15 minute Dinner: Margherita Pizza

Good evening!

Before I get to the food, I wanted to share with you some exciting news in the running department! A few months ago I blogged about a wonderful organization called ICEdot. They offer great services that keep you safe on the road, both as a driver and as an athlete. I've recently partnered with them as an ICEdot sponsored athlete and will be sharing my experiences as I train for the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon in April. Over on their site (and on here too!) I will be blogging about my training, running tips, and sports nutrition. While I haven't yet entered my first post, you can check out the site here. As soon as I get things up and running, I'll be sure to let you all know! I'm very excited to get the ball rolling!

Ok, now on to the pizza!

I honestly love all kinds of pizza. It is just so good. However, if I had to pick my very favorite it would definitely be the margherita pizza. It is light, simple, and super easy to throw together. I made this last night and it was on my plate and ready to be shoved in my face in 15 minutes flat. That's the way I like to do things around here. 

Ingredients

• 1 pre-made whole wheat pizza crust (I used Whole Foods 365 organic)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (we like garlic so I used a tablespoon..use however much you like or none at all!)
• 1 roma tomato (go organic..it is #5 on the dirty dozen)
• 2 handfuls part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• basil
• balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1.  preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. mix extra virgin olive oil and garlic, spread on crust
3. cut tomato into very thin slices, layer on crust
4. top with cheese
5. bake for 12 minutes (I put the pizza right in the rack, no pan)
6. remove from oven
7. sprinkle with basil and balsamic

So good! You've got your whole grains (crust), dairy (cheese), good fats (oil), and vitamins (tomato). Add a little chicken or tofu and you've got your protein. Even better, add a salad on the side with some homemade dressing for even more nutrients. I was out of greens last night and opted for a side of sauteed green beans. You do what you gotta do :)

Enjoy!