Grilled Veggie Pizzas

These individual pizzas make a great Sunday night supper. They will come together quicker if you buy pre-made pizza dough, but I always enjoy making my own. Here's how:

Dissolve one packet of yeast (about 2 1/4 tsps) into a bowl of warm water - check that the temperature is between 100 and 110 degrees on a thermometer. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let stand for 5 minutes.

Add 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for ten minutes, adding up to another 1/2 cup of flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. I found that my dough was extremely sticky, and I needed to use that entire amount - not sure if this was an error on my part or if the recipe is meant to be so... tacky.

Either way, after kneading (punch down, fold over, quarter-turn, repeat) for ten minutes, place in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat the top of the dough; cover and let rise for one hour. At the end of the hour, punch down the dough, then let rest for five minutes.

While the dough is rising, you can prepare the vegetables for the topping, either over an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill pan. Slice one (1/2 pound) zucchini into 1/4-inch thick slices, lengthwise (about 3 slices). Core a large red bell pepper, and slice into 1/4-inch thick rings (about six slices). Cut a large onion in half - save half of it for another use. Cut the remaining half into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 3 slices). Put the vegetables in a bowl and toss with a teaspoon and a half of olive oil and a dash of black pepper.

Cook on a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat for 5 minute on each side (work in batches if you need to). Remove from heat and stir in one minced garlic clove.

Now divide your risen dough in half. Wrap half of it in plastic wrap and save for your next homemade pizza night! (It will store in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap for up to three months). Working with the remaining half, divide the dough into three equal portions and pat into 7-inch rounds.

Coat both sides of the rounds with cooking spray and place on your grill or grill pan. Grill for 4 minutes on one side until puffed and golden. Remove from the grill, and top with one-third of the vegetable mixture. Here, the original recipe called for a mixture of mozzarella cheese and Gruyere cheese. Instead, use the Vegan Mozzarella block from Galaxy Foods. Sprinkle two tablespoons of this 'cheese' over each pizza round. Return to the grill, topped-side up, and grill for an additional minute and a half.

Each of the individual pizzas is 460 calories. Grilling them this way really makes it seem like you have a wood-burning oven right in your kitchen! Serve with a steamed veggie of your choice or a leafy salad on the side.

Cost:
yeast $2,69
zucchini $2.39
red bell pepper $5.59 (the cost is so high because I bought a couple organic beauties from Holland...)
vegan mozzarella $3.39