Categories: Italian, October2012, pizza, vegetables, zucchini

Ingredients

• --large zucchini slices, cut 3/4 inch thick (see recipe notes)
• --olive oil, for lightly brushing both sides of pizza and oiling grill grate
• --pizza sauce of your choice (I used canned red sauce, but you could also use Basil Pesto or white sauce. Extra sauce can be frozen for later. Choose sauce with the lowest grams of sugar for the South Beach Diet.)
• --grated cheese (I used a blend of low-fat cheese called "pizza cheese," but you can use any cheese you'd enjoy on pizza.
• --pizza toppings of your choice (I used low-fat turkey pepperoni, but you can also use sauteed mushrooms, Canadian bacon, cooked sausage, caramelized onions, sliced olives, anchovies, sauteed bell peppers, or any other toppings you'd like on pizza.)

Directions

1. Oil the grill grates (I use a bit of oil on a paper towel), then preheat grill to medium-high. (If using a broiler, it should be reheated as well.)

2. Cut zucchini into thick slices about 3/4 inch thick. (I used 8-Ball zucchini, which made lovely found slices, but you can cut the zucchini into round slices or lengthwise slices, depending on what shape the zucchini is. I wouldn’t use enormous zucchini with large seeds for this recipe.)

3. Grill the zucchini 7-8 minutes, or until there are some grill marks and it’s starting to be tender. (If the zucchini has a side that’s slightly larger, grill that first so it will be the “top.”) If desired, you can heat the sauce while the zucchini grills. (I did, but next time I might not bother.)

4. Remove zucchini from the grill, putting them grilled-side up on a cutting board you can use to take them to the kitchen. Add sauce, cheese, and other toppings as desired. (I spread each slice of zucchini with about 1 T red pizza sauce, then sprinkled each piece with a generous pinch of pizza cheese, added 4-5 slices of turkey pepperoni, and sprinkled over a tiny bit more cheese.)

5. Put loaded zucchini slices back on the grill and cook 7-8 minutes more with the grill lid closed. (Check them every few minutes to see when the cheese is melted and the toppings are lightly browned, especially if you’re using a broiler. If you have a gas grill where you can regulate the heat, I turned it to high when I put the pizza back on.)

6. Remove zucchini pizzas from grill and serve hot. (I doubt this would reheat that well, but if anyone has leftovers and tries reheating it I’d love to hear how it works.)

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