Meatless Monday: Pizza Edition

Happy Monday AND Happy Earth Day to those of you who are celebrating.  Today's post, as well as all of our Monday posts, are brought to you with eco-living in mind.  Our Meatless Monday posts not only highlight delicious vegetarian recipes for you and your family to try, but they are brought to you with health benefits and green living in mind.

By serving meatless (or seafood-less) dishes one day a week, you can reduce your risk for various cancers, as well as slim down your waistline AND reduce your carbon footprint by utilizing less water and reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted from the manufacturing processes used in the meat industry.

Now that you have a little background of why we post these yummy meatless recipes, let's dive in to today's recipe series featuring an easy family favorite-PIZZA!

This colorful pizza really adds a zing of flavor with pineapple mango chipotle salsa.  Brought to you from Parents Magazine, "Tropical Pizza" offers several servings of vegetables, plus it takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to make!  Great for a night when the family is rushing around due to extracurricular activities.

Want something with just as much flavor, but a little more mainstream, in terms of ingredients?  Try Martha Stewart's recipe for Ricotta Pizza with Fresh and Roasted Tomatoes.  This savory pizza would also be great as an appetizer for your next party or get together.

This next dish really piles on the veggies.  Simone Anne's Easy Homemade Veggie Pizza is just that-easy!  Bake the veggies 'til they are nice and tender and enjoy.  Don't be afraid to sub in/out veggies based on the season.

Last, but certainly not least, this recipe has a tried and true partnership that always works!  Spinach and Artichoke Pizza takes 30 minutes total based on this recipe from Real Simple.  If you want something a little lighter on calories, sub out the cream cheese in favor of a little olive oil and fresh garlic.

These recipes are a great way to introduce your family to Meatless Monday and to show them there are more pizza toppings out there than just pepperoni and cheese.  Want to add a little competitive edge to your Meatless Monday?  Host a pizza bake off-loser has to do dishes!