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The Vegetarian Plate
A Flash In The (Pizza) Pan by Nava Atlas
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Pizza
Margherita With Fresh Tomatoes Roasted Red Pepper & Artichoke Pizza
Go-Withs To Round Out the Meal Fresh Berries With Vanilla-Almond "Cream"
In addition to her website In A
Vegetarian Kitchen www.vegkitchen.com/
, Nava has recently added Rediscovering Ritual www.rediscovering Nava has also written humor and is active as a fine artist. Her work has been shown in galleries and museums around the country. She enjoys exploring, hiking, reading, daydreaming, the ocean and chocolate. Her home is in the Hudson Valley region of New York State, where she lives with her husband and two school-aged sons.
Ed. Note: For more wonderful vegetarian recipes, healthy lifestyle suggestions, and information on ordering Nava' s cookbooks, visit her websites:
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Pizza is
such a popular food in our culture that it's no longer possible to think of it as an
Italian specialty. Each day, Americans supposedly consume the equivalent of 100 acres of
pizza (do you ever wonder who comes up with these crazy statistics?). And for the last few
decades, pizza has been named as one of the top snack foods in this country. When pizza is made at home (which doesn't necessarily mean making your own crust), you're in control of the toppings. Pizza can then become a nutritious meal rather than a mere vehicle for cheese. Smothered in vegetables, with cheese as a secondary ingredient (rather than the other way around), pizza provides a fun solution to getting dinner on the table quickly. Look for good-quality crusts in your supermarket's bread or dairy sections. And by all means, if you're so inclined, making your own whole grain crust can be a fun, occasional treat. Let the recipes here be a jumping-off point. There's nearly no limit to what you can put on a pizza crust. The measurements given in the recipes serve as guidelines; you can make these recipes even easier by layering the ingredients as you see fit. Recipe note about servings: I base my serving sizes for a 12- to 14-inch pizza on the premise that the pizza will not be the only part of the meal. A 12-inch pizza, if nothing else is being served, may be enough for only two eaters, but with a generous salad plus perhaps another side dish, an amply topped pizza should satisfy 3 to 4 fairly hungry people reasonably well. As I mentioned in the introduction, the ingredient amounts are given here as a guideline; layer ingredients as you see fit. By all means, try some of these pizza combinations on personal-size crusts, if you'd like. Explore the possibility of using high-quality pizza crusts from a natural foods source; they are far lower in sodium than national brands and sometimes come in whole grain versions. And go easy on cheese, otherwise the purpose of making your own pizza is partially defeated! Source: The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, 250 Simple Recipes And Dozens of Healthy Menus For Eating Well Every Day, ©2001 by Nava Atlas.
PIZZA
MARGHERITA WITH FRESH 1 (12- to 14-inch) good-quality pizza crust Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the crust on a pan. Arrange the tomatoes on the crust in concentric circles, and sprinkle with the basil and mozzarella. If desired, top with the Parmesan cheese and a few grindings of pepper. Bake until the cheese is bubble, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; let stand for 2 to 3 minutes and cut into 4 to 6 wedges to serve. Makes 3 to 4 Servings. (Note: Nutritional analysis based on 4 Servings). Per Serving: 250 Cal; 6 g Total Fat; 30 g Carb; 23 mg Cholesterol; 383 mg Sodium; 16 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.
TOMATO
& EGGPLANT PIZZA 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced *Note: Optional salt-to-taste is not included in nutritional analysis Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine the egg plant and garlic in a medium skillet with a small amount of water. Cover and steam until the eggplant is tender but not mushy, about 8 minutes. Check occasionally to make sure there is enough water to keep the bottom of the skillet moist. Place the crust on a pan. Arrange the tomatoes on the crust, and sprinkle with the eggplant-garlic mixture. If desired, season with a little salt and a few grindings of pepper. Top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is bubble, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, and cut into 4 to 6 wedges to serve. Makes 3 to 4 Servings. (Note: Nutritional analysis is based on 4 Servings). Per Serving: 290 Cal; 6 g Total Fat; 40 g Carb; 23 mg Cholesterol; 389 mg Sodium; 16 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch; 2 Veg; 2 Lean Meat; 1 Fat.
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND ARTICHOKE PIZZA 1 (12- to 14-inch) good-quality pizza crust Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the crust on a pan; spread the marinara (red) sauce OR ricotta cheese (white sauce) evenly over it and sprinkle with the remaining ingredients in the order given. Bake until the cheese is bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, and cut into 6 or 8 wedges to serve. Makes 3 to 4 Servings. (Nutritional analysis based on 4 Servings). Sodium Alert! This recipe is not suitable for those on salt-restricted meal plans. Per Serving (Red Sauce): 271 Cal; 7 g Total Fat; 33 g Carb; 23 mg Cholesterol; 591 mg Sodium; 16 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Lean Meat; 2 Starch; 1-1/2 Fat. Per Serving (White Sauce): 340 Cal; 11 g Total Fat; 33 g Carb; 45 mg Cholesterol; 479 mg Sodium; 24 g Protein. Exchanges: 3 Lean Meat; 2 Starch; 2 Fat.
CORN SLAW 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded coleslaw cabbage *Optional salt or "salt-to-taste" not included in the nutritional analysis Combine all of the ingredients in a serving bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate until needed. Makes 6 to 8 Servings. (Nutritional analysis based on 7 Servings). Per Serving: 76 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 11 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 159 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Veg.
MARINATED
BEANS 2 (16-ounce) cans black, pinto, or pink,
beans, OR black-eyed Combine the ingredients in a serving container and toss well. Cover and marinate at least 2 hours in the refrigerator, and serve. Makes 6 Servings. Sodium Alert! This recipe is not suitable for those on salt-restricted meal plans. Per Serving: 191 Cal; 3 g Total Fat; 31
g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 537 mg Sodium; 8 g Protein. Exchanges: 2 Starch;
FRESH
BERRIES WITH VANILLA-ALMOND "CREAM" 2 cups (1 pint) fresh berries (blueberries,
blackberries, Divide the berries among 4 to 6 dessert bowls. Combine the yogurt, vanilla, and optional nutmeg in a small mixing bowl and stir together until creamy. Spoon the yogurt mixture over the berries, sprinkle with the almonds, and serve. Makes 4 to 6 Servings. (Nutritional analysis based on 5 Servings). Per Serving: 137 Cal; 5 g Total Fat; 15 g Carb; 4 mg Cholesterol; 50 mg Sodium; 6 g Protein. Exchanges: 3/4 Fruit; 1/2 Low-Fat Milk; 1 Fat.
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