Pizza doesn’t have to be a high-fat, high-calorie diet destroyer. With the right pizza toppings, pizza can actually be relatively healthy, with all four main food groups represented.

Vegetables are no strangers to pizza. Most “everything” pies include at least mushrooms, peppers, and onions. But there are plenty of other vegetables that add lots of flavor without adding lots of calories. And veggie pizzas can run the gamut from basic to gourmet.

Take mushrooms, for instance. If you’re pressed for time and not too picky, you can use mushrooms straight from the can or jar. Pre-sliced button mushrooms from your grocery store are a better choice. And for something really special, saute wild mushrooms – shitakes, morels, or chanterelles – in butter and use them to create a savory pizza with a woody flavor that’s perfect for autumn. To really intensify the flavor, deglaze the pan with a little Madeira or Marsala wine.

Onions are almost as versatile as mushrooms. Raw red or white onions add a strong taste that stands up well to other bold flavors like kalamata olives or roasted red peppers. Caramelized onions add a sweetness that’s a great compliment to salty meats like pancetta or bacon.

To caramelize them, thinly slice a couple of big onions. You’ll be amazed at how much they cook down. Melt a little butter in a large saute pan and cook them over low heat. As they begin to soften, add a little chicken stock or wine and keep cooking them until they’re a warm, toasty brown. If they dry out, add some more stock and stir. If you want an even sweeter topping, you can sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar on the onions as they cook.

The whole process can take 30 minutes or more. But the results are worth the effort.

Roasted garlic is another flavor-packed ingredient that’s worth the extra effort. To make it, cut the top off a head of garlic and place it in a terra cotta garlic roaster or on some aluminum foil. Drizzle the head with some good-quality olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 350 degrees for an hour or so.

Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skins and spread it on the pizza crust. Then grate some fresh Parmegiano Reggiano or Grana Padona cheese over it. This is an excellent base for pizzas that don’t use tomato sauce.

Peppers can also be used raw or roasted. If you have a gas stove or grill, you can roast the peppers yourself. Just char them with the flame, then put them in a paper bag to steam. Peel off the charred skins, and chop or slice them. Or just buy a jar of roasted red peppers at the store.

The combination – this is easier than you think.

Cooked chicken
Sandwich fillings
Salad toppings
Pizza toppings
Chicken products
Erskineville
9519 3314

The more combinations I try, the more I like. Just

keep it simple and rely on the quality of the ingredients

rather than the quantity; too many fi llings

can make a sandwich unmanageable. Build your

sandwich in the following way: the bread, butter if

necessary (margarine has no place on a sandwich),

relish, protein, vegetables, soft salad, then bread.

Use ingredients like shredded carrot to anchor

other ingredients like beetroot into the sandwich.

Also, if tomato is in the sandwich and the customer

wants salt, it goes magically on the tomato!

Heat – especially in winter, a toasted sandwich

or roll is a treat. It brings out the fl avour and

sends all the right signals to the brain. I think a

great addition to any café or sandwich bar is a hot

plate where you can heat and sear beef, lamb and

chicken before they go into the bread (or for that

matter, on a salad). Pronto Pollo has a great range

of cooked beef and lamb strips ready for caramelizing

on the hotplate. One of the best sandwiches

I’ve ever had was simply a toasted Turkish bread roll

with hot roast beef, mixed green leaves and horseradish

cream … piping hot, delicious and seared into

the memory.