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

hot & skinny spinach dip

finally, huh!  let me keep it real... i made this dip last week and i was tryin to be cool and different and i used 2% sharp cheddar. i thought the sharp flavor would be an excellent way to change up the recipe a lil.  it tasted ok (and we ate it ALL), but it just didn't look right.  also, 2% cheese just does not melt like i need it to!  soooo,  i went back to the store and got some white cheese.  pepperjack to be exact.  it made a world of difference in flavor and texture.   anyway,  thank you for being so patient- here it is.

hot & skinny spinach dip

the stuff:

• 1 10 oz bag frozen spinach
• 1 med shallot, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt
• 2 wedges laughing cow garlic & herb cheese
• 2 wedges laughing cow cream cheese
• 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese, shredded (or mozzarella)
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup pepperjack to top
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

yes, that did say tomatoes up there!  when i add tomatoes to my homemade guacamole it makes it super creamy.  same concept- it makes a difference.  turn your oven on 350 deg. now.  microwave your spinach on high for about 5 min then drain/squeeze all the water out.  don't forget to drain your tomatoes too- you don't need the excess liquid.  chop up the shallots and onion and throw them into a med heated pan.  after they become translucent (2-3 min) throw in the spinach and tomatoes; toss.

time for the best part...CHEESE.  use the back of your spoon to smash and break up the wedges and go ahead and incorporate the greek yogurt too.

then, add in your cup of pepperjack and parmigiano reggiano.

once everything is all mixed and melted, transport the dip to your baking pan.  spray it with no-stick cooking spray first, then top it with that remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

 15 minutes later,

bubbly, melty CHEESE and lots of it.

i am not even a chip person but these multigrain tostitos are so addicting.  my aunt had them @ her Easter party and they were perfect for this dip.  use your favorite or try these.

you can keep this snack super skinny and use veggies for dipping instead, no doubt.

le