Pizza!

The key to good homemade pizza is getting a pizza stone. They're not that expensive and they open up worlds of possibility for delicious (and not-too-naughty) pizzas. The two pizzas featured here are:

Spinach, Tomato, and Chicken Pizza

and

Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Pizza with Balsamic Drizzle

For these or any pizza, start with a good bakery-prepared whole wheat pizza crust. You could make your own, but honestly, who has time for that? Give yourself plenty of lead-time to let the crust warm to room temperature and be patient as you stretch it. Don't be afraid to let the dough rest and come back to it later if it's too sproingy.

Our featured pizza flavors came about because we happened to have on hand,

A) One box of frozen chopped spinach

Leftover rotisserie chicken

Can of diced tomatoes with basil and olive oil

Sliced onions

Minced garlic

Extra-sharp white cheddar (sliced thin from the deli)

B) Jar of pizza sauce

One ball of fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil if you can get it

More onions and garlic

Balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven (check directions on your pizza stone). Place your stretched-out dough on an unrimmed cookie sheet or wooden pizza peel dusted with cornmeal. Then heap on garlic and veggies and add the bare minimum of cheese to just hold things together. As you add ingredients, you should check periodically to make sure your pizza isn't sticking to your peel. When you're satisfied, toss a little more cornmeal onto the hot pizza stone and slide your creation into the oven. Bake until crust is golden and cheese is melted.

The only thing tricky item in these featured pizzas is the balsamic reduction. Put the vinegar in a small saucepan and let it steam away on low heat until it reduces in volume. Don't boil it and don't over-reduce it or you'll get a molasses-sticky mess. The reduction will continue to thicken as it cools. We drizzled the reduction on the mozzarella and basil pizza after it was cooked.

Enjoy!