Cravings
I have been trying to eat healthy lately, not allowing myself to have many indulgences. For the most part I have enjoyed it. I feel better, I have a bit more energy, and have been able to finally fit more comfortably into a few of my jeans from last year. But I have two food cravings that are really getting in my way of fitting into my last two pairs of skinny jeans: pizza and sweet rolls.
Both of these foods are possibly the worst foods to crave in my endeavors towards a healthy lifestyle, but the pizza I have been craving actually in my head seems like it could be actually good for me. What I really have been wanting is a thin crusted pizza piled high with fresh veggies, either light or no sauce, and just a sprinkling of cheese. I have been to many pizza joints this month, they have definitely been tasty, just not exactly what I've wanted.
So last night I gave it a shot. Thin whole wheat crust (I improvised on this one), no sauce, lots of veggies, & light on the cheese. I still have some kinks to work out on the dough, and I would have liked to have added more vegetables if I had had them, but overall it was quite good, and I don't feel like I have a huge lump of dough lingering in my stomach.
I used a recipe for the crust that I found here on Cooking light. It called for bread flour, didn't have of that on hand, so I used whole wheat flour. It could have been a bit crunchier and thinner, for next time, but I really loved the flavor of the whole wheat, and will definitely use it again.
For the topping mixture, I used onions, fresh garlic, green peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. I will probably try to add a few more veggies for the next go around, maybe some zucchini or red peppers, but this mix felt fresh and healthy. To give it a kick, I spread a mixture of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, fresh garlic, and one teaspoon each of basil, rosemary, and thyme on the top of the crust before adding the veggies, and on top of the pizza right after taking it out of the oven. For the cheese I used a handful of mozzarella and a sprinkling of parmesan. But the best part about the pizza besides the taste was that it only took 15 minutes to bake at a temperature of 425.
And the sweet rolls. I don't feel so healthy about this craving, but it won't go away. Maybe it's just because I have yet to find the perfect one to indulge this craving once and for all. I've tried though, there have been a few unnecessary trips to Ikea, Great Harvest, and Kneaders, and I even picked myself one at an Australian BBQ, but I'm not satisfied yet. Can someone please pass along a recipe, one that is tried and true?
Come on, help a girl out, I'm dying here....
Friday, May 2, 2008 at 5:32AM
Reader Comments (9)
Seriously Brooklyn Bean readers, she ain't kidding this cinnamon roll craving is like not going to die, she needs help. I thought about drawing her one and then rubbing it on her face, but I realized I couldn't draw and that rubbing it on her face would only aggravate her, not sooth her craving. And her craving is so bad it is starting to rub off in that she's making me think that I too am craving a cinnamon roll, when I wasn't really aware that I was, but yet I'm actually hoping she either gets her craving craved (without me and I just live vicariously through her flashbacks to the cinnamon bites), or she gets a killer recipe and we just eat our selves silly (a phrase I don't quite get because when I eat too much, 'silly' isn't normally the feeling I get) until Tom has to drag our limp, silly (and most likely gassy) bodies away.... into the room without the cinnamon rolls. Unless Tom only drags his wife away and I'm left alone with the pastries...
Seriously ALYSHA has problems.
a friend of mine claims this is the best: http://solidgoldcooking.blogspot.com/2007/07/very-best-cinnamon-rolls-ever.html
however, i haven't tried it yet. she is a really good baker though, so there are chances that it is good.
Hello! Two things...Papa Murphy's has a VERY good Veggie pizza that you can buy for a pretty reasonable price on a thin crust. It is REALLY tasty and has artichoke hearts that make me cry they are so good. If you order it WITHOUT the white sauce and have the lite marinara sauce instead you save a ton of calories. It is SO yummy!
Also, try out Pioneer Women's cinnamon rolls. They are to-die-for. Seriously. Like her or not, she has the best recipes ever.
okay, go to provo and into a little bakery called Shirley's. they've got some delicious stuff and i'm pretty sure they have what you're looking for. oh yes.
I have a great family recipe, if you have a Kitchen Aid or Bosch mixer. Email me if you haven't found a good one yet. (BTW, I'm Chris Carlson's little sister)
ok, update. i tried the recipe i recommended and they were REALLY great. i've tried making a lot of different recipes at home, but these were the best. so far.
i don't have any sweet rolls recipes but i wanted to tell you to try making pizza on the grill. it is so good. i also make mine with a thin wheat crust and it always comes out crispy and delicious!
I agree that Shirley's in Provo is awesome. I do have a good recipe if you want to make your own. For the dough I use the Lion House roll recipe ( if you need a copy you can email me). When it is ready to roll out divide it into two pieces. Roll out into rectangle to about 1/4 of an inch. Then take about 1/3 cup of room temperature butter and smear it over the whole thing leaving one long edge without butter. Then take about 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix it with a tablespoon or two of cinnamon depending on your preference( I like two). Then dump that onto your buttered roll dough and smooth it out with your hands, but only where there is butter. Then, starting from the long edge that has the butter and cinnamon sugar all the way to the edge, start rolling up your dough. I like to cut my roll using a sharp serrated knife. I start by cutting it in half, then half again until it gets to the thickness I like. I usually cut it into 16 rolls.
Then I put them on the pan about an inch apart and let them raise according to the roll recipe directions. Then bake. When I frost them I use a a cream cheese icing recipe. Let me know if you would like that also. Hope this helps. You can also throw a little wheat flour in if your feeling extra healthy.
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Woops! I guess I should have clicked through, the recipe you recommend looks a lot like what I do.