Pizza Bagels

Hello and welcome!

I'm sure you're looking at "Pizza Bagels" and wondering where the fitness comes into play. Fitness is determined by a lot of factors, and sometimes, it is good for your body to eat the healthier version of something entirely "normal" rather than deprived of one ingredient or another. In the long run, as long as you don't overeat, you can really eat whatever you want.

That said, this recipe is one I made with a friend yesterday. We are on fall break now, which means the cafeteria is closed, so cooking is a must if you plan to eat and not go broke. Fortunately for me, cooking is no problem! Especially with a recipe that is so quick and easy.

The bagels for these pizza bagels were originally from Panera Bread, but I kept them in my freezer for a  few weeks and thawed them out for an hour or so before cooking. Thank you to my grandmother for that bread-saving tip!

The Recipe: Pizza Bagels

• Three bagels (of any kind), sliced in half
• Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce (amount to your liking, I used about 1 TBSP per 1/2 bagel)
• Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

The Process:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Thaw bagels if necessary.
3. Spread sauce on inner face of each bagel half. 
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese on inner face of bagel half. 
5. Bake for about 10 minutes (depending on your oven). 
6. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

1/2 Bagel: 105 calories

1 TBSP Sauce: 10 calories

1 TBSP Mozzarella: 50 calories

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TOTAL: 165 calories

Not bad!! This is about as filling as a slice of pizza, but much lighter and more healthy. There is far less butter involved in bagels compared to pizza crusts. My friend and I each ate three, making our total consumption 495 calories. 

What went right: 

          The bagels came out nicely, they were cooked for the right amount of time to allow the sauce to soak into the bread. Additionally, we used a plain, whole wheat, and cranberry raisin bagel, and all three had a completely unique but amazing taste. The cranberry raisin was the best in my opinion. 

What went wrong: 

          While I thought there was plenty of sauce, my friend felt there was not enough. Because sauce is a matter of personal preference, it is best to apply the sauce yourself so you know how much looks like a good amount to you. I think he thought there was not enough because, as pasta sauce rather than pizza sauce, the sauce that remained on top of the bagel rather than soaked into it was not still liquid like pizza sauce, but firmly attached to the bread the way baked pasta sauce soaks into pasta. I might try this again with pizza sauce instead, to see if there is a difference. 

Would I do this again?:

           Yes! I loved these and will definitely be making more pizza bagels in the future. Look out for Pizza Bagel Sandwiches, which will happen after I acquire toppings to put in the middle of two Pizza Bagel slices. 

Overall, a fun, easy meal to make. It was healthy and satisfying, and clean up was not very labor intensive. A perfect college meal if I do say so myself! 

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

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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!  

Cauliflower Crust Zucchini Pizza

Low carb, high veggie and lipid diet anyone?

Well, even if you're not, on the same night, we made a pizza without zucchini using a pre-made dough. Totally cheating, but certain members of my family were not up for trying the cauliflower crust pizza.

The Recipe: Cauliflower Crust Zucchini Pizza

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded, Low Fat Mozzarella
• 1 Zucchini, sliced
• 3 tbsp shredded, Low Fat Mozzarella
• 2 tbsp shredded Parmesan
• 1 tbsp shredded Four Cheese Mix
• 1/4 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 can Pizza Sauce

The Process: 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper (Which ended up being a completely stupid idea...you'll see.)
• Boil the cauliflower on low heat for 30-45 minutes (Depends on your stove...I think I gave them too much water)
• Strain and mash the cauliflower
• Mix in the egg and 1 cup of Mozzarella
• Line a strainer with ample amounts of paper towels
• Allow mix to strain briefly, pressing lightly
• Wrap the mix in paper towels and slowly wring to remove excess water
• Refrigerate the mix for about 10 minutes (While cooking the other pizza)
• Pour the mix onto the baking pan and shape 
• Bake for 10-12 minutes to prepare the crust
• Spread on pizza sauce
• Sprinkle with dried basil
• Sprinkle with cheeses
• Arrange zucchini
• Bake until the crust becomes yellow/brown at the edges and the cheese and sauce begins to bubble (I ended up taking this one out slightly early because of problems I will explain in a moment)
• Allow to cool
• Slice into desired portions (Or make into pizza burrito...)
• Enjoy!

The Calories:

Cauliflower: 144 calories

Egg:             75 calories

Mozzarella:  431 calories

Parmesan:    42 calories

Four Cheese:22 calories

Pizza Sauce: 40 calories

Basil:            1 calorie

Zucchini:       52 calories

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TOTAL: 730 calories

This is slightly higher than 1/2 of an entire Connie's All Natural Frozen Cheese Pizza. To put things in perspective, wow. That's a healthy pizza. Despite all the cheese. 

Now let's talk about what happened here...

What went right: 

         Both pizzas were going great. They looked great, tasted great, and smelled great. The cauliflower I got to eat all of in the form of a burrito because I purposefully under-cooked it to combat the fact that...

What went wrong: 

         The normal pizza finished first, a shining thing of absolute beauty. And stuck to the wax paper, so was inedible in the regular fashion...we ended up attempting to pull some of the paper off and partially getting to eat some normally...the rest we had to toss or eat sort of face to cheese...don't ask! 

        For that reason, I under-cooked the cauliflower pizza in the hopes of getting it off the wax paper. I succeeded by folding the entire pizza over itself using the wax paper, pulling off one side, flipping the uncovered side onto a plate, and then pulling off the other side.

       I really want to try this again without the wax paper, since it all tasted quite nice :)

Will I do this in College?:
        We'll see how it comes out the second time, but I think I could make this happen pretty easily in college...it doesn't take that long once the cauliflower is boiled, and I can eat an entire pizza without feeling like I've eaten an entire pizza!

Overall, I really wish I hadn't used the wax paper...thanks to my dad making salads and my family being creative, we didn't have a totally ruined dinner. Stay tuned for Cauliflower Crust--Try 2!