mmmm....crusty

  i ate Papa Johns pizza 10 outta 10 months of my pregnancy.  it was my celebratory meal after doing my first fitness competition.  pizza is neck and neck with mac n cheese as my fav food.  i keep my eyes peeled for healthy, lower calorie/carb pizza crust recipes that i can make at home.  however.......i'm not willing to accept a tortilla, portobello mushroom :shock: english muffin, or any other item attempting to be passed off as pizza crust!  now THIS though...this is just my speed right here.  yet another recipe inspired by IG (Instagram) that i have made every day since i found it.  once i find something i love i make it until i force myself not to make it  anymore.

ok.

the crust is composed of... breakfast. oatmeal and egg whites.  together.  but you don't have to eat it for breakfast if you don't want to.  i don't.

Trader Joe's organic pizza sauce, ground chicken, goat cheese, fresh roma tomatoes, mushrooms, and cilantro went on my very first attempt at this recipe, pictured above.  your turn.

oatmeal pizza crust

the stuff:

  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
  • 1 tbsp fresh garlic (optional)
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup water (mix until desired consistency but not too thin!)

do this:

  1. pre-heat your oven to 400 degress.
  2. throw the ingredients above into your blender or food processor and blend away until smooth
  3.  add more water if you need to.  i like my crust with texture, so i pulsed my blender a few times and left it semi chunky.  you can put it on high and blend until completely smooth though, it's your call.  the seasoning are also up to you.  if you don't like Italian seasoning,  by all means, use somethin ya do like.
  4.  spray your medium heated skillet with no-stick cooking spray, and scrape the contents of your blender right into it.
  5. it starts to cook immediately, so start spreading it as soon as it hits the pan.
  6. once it's cooked on one side (3-4 minutes) flip it over and let the other side cook for 2-3 minutes more.
  7.  finally, slide the crust onto your oven pan (spray that with no-stick cooking spray  too) and  add your toppings.  remember, less is more.  don't over crowd!  thumbs down to soggy pizza crust. blech.

1 serving = entire crust (egg whites, oatmeal, garlic & seasonings)

not too shabby, huh!  low-fat, and loaded with fiber and protein.  my skillet is not terribly big, so my first crust was thicker than i wanted it to be since i poured in all my batter at once.  the next few times, i poured half the batter in and made two thin crust pizzas.

 yall know i'm all about stretching my food!

i have been topping my crusts with whatever i have on hand.  ground chicken, ground turkey, grilled chicken, salmon, and even tuna.  same with the veggies/cheese- i have put some crazy stuff together and so will you!

le

you've got the power

the way i felt about the buffet is the same way i used to feel about pizza. i never liked to order it for just Sonny and i cause i could easily put away half of the pie by myself.  i felt horrible afterwards- full of food and guilt.  pizza is definitely one of my fav foods.  correction- papa johns pizza.  i also love PJ's because they have totally given the consumer the power of CUSTOMIZATION.  call me late, but i was elated to see just how detailed things have gotten as far as creating your own pie. i couldn't be happier- you have soooo many options and can still enjoy a nice slice or two and keep your diet in check.

friday nite dinner:

we got the garden fresh (bell pepper, olives, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese) and added grilled chicken on thin crust all for around 220 calls a slice. switching to thin crust alone saves around 60 cals and 16 grams of carbs.  it gets better:

  • no sauce/light sauce/extra sauce
  • can sub grilled chicken for sausage/bacon/pepperoni
  • less cheese/no cheese
  • thin/wheat crust
  • add extra veggies
  • square cut for better portion control

and yep, most of the other major pizza chains e.g. pizza hut, dominoes, etc. (yawn) have the same/similar options too, so cut calories, carbs, and fat and customize away.

le