When we eat for flavor, we're satisfied and happy. When we don't get the satisfaction of flavors we enjoy, we continue to eat and overeat in search of that food that "hits the spot."Eating well doesn't mean we have to eat bland cottage cheese and hard boiled eggs--although I'll tolerate both.
Because my Mom was a great Italian cook, I'm constantly in search of satisfying cheesy, saucy dishes that create that comfort food feel without weighing me down. Did you know you can turn almost anything into pizza? When you create your own pizza you control the ingredients and you're not stuck with some greasy mystery meat soaking the crust with grease.
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| Whole grain flat bread pizza |
Just try it. A large portobello mushroom is an excellent base for a gluten-free pizza. Remove the stem, scrape the gills out with a spoon and brush with olive oil. Add tomato sauce, turkey pepperoni and a sprinkle of mozzarella or parmesan. Sprinkle on Italian seasoning or chopped fresh basil.
Microwave it for 2-3 minutes covered, or bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Create pizza on pre-made whole grain flat bread, or whole grain English muffins. They're the perfect portion size for keeping carbs in check and enjoying more traditional crust. Pair it with a homemade Caesar salad and you have a tasty winner for dinner.
My latest summer food find is usually free. Friends at work and the gym offer boatloads of zucchini, their gardens overflowing with the baseball bat sized squash.
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| zucchini pizza |
Here's a delicious way to get my pizza fix without a starchy carbohydrate overload.
Zucchini Pizza:
Slice a large zucchini squash into rounds about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
olive oil
small can tomato sauce
1 onion diced,
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
fresh basil or Italian seasoning
pinch, red pepper flakes
1 lb. ground turkey meat, cooked, drained and rinsed with water
Shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese
Prepare meat sauce by browning turkey in a frying pan. Drain off fat in colander and rinse the meat with water.
This is truly the key to removing lots of fat from all ground meat, including beef for chili. Cook, drain, and rinse. You're going to put all kinds of flavor back into the pan in the next step.
Return the meat to the pan and add touch of olive oil, diced onion, red pepper, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. When onions are soft, add the tomato sauce. Simmer 20 minutes or more.
This is truly the key to removing lots of fat from all ground meat, including beef for chili. Cook, drain, and rinse. You're going to put all kinds of flavor back into the pan in the next step.
Return the meat to the pan and add touch of olive oil, diced onion, red pepper, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. When onions are soft, add the tomato sauce. Simmer 20 minutes or more.
Place zucchini rounds on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Brush each zucchini slice with olive oil.
Spread meat sauce thickly on each zucchini round and sprinkle lightly with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until pizza is tender-crisp and cheese is melted.
It's a recipe that'll even have your kids saying, "Pizza Please!"
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| Maddie loves Italian food |
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