I just watched Inside Out with my kids and I really enjoyed it! It focuses on the emotions of a pre-adolescent girl named Riley and how she handles moving to San Francisco from the Midwest. All the action is interpreted by Riley’s basic emotions Fear, Sadness, Joy, Anger and Disgust (pictured above), they help Riley navigate everything that happens to her. One scene in particular that struck me was when during the move, difficulties like the moving van running late, Riley’s dad leaving to handle business, and a dark and dismal new bedroom has left Riley feeling glum and in an attempt to be positive she suggests getting pizza. Pizza. A food that is comforting and familiar wherever you get it…unless you get it in San Francisco.

Watch the full scene here:

This scene is where Riley’s attempt at familiarity ends up pushing her further into unfamiliar territory. Things that Riley thought she knew are now strange and unappealing. With all of the new things around her, Riley at first rejects them and tries to get back to her old life but eventually embraces the changes and as a result, matures. The takeaway here is that change can be good; my takeaway was that I had to step out of my comfort zone and try making a delicious broccoli pizza.

I have never made anything other than a basic red sauce-mozzarella-occasional pepperoni-pizza before so I did some research. I looked up pizza joints in  San Francisco to get some insight on the pizza trends there. I discovered that vegetarian, organic and whole foods are really popular with the people out there even when it comes to pizza. Based on the research I knew I had to do a whole wheat crust and I happened to have the recipe for a great one on hand. The toppings (other than the broccoli of course) took a little more thought. However, in the end I went with some Ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, thyme, olive oil and a Dubliner cheese. YUM!

The pizza dough recipe that I keep on hand is delicious and easy. I also thought it would fit perfectly here because it is a whole wheat dough made from real food ingredients. Something I think the folks in SanFran could get behind. It is straight from Lisa Leake’s 100 Days of Real Food cookbook and I have included a direct link here:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/01/recipe_homemade_whole_wheat_pizza/

Of course, if you’re not feeling up to making your own dough, just buy a ready made crust.  No judgment here.

Once the dough is rolled and shaped on the pan it’s time for the toppings. I felt that I had to build this pizza to give it a few different layers of flavor; I really wanted to avoid a limp broccoli on plain cheese mess. So, the first thing I did was to brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. I have no idea why but I felt that this would be a good solid foundation.

Next, I spread the ricotta cheese and sprinkled with Parsley. Since this pizza wasn’t going to have a traditional sauce on it I wanted to use a soft cheese at the base so that it wouldn’t be dry. Ricotta cheese is creamy and a little tangy so I thought it would work well.

The next layer consisted of Parmesan cheese and minced garlic. I followed that with half of the Dubliner cheese and then a sprinkle of thyme. I did that because I wanted the broccoli to sit in the pizza, not just hang out on top. I also should mention that I steamed the broccoli beforehand but still left it a little crunchy so it would withstand the oven. I also laid the broccoli on paper towels to dry it because I didn’t want any water near my pizza. I topped it all off with the rest of the Dubliner.

I took it out of the oven, my family had the same reaction as Riley, they eventually were curious enough to taste it and WOW it was delicious!! They loved it, and I can’t speak for Riley, but I will eat a San Francisco style Broccoli Pizza anytime! I am already planning on making it for my book club and for  a play date that I am hosting next month.

In the film, the pizza represents how the familiar can sometimes be foreign to us. Riley eventually accepts her new surroundings and starts to enjoy the new normal. For me it was a challenge to see if I could create and enjoy a non-traditional pizza. I ended up cooking out of my comfort zone and it was a fun and delicious experience.

Broccoli Pizza Recipe:

One Whole Wheat Pizza Crust-store bought or made from this recipe:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/01/recipe_homemade_whole_wheat_pizza/

olive oil for brushing

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese

1tsp Parsley

2/3 Cup of grated Parmesan Cheese

2tsp Minced Garlic

1 Cup Dubliner Cheese (or more depending on what you like)

1 cup steamed broccoli

1. Brush Pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Spread Ricotta around on crust and sprinkle with parsley.
3. Cover with Parmesan Cheese and minced garlic
4. Sprinkle with half the Dubliner cheese,
5. Add thyme and Broccoli
6. Add the rest of the Dubliner cheese and Bake at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes.