BBQ Veggie Pizza

These next two weeks are a bit crazy for me. It's finals time, so that means cooking is being pushed to the side. I did go to the market on Saturday, and I have been cooking and will be cooking... just probably not posting. And now I'm off to the library again! Here's a recipe that I've been holding on to for a couple of weeks. See you soon :)

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When ate this for dinner along with a Citrus-Parsley Cucumber and Tomato Salad, and I even joked at dinner about how it's a 'multi-cultural meal' :: BBQ sauce (American), pizza (Italian), Greek-style salad, Lavosh bread as the crust (Middle Eastern).

Al Habashi Mart is a Middle Eastern grocery and they sell delicious, locally baked breads. For the crust, I used their lavosh bread: it's a large, round flat bread about a foot and a half in diameter. Perfect size for a medium to large pizza crust! If you don't have that, any pizza crust will do. I'm sure a homemade one is best... although I have never attempted to make one myself :)

The deliciousness of this pizza will depend entirely on the sauce you use. I used a Kansas City  hometown legend: Gate's. Kansas City is really known nationally for it's delicious BBQ, and while I don't partake in the meat very often I can still enjoy the sauce. It's made locally and even when you buy it at the store the ingredients list isn't too long or scary (only a preservative to be worried about). Gate's original sauce is tangy from vinegar and slightly spicy. Go your favorite BBQ sauce route - tangy, spicy, sweet, smoky - but just make sure it's a delicious sauce on it's own, because it really is the star of this pizza.

BBQ Veggie Pizza

• 1 medium to large pizza crust or flatbread
• 1/2 cup barbeque sauce
• 1 head of broccoli
• 1 carrot
• 5-6 mushrooms
• 1-1 1/2 cups meltable cheese or cheeze (we used cheddar)

Preheat the oven to 350°, or whatever temperature the oven needs to be to cook your pizza crust. Prepare the pizza crust, if needed.

Cut the head of broccoli into small florets. Halve the carrot and cut into thin rounds. Place in a medium pot along with a couple tablespoons of water. Heat over medium heat and steam just until the broccoli is bright green and the carrots are a little less crunchy. Drain and arrange on a plate in a single layer. Let sit for about ten minutes to let most of the steam come off.

Spread the sauce over the pizza crust out to the edges. Thinly slice the mushrooms and arrange, along with the broccoli and carrots. Top with the cheese. Bake in the oven for anywhere from 10-20 minutes, until your pizza crust is done and the cheese has melted.

An unconventional pizza