Spinach Garlic Pizza with Semi Precious Weapons - Cheap, but Gorgeous.

“I can’t pay my rent, but I’m f*©k!ng gorgeous!!!”

So goes the opening line of the self-entitled single, “Semi Precious Weapons” by the super glammy glam foursome, Semi Precious Weapons (SPW).

Next best line - “I gave up food because that sh!t’s expensive.”

I hear ya Justin (SPW frontman) – fancy food can be freakin’ expensive – but you don’t need foie gras, truffle oil, saffron, or filet mignon to eat fabulously.

The Rockin’ Foodie’s kick-off pairing is Spinach Garlic Pizza with Semi Precious Weapons – A f*©k!ng sexy meal that even the gorgeously broke can afford (with maybe even a little $$$ left over for multi-purpose wet wipes).

Hailing from NYC (the land of amazing ‘za), SPW are the ultimate sassy modern age glam rock band – make-up, high heels, lots of glitter, lots of leg, lots of rock… you get me… A contemporary throwback to KISS, the New York Dolls, or Motley Crüe…

Seeing SPW live was like nothing I’d ever seen before. Justin Tranter - the high kicking, sheer tights wearing, diva frontman – puts on quite a show complete with spraying champagne into the audience and on-stage wardrobe changes. Plus Adam Lambert (American Idol) was next to me at the bar – very appropriate because Justin also heavily utilizes the guy-liner.

Currently on tour with Lady GaGa, SPW is taking off it’s clothes at major venues worldwide. Their self-entitled LP was released on June 29, 2010 by Geffen/Universal, and you can grab it on iTunes or through their website www.semipreciousweapons.com. The whole album is super fun, and in addition to “Semi Precious Weapons”, I particularly love “Magnetic Baby” and plan to play the hell out “Sticky with Champagne” on my next birthday.

But at the end of the day after the glitter comes off, SPW is a bunch of guys on tour looking for some cheap and tasty grub. Nothing fits that bill better than PIZZA… Carbs and cheese – my fav.

So let’s get to the pizza - no meat because that sh!t’s expensive and no fancy toppings – just regular stuff found in any ol’ grocery store or my personal favorite, Trader Joe's (TJs).

Pizza dough - $1.29 from TJs – wheat, white or herb – your pick! One package of dough makes 2 pizzas which will feed 4 people easily. If you are cooking for 1 or 2 people, just throw the other half in the freezer.

Pizza sauce - $1.89 for a jar from TJs. One jar makes 4 pizzas.

Shredded Mozzarella cheese – $3.69 at TJ’s for a bag that will cover 2 or 3 pizzas. Get the Lite kind if you are worried about how you look in tights. And for vegans, TJs offers a great shredded soy cheese blend.

Grated Parmesan cheese – Very cheap item that will last you a long time. We all know those green canisters of parmesan cheese last at least a decade). I buy TJ’s Grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Bag of Spinach - $1.89 from TJs - good for two pizzas, and it will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Garlic cloves (7 – 10) per pizza – cheap, about a buck or so.

Olive Oil - Going to assume you already have this in the house.

Salt - Again, going to assume you have this.

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. You could use a pizza baking stone, but it’s totally not necessary. Just get out a regular baking sheet and sprinkle cornmeal on it. I like cornmeal instead of flour for pizza because flour can have a doughy taste. Then spread the dough out over the baking sheet with your hands. If you own a rolling pin, great, start rocking and rolling. I don’t’ have a rolling pin, so I use a tall drinking class dusted with a little cornmeal.

Spoon the pizza sauce over the dough and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. While boiling, add the spinach and let it cook for about 1 minute. Drain the spinach (using a strainer or a colander), and then press the spinach between two paper towels to extract any excess water.

Top the pizza with the wilted spinach, and then top with the garlic cloves. It’s a good idea to slice each clove thinly so they definitely soften up in the oven.

After adding the sauce and toppings, I like to brush the crust with a little olive oil because it will help it to brown nicely in the oven – if you don’t have a brush, use your hands!

Place the pizza in a 450 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes (you’ll know its ready when the cheese is bubbly, the crust is browned, and the garlic looks a tiny bit charred). While you wait, feel free to turn up the volume on some SPW, strut around in high heels, practice a few high kicks, and tell yourself how fabulous you are.

Remove pizza from oven, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and parmesan cheese and ENJOY!

This pizza is great for entertaining. It also works as a pre-dinner appetizer or as dinner for 2, 3, or 4 people. Two pizzas will only set you back 12 or 13 bucks which is like 3 bucks a person… not bad – you may even be able to pay rent.

Add a light white wine like a sauvignon blanc (or champagne!), and you have a cheap, but preciously gorgeous evening.

* Recipe adapted from “Pizza and Wine – Authentic Italian Recipes and Wine Pairings – Leonardo Curtis and James O. Fraioli