By Allison Mars, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

With all this depressing cold weather I was in search of something to remind me of why I hadn’t gone to school in California. January 26th’s Sargent Choice test kitchen was just the reminder I needed. Karen Jacobs once again generously opened the doors of her apartment to let us in to make some Smoky Corn and Black Bean Pizza. Delicious!

Pizza is something that everyone can agree on. Not only is it universally liked, but it is so easy to make it healthy. This recipe swaps traditional pizza crust for a whole wheat crust. We used a store bought whole wheat pizza dough to make our crust. Another simple swap we made was using low-fat mozzarella cheese. This cheese tastes so good you won’t even notice that it’s low fat! Instead of the traditional tomato sauce, this recipe calls for barbecue sauce. It gives the pizza a nice smoky flavor and really complements the toppings. Next are the toppings, probably the most debated area in pizza. Pepperoni? Extra cheese? Peppers and onions? This pizza skips the traditional and is topped with a nice big scoop of black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. With plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber these toppings are not only delicious but they are good for you as well!

The pizza crust bakes for a few minutes without any toppings. While these were in the oven all of the toppings were assembled. After the crust was ready the barbecue sauce was spread, toppings added, and covered in cheese. Everyone could hardly wait for this pizza to come out of the oven! The pizzas were enjoyed by everyone and I only heard positive feedback. Everyone was requesting that this be served in the dining hall! People enjoyed its flavor, describing it as “bold” and “smoky”.

Sargent Choice Smoky Corn & Black Bean Pizza

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

1 large tomato, diced

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed & drained

1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted

2 tablespoons cornmeal

1 prepared whole-wheat pizza dough

1/3 cup barbeque sauce

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450ºF.
2. Combine tomato, beans and corn in a medium bowl.
3. Stretch the dough into about a 12 inch circle on a lightly floured surface.  Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza pan then place the dough on the pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes   until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom.
4. Spread barbeque sauce, tomato mixture and cheese on pizza.  Return crust to oven and bake until the edges of the crust are crispy and the cheese has melted.