Day 220 - Caramelized Onion, Sausage and Goat Cheese Pizza

OMG!!!

This could create an addiction like my Avocado Chicken Pizza... This recipe is a take on Mystery Bay Farm's goat cheese pizza recipe. I've broken it down for you and made it and waistline friendly. And if you've never had the need to caramelize an onion, see the YouTube video below the recipe... It's much easier to show than tell : )

Caramelized Onion, Sausage and Goat Cheese Pizza

• 1 Original Light Flatout wrap
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 oz. semi-soft or soft plain goat cheese (though and herbed one would be fantastic!)
• 1 cup sliced raw onions (it's important that the onions are cut to the same width so they cook evenly and don't burn, 1/3 inch will do)
• 1/2 link of cooked Italian sausage, sliced and cut into halves
• 1/4 tsp. crushed rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On top of a baking sheet, place foil (or non-stick mat) and then the Flatout wrap.

2. In a small 1 or 1.5 quart sauce pot, place 1 tsp of olive oil and all of the sliced onions. Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, golden colored and sweet smelling. (see video below) Set aside.

3. Cook sausage thoroughly, either by pan frying, grilling or microwaving. Slice thin, and cut half of the slices in half again; like half moons. Set aside.

4. Drizzle remaining tsp of olive oil over the Flatout wrap and spread evenly with your finger. Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the entire wrap. Lay the caramelized onions and sausage over the goat cheese and sprinkle the rosemary, salt and pepper over top.

5. Bake approximately 9 minutes or until the edges of the wrap are beginning to turn brown.

This pizza was 8 PP (Weight Watchers) for me, but you'll need to calculate your own sausage per it's packaged nutrition guidelines. It's one of the yummiest things I've eaten in the last 3 weeks... see yesterday's post to gauge how amazing this pizza really must have been : )

*droooooooool*

Tomorrow- more of my trip and some inspiration for more meals.

Caramelizing Onions:

Day 172 - Pizza Margherita

I'm on a pizza kick. It all began with the lunch I had with my good friend Steph at St. Andy's cafe on campus this week. I mentioned the starter was pizza margherita and it was yum-o. So I decided to give it a try at home. Theirs was packed with flavor, but I know the ingredients could be more waist-line consciousand still pack a punch for flavor. So this is what I had for dinner last night...

Flatout Pizza Margherita

Ingredients:

• 1 Light Italian Herb Flatout Bread
• 1/4 cup pizza sauce (Contadina)
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
• fresh or dried basil
• 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lay your Flatout bread on a non-stick baking mat or an aluminum foil wrapped baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking oil.
3. Spread the pizza sauce evenly around the Flatout to within 1/4 inch from the edges.
4. Using a spoon, scoop the ricotta cheese over the pizza sauce and spread it out flat with the back of the spoon.
5. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese even over the pizza; sprinkle basil atop the cheese.
6. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, until the edges have browned and are crisp.
7. Once finished baking, drizzle the Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the pizza and enjoy!

This was fantastic! The olive oil isn't just a good way to get a heart healthy oil in, but it was also a way to add a new depth to the flavor. This was great! I'm completely satisfied : )

As written this recipe is 7 PP for Weight Watchers. If you choose to use fat free cheeses it is only 6. I like mine with whole milk ricotta and part skim mozzarella which is 10 PP.

Tomorrow: WEIGH IN DAY!!!! See if I made it to 50 pounds!!!

Day 136 - Healthy Pizza? Yes - It's Possible!

My love for steel-cut oats pulled through yesterday. I changed my breakfast up a little since I wasn't feeling satisfied throughout the day, and the oats helped today. No ravenous hunger and I cut down on the quantity of food I took with me to school. Good day!

Now for the pizza! I changed my dinner up last night, too, and I would like to share it with you (not the actual pizza, it might go bad in the mail). I was in the mood for avocado all day, but I had already prepared chicken and sauteed zucchini for the whole weeks worth of dinners. I'm eatin' the zucchini--I love it--but it shall remain separate from it's amigo, the chicken.

Avocado Chicken Pizza - made with salsa

        Avocado Chicken Pizza

• 5oz. (1/5 of a prepared package) fresh pizza dough
• 1/4 cup salsa (I like Escabeche style)
• 3oz. grilled chicken breast, chopped
• 1/4 cup mexican style shredded cheese
• 1tsp. olive oil
• Green bell pepper to taste
• 1/2 of a small avocado, sliced

1. Stretch dough to a rectangle 12" x 5" on a greased sheet tray (or silcone baking mat).
2. Spread the salsa evenly over dough.
3. Sprinkle chicken over the salsa, then the cheese over the chicken.
4. Add bell peppers.
5. Bake according to the directions on the dough package.
6. Top with sliced avocado and drizzle with olive oil.
7. Enjoy!

(This makes a large single serving and totals 13 PP if you're my visiting Weight Watchers family! It also provides: 1 serving heart healthy oils, 1-2 servings veggies, and lean protein.)

This is easily one of the best things to have entered my mouth recently. It wasn't planned out, it wasn't a recipe I saw elsewhere. It was just a creative combination of what I was craving, what I had on hand, and what GHGs I still had to get in for the day. And let me tell you... WOW!

Tomorrow: My interview with Matt- a fellow culinary student successfully dropping extra pounds. A guy's perspective.

Days 120 & 121 - The Forgetful and Naughty

So I completely forgot to post yesterday. What did I do yesterday you ask? I ate HORRIBLY! And am hanging my head in shame today because of it. I ate breakfast, forgot to take lunch with me to school, so I pigged out for the remainder of the evening once I returned home. Including pizza and fudge. I tracked and stayed within my points, so I did a little bit right... Today I planned and brought food with me to school and I am on plan including my GHGs. Feeling better.

Of course I sneaked onto the scale the past few mornings, as I always do (so I guess I shouldn't call it 'sneaking') and the scale has been against me : (  It shows a gain! But I can't count my eggs till Sunday when my time to hatch arrives. We'll see...

OoH!!!!! New picture ----->