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Zucchini Crust Pizza

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Let me tell you something: the blogging community is by far the greatest. Over the past year I’ve met some pretty fantastic bloggers, one of them being Nikki Dinki of Nikki Dinki Cooking. In June, Nikki launched her first cookbook: Meat On The Side. I’ve be a complete fan girl of hers since before she was on Food Network Star Season 9. And now she’s doing Junk Food Flip with Bobby Deen. All the feels for this girl and what she’s accomplished.

Meat On The Side is, by far, one of my most loved cookbooks. Such a unique concept: a cookbook dedicated to vegetable focused recipes. While Nikki was testing out recipes, she sent me a few recipes to try and ohmygod. In June, Nikki send me a copy and I’ve been hooked! I’ve tested out quite a few of the recipes, but her sweet potato and butternut squash soup is to die for (on page 184!), Willa’s lemonade cheesecakes* are mouthwatering (page 256!) and a new favorite, zucchini crust pizza (page 141!)

Meat On The Side is, by far, one of my most loved cookbooks. Such a unique concept: a cookbook dedicated to vegetable focused recipes. Find the recipe on runlifteatrepeat.com!

Sit back, relax and grab your zucchini my friends.

Always a fan of pizza (who isn’t?), I love the idea of using zucchini for the crust. All the pizza without all the guilt. Nikki’s recipe for the crust is pretty straight forward: zucchini, grated cheese, AP flour, and 1 egg. And while you don’t need to add seasoning to the crust since the flavor comes from the sauce, I’m a lover of seasoning so I added in some: basil, parsley, garlic powder and onion powder. Either way, the crust is the bomb.

And the crust is so easy to make, really, it is. I typically shred the zucchini the day before and toss it in a ziplock bag, that way it’s ready when I need it.

Make the crust: shredded zucchini into the microwave, remove excess water, stir ingredients together and bake! That’s it! Add your toppings and bake until the cheese is all melty and gooey. Ah, perfection.

Meat On The Side is, by far, one of my most loved cookbooks. Such a unique concept: a cookbook dedicated to vegetable focused recipes. Find the recipe on runlifteatrepeat.com!

This is such a simple dinner! Nothing overly complicated or over-the-top craziness, and so good to eat pizza without feeling so guilty…. 4 pieces in or a whole pizza. Or is that just me? Ha! 

Nikki’s cookbook, Meat On The Side can be found on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, Powell’s Books, and iBooks. And check Nikki out on Facebook (she does quite a bit of FB live events!), Instagram and adventures on Snapchat (nikkidinki)!

HAPPY COOKING! See details below for the giveaway!↓

*These cheesecakes are just WOW. If you don’t know, Nikki lost her 1st daughter, Willa, the day she was born and made a tribute to her on her blog and cookbook.♥

 

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Zucchini Crust Pizza

Zucchini Crust Pizza

  • Author: Sandra
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Ingredients

Scale

CRUST

3 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)

3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (parms works too!)

1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

TOPPINGS

1 cup tomato sauce (page 222 for Nikki’s!)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella

12 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. After this,Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
  2. Using a food processor or hand grater, grate the zucchini. There should be about 6 cups. Put the shredded zucchini in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 7 minutes, stirring half way through. The zucchini should be tender. Set the zucchini aside to allow to cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the grated cheese, dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, black pepper, flour and egg. Stir together. Once the zucchini is cooled, use a clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. *This is extremely important, less water = better crust!* Add the zucchini to the cheese/egg mixture and stir together. Make 5 balls of dough and place each on the prepared baking sheet, about 5 inches apart. Using your hands, press down and flatten each ball to 1/4 inch thickness. Place in the oven and bake until crusts are golden brown, about 20 minutes.After this, Remove from the oven, leaving the oven on.
  4. Spread a spoonful of tomato sauce over each and top with a sprinkle of cheese, and tomatoes (or toppings of your liking!) Bake until cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. After this,Remove from oven and top with fresh basil.

