Meatless Monday - Savory Apple Pizza

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I have a thing for pizza.  It's so easy and so good.  And while pizza can be a greasy, unhealthy mess, it doesn't have to be!  Start with a nice crust - whole wheat, preferably - add a good sauce, toppings of choice, and a little cheese (not too much!), and you've got yourself the makings of a tasty and healthy meal.  Pizza is also an easy way to enjoy a meatless meal - a meatless meal your kids won't complain about at that! 

It should come as no surprise that I like unusual pizzas (see my past pizza incarnations - Pizza with White Sauce and Peach Pizza).  Pizza doesn't always have to be tomato sauce, pepperoni, and cheese!  This week I happen to have a couple of boxes of organic Utah Fuji apples sitting in my kitchen, so I experimented with apple on pizza.

Fruit on a savory pizza?  Why not!  The thinly sliced apple added a hint of sweetness, and the apple flavor was an afterthought - not nearly as prominent as I thought it would be.  My husband and I both liked this pizza.  I made a simple goat cheese sauce, but you could use a white sauce, a tomato sauce (though that doesn't sound very appealing with apple to me), or no sauce at all!  I used fontina cheese as the topping, but I think that next time I will use feta cheese instead for a little more zip.  I also think that I'll add some roasted garlic (like on my Pizza with White Sauce), but I'm a garlic fiend. 

I should note that when I make my unconventional pizzas, the kids get a plain ole cheese pizza.  We use this tomato sauce recipe with a few minor changes.  I like to add some oregano to give it more of a pizza sauce flavor.  I also halve the red wine, and double the water.  Sometimes I use broth instead of water.  It makes a very good pizza sauce that freezes well to boot.

Savory Apple Pizza

Use crust of your choice.  If you have a breadmaker, my pizza dough recipe is at the bottom.

Goat cheese sauce:
1/4 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground thyme (or herb of your choice)
1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.  Stir while heating over medium heat until the cheese melts and the liquid simmers.  Cook for about 10 min or until sauce is the desired consistency.


Toppings:
1 small apple, thinly sliced (leave peel on)
1-2 onions, caramelized
1/2 TBSP fresh thyme leaves (or herb of your choice), optional
roasted garlic cloves (optional)
cheese - fontina, feta, or whatever suits you

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spread a thin layer of goat cheese sauce over pizza crust.  Top with caramelized onions, a single layer of apple, thyme, garlic cloves, and cheese.  Bake at 425 F for 15 min or until crust is browned. 

A note on the crust - I like to prebake my pizza crust for about 5 min before adding the toppings.  I end up with a crispier crust that way.

Breadmaker Pizza Dough
For a 1 lb batch of dough

3/4 cup warm water
1 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 1/4 cups flour - can be completely all-purpose or a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour (I usually do about 1/2 white whole wheat)
1 tsp yeast

Combine water, oil, sugar and salt in breadmaker pan. Add in flour, and pour yeast on top of the flour. Put in breadmaker on "Pizza Dough" setting or consult your breadmaker's manual for the best setting.