A Sunday Lunch.

From when I was in Venice. Beautiful.

St. Michael Square in Venice.

Pizza? 

A Canadian comfort food at its finest. Usually it comes loaded with about an inch of cheese on top and with a thick hearty crust, making it quite a heavy entree. When I was in Italy (aka the mother-land of pizza) in 2010 and 2011 I noticed something about their pizza, it was neither round nor heavy. In fact, it was topped with fresh, fragrant ingredients that invited you to savor your lunch, enjoy the flavors and explore all the possible topping combinations. I was inspired and intrigued. The appearance of prosciutto, artichoke hearts, basil, fresh cheeses, garden vegetables and savory marmalades were atop many pizzas in not just the "gourmet" restaurants, but in the everyday pizza joint. Fantastic.

Pizza is not rigid. It is a canvas to create a complex flavor profile that can suite any palate; so let's get creative people!

Came home from church today in the mood for something savory. With snow on the ground, there is nothing greater than a delicious sunday lunch with a nice hot cup of President's Choice Chocolate Mint tea and a pizza creation that is low calorie, packed with nutritious ingredients and tailored to moi!

Ingredients

For Pizza

1 weight watchers whole wheat wrap

2 tbsp no sugar added apricot jam

4 fresh basil leaves

1 scallion

4 pitted, dried dates

4 slices sun-dried tomato (not packaged in oil preferably)

paprika

olive oil

fresh parmesan

For side salad (adjust vegetables to taste)

spinach

cherry tomatoes

snow peas

cucumber

red pepper

1 tbsp Kraft calorie wise poppyseed dressing

To make:

The finished product!

Preheat oven to 300C. Move rack to top level.

Place wrap on baking sheet for assembly. Spread apricot jam onto the wrap- Make sure to keep the edges of the wrap clean. This will allow for a "crust" to form when baking, and allow for easy handling. Chop fresh basil (to properly cut: roll the leaves together and then dice all the leaves at once; this should give you strips of basil without mushing the leaves and releasing valuable, flavorful oils onto the cutting surface). Slice the pitted dates and sun-dried tomatoes into pieces along their width. Chop scallion into small rounds; not too large as their flavor is quite strong. Scatter the dates, sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, and some of the chopped basil even across the wrap. Sprinkle paprika (I prefer unsmoked) over top, and then drizzle olive oil for moisture. Put in oven for ~10 minutes or until the edges begin to curl up and the wrap becomes a toasted color. Assemble salad while pizza is cooking. When finished, sprinkle the left over basil overtop and finish with fresh parmesan.

Rustic. Yum.

Possible variations? Whatever you want! It's about being creative! Add cinnamon to enhance the sweetness. Maybe some other types of jam. Tomato sauce can also be used. Add some meat or even some toasted cashews at the end. It's your creation, so follow your heart...and taste buds.