In Defense of Comfort

Its a rainy weekend and I am sitting lazily at home with large swollen cheeks.  All I can think about it comfort food.  


Who doesn’t have a favorite cheesy, salty, buttery, thick, meaty, ooey, gooey, yummy comfort food?!  I sure do and my weakness is always something terribly bad for me.  When I have a long, hard day or just not feeling my best there is nothing better than good ol’ fashioned Jersey pizza pie.  Top that off with some fries and a milkshake and you pretty much have the best comfort meal ever.   Or maybe its Mac n’ cheese, baked to cheesy perfection….yum!  Chocolate cake, amazing!  Tacos! Ice cream! I could go on…

But what’s the problem with all these wonderful foods we call comfort food?  Give it 20 minutes in your system and I guarantee you’ll feel anything but comfortable.  Cheesy goodness is followed by gassy, bloatiness, and all things un-sexy-like.  So I want us to re-think comfort foods.  Not throw pizza totally out the window in retaliation, but rather give our beloved pizza a much needed healthy facelift.  Here is the recipe for a vegan pizza I made the other day, but you can easily make it simply vegetarian.  My meat-loving boyfriend devoured it and wished for next day leftovers, so you know it’s man-approved.  Hate mushrooms but want to get healthy?  Here's why mushrooms are good for you !

Rachael's Now Famous Garlicky Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients:

·         1 of your favorite ready-made pizza crusts (whole wheat or regular)

·         1 1/2 c thinly sliced baby Portobello mushrooms

·         1 small onion cut into crescents

·         1 cup of frozen corn (thawed)

·         3 celery stalks diced

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 deli slices of provolone OR provolone flavored vegan cheese

·         1 tbsp olive oil

·         1 tbsp Earth Balance butter (optional)

·         1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

·         1 1/2 tsp light mayonnaise OR vegannaise

·         2 tsp bread (Italian seasoned)

·         Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

1.       Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over med-high heat until onions start to sweat and become slightly translucent.

2.       Add celery, mushrooms, salt & pepper and butter (if adding)

3.       After 2 minutes, add corn and Italian seasoning

4.       Sauté until mushrooms start to sweat.  Continue to stir

5.       In the meantime, mix mayo variety and mustard.  Spread evenly oven pizza crust.

6.       Rustically tear each slice of cheese into 3 pieces and spread over crust.

7.       Once veggies are done, pour evenly over pizza crust.

8.       Sprinkle with bread crumbs

9.       Bake for 8-10 minutes