No doubt, crispy pizza is a favorite food not only for children. It is almost impossible to stand on an empty stomach with the look and smell of warm pizza with cheese, bacon and all kinds of spices. But since this food is very high-calorie, many refuse to themselves in pleasure to taste even a slice. But there are simple recipes for a "healthy" pizza. So, pizza: history, ways of cooking and "relieving" this wonderful dish.
A little history of pizza
Have you ever wondered how many years of pizza? Can you imagine that its age exceeds several thousand years, and even archeologists do not know exactly which civilization mastered the preparation of this dish first. It is only known that this took place a long time ago. History tells us that the ancient Egyptians traditionally celebrated the birthday of the pharaoh with scones, generously seasoned with spices, and the ancient Greeks added various sauces to them, making their consumption much more pleasant. Its true form and content of pizza acquired during the Renaissance in Naples, where the poor baked cakes with a small amount of food, including olive oil, spices and even lard. This pizza was quite similar to today's pizza, so the original homeland of pizza is officially considered to be Naples in 1830.
What includes the most popular pizza?
Classical pizza is a dough made from flour, yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water. The dough is kneaded manually, put in a warm place for swelling, it is expected for some time and is laid out with a thin layer of about 5 mm. on the baking tray. Usually, masters call this a crust, the thickness of which depends not only on the imposed standards, but also on individual preferences of the person.
The traditional recipe for crusting is as follows: 1 packet of dry yeast, 1.5 cups of hot water, 4 cups of white flour, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of sugar. But sometimes you need to add extra flour and olive oil. Then the dough is covered with tomatoes or tomato sauce and other additives to taste. Classical pizza is baked in a special oven using wood at high temperatures and a relatively short time.
Pizza Margarita
According to historians, for the first time this pizza was prepared at the royal court in honor of Queen Margarita of Savoy, who celebrated her birthday. Raffaele Esposito, master of pizza, laid out the colors of the Italian flag - from tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. So simple pizza has become a favorite treat in the higher circles. For the filling you will need the following components: 2 large tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, 250 grams of mozzarella cheese, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, several fresh basil leaves.
Pizza Polo
It's tasty and easy to remember! This pizza is very simple in performance and has the properties of dietary dishes! Ingredients for the filling: chicken, pepper, cucumber, corn, mushrooms, cream sauce, cheese. Pizza Polo does not need to bake for too long - it will destroy all the useful substances in it.
Pizza Capricciosa
It's just a treasure for hungry people! When on the way home after a long and tiring day you want to eat something big, fragrant, although high-calorie, you think: "Why not pizza?" You will need foods: ham, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, cream cheese, onions and pepper. Some Italian pizza is complemented with the following ingredients: mozzarella, tomato, artichokes, ham, olives and olive oil.
Pizza Caltsone
Pizza with a crescent. Some of the historians claim that the first pizza was in the form of a tail, and who knows - maybe from there the idea came up to make Calton. This is a closed pizza in the form of a crescent, with a filling of cheese, sausage or chicken. It can be served in fried or baked form. Necessary elements for the preparation of the filling: chicken, onion, tomatoes, pepper, oil, spices (parsley, black and red pepper). Some cooks prefer to use ricotta, salami and mozzarella cheese, while others rely on ham, bacon, cucumbers, mushrooms, peppers, olives, corn, cheese and tomato sauce. Well, there's no better way to get a delicious lunch, but ... better do not count the number of calories, especially if the pizza is fried.
Pizza, Marinara
This is an example of the most ancient pizza - history, the ways of cooking which has been many hundreds of years. This is one of the oldest recipes in the world, which fishermen invented, returning after swimming in the Gulf of Naples. Pizza with a romantic history is the embodiment of the life of poor workers. You will need the following products: seafood, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, oregano, basil.
Is there a healthy pizza?
In fact, healthy and safe products can generally be counted on the fingers of one hand, but this trend is for the future. And the number of them should be increased, given the fact that more people began to pay attention to what they eat. No doubt, the first thing we need to do in order to "improve" the pizza is to change the way the dough is prepared. Here is a simple sample of the recipe:
"Healthy" pizza crust
For this we need the following products: 4 cups of whole-grain flour, dry yeast, 1.5 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The amount of salt should be reduced to a minimum. One or two pinches will be enough. Simply, we are used to the fact that pizza is always served with the highest salt content. If you limit salt intake, you will notice that your language will take some time to get used to the changes, but then you will get used to it. On the other hand, sugar is usually added to yeast, but if you want to make a "healthy" pizza - you have to give up on it.
In the previously sieved flour add olive oil and gradually pour warm water with yeast in it. Knead well, spread a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake in the oven quickly. So pizza is prepared with a lot of digestible carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, the amount of useful fiber is about 10%, the protein is 20%, and the amount of fat is relatively low.
Then, prepare the filling. You can easily give vent to your imagination and replace all unhealthy foods with healthy ones. For example, your favorite pickles, which are usually fairly salty, you can dip into the water for several hours. Thus, they will be much more fresh and useful. You can replace fatty mayonnaise with light, the same goes for cheese.
In addition, when ordering pizza in a restaurant, you will certainly get a serving of olives - this is the most salty part of the dish. At home, you can easily "heal" them. Dry the olives, so they will not only be more tasty, but also healthier. Now about the sausage. Always need to use one in which the origin and content of fat is clearly defined. Some time ago in commercial stores sausages appeared, the fat content of which is about 3% and lower. And when it comes to vegetables - in pizza you can safely increase their number and even take the gifts of nature in the spring to make the pizza really healthy. Feel free to add spinach, onions, and then, in addition to healthy and healthy foods, a wide range of vitamins and minerals will be provided. Also you will experience an unprecedented taste.
It turns out that to make of "unhealthy" pizza "healthy" a lot is not necessary - only good will and a little imagination! And do not forget that there are no harmful products, there is only their harmful amount.