Roasted BSBRO Pizza

When trying to decide what to make for dinner yesterday, my mind scanned through the items I had on hand and came up with the most amazing combination: Roasted Brussel Sprout, Broccoli and Red Onion Pizza.  Abbreviated title: Roasted BSBRO Pizza.  I used english muffins instead of taking the time to make pizza dough.  Normally we do some sort of meat pizza but I opted for a veggie pizza as a healthier and less expensive alternative.  I am trying to eat through everything in our freezer and cupboard by the time we move to help cut down on the grocery bill and eliminate waste.  You should see some interesting food combinations on here as a result.

Cost Saving Strategies:

• I had everything on hand.
• The mozzarella that I had in the fridge was not pre-shredded.  By shredding my own cheese, I saved some money.  (I learned from my mom to freeze small portions of it and take out a little at a time.)
• The dish was meatless.  Meat always adds $ to the bottom line.

Healthy Choices:

• The english muffins I had on hand were fat free.  I also think that whole wheat english muffins or whole wheat pizza dough would make a nice substitute.
• Can you really get more healthy than brussel sprouts?  I have recently come to appreciate these green little gems.  I think it is best when you keep it simple and roast them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Unfortunately Marc hates brussel sprouts.  When I made his pizza, I only used the red onion and broccoli.
• I used part skim mozzarella cheese.  I have seen healthy pizza recipes that eliminate cheese all together.  I would like to try this in the future as a way to reduce fat but this time I was pleased to be using the reduced fat mozzarella.

You may be sitting here saying, “I don’t classify pizza as a health food.”  And you’re right.  But if this is your criticism, then you didn’t understand the tone of my last blog post.  I know the type of people Marc and I are.  If we switch immediately to eating only tofu and wheat grass, then it will last about a week.  Instead I want to make changes that are sustainable.  This recipe happens to be a lot better than the usual pepperoni Digiorno frozen pizza or even a night when we grab In & Out.  And because of that, I consider it a victory on both the nutrition and budgeting front!

Marc and I both LOVED this recipe.  It was flavorful and very easy to make.  I am most proud of getting creative with the ingredients we had on hand.  The vegetables became very sweet and tender after roasting them in the oven and the crushed garlic added amazing flavor to the toppings.  I never thought veggie pizza could compete with a good old fashioned pepperoni, but it did!

Roasted BSBRO Pizza Recipe

Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment to assist with clean up.  Chop into bite size pieces:

½ cup Brussel Sprouts

½ cup Broccoli, stems removed

¼ cup Red Onion, thinly sliced

Combine vegetables in a bowl.  Season with:

 kosher salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

crushed garlic (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Spread the vegetables on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast at 450° F for 10 minutes until the vegetables start to brown slightly.   Allow vegetables to cool on baking sheet.

Top each english muffin with the following ingredients:

Pesto sauce or Marinara sauce

Roasted vegetables

Part skim mozzarella cheese

Bake for 10 minutes at 450° F.  Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 3 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

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