Breakfast Pizzas

I have been on a huge homemade pizza kick lately. Back when we lived in Fenway, we had three different pizza places within walking distance, so we enjoyed our fair share of pizza. Here in Somerville, we haven't yet found our go to pizza place yet. (email me if you have suggestions!) So, I've started to really enjoy making my own and experimenting with all kinds of different toppings. I have always wanted to attempt breakfast pizza, I've seen it done in magazines and always thought it would be so much fun to have bacon and eggs on pizza.

I started with some whole wheat pizza dough that I rolled out into super thin, mini pizzas. To keep things light, I slathered on some tasty ricotta and topped it with fresh herbs. Then I got creative. I used bacon as well as a bunch of other toppings to make each pizza unique. You could add whatever you like to make your favorite breakfast combo. I was thinking next time I'd do some mushrooms and I was even thinking about adding salsa as a topping. I will keep you posted as my experiments continue.

You obviously don't have to eat these pizzas for breakfast. We ate them for dinner while watching some playoff hockey (go Bruins!). I am excited to host a brunch and make these as individual pizzas for my guests.

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Broccoli White Bean Soup

Did you know that April is National Grilled Cheese Month? I didn't, until Craig came home yesterday with some ingredients and declared his intention to make some grilled cheese. His creation, turkey breast with munster, pepper jack and barbecue sauce was AMAZING. So amazing, in fact, that we gobbled them up without even thinking of taking photos.

It's cold and raining here in Boston. After taking Archer to the dog park where he got absolutely filthy in the mud I decided I really felt like soup. After the grilled cheese extravaganza the night before, I wanted to create a soup that would go really well with grilled cheese or any other yummy sandwich. One of my favorite lunch soups is broccoli cheddar. The version at Panera Bread is phenomenal. However, it's loaded with calories and butter, cream and cheese. In thinking about how to create a healthy broccoli soup I had a brainwave: beans. Cannellini beans have a smooth and creamy texture and I thought they would be the perfect way to make a healthy, low calorie soup that is still creamy and hearty.

I used a food processor to shred garlic, onions and broccoli. You could certainly puree these, but I wanted the soup to have some small chunks for texture. I used some fresh rosemary for seasoning and topped the bowl off with a light sprinkle of tangy parmesan.

This soup was so good. It tastes comforting and creamy and, due to the protein and fiber in the beans, it is extremely filling. The best part is that it's very low in calories and takes only 20 minutes to make! Please make this soup on a cold day. It feels good and it great for you. I was especially thrilled when I calculated the nutrition info and compared it to the Panera version. A cup of my soup was extremely low in fat and sodium while being less than half the calories of the Panera version! Luckily, this recipe made about 6 12oz servings, so there is plenty for me to bring for lunch!

Here's the comparison:

My soup:
125 calories
2.9g fat
312.76mg sodium

Panera soup:
300 calories
19g fat
1250mg sodium

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