Skinny Pizza Panini

Hey Pizza Lovers! 

Ever had that moment where it's late at night, you just gotta have that pizza taste, and there's no pizza to be found? 

This recipe is the result of that moment for me, and unlike your traditional pizza, it's quite healthy and guilt-free! 

The Recipe:  Skinny Pizza Panini

• 2 slices of Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• 2 tsp Pizza Sauce
• 1 leaf Basil
• 2 tbsp shredded Four Cheese Italian
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/4 tsp (small slice) unsalted Butter

The Process: 

• Heat your panini pan with the stove on high
• Melt your Butter and mix it with the Olive Oil
• Using a basting brush, coat both sides of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread with the Butter and Olive Oil Mix
• Lay the Cinnamon Raisin Bread open on your panini pan 
• Lower the heat to medium-low
• Sprinkle the Four Cheese Italian on both slices of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread 
• Allow the cheese to melt slightly
• Shred your Basil, and put some on both slices of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Use a spoon to apply and spread the Pizza Sauce on one slice of your Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Turn the slice without Pizza Sauce over and place it on top of the slice with Pizza Sauce
• Use the panini pan press to complete your panini. It should be left on top of the panini for 1-2 minutes depending on your desired heat and grill marks. 
• Use a spatula to remove your panini from the panini press
• Enjoy!

The Calories: 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread: 156 calories (varies by brand, check your package!)

Butter: 25 calories

Olive Oil: 40 calories (In all reality you don't use all of this...much of it will end up as residue in whatever bowl you mix with, the basting brush, and on the panini pan and press)

Four Cheese Italian: 20 calories

Basil: 0 calories

Pizza Sauce: 50 calories

__________________________________________________________

TOTAL: 291 calories!

Compared to a slice of pizza (300-400 calories depending on your brand, and generally these contain many chemicals as well), that's not bad at all. For my dinner, I combined it with 1 cup of air popped, low fat kettle corn. The total dinner was about 360 calories, and very satisfying. 

What went right: 

         Everything. This is going on my favorite sandwiches list! It may sound strange to make a pizza on cinnamon raisin bread, but it works so well together. 

What went wrong: 

         Nothing. (I love when I can say this!)

What would I do next time:

         I might make it a veggie pizza panini next time, by adding my favorite vegetables in the middle, like tomato slices, mushrooms, zucchini, and maybe even some avocado! Additionally, it would be fun to try some different cheeses, and just play around with my favorite kinds of pizza and flatbreads. It would also be fun to try with different breads, bagels and bialys. Granted additional ingredients and thicker breads mean more calories, but they also mean a well-rounded, more filling meal, which would allow for fewer sides and less hunger later. 

Would I make this in college?: 

        Did I buy a mini panini press just for college? Why, yes. Yes, I did. This recipe in particular only takes a couple ingredients in low quantities, so the total cost is around $1, when buying some pretty high quality brands. It is also quick and easy to make without a lot of effort. If all that doesn't sound like college to you, I would love to have your college experience!

Overall, a yummy new way to satisfy that pizza craving without breaking your diet, or your bank!  

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Muffins

Welcome healthy bakers!

This recipe is a take off of a pinterest Greek Yogurt Chocolate Bread. I decided to make them into muffins due to lack of a bread pan, and the fact that I felt they would be easier to take for breakfast this way. 

The Recipe: Greek Yogurt Chocolate Muffins

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain original Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup reduced fat milk
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

The Process: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda
• In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and greek yogurt. Whisk in the oil, the sugar and the milk, until mixture is smooth
• Transfer the liquid mixture into the dry mixture
• Mix with a spatula, just until incorporated, allowing batter to remain lumpy
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula
• Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
• Cool in the pan for 30 minutes

The Calories:

Because this recipe is from an alternate site, I am lucky to have a full set of nutrition facts available. These numbers are per serving of bread:

Calories: 239.7
Total Fat: 11.2 g
Saturated Fa:t 3.3 g
Cholesterol: 37.9 mg
Sodium: 165.2 mg (less due to removed salt)
Total Carbohydrates: 33.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
Sugars: 20.8 g
Protein: 4.2 g

The major differences between the bread and the muffins were the removal of salt, and change in cooking time and shape. The shape difference also created a serving difference; the full loaf of bread made 12 servings, where my batch made 16 muffins. This means that in a single muffin...

(Bread calories per serving)*(number of servings)=(total calories in batter)

(total calories in batter)/(number of muffins)=(total calories per muffin)

So...

239.7*12=2876.4

2876.4/16=179.8 calories per muffin

This is an extremely significant difference in caloric value. All nutrition facts can be manipulated using the same formulas.

 What went right: 

           The muffins were great while they were hot, and tasted amazing with some raspberry jam. 

What went wrong: 

          The muffins did not keep very well, and I believe they needed to be cooked for a shorter period of time to ensure that they would retain their moistness. Additionally, if I were to wrap the pan in tin foil partway through baking the way the recipe asks, it might also assist this moistness. 

What I would do next time: 

         I would definitely bake for a shorter period of time, and potentially bake raspberry jam into the muffins as well. They would also taste great with white chocolate or butterscotch chips, and a variety of nuts. 

Would I make this in college: 

        Unfortunately, I don't believe I will have the opportunity to make this in college, at least not for a while. I definitely won't be bringing the muffin pan first semester. Oh well!

Overall, this was a very good first attempt at what I think will be a great recipe when perfected :)