Mmmmm - Pizza!

 

Eating clean is not just a fad, it is a real thing.  It means to eat foods with the highest nutritional value for your body, with no added junk.  By ‘junk’ I mean added chemicals, preservatives, colorings, genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) or anything else that is not food.  Eating clean helps the body to run more efficiently which in turn increases energy, mood and overall health. 

It is easy to eat clean when you make your own foods from scratch.  Be sure to use whole foods and the purest of ingredients.  Organic is always a good choice when eating clean. 

Making food from scratch may seem daunting to some, but it really can be streamlined especially by preparing as much as possible ahead of time so that everything is handy when you need it. 

Transitioning to clean eating will be flawless if you start with familiar foods.  Use the recipes below for a wonderful homemade meal!

Green Salad
Organic lettuce
Organic veggies of your choice
Handful or raw nuts or seeds (sunflower seeds, sliced almonds etc…)
Homemade dressing (see recipe below)

Wash all vegetables and cut into bite size pieces.  Toss together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad can be easily prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.  Try this trick – put a paper towel in the bowl before covering it.  This will absorb some of the moisture so that the lettuce doesn’t turn brown. 

Poppy Seed Dressing

½ cup raw honey
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. organic onion - chopped
1 ¼ tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. poppy seeds
3 tbsp. water

Put poppy seeds in small bowl and soak in the 3 tbsp. of water for 10 minutes.  Drain water from bowl being careful not to spill the seeds.  

Put honey, salt, vinegar, olive oil, onion and mustard in blender.  Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.  Transfer dressing to a jar and add the poppy seeds.  Cover and shake to blend.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Shake before using. 

 
Pizza Crust

1 cup very warm water (warm to touch but not boiling)

2 tbsp. oil
2 ½ - 3 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg yeast (¼ ounce)
1 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 400°

In a large bowl whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, yeast and salt until well blended. In a small bowl, mix together the warm water and the oil.  Add the water/oil to the dry mixture and mix by hand until almost smooth.  Gradually stir in as much remaining flour you need to make a firm dough (you may need to use your hands).

Shape dough into a ball and place dough in lightly greased bowl.  Lay a dish towel over the bowl.  Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. 

Remove towel and divide the dough in half.  Gently press each half into a greased pizza pan.  Prick dough with a fork. 

Prebake pizza crust for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and you are ready to top your pizza!

Top with pizza sauce (recipe below) and then add your desired toppings (onions, peppers, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, olives etc…) – return pizza to oven and bake for additional 10-15 minutes- until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Oven temperatures vary so adjust cooking time as needed. 

*Note – you can prepare and bake the crust up to a few days ahead of time and keep covered and refrigerated until ready to make the pizza. 

 

Pizza Sauce

1 (6 oz.) can organic tomato paste

1 (15 oz.) can organic tomato sauce
1 clove garlic - crushed
4 fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
2 tsp. sugar
⅓ cup water

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  The sauce is ready to use or you can heat it up on the stove for 10 minutes, then use it hot.

 

See the newly designed website for MI Food For Thought LLC
www.mifoodforthought.com

Click here  to see full article on clean eating 

http://www.examiner.com/article/clean-eating-fad-or-fact