Let Them Eat Pizza

People tend to associate pizza with a greasy, oily, fatty meal. But pizza and healthy don't need to be opposite terms.

I make pizza once a week -it comes together in a few minutes, you can get as creative as you want with the toppings, and the whole family feels pampered. I buy the crust, there are some really good whole wheat organic pizza crusts on the market, which you can freeze and save for that night you don't especially feel like spending too much time in the kitchen.
On this particular pizza night I made two versions, a vegan one with diced smoked tofu, sautéed spinach with pine nuts, and a more traditional one with mozzarella, olives, and organic tomato sauce, but also loaded with spinach.
For the vegan pizza, instead of tomato sauce I used Montse Bradford's onion paté (she actually calls it a "marmelade"), one of my favorite recipes of hers, which I make every now and then, whenever I can find someone in the house willing to peel and slice 2 kg of onions! Other than that, it's really easy to make and goes well with everything -spread on toast for breakfast, or as a side with pasta, rice or other grains, or even in salads.

Summer Super Salad

This is a super nutritious and colorful salad, good as a meal in itself for these warm summer days.

It has so many ingredients in it, that what I did was arrange it on a wooden platter according to taste: my husband doesn't like beets (too bad for him), and the children don't like the onion or mint, so I put them on separate sides of the platter so everyone would be happy.

Summer Super Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1/2 red onion, chopped thinly
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
a few bunches alfalfa sprouts
1 medium beet, diced
4 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup brown rice
a few mint leaves

Dressing:
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon tamari
1 tablespoon rice syrup
1 teaspoon mustard
a few tablespoons hot water

Rince the rice and place in a small pan with 1 cup water and a pinch salt, and boil for 45 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Place tomatoes on baking tray and bake on low heat for about one hour. Let cool and chop.

Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets and boil for 3-4 minutes (make sure it stays crunchy, don't overcook!).

Combine all the ingredients nicely on a serving tray or plate, leaving the sesame seeds, mint and sprouts for the top.

Serve the dressing on the side.

Hummus Quinoa Finger Salad

As the weather gets warmer, I crave salad for lunch and dinner. After having spent the entire winter without barely touching lettuce, now I want it in every meal. The problem is, for me an overdose on lettuce means possibly leaving out important nutrients. Sometimes it's an effort to cut down on the greens and include other stuff as more than just toppings.
Here's a fresh, crunchy salad I made for lunch that is -literally- packed with protein from both the chick peas and quinoa. You can wrap the lettuce leaves into rolls and eat it with your hands (make sure you have a plate underneath, so you can munch any escaping grains later).
Make sure to use a fresh, crispy lettuce with large leaves.

Hummus Quinoa Finger Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Hummus:
1 cup boiled chick peas
1 strip kombu (presoaked and boiled with the chick peas)
juice of 1 lemon
1 generous tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ume plum paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
a few tablespoons water, for extra creaminess (optional)
1/2 shallot, chopped (optional)

1 cup cooked quinoa
fresh lettuce leaves
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
toasted sesame seeds

Prepare the hummus by blending all the ingredients. Gradually add the water until you reach the desired creaminess.
Wash lettuce leaves carefully so they won't break. Place dried leaves on a wooden platter. Spoon the quinoa onto the leaves, and then spoon the hummus onto the quinoa. Top with some slices of red onion.
Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and a few drops of olive oil.
Serve with enzymatic crackers.