As I was chugging along, I smiled in the sunshine and thanked the higher being for the millionth time for allowing my foot to heal enough for me to run. Screw summer. Running in the fall is about as gorgeous as it gets! And I'm lucky enough to do it. Today was a mecca for runners out here in "country" land...I think I saw about half a dozen during my 13 miles. Love it.
But you didn't stop by to hear me wax poetic about running for the eleventy billionth time. You came here for cheese.
So, ever since I've been diagnosed with a lazy thyroid (yeah, that's what I'm calling it), I've been trying to figure out a better diet for myself. I'm not too concerned with losing weight (I would like not to gain, but the extra 5 pounds I'm carrying are friendly...they're annoying, but not a deal breaker!), but I want to be able to correct my thyroid so some of the other crappy symptoms disappear. I won't be going "low carb" (I think I would seriously kill someone, especially at this time of year!) and I don't think I necessarily need to. I Think I need to go "middle carb". As in, I'm the runner who fixates on bread. Oats. Pretzels. Crackers. Rice. Usually whole grains, but high carb. So it's time to bring in a bit more protein, and choose those carbs wisely! I've been dong well for breakfast-cutting down on my portion of oats and adding in yogurt or eggs. Lunch still includes whole wheat bread, but I've added in cottage cheese and a handful of baby carrots.
What about dinner? I love dinner carbs! Brown rice. Barley. Sweet Potatoes. English muffin pizzas. Nom noms. And I'll still have those. But now it's time to experiment. You can still have your pizza, gosh darn it! Just a bit more creatively :-)
Got any Chees(y pizza!) (adapted from Your Lighter Side)
2 cups riced cauliflower
2 egg whites
2 tbsp water
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup veggies: I used broccoli and mushrooms
Turkey pepperoni (I only used a few slices)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Tor prep your cauliflower (I used fresh): roughly cut 3 cups cauliflower. Microwave with a bit of water for 6-7 minutes, or until soft. Run the cauliflower through a food processor for 2 minutes with the 2 tbsp of water, or until it resembles rice grains. (I use the water in order to help get the cauliflower spinning, as my chopper is pretty small). Pour the riced cauliflower in a medium sized bowl, add 2/3 cup cheese, egg whites, garlic, and oregano. Stir until thoroughly mixed, let rest for 5 minutes. Divide "dough" into 2 pieces, spoon onto pizza stone (or greased baking sheet). Flatten to resemble pizza crust, about 1/4 inch thick. (Or to your liking). (You can make one big pizza, but I found it easier to flip with two 5 inch crusts). Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes. Add sauce, extra cheese, pepperoni and veggies. Broil for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Stats (for each pizza, using WW cheese)
250 kcal
11g fat
22g protein
14g carbs
Makes enough for two dainty eaters or one hungry girl :-P You know I ate them both!
The verdict? Well, some people say you can't tell it's a cauliflower crust. I definitely could, but I love cauliflower, so no biggie. You probably want to eat it with a fork, but it's not mushy at all. If Papa John's pizza is a 10 and post race genero pizza is a 5, I would give this a 8.
And me and my thyroid will take that :-)
I use something very close to that recipe to make cheesy garlic "bread". Its very good, I have tried it as pizza crust and do not really care for it. Its ok, but I still have not found the perfect vessel to carry those pizza toppings to my mouth :) Still working on it though. I will let you know when I have found one that is most crusty like. Next one I want to try is the bacon crust (made by the same guy that came up with the bacon grilled cheese sammich)
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