Tomato-Basil Pizza

Before tonight's post, a quick anniversary shout-out to myself. I've been blogging at this address for 1 year now, coincidentally posting exactly 200 recipes over the course of this first year (I promise I didn't try to end up at such a round number).  Needless to say, I have no intentions of stopping any time soon, and have tons more vegan recipes that I look forward to sharing with you in the months ahead.

Since I'm cycling back through the year again, you'll probably notice a bit of a theme to my seasonal eating.  Definitely poke back to my posts from last November, to add to your repertoire this November; the recipes will make nice compliments to one another for menu mixing and matching. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pre-made thin pizza crust (such as Whole Foods)*
• 1 and 1/4 cups shredded Daiya mozzarella, divided
• 1 pound plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1. Place the pizza crust on a pizza pan or baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, leaving a 1/2-inch border.  Cut the plum tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices and arrange evenly over the mozzarella; sprinkle evenly with the basil.  Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.  Top with the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella.

2. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then cut the pizza into 8 wedges.  A simple salad of bagged mixed greens tossed with your favorite dressing rounds out this quick meal.

*I want to tout one of the best convenience items on the vegan market: As Boboli pizza crust is to the non-veg world, Whole Foods' pre-made pizza crust is to the vegan world.  While I normally advocate things like making your own pizza dough, sometimes even I love little short cuts.  The crusts are sold two-to-a-pack, and you can refrigerate or freeze the second crust for another use.  Throw on a few quick ingredients for topping, and dinner is ready in literally 15 minutes.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (2 wedges), Calories 305

Tasting Notes:
Super simple, and super fresh tasting, redolent with the classic tomato-basil-mozzarella trio.  The little drizzle of balsamic lifted this pizza out of the ordinary, and I would go ahead and use more next time, although just a touch.  A thin drizzle of olive oil on top just before serving would move this pizza from tasty to sublime.

Rating:
3.5