Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza

I've come down with a nasty little summer cold so dinner last night was in Matt's capable hands. He had come up with the idea for this pizza so it made perfect sense for him to make it anyway. He was looking for a good use for the beets & arugula we had gotten in our CSA box. We knew the flavors of beet & goat cheese were good in a tart so why not on a pizza.

It was very good, well at least from what I could tell with my nose stuffed up. The sweetness of the roasted beets goes so well with the tartness of the goat cheese. The only change we would make to this dish is the next time we'll roast the onion with the beets to caramelize it & at the same time roast some garlic & add a little thyme.

We did a little twist on our favorite pizza dough & added some wheat bran to it, just to make it a little healthier. It really made a nice addition to the crust's texture. We've been noticing lately that the pizza dough we use seems to require more flour than the original recipe calls for, especially when we are halving it to make only one pizza, so this revised version accounts for that.

Wheat Bran Pizza Dough
adapted from Wise Bread

3/4 c warm water, about 110 F
1/2 t rapid-rise yeast
1 T olive oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
1/3 c wheat bran
1 t kosher salt
1 1/2 - 2 C all-purpose flour

In a mixing bowl combine the warm water, yeast & olive oil. Stir to combine. Mix in the wheat bran & salt & stir. Add the 1 1/2 c of flour a half cup at a time stirring with each addition. Once you can't stir the dough anymore begin kneading it. It it is sticky add more flour about a tablespoon at a time. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Coat the inside of the bowl with a little olive oil. Turn the dough in it to cover all sides. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel & allow the dough to rise for about 2 hours or until doubled in size. The dough is now ready to use.

Makes 1 pizza

Roast Beet, Goat Cheese & Arugula Pizza

2 beets, peeled, halved & then cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 T olive oil plus more for greasing the pan
kosher salt
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c grated mozzarella
2 oz goat cheese
handful of arugula, stems removed

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the beets in a baking pan & drizzle with the olive oil, stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Roast the beets for 20 - 25 minutes until soft & browning. Set aside.

Turn the oven up to 450 F. Grease a baking sheet with little olive oil. Spread the pizza dough out to the desired size & thickness with oiled hands. Sprinkle the pizza with the mozzarella. Top with beets, onions & arugula. Crumble goat cheese over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly & brown & the bottom of the crust is browned.

Other ways to use beets
Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Tart with Polenta Crust
Roasted Vegetable Salad
Beef, Beer & Blue Cheese Pot Pie