Posts Tagged ‘pizza’

Fig and Goats Cheese Pizza

September 12th, 2009

Fig Pizza

Since I started ‘borrowing’ my neighbors figs from their tree, I’ve been using them in all sorts of dishes from frozen yogurt to couscous to salsa and now a simple pizza. When I do venture out to have some pizza (a rarity usually with drink involved) I’ll always go for a thin crust version. Less filling, tastes great (name that ad!)
With all the figs that seem to have ‘arrived’ somehow in my possession I thought this would work great in a pizza, plus I needed something quick to make for my hungry and cranky Missus. I’ve made a similar type pizza before with lavash but I found this multi-grain flat bread version with flax, which I thought would make great alternative. (Turns out it did.) You might think this is a lot of fig but believe me it works and isn’t too sweet especially with the goats cheese. Total joy–this last minute recipe turned out brilliantly!

RECIPE: IMG_8354

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Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

Copyright © 2009 The Healthy Irishman. All rights reserved.

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Super Bowl Buffet – The Healthy Way

January 30th, 2009

Homemade Pita Chips & Dip
I know what you’re saying…Is it possible to eat healthy on Super Bowl Sunday? Did you know that:

  • Nearly one in eight or 13% of Americans order takeout/delivery food from a restaurant for a Super Bowl gathering.
  • Most popular choices of takeout/delivery items on Super Bowl Sunday are pizza at 58 percent, chicken wings at 50 percent and subs or sandwiches at 20 percent.
  • Approximately one in 20 (4 percent) Americans watch the big game at a restaurant or a bar, over 9 million Americans.
  • On Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will eat an estimated 20 million pounds of potato and tortilla chips and eight million pounds of avocados.
  • Sales for antacid increase by 20% on Super Bowl weekend.

After all these stats and being the Healthy guy that I am, I just had to throw out ideas that wouldn’t bust your gut.

After all, the beer consumption alone will do that!

So here’s some healthy Super Bowl ideas perfect for a hungry (wo)man’s buffet:

BAKED PITA CHIPS WITH HUMMUS & GUACAMOLE:
Recipe: Serves 6. Adjust accordingly.
1 packet whole wheat pita bread
olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Begin by cutting each pita bread in half and then into 12’s. Toss in a large mixing bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp cumin. Place on oven tray in single layer and bake for 10 minutes approx. or until crispy but not burned. Remove from oven and set aside. (Yes, it’s that easy!)

Hummus (Smashed Chickpeas)
1 15oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2-3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lemon – zested & juiced
1/8 tsp chili powder
2-3 tbsp cold water, divided
S&P to taste
Hummus is traditionally made with tahini but in my version I omit it as I prefer the simple taste of the chick peas and lemon. Tahini also has a high fat, high calorie content so in order to cut calories I do without it.

Drain the chickpeas and put in food processor. As they’re pureeing gradually add cold water & olive oil, alternating 1 tbsp at a time to blend. You want a smooth but not a runny consistency. Remove to a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of the lemon juice, all the lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and chili powder. Taste and add more lemon juice if preferred. I like my hummus zesty so tweak it to your taste.
Party Buffet

A couple of other ideas for you are:

LAVASH PIZZA. This is a great healthy alternative to your regular thick crust pizza we all know. I’ve used both white and wheat lavash (fancy word for flatbread) so check your local grocery or specialty store.  In the version above I made a roasted red pepper and tomato sauce and used part-skim mozzarella & fresh basil. If you want this recipe leave a comment here or on my site.
I’ve also made this with fresh basil pesto and blistered cherry tomatoes, click here for recipe. Both versions are damn tasty and perfect for adult or even kid gatherings.

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APPLE JICAMA SLAW. What exactly is Jicama? This is a light refreshing slaw that’s the complete opposite of a regular coleslaw that’s mayo based. The sweetness of the apple and the crunchiness of the jicama work brilliantly together and you can snack on this all day if you wanted.

So to answer my own question, yes it is so no excuses here people. I’ve got more football food up my sleeve at  thehealthyirishman.com.
One step ahead of me? Let me know what healthy Super Bowl dish you’re planning.

The Healthy Irishman Fueling your body with healthy food. Fueling your mind with the wealth of health.

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Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympic Eater of All Time

August 15th, 2008
Yeahhhhh!!!!.....The pizza guy is here!!!

Yeahhhhh!!!!.....The pizza guy is here!!!

According to this New York Post article, Michael Phelps isn’t just the most decorated Olympic champion of all time, he may also be one of the world’s greatest eaters.

“Eat, sleep and swim. That’s all I can do,” Phelps told NBC when asked what he needs to win medals. “Get some calories into my system and try to recover the best I can.”

SOME CALORIES….obviously Mr. Phelps is a master of the understatement.

According to the Post, the following is a visual representation of EXACTLY the type and amount of food that Michael Phelps eats on a daily basis.

Breakfast:

Three fried-egg sandwiches loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions and mayonnaise.

baconeggmcmuffin

Two cups of coffee.

One five-egg omelet.

One bowl of grits.

Three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar.

french-toast

Three chocolate-chip pancakes

Breakfast’s finished…time for a nap.

Lunch:

One pound of enriched pasta.

Two large ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on white bread.

Energy drinks packing 1,000 calories.

Exactly how long does he have to wait to get back into the pool after eating this meal?

Dinner:

One pound of pasta.

An entire pizza.

More energy drinks.

Well that’s it:

12,000 Calories…divided over 3 gigantic meals.

And he looks like this…

hey, watch where you put that hand! I'm an Olympic champion dammit!!!

Rubbing the Buddha's belly for good luck

What would happen if a normal person tried to eat 12,000 calories a day.

Well, why don’t we ask Jared?

You know, Jared. Jared Fogle?…The Subway Diet guy.

Right. That Jared.

Well, according to Jared, back before he invented the submarine sandwich, he was a pretty big guy.

How big.

435 pounds big.

And how did he get this big?

By eating 10,000 calories a day.

Not 12,000 like Michael Phelps but close.

The Jared Fogle See-Food Diet

So what did Jared’s pre-Subway diet look like?

“Every day for breakfast, he’d have two bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, with a large order of hash browns, a large coffee with cream and 10 packets of sugar”.

“Lunch was an entire pizza — extra meat, extra cheese, and of course dessert”.

“For a mid-afternoon snack, he would usually have two large bean burritos with extra cheese”.

“And for dinner? That usually consisted of not one or two, but three trips to the Chinese buffet, and ice cream for dessert”.

And we’re not finished yet. He usually topped off each day with a late-night snack – not a warm glass of milk, but a hamburger, French fries and some kind of dessert”.

urp…I feel sick….and confused.

How can two men eat the same amount of food and one becomes an Olympic swimming god while the other becomes obese and depressed?

Well, I think it may have something to do with the fact that one of them trains for six hours a day, six days a week, without fail. His workouts consist of swimming 50 miles a week along with hitting the weight room.

I will let you decide who I am talking about.

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