Having children sure does keep one on their toes. One of the best things about my kids is how they continually challenge me, forcing me to learn new things and grow.

My youngest, now 16, decided to become a vegetarian bringing new meaning to the typical kid phrase “there is nothing to eat.” Suddenly my maternal nutritional wisdom has been challenged and I am forced to learn new recipes in order to insure that she gets the proper nutrients.

While there are many “fake meat” products on the market I am not a fan of soy at all. So much of it is GMO and Monsanto grown that I tend to automatically avoid all things soy. Corn is on that list as well but all this is for another blog, it will be called something like “I HATE the Evil Monsanto Food Poisoners.”

Anyway, as I like to eat more healthy as well I took one of my pizza recipes and changed it a little to make it more nutritious. I am sharing the recipe with you but know that it isn’t one of exact measurements (except the crust) or ingredients so take what you like and change what you don’t.

The Crust

This recipe makes two 12 inch crusts. I usually make a double batch and put half in the fridge for another day. Oddly enough it rises in the fridge and actually makes a better crust.

• 1 pkg. dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or (2 cups whole wheat and 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose. I like to use both.)

First dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl.

Next stir in the remaining ingredients until it is mixed thoroughly and forms a dough. I usually can’t mix it enough with a spoon so at this point my hands get in there.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead a little just until it becomes a nice smooth dough, maybe 3-5 minutes.

Roll the dough into your desired shape. I have round pans so I do circles.

Put dough on a greased pan. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

The Toppings

Here is where you can get really creative and use what you like. Sometimes I make the crust and just let my kids put on whatever they want.  This time I chose these ingredients.

• asparagus sautéed in olive oil and garlic until tender
• sliced zucchini
• thinly sliced red onion
• mushrooms
• chopped fresh basil
• sliced black olives
• chopped artichoke hearts
• shredded mozzarella

I sautéed the asparagus with garlic in olive oil to make it tender. Also because I do more than I need for the pizza and then I have them for a snack for my daughter or part of another meal. So as long as I’m getting the pan dirty I might as well do the whole bunch.

First I wash the asparagus and cut off the hard woody ends. Then I cut the spears in half. For the pizza I like to choose somewhat thinner spears. I bought these but I just started to grow my own so in the future I will just go outside and pick some. I can’t wait.

Throw them in a pan with some olive oil and chopped garlic and cook until tender.

Slice, chop and prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Now the fun part. Spread some sauce on your crusts. Today I had a jar of organic pizza sauce but sometimes I make my own. When I make it I use 2 small cans of tomato sauce, dried oregano, chopped garlic, powdered onion, and pepper. Mix all together and spread on crusts.

Use as little or as much as you like. I like a saucy pizza. I also like to add a little parmesan or romano cheese before I put the toppings on. So sprinkle some on. Asiago is a good cheese to use for this too.

Now, if you haven’t eaten all the toppings yet, place them on the pizza crusts. I’m always so hungry when I’m cooking that I have to snack on the ingredients while I’m chopping and slicing. I think I have some left for the pizza though.

Doesn’t that look pretty? Let’s keep going.

Okay now for the cheese. I use real mozzarella. I don’t believe in low-fat or fake cheese but if you do feel free to use it or nothing at all. I’m sure this would be delicious just like this. I’m Italian and a cheese-lover though so here we go.

Cook in the oven at 450 degrees for about 9-11 minutes or until cheese is melted and a little browned. Would you believe I forgot to take a picture of it after it came out of the oven? Well I did. By the time it was done I was so hungry all I could think about was eating it. Plus I was also making another meal for my daughter for another day, whole wheat pasta and shrimp in a spicy Cajun tomato cream sauce. I will have to write up that recipe another time. I hope I can remember it because I just made it up on the fly while doing the pizza.

Oh well there you have your Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do and did. Yummm.