DAY 34 RECIPE: SPICY CHICKEN AND PEPPER PIZZA

Homemade pizza.....SO delicious! This is a favourite of  my husband James. You can make this a healthier version of pizza if you roll or pat out the crust on the thin side, I usually make it about 1/4inch think. I also use a lower fat mozzarella, and the chicken is better for you than traditional pizza meat toppings. Totally tasty and pretty good for you! Enjoy!

DAY 34 RECIPE:

SPICY CHICKEN AND PEPPER PIZZA


CRUST:
1 Cup Lukewarm water
2 & ¼ tsp Quick Rise Yeast
1 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Canola Oil
1 tbsp Cornmeal
Cooking spray ( like PAM)
1 & 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 & 1/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 & ½ Tbsp Butter or Margarine
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Powder

SAUCE:
1 14oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp Oregano
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper

TOPPINGS:
2 Cups Cooked Chicken, cubed or shredded
2 Cups Bell Peppers, your favourite colors; diced
½ Small Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Oil
2 Tbsp Barbeque Sauce
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Liquid from jarred Jalapenos
1 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Chilli Flakes
½ Tsp Ginger
1 & ½ Cups Mozzarella Cheese, Grated

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUST PREPERATION:
In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in water. Add yeast. Cover and let rise about 10 minutes.
In the meantime Combine flour, salt, oregano, and garlic powder. Cut in butter or margarine until crumbly.
Add yeast mixture to flour mixture. Stir slightly with a fork. Knead together until dough gathers into a ball.
Pour oil over and roll the dough ball to evenly coat in the oil.
Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.
Spray Pizza pan, or sheet pan with cooking spray. Lightly dust with cornmeal.
Place dough ball in the middle of the pan. Press out with your fingers towards the sides. Make as thin or as thick as you like at this point. I prefer a bit thinner. Remember that it rises as it bakes, to about double the original size. Cut any excess off the sides. (Extra dough makes great breadsticks!). Prick with a fork all over, and bake just the dough for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.


DIRECTIONS FOR SAUCE PREPERATION:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir.

DIRECTIONS FOR TOPPING PREPERATION:
Heat oil in a non stick fry pan over med high heat. Add onions, garlic and chicken. Sauté for 5 minutes.
While the chicken sautés, prepare cooking sauce. In a small bowl, mix together barbeque sauce, water, salt, brown sugar, jalapeno liquid, ginger and chilli flakes.
Now pour cooking sauce over the chicken mixture, cook for another 7-8 minutes.

ASSEMBLY OF PIZZA:
Top partially baked crust with sauce (as much as you like).
Next step: toppings.
There is some debate here. Some like everything underneath the cheese. Around here we put the majority of the cheese on top of the sauce, then we put on the topping then a scant layer of cheese over the toppings. You can choose whichever is best suited to your family.
After the pizza is assembled, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until all the cheese in the centre is melted. A nice finish to the pizza is to broil for about 5 minutes to brown it up nicely.