Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The Joy of Pizza

I don't know about your family, but we can't seem to get enough pizza! Pizza in Italian actually means "pie." I read somewhere that Americans eat more than 100 acres of pizza a day!

One day while rummaging through our fridge, searching for something to make for lunch, I started tossing out ingredients to make a pizza with....

whole wheat tortillas
pepperoni
shredded mozarella (I've also used shredded cheddar, or a mixture of both cheeses)
pizza sauce
fresh spinach, chopped
Parmesan cheese

And from the spice rack...

turmeric
Italian seasoning

And came up with what I call Turmeric Tortilla Pizzas!

To make them, preheat the oven on its broiler setting and raise the oven rack for broiling.
For each tortilla, spread on pizza sauce,
sprinkle lightly with turmeric (don't overdo this hearty spice or your pizza might be rejected because it "tastes funny!"),
then mozarella,
then spinach
then pepperoni (or your families favorite pizza toppings),
then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and Parmesan.

Broil until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Why turmeric?
Herbs and spices such as turmeric, ginger, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, and pungent foods such as onions, garlic and chili peppers have significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Researchers studying turmeric and curry powder have found that these spices are anti-just about everything you don't want to see happen in your child's body. They improve circulation by keeping blood platelets from sticking together. They protect the liver from toxic substances. They have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that help to keep all the tissues of the body healthy, including the lining of the intestines and blood vessels. Turmeric is the most mentioned spice in medical literature, according to Dr. Bill Sears. Turmeric seems to act like a natural version of a newer group of anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects!

source: The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, Sears

3 comments:

Jamie said...

Oh those sound delicious!

Laura said...

It sounds really good to me, too! I just bought fresh spinack today, so I think I'll try making your pizza tomorrow!

Laura said...

I made your pizza - slightly modified - today! It was so delicious! I didn't use pepperoni, and I put the pizza seasoning and herbs in the tomato paste. Then I sprinkled a bit of turmeric, cut fresh spinach on top of that, and ended with feta cheese. I'm going to have to buy more spinach so I can make it again!