up all your veggies and garlic and place in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss veggies until they're coated with oil.  Place veggies on a roasting pan and roast in a 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until the veggies are tender.   

I start with a layer of olive oil, brushed around the pizza crust, then I sprinkle the red pepper flakes and fresh basil over the olive oil.  Next comes a layer of the pepperoni.  Then I spread the veggies on top and sprinkle the cheese over the veggies.   Once that's all done, you broil the pizza until the cheese melts and the crust is golden brown.

Isn't she a beaut????

Now let's talk salad!  Here's what you'll need:

1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon of Sugar

1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

4 cups of torn Kale leaves

2 cups of torn Swiss Chard leaves

4 teaspoons of Sunflower Seeds

1/4 cup sliced Green Onions

1/4 cup of shaved Romano Cheese

Combine the first 5 ingredients into a bowl, and whisk until combined.  Then add the Kale and Swiss Chard to the bowl and toss until the greens are coated with dressing.  Top with sunflower seeds, green onions and Romano Cheese. 

Give it a try and tell me how much you like it!