Pizza Variation

     Now that football season is upon us, baseball playoffs are serious and I have seen some hockey on TV (I have to confess I don't know much about their season), I do know they have in common the need for snack foods.  This usally puts people like me looking for a plain cracker or a carrot stick.  Since I wanted in on the fun, here is my second pizza recipe.
     I would also like to share a recent product discovery.  The credit for this goes to my son-in-law Mike.  On a recent trip to Pittsburgh we were grocery shopping together and he found in the cheese section Finlandia brand cheese slices in muenster, harvati and swiss flavors.  They are naturally lactose free, no hormones added, and all natural.  When I got home I was able to find them locally in the grocery store.  I was so excited!  Real cheese that didn't bother my stomach.  I had already made this pizza before I discovered these cheeses, but they can be substituted in this recipe.

                                                                    Pizza Variation

1 ea. 14 oz. frozen pizza crust, defrosted
1 box sliced mushrooms
3 tblsp. stick margarine
3 tblsp. Marsala
1 6 oz. pkg. Canadian bacon, cut edges off the meat
1/4 cup kalamata olives, cut in half (substitute green olives if you can't find kalamata olives)
1 red bell pepper, core, slice in rings and slice the rings in half
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup rice mozzarella flavor cheese

     Clean mushrooms and brown in a skillet with the margarine.  Once they are brown and the liquid is gone, turn off the flame and add the Marsala.  Turn the flame back on and cook the mushrooms until the liquid is gone.  Set mushrooms aside.
     Preheat oven to the temperature suggested on the pizza crust package.  After pizza crust is defrosted, spread it on a pizza stone or in a pizza pan.  (If using a pizza stone, sprinkle some corn meal to make the crust not stick and to make the crust have more crunch.)  Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.
     Add the remaining ingredients making sure they are all dry so they don't make the crust soggy.  You may have to pat the Canadian bacon dry with a paper towel, drain the olives, etc.  Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes making sure not to burn the crust or ingredients but that the cheese is melted.  The bell pepper adds flavor while baking even though I can't eat them so I gently pull them off any piece I eat.
     Next week I'll share a recipe for a cocktail with no alcohol.  Now you will have a refreshing beverage at parties or just for yourself and you won't be there with your usual glass of water or juice.  See you next time.