Notes

  1. Any kind of toppings can be added to these pizzas. Make it your own!
  2. *Nikki’s zucchini crust excludes the seasonings above under “crust”, and it’s just as delicious, but I’m a seasoning girl 😉
  3. Excerpted from Meat On The Side: Delicious Vegetable Focused Recipes for Every Day by Nikki Dinki.
  • Category: Healthy dinner

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Skillet Chicken Veggies Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Light Garlic Sauce

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Crispy chicken paired with your favorite vegetables in a creamy light garlic sauce. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal!

New day, new recipe coming at ya!

Ok so first, how is your week going? Have you entered in my giveaway yet? I feel like mid-week is once I’m really in the groove of things. But at this point, some of us are tired, ready for the weekend and in a dinner rut. Like me.

Between starting a new job on Monday, final walk thru of our new home, closing in 2.5 weeks and this blog, I’ve been all over the place. But in a good way! When I’m busy I end up eating the same stuff, for weeks (protein pancakes, zucchini pizza, salads.) Ya know, things that will keep me full for hours. So boring but it gets the job done.

Crispy chicken paired with your favorite vegetables in a creamy light garlic sauce. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal! Find the recipe on runlifteatrepeat.com!

Enter a new skillet meal

Weeknights can be rough for anyone, after a long day at work or to/from sports for the kids, the last thing that most want to do is spend hours in the kitchen for dinner. Skillet dinners are a life savor.

What this meal is.

√ Quick & simple.

√ Maximum flavor.

√ Feel good.

√ Protein packed & satisfying.

Sear chicken, make the sauce (chicken broth, 2% milk, thyme and a whole lotta garlic. Like 5 cloves.), add veggies/potatoes, bake. For real, so easy.

Crispy chicken paired with your favorite vegetables in a creamy light garlic sauce. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal! Find the recipe on runlifteatrepeat.com!

But the garliccccccc, that’s really my favorite part.

About 40 minutes start to finish. Minimal work. So get cookin’ and add this rave-worthy meal to your dinner rotation.

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Skillet Chicken, Veggies and Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Light Garlic Sauce.

Skillet Chicken, Veggies and Sweet Potatoes with Creamy Light Garlic Sauce.

  • Author: Sandra
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale

3 1/2 cups vegetables & potatoes (sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, etc.)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

salt & freshly ground black pepper

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3 garlic cloves, minced*

2 garlic cloves, smashed*

3 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped, divided

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons milk (any milk fat above 2%), room temperature (very important)

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. After this,Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Spread the vegetables & potatoes on top and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Keep the oven on. (To cut down on time, start on the next step as the veggies & potatoes bake.)
  2. Make sure the chicken breasts are even in thickness, if not, pound them down. Sprinkle the chicken with a little salt, pepper and 1.5 teaspoons of thyme. In a large (11-12 inch) ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, turning once. You want the chicken nice and browned (it won’t be cooked through that, thats ok!) Remove from the chicken from the pan and set on a plate.
  3. Add the broth, garlic, and remaining thyme to the pan. Cook and stir to scrape up the bowned bits from the chicken (flavorrrrrr!) Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes. After this,Whisk together the milk and cornstarch, then whisk in.
  4. Now Add the chicken, cooked vegetables & potatoes to the sauce and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until the chicken is completely cooked through, 7-10 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches 165°F. I typically pull it out at 160°F and let it rest to get the remaining degrees.
  5. Serve chicken, vegetables, and potatoes together with some sauce. Now Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat before eating.

Notes

  1. Typically one garlic clove equals 1/2 teaspoon minced from a jar. Keep in mind: if using pre-minced garlic, it’s milder than fresh. You may need to add extra. If you loooooooove garlic, like me, toss in 2 whole smashed garlic cloves.
  2. Any milk fat above 2% works fine. The milk must be room temperature so it doesn’t curdle. Simply measure out the milk when you begin and it will be perfect when you make the sauce.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Healthy dinner

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