Mushroom Pizzas

• Yield:2 Servings
• Difficulty:Easy
• Time:35 minutes

Mushroom pizzas are perfect for a pizza craving you can’t quite satisfy because you are on a diet. You want to cheat…but you kinda don’t because you are happy with your results so far and would like to hold on to them for at least a while. Here is the healthy answer!

Even if you don’t care for mushrooms you can use something else like zucchini, eggplant slices, or tomato slices. Any of these are really good for you as far as vitamins and nutrients go, and will benefit your health more than wheat flour. To further the health benefit we will use low-moisture part skim mozzarella cheese which has less fat and calories, but all of the taste! We will also use extra virgin olive oil which is beyond good for you in that it may protect you from heart disease, stroke, depression, breast cancer, and help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 6 medium portabella mushrooms or 8 large white mushrooms
• ½ cup pizza sauce
• ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp. mini pepperonis or regular sized pepperoni slices cut into quarters: 4 minis or 1 regular slice per mushroom
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• Oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, and pink salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean the mushrooms gently and remove the stems. Spray a tin-foil lined baking sheet with nonstick spray. Rub or brush the mushroom caps with the olive oil, then spoon in the sauce. Sprinkle a dusting of each of the spices listed over the sauce—except for the basil. Add the cheese, and top with the mini pepperoni and basil. Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes, check them around 12 minutes. When the cheese shows some gold areas, they are finished. Feel free to top with a dusting of fresh parmesan or red pepper! You will have to make like John Kasich and eat this pizza with a fork, even if you live in New York! Don’t worry; unlike poor Mr. Kasich, no one will laugh at you for eating your pizza with a fork.

Nutrition: