Low-fat pizza goes light on the cheese

October 6, 1995
Web posted at: 12:15 p.m. EDT

From Correspondent Carolyn O'Neil

CHARLOTTE, Vermont (CNN) -- A slice of pizza, especially the kind with extra cheese and lots of pepperoni and sausage can be amazingly high in fat. But with the right ingredients, pizza can come through with taste and health.

"Everybody loves pizza, and kids love pizza, and this is a nice variation because it's not your same old tomato sauce and cheese," says registered dietitian Elizabeth Hiser , referring to a low-fat recipe for pizza from Eating Well Magazine.

Eating Well's pizza is chock-full of vegetables, like artichokes and onions, but your pizza can have any topping you like.

Your choices are virtually limitless," says Eating Well's Irving Smith. "They are only bounded by your imagination."

Whatever goes on top, start with a low-fat dough using rapid- rise yeast. Combine two cups of all-purpose flour, one package of the rapid-rise yeast, salt, and half a teaspoon of sugar. Mix in a food processor.

Then heat three-quarters of a cup of water and a teaspoon of olive oil to about 130 degrees. Pour the hot water through the processor tube, and process for one minute.

Now the dough has to rise for just ten minutes.

"With regular yeast, it would take one and a half hours to two hours for the dough to rise," says Smith. "With rapid rise yeast it takes ten minutes."

Next comes the topping. Begin by sauté ing two sliced onions in a pan for ten minutes until golden.

"Caramelized onions are rich and sweet," Smith explains. "They don't have the bite that raw onions have."

Add a package of frozen artichoke hearts and some dried rosemary and cook for another five minutes. Now roll the dough, put on the topping, and bake for about 15 minutes. Then sprinkle with a quarter cup of parmesan cheese.

Using less cheese creates a pizza with only 175 calories and three grams of fat per slice.

If you would like a free copy of this recipe, you can write to Contemporary Cooking, care of Eating Well Magazine, Ferry Road, Charlotte, Vermont 05445. Remember to ask for the pizza.

Low-fat pizza goes light on the cheese

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