I’m so excited about today’s recipe! This homemade pizza is delicious, and the fennel salad on the side is so zingy and refreshing – a perfect pair! And yes, we are giving you a pizza recipe. Life is about moderation, not restriction – everyone craves pizza from time to time. The fact that we can make it at home is great because you can be certain of all the ingredients you’re using and you can totally customize it!

Let’s start with the fennel salad. It’s so tangy and crunchy, I’m obsessed! Did you know fennel is incredibly nutritious too? It contains tons of vitamin C, as well as potassium, which is great for fighting high blood pressure. It’s also got a nutrient called anethole, which is great for battling cancer cells. Fennel can also prevent radicals that can cause inflammation that can lead to arthritis. Did you know fennel also has lots of dietary fiber? It’s great for maintaining a healthy digestive system and limits cholesterol build up, as well as reducing the risk of colon cancer. That’s not all; it’s packed with a number of other nutrients like manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and copper!

The fennel salad also has apples, which add to the crunch factor and give a lovely pop of color. Apples are one of the most popular fruits for a reason – they’re juicy, crisp, and nutritious! They are of course high in vitamin C, which can help regulate blood pressure, and vitamin A, which is great for overall immunity and helps with fertility. Apples also contain lots of dietary fiber. They also have tons of folate which help lower the risk of neural tube defects of fetuses during pregnancy and lowers the risk of heart defects in newborn children. They also contain iron, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, all of which can help regulate blood pressure.

A note about apples: make sure to buy organic as they are one of the most pesticide-contaminated foods in the US, according to the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list.

Using canned San Marzano or Roma tomatoes is best here since these are high-quality types that are picked at prime ripeness and canned, therefore retaining most of their nutrients. Tomatoes are full of nutrients too! They have lots of fiber, vitamins A, C, K, potassium and phosphorus, as well as a number of other minerals. These nutrients can support cardiovascular health, preserve eye health and ease menopausal symptoms. They also can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

About the pizza dough – feel free to use store-bought. Although homemade pizza dough is delicious, it can take up to a day to make a great one, and sometimes you just want one right now! If you can find a whole grain pizza dough in the store, it would be ideal, so you can get the most nutrition out of it since whole grains contain more fiber. Make sure to check the ingredients of the dough in order to ensure that there are no unnecessary additives!

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Homemade Pizza with Fennel Salad

Preparation: 20 minutes

Inactive cook time: 2 hours

Total: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

Fennel Salad

• 1 fennel
• 1 red apple
• 1/2 shallot
• 1 spring dill, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade tomato sauce:

• 2 tbsp garlic, crushed
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3-4 basil leaves, chopped
• 8oz can of crushed, peeled, San Marzano/Roma tomatoes
• Salt to taste

Pizza:

• Store bought pizza dough*
• Olive oil
• Tomato sauce
• Cheese of choice (we recommend low moisture mozzarella – that’s what restaurants typically use)

*You can totally make your own – we’ve tried this with homemade sourdough pizza and it was delicious! Normally we use store bought, so go for that if it’s what you prefer!

Toppings

You can top it with whatever you enjoy! As for the one in the pic, it was topped with:

• Fresh tomatoes
• Sweet Italian sausage
• Sage
• Garlic

Method 

Fennel Salad

1. Slice fennel, apple and shallot and add to a bowl.
2. Top with dill, oil vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well and serve

Tomato Sauce

1. Set a deep pot over medium heat with oil, add shallot and cook till translucent, about 5 minutes; don’t let it brown. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes and basil to the pot and stir well. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and cook for 90 mins. Season with salt to taste.

Pizza

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees with cast iron skillet (12 inch) inside.
2. Roll out your pizza dough to roughly under 12 inches, or so it fits your skillet.
3. Carefully remove skillet from the oven. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the skillet and coat the surface using a paper towel.
4. Carefully place your pizza dough over the skillet and press the dough up the sides. Add your sauce and toppings.
5. Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a cutting board. Let cool for a few minutes (if you’re able to wait!), slice, and serve. Enjoy!

Remember, eating healthy doesn’t have to look boring!

If you recreate this recipe, be sure to post it on Instagram and tag us @lorrainekearneynutrition; we love to see you eating delicious, nutritious foods!