So the madness has finally reached Austin -- Trader Joe's. At the risk of angering a great number of you, I'm gonna say it. I don't know what all the fuss is about it. My sister is a HUGE fan and apparently MJ is too. So much so, that I found myself accompanying her to the grand opening. Can we say sensory overload?? I stood next to the bananas and tried my best not to get trampled by the masses. I will admit, it was pretty nice seeing MJ so giddy as she made her way around the store. And it wasn't a complete loss for me either as I came away with a six pack of Rahr & Sons and some whole wheat pizza dough.
Shocked that I said whole wheat? Yeah. Me too. But MJ promised me that it would be delicious, so I was game to give it a try. Still trying to help out more around the house, I decided use the dough to attempt a Mexican-inspired pizza.
Thanks to MJ's incredible pantry-stocking, everything I needed was already in the house. Well...almost everything. The carnivore inside of me was totally looking for some type of animal protein to add to the pie, but none was to be found. At the end of the day though, this pizza was so tasty that I didn't even miss the meat...well, not too much ;).
In place of tomato sauce, I decided to do a diced tomato (I love Ro*Tel!) /black bean mixture. I had intended to mash the beans, but honestly, I got a little lazy and settled for the chunky style. I covered the base layer with a blanket of Mexican blend shredded cheese and proceeded to pile on some sliced bell pepper, onion, and mushroom.
After pulling the pie out of the oven, I finished it off with some fresh cilantro, slices of avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. I was so proud of my creation, but when MJ laid eyes on it, her expression didn't quite match how I was feeling. I think her exact words were, "Uh...looks a little dry. Did you overcook it?". Did I mention one of my love languages is words of affirmation? Let me tell you. She was soon eating her words as she took that first bite. Her eyes sparkled a little as she happily took down a couple more bites. There was an earthy richness from the beans and avocado that didn't sit heavy thanks to the vibrant cilantro and lime juice. And I must confess - the whole wheat pizza dough was pretty special. Crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle. Trader Joe's - 1, Hungryman - 0
Ingredients
- Pre-made whole wheat pizza dough I used Trader Joe's
- 1 16 oz can no-sodium black beans, drained
- 1 10 oz can Ro-Tel, drained
- ½ red bell pepper sliced thinly
- ½ green bell pepper sliced thinly
- 4 oz mushroom sliced thinly
- ¼ red onion sliced thinly
- 1 ½ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Sliced avocado and cilantro for topping
- Lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F. Flour the work surface and evenly roll out dough to roughly 12-in across. Combine drained black beans and Ro-Tel in a bowl. Spread on top of dough. Top with cheese. Distribute veggies evenly. Bake until cheese has melted and crust turns crispy and lightly browned, approximately 10-15 minutes. Serve with cilantro and avocado. Lime juice really brightens up the dish.
Paula says
I love this pizza! Thanks for linking up to Marvelous Mondays! sharing this on my fb page!
How's school?
Min says
Thank you so much, Paula! 3 graduate course + internship = no life! I'm hanging in there though. This time shall pass…Thank you for asking!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
Nice to find this recipe from the Linky Party today. I'm just so glad Denver is finally getting a Trader Joes, I'm so tired of being jealous of everyone else. 🙂 Pinning this one!
Min says
Yay!! I'm so excited for you hehe. I was in the same boat as you so I know how you must be feeling right now. Let the countdown begin ^_^
Julie @ This Gal Cooks says
Now this is my kind of pizza! I love just about any type of Mexican food. One of my favs is the Mexican Pizza. I love this healthier version! Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Mondays. Pinned and shared on FB and G+
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
I was the same way when I first went to TJ. Its my favorite store..I will def check out their pizza dough.
Ally @ Om Nom Ally says
This pizza looks delectable 😀 I'd happily eat this sans-meat as it sounds fantastic!
We don't have Trader Joe's in Australia but I hear great things about it from my US mates. A quick question, is Ro Tel just the brand of canned tomatoes or is a specialty product?
Hungryman says
Thanks so much, Ally! And yes, Trader Joe's has quite the following here in the States. As for your question, RoTel is indeed a brand of canned tomatoes but what makes them different is that along with the tomatoes they add green chili peppers and they have a number of different flavors like the lime and cilantro that we used in this pizza.
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Aww you guys got a Trader Joe's! I love the store. It took me a while to get used to it in the beginning because they carry different things from regular supermarkets. And I remember my first impression was not so good. But now I buy most of stuff (milk, cheese, some veggies, and countless other stuff) there and I love it! I buy regular pizza dough once in a while and it's very good price for quick homemade pizza. Your healthy vegetarian Mexican pizza looks so good! I gotta try this next time!
Hungryman says
Regular pizza dough?? MJ never told me I had that option. I'm gonna have to have a chat with her later.. Thanks for checking out my pizza. I just love how versatile they can be simply by adjusting the toppings that you choose. Plus they cook up so quickly :). Hope you'll give this a try!
Ellie@Fit for the soul says
ahh you guys are awesome! You're pretty awesome, Tim, for making all of this and being adventurous with your protein choices. 😀 I don't know if I'm being stereotypical but I think most males would cringe at the thought of beans on their pizza! 😛 And high five--words of affirmation is my top love language.
Hungryman says
High five right back at ya! Thankfully MJ knows my need for an encouraging word and is quick to spur me on...well, most of the time anyway ;).
Deanna Segrave-Daly says
Way to go, Hungryman - this looks divine! MJ will get Trader Joe's to grow on you for sure 🙂 At least you live in a state where you can take advantage of Two Buck Chuck (I live in PA where no supermarkets can sell alcohol - backwards!)
Hungryman says
Thanks, Deanna! I'm not the best when it comes to food presentation, but I tried. Fanning out the avocado slices was my attempt at making the pizza look fancy. No alcohol at the supermarket?! Backwards, indeed. 🙂
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Tim you're hilarious. I always end up laughing when I read one of your posts !! Way to go Trader's Joe! I'm not a big fan of beans but I suppose healthy vegetarian pizza is always one of those foods that are forgiving, so beans, or not, still good!
Hungryman says
Honestly, I'm not the biggest bean fan either, but when it comes to Tex-Mex/Mexican applications, it just works. Glad I can make you laugh :). Thanks for the kind words as always.
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts says
You are kind to accompany MJ to the opening - I'm pretty sure my husband would have sent me off alone 😉 But, it looks like you came out well from it! This pizza looks fantastic 🙂
Hungryman says
Kari, I barely made it out of the store with my sanity. Rabid shoppers cutting me off with their carts and bumping into me constantly...not the way I wanted to be spending my Saturday afternoon. I had to pop open one of my Rahr & Sons ale as soon as I got home. 🙂
Maura @ My Healthy 'Ohana says
We LOVE that whole wheat pizza dough from Trader Joe's! Patrick used to buy their sweet Italian sausages and slice those up to put on top, along with some sweet peppers. I really like your idea of using RoTel and black beans instead of tomato sauce...I think Patrick would really love this pizza, who wouldn't?! That's great that you have a Trader Joe's in your neighborhood, wish they would come to Hawaii, but I've heard that it probably won't ever happen 🙁
Hungryman says
Well..TJ's is actually a bit of a drive for us, but that doesn't seem to deter MJ from wanting to shop there. They really do have great prices on their fresh veggies and the Trader Joe's brand makes some pretty tasty products. And yes, this pizza dough is something else.