Sweet T and a Honey B
Food, Fitness, and the Adventures That Make Life Sweet

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza

I am a certified pizza addict and I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s no exaggeration when I say I have made every healthy pizza alternative there is.-quinoa pizza bites, pizza roll ups, cauliflower pizza, pizza salads, you name it. While a pizza inspired dish satisfies the craving, there’s nothing quite like, well, actual pizza. 

Since I had tried every other Simple Mills product (and loved it), I picked up a couple boxes of the pizza crust. It’s all natural, gluten free, and made with almond flour. The mix requires very few ingredients (Apple cider vinegar-which kills bacteria, supports gut health, lowers blood pressure, and contains probiotics-coconut oil or avocado oil, and water), takes minutes to make, and turns out with the perfect amount of crispiness. 

I topped our pizzas with a little of the pesto, some soft goat cheese, and my favorite veggies, and I had an actual pizza. One that tasted good and was good for me. This is a quick weeknight meal that satisfies the strongest of pizza cravings without all the extra grease.

(I bought two boxes of mix so that we had leftovers for the next night. The below recipe for sun dried tomato pesto is enough for 4 8-inch pizzas which uses the two boxes)

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

  • 1 jar (250 ML) of sun dried tomatoes in oil (do not drain!)
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Gluten Free Pizza (Serves 2)

  • 1 box of Simple Mills Gluten Free Almond Flour Pizza Crust, made as directed (2 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 tbs oil, 6 tbs water)
  • 4 oz soft goat cheese
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 1 small roma tomato
  • 1/2 small onion
  • sea salt
  • Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 cup of the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (save the other half in an air tight container)

 

  1. The Simple Mills mix makes two 8-inch round pizzas. After baking the crusts for 5 minutes at 350 degrees, take them out of the oven to add your toppings.
  2. Spread 1/4 cup of the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto evenly on each crust.
  3. Add roma tomato slices, arugula, and onion on top.
  4. Place 2 oz. of goat cheese on top of each pizza.
  5. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and Italian seasoning.
  6. Bake 15 more minutes at 350 or until ends of crust turn golden brown. 
  7. Cut each pizza in to four slices and enjoy!

Avocado Arugula Pesto Pasta

It’s pretty evident I haven’t had a lot of time in the kitchen lately based on my hiatus from any blogging. We’re still kind of finding our new groove over here based of Bryan’s grad school and my dance schedules. As a result, this last week I was looking a lot to other bloggers for some fall appropriate meals to cook for hubs and I while still requiring little time to actually prep it. My first go-to when it comes to AH-MAZING feel good/clean recipes is Rachel from RachLMansfield. A ton of my “must make” bookmarks include her recipes. 

This pasta is chocked full of deliciousness and is a solid choice for a dreary fall evening. We added a little chicken sausage for some additional bulk/protein and the combo was a winner. 

Avoacado Arugula Pesto Pasta

(serves 3)

Ingredients

  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
  • 1 cup (packed) arugula
  • ⅓ cup raw walnuts
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • Water as needed
  • 1 box pasta of choice (I used Banza Chickpea pasta. I love the taste of this pasta and the array of shapes!)
  • Optional: 1 lb Organic Chicken Sausage, cooked and sliced

Cook pasta as directed.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add water as needed to get desired consistency (I added about 1/3 cup). 

Pour sauce over hot pasta. Top with chicken sausage, a little Parmesan cheese, or red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

(Note: my obsession with avocado is very real so next time I make I might try adding a little more avocado and a tiny bit less arugula to give it more of an avocado taste. Add a little more water if this is the case) 

Vegetable Paninis with Pesto Mayo

It’s Fri-Yay! We are merely hours from signing off our work computers for the last time for a solid three days. This Memorial Day weekend involves picking up some flowers and iced coffee from the local farmer’s market, barbecuing with friends, and spending some much needed relaxing time with my husband. In true Memorial Day fashion, we have some rain in the forecast but I am hopeful the sun will decide to peek his head out-even if only long enough for Bryan to grill up those burgers. Before getting this weekend kicked off, I wanted to share a quick idea for a great weeknight meal to keep in mind when doing your grocery shopping this weekend. 

This past Monday I rushed home from work for a number of reasons. This was mainly because, let’s face it- we’re all glad when 5pm on a Monday rolls around. Though, there was a little extra anticipation this particular week because the new season of the Bachelorette was premiering. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was looking forward to meeting this season’s crazies all weekend long. 

I couldn’t throw my sweat pants on fast enough and wanted to make a quick dinner so as not to miss the first introduction (I’m already impressed with Kenny the pro-wrestler from Las Vegas). Using minimal fixings and my beloved panini maker, I made a vegetable panini so delicious that it deserves the final rose. 

Vegetable Paninis with Pesto Mayo – Makes 2 Paninis- 11 WW SPs each

Sandwich:

  • 4 slices of sourdough bread
  • 2 tsp  EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
  • 1/2 cup sliced zucchini
  • 1/2 cup sliced yellow squash
  • 1/2 cup sliced red pepper
  • 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms
  • 2 slices (1 oz. each) Havarti cheese

Pesto Mayo:

  • 1 tbs basil pesto
  • 1 tbs mayonnaise (I use mayo made with avocado oil)
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • In a medium sized frying pan, heat EVOO over medium heat and add all veggies to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Vegetables are done when soft and begin to blacken.
  • Place 1/2 slice of Havarti cheese on your sourdough and add your cooked vegetables, then your other 1/2 slice. Close your sandwich and place sandwich gently on your panini press (you can easily make this right in the frying pan if you do not have a panini maker). 
  • Using a fork, whisk pesto, mayo, and lemon juice in a small bowl. 
  • Once your panini is done, add 1 tbs of the pesto mayo to each sandwich and enjoy! I like to serve with fresh fruit or tortilla chips.