Greek Pizza

Sorry meat lovers, I know this is the third vegetarian meal in a row that I’ve posted. I’m really not becoming a vegetarian, it just happened to be three in a row which is actually very rare for me. I am starting to like vegetarian foods more but I could never give up meat.

This Greek Pizza is amazing! Not only that, but it’s also a simple dish to prepare. You may look at the directions for this pizza and wonder why I’ve added all the topping on after baking. The reason I did so is because when I think of Greek food I often think of fresh veggies. Yes, you could add them on prior to baking if you prefer, but why not try out the unbaked veggie version? I also like how adding them after reduces the amount of liquids that cook down from the vegetables that often just sits, soaking over the pizza which results in a soggy crust. I did saute the peppers, just to reduce the crunch factor but really you could just toss those on fresh too.

I love how versatile pizza is. I feel like there’s a thousand and one combinations I need to try. One down, one thousand more to go. This Mediterranean twist on pizza is likely to become a hit in your house.
Enjoy!

Greek Pizza

Yield: About 5 servings

Ingredients

    1 (16 oz) homemade or store bought pizza dough
    2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    1/2 tsp dried oregano
    1/4 tsp dried basil
    1/8 tsp dried thyme
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    6 oz fresh mozzarella, chopped into pieces (regular low moisture mozzarella would be fine too)
    4 oz feta, crumbled
    1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any variety)
    1 cup diced grape tomatoes, halved
    1/3 cup chopped kalamata or black olives
    1/4 cup chopped red onion
    1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

    Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza stone in oven and rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile combine 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Spread and shape pizza crust into a 12 - 13 inch round over a sheet of lightly floured parchment paper, while creating a rim along edge of dough. Brush pizza dough evenly with olive oil mixture. Sprinkle evenly with oregano, basil, thyme (leaving rim uncovered with herbs) and season lightly with salt and pepper. Top evenly with mozzarella and feta cheese. Bake in preheated oven 12 - 15 minutes until crust is golden. Meanwhile, saute peppers in a skillet in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium high heat until tender (you could also just add them on without sauteing).
    Remove pizza from oven and immediately top with peppers, tomatoes, olives, onion and parsley. Cut into slices and serve.

    (From: Cooking Classy)