Try something out of the ordinary — pizza made with a rice crust. It’s lower in calories than pizza that’s made with a traditional bread crust, and it’s even easier to prepare.
| Extra health benefits: | Stronger immunity |
| Times: | Prep: 27 min.; Baking: 40 min.; Broiling: 2 min.. |
| Makes: | 8 servings |
| Per serving: | |
| Calories: | 167 |
| Fat: | 4.2 g. (23% of calories) |
| Fiber: | 2.6 g. |
| Cholesterol: | 13 mg. |
| Sodium: | 172 mg. |
- 1 cup coarsely grated carrots
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup whole wheat or unbleached flour
- 2 tbsp finely chopped onions
- 3 tsp minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
- 1 cup canned low-sodium tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
For the crust, place the carrots in a strainer. Place an unopened can of fruit or vegetables on top to squeeze the excess liquid from the carrots. Let drain for 20 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, flour, onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon of the dried basil. Then stir in the carrots and rice.
Spray a 13-inch X 9-inch baking pan with no-stick spray. Spread the crust mixture in the bottom and about 1/4-inch up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Then broil 4 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until the crust is browned, without burning the carrots.
Spread the tomato sauce on the crust and top with the cheese. Then sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and light brown. Slice and serve.
Chef’s note: To jazz up this pizza, scatter 1 cup of chopped cooked vegetables over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake as directed. Broccoli, artichoke hearts, carrots, cauliflower, peppers, onions and mushrooms are good choices.
