Pizza with Roasted Peppers, Caramelized Onions, and Olives

Last night, my Roasted Bell Peppers made their way into a hearty pilaf. Another great idea is to cut the peppers into julienne strips, rather than chopping, and use for a pizza topping. Red, orange, or yellow peppers are all interchangeable here, so use all of one color or a combination of the three. Whole Foods' pre-made thin crust pizza makes fast work of this dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups vertically sliced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
• 1 cup julienne-cut red, orange, or yellow Roasted Bell Peppers
• 1/4 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
• 1 (14.5-ounce) drained can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1 pre-made thin pizza crust (such as Whole Foods)
• 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.  Remove from heat and stir in the bell peppers, olives, and tomatoes.

2. Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet or pizza pan.  Top evenly with the onion mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese.

Note: I liked Daiya's shredded mozzarella for this recipe, since it melts so well and has a creaminess that mimics classic pizza cheeses like provolone.

3. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Cut into quarters to serve.

Try pairing with a pilsner-style beer (Pilsner Urquell is just one of many that are vegan-friendly up on barnivore.com), for a refreshing and easy dinner. 

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1/4 of the pizza), Calories 342 

Tasting Notes:
Roasted peppers and olives are a classic pairing on pizza, and this was de-lish. The sweetness of the onions and peppers was balanced perfectly by the salty olives and savory tomato. I know that this would be even tastier on homemade pizza dough, but the store-bought crust can't be beat for convenience. With homemade dough, this would almost certainly rate a "5."

Rating:
4