Make your pizza healthy way!

As low sodium dieters know well, some foods are hard to make in a healthy way. Susan Devitt of GalloLea Pizza Kits has asked me to share with you her recipes to make healthy and tasty pizzas. I thank her for her useful tips and hope that you find them useful too...
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Grill Your Pizza!
Healthy and Tasty, Our Favorite Recipes
by Susan Devitt

Most days, dinner time at my house has to stay simple and quick, and with summer
still blazing ahead turning on the oven is a big turn-off. When I'm too tired to
think about cooking I can always fall back on grilling a pizza. Since husband Tom
and I are the owners of artisan food company GalloLea Pizza Kits, pizza remains a
favorite and a staple in our kitchen all year long. But whether you have a Pizza Kit
or not, here's the skinny on grilling your own pizza. It's so simple, and the
results are not only delicious, but healthy with some of our suggestions below.

Along with the grill, for best results, you'll need a pizza stone.

Grilling pizza takes about 7 minutes at the lowest grill temperature, or 450º. Keep
the grill cover on, but do keep an eye on it, it may cook quicker and you don't want
it to burn.

TIP: DON'T build your pizza on the stone, but place the stone on the grill BEFORE
you turn it on, so it heats up with the grill. That hot stone is the key to getting
a great crust, and it will prevent the stone from cracking. Just transfer your pizza
from the prep counter using a pizza peel or baking tray. Use corn meal on the
counter, and on the stone, to make the transfers easier.

Begin with your favorite dough and sauce. You may already have that time-worn recipe
but if not, don't despair. Just pick up a pre-made fresh dough-ball available from
many places like Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Trader Joe's, or your local healthy
market. Buying the fresh made dough will help you avoid a processed product that may
have too much salt and preservatives. Keep it simple and healthy. Pick up pre-made
fresh sauce too, and the toppings.

Alternately, if you're looking for a great shortcut to a homemade pizza, our
GalloLea Pizza Kits come with the crust mix and homemade sauce all in one package
(and it's organic, no preservatives). The Low Sodium Pizza Kit boasts only 24 mg. of
sodium in an entire pizza (crust AND sauce) leaving you a lot of wiggle room for
toppings. It also comes with a high-temperature cooking paper to build it on and
cook it on, so you won't need a pizza stone: pizza + paper go right into the oven or
on the grill.  (www.gallolea.com)

Begin by putting-out your pizza dough on the kitchen counter then top it with the
sauce. Now you're ready for any of our great recipes listed below. Then onto the
grill for several minutes and WOW! Amazing pizza! So go ahead: don't build a pizza
oven, just turn on the grill!

Horderves Pizza-
Instead of a red sauce, spread a fig preserve on the crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup
mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese. Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. This
one will really impress your guests!

Breakfast Pizza
Spread spinach over the red sauce, then top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2
cup Feta cheese. Instead of an omelet, try a pizza! Add a side of fruit and it's a
great summer brunch.

No-Cheese Favorite
Slice into pieces and saute in a cast iron skillet on the grill, or your stove: 1
red sweet bell pepper, 1 sweet onion (Vidalia or other sweet onion) in a small
amount of olive oil, just to keep from sticking. When it's browned and done add a
couple of tablespoons of aged Balsamic vinegar. This will caramelize the peppers and
onions in 2 minutes or so. This makes a generous amount to top a pizza and it's
super satisfying, sans the cheese!

Harvest Pizza
Peel a sweet potato, cube it and place it in a glass covered dish in the microwave
for 3 minutes till tender.
Sprinkle pizza with the cooked sweet potato, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup walnuts
or pecans. This combination is simple, and a real surprise when you taste it. At our
demo's, it's everybody's favorite!

Smokin' Pizza
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated smoked Gouda, 1/2 cup walnuts and for
the meat-eaters add crumbled bacon. Perhaps not the lowest in sodium, but with a Low
Sodium Pizza Kit you might just be able to make it a treat.

Farmers Market Pizza
It's not just grilling season; fresh veggies abound. So go ahead and get creative.
Pick up what's in season at your local tailgate market: tomatoes, garlic, summer
squash, broccoli, corn, you really can't go wrong on a pizza. With all these fresh
flavors, you can easily skip the cheese.

Have fun and make healthy pizzas! You'll find it's a simple meal with a big reward
in flavor and goodness.

Susan Devitt is owner, along with her husband Tom Gallo, of GalloLea Pizza Kits, an
artisan food company in Asheville, NC. Their organic Pizza Kits come in whole wheat,
gluten free, or low sodium. The Pizza Kits make a homemade pizza in 30 minutes, come
with the cooking paper and go straight into the oven or on the grill. You'll find
them in stores and on-line at their website or amazon.com. www.gallolea.com.