Pizza, Pizza!

MISSION, KS--(Marketwired - May 2, 2013) - (Family Features) Who says pizza is just for dinner? With these recipes, you can get the family together and make pizza for dinner -- and breakfast, lunch or snacks. By making it yourself, you can save money and make it healthier.

"It's easy to turn pizza into a healthy meal. Use a whole wheat crust, garden fresh toppings like tomatoes from Florida, and serve it with a salad," said Chef Justin Timineri, Executive Chef and Culinary Ambassador, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

These recipes are not only kid-friendly to eat, they're kid-ready to make. Older kids can help slice vegetables, and younger kids can help make the pizza crust and add the toppings. Look for the "Grown-Up Alert" on each recipe for tasks adults should handle or help with.

Get more recipes and learn about Florida tomatoes at http://bit.ly/floridatomatoes.

Chef Justin's Tomato Tips for Kids

• Never refrigerate a whole tomato. Storing in cold temperatures stops the ripening process and makes the flavor fade.
• The best test for a great tomato is not color but aroma. Smell the stem end, and you should smell a strong sweet-acidic fragrance. Choose tomatoes that are plump, shiny and that give slightly when pressure is applied.

Tomato Quiz
Florida tomatoes not only taste good, but they're good for you. Tomatoes contain vitamin A, which does what?
a) Helps fight infection
b) Keeps hair, bones and skin healthy
c) Promotes good vision
d) All of the above
Answer: d

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
Yield: 1 crust, 4 to 6 servings
			2	cups whole wheat flour
			2	teaspoons baking powder
			1/4	cup olive oil, plus extra for greasing pan
			3/4	cup water
			1	teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix by hand until dough comes together and doesn't stick to the side of the bowl.

Use a small amount of olive oil to grease a medium sized (12-inch) pizza pan. Roll or press dough into pan. Bake for about 7 minutes or until golden brown. Let crust cool slightly and top as desired.

Grown-Up Alert: An adult may need to help with the oven.

Frittata Breakfast Pizza
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
				Fresh pizza dough or 1 small pre-baked pizza crust
			8	to 10 eggs
			1/4	cup milk
				Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
			2	Florida zucchini, sliced thin
			1	cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
			1	cup breakfast meat (bacon and/or sausage) cooked and chopped
			2	Florida tomatoes, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place pizza dough in bottom of springform pan, or cut pre-baked crust to fit.

In medium sized mixing bowl, combine eggs and milk. Use whisk to mix. Season egg mixture lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Layer zucchini on top of crust in bottom of pan. Add half of the cheese to the top of zucchini. Add cooked and chopped breakfast meat to pan.

Place pan on cookie sheet. Pour egg mixture on top of meat and zucchini. Top egg mixture with sliced tomatoes and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 to 25 minutes until center of frittata is evenly cooked.

Remove from oven and let cool. Unhinge the springform pan. Slice and serve warm.

Grown-Up Alert: Have an adult help with the oven and with unhinging the hot springform pan.

Garden Pizza
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
			1	whole wheat pizza crust, baked and ready to be topped
			2/3	cup tomato or pizza sauce
			2	Florida tomatoes, sliced thin
			1/2	cup Florida bell peppers, diced small
			1	cup Florida mushrooms, sliced
			1	cup Florida zucchini, diced small
			1 1/2	cups grated mozzarella cheese
			3/4	cup fresh mozzarella cheese, hand torn
			1/4	cup fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Evenly distribute sauce over pizza crust. Top with tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and cheeses. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool slightly. Garnish with fresh basil.

Grown-Up Alert: An adult may need to help with dicing vegetables and using the oven.

Mexican Pizza
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
			1	whole wheat pizza crust, baked
			1/2	cup salsa
			1	cup Florida corn kernels
			1	cup Florida avocado, diced
			1	cup Florida tomatoes, diced
			2	cups jack cheese, grated
			1/4	cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Evenly distribute salsa over pizza crust. Top pizza with corn, avocado, tomatoes and cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let cool slightly. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.

Grown-Up Alert: An adult may need to help with dicing vegetables and using the oven.

Mini Pizza Snacks
Yield: 2 servings (3 mini pizzas per serving)
			6	mini pizza crusts cut out from whole wheat pitas, or pre-baked pizza crusts
			1/2	cup tomato sauce or your favorite pizza sauce (optional)
			1	cup mozzarella cheese
				Pizza toppings such as pepperoni, black olives, green pepper, Florida tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, etc.

Preheat oven broiler.

Use a cookie cutter to cut pizza crusts that will fit in the wells of a muffin pan. Place one crust in each well.

If you want pizza sauce, spoon some onto each crust. Top with a sprinkle of cheese, then some of your favorite pizza toppings.

Place muffin pan on the lower rack of the oven, and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven. Let pizzas cool for a couple of minutes before carefully using a fork to remove them from the pan.

Grown-Up Alert: Have an adult help with the broiler, and with removing pizzas from the muffin pan.

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