Roasted Vegetable Pizza

Vegetables remind you of Spring right?! Spring is looooong overdue here in NY and I needed some Spring inspiration mixed with a heartier cold weather food. So this pizza is just what I needed. I am sure I have told you about the magic of roasted vegetables- they are so so sweet. Some of you may be like a 2 year old and pouting with your arms crossed and your face all scrunched up saying, "Ewwwww." Well don't be a baby and put them arms down. Have I ever really steered you wrong? The magic of roasting vegetables is the flavor it adds! As the water inside the veggies evaporates out, the flavor and sugars get concentrated- similar to how caramelizing onions makes them sweeter.

So the reason this roasted vegetable pizza was born was necessity. My husband and I are trying to eat less meat. Not necessarily become vegetarian, but just cut down on animal proteins. We all have our own reasons and I don't wanna convince you this is what you must do. We all walk our own road. But since I have been blogging about food, I have learned more about all things food. Meat in this country is mass produced, has all sorts of hormones and antibiotics and I am sure you can imagine the animals are not treated too well. I was blissfully ignorant. Ignorance is not bad, I didn't wanna know. So I want to try my best to eat farm raised meat when I can and cut back in general. I just want to share with all of you since you all read this blog. This is something I am trying out and trying on for size.

Totally Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Once again I am focusing on the simple pleasures in life. You know, those comfort classics that make you feel happy and all snuggley when you had a bad day? We all gravitate to them for several reasons. For me I am half Italian, so this sort of food was always around since my childhood. Eggplant Parmesan makes me think of this simpler time. That time where there was no mortgage or bills and someone else worried about all the day to day needs of my life. It is also incredibly delicious with that perfect balance of acidic from the marinara and the creamy and salty base of the cheese, especially the fresh mozzarella.

Comfort your taste buds without the guilt of breaded fried eggplant cutlets. I just sliced, salted and roasted my eggplant and it had so much rich flavor! Why cover it up with breading? Why add all the fat of frying when you can bring out the natural sweetness of eggplant!

The eggplant and everything in this recipe was actually locally grown and roasted in the oven. See the picture from my farmer's market post, those were some big eggplants for a buck! From the garlic to the eggplant everything was roasted to bring out the natural sugars present in everything- aka making magic happen in your mouth!

Totally Roasted Marinara

Why is this a Foodgasm?

Sometimes you have to go back to the basics and back to your roots. I was really feeling my Italian roots and I know my favorite chef Fabio Viviani would approve of this one! This recipe is a different way to get that slow cooked marinara flavor with less stove babysitting. What's an easier way to make a magically foodgasmic marinara than to throw a bunch of ingredients in the oven for about 40 minutes and throwing it all into a food processor? Then it's done! Simple! Not to mention slow roasting anything brings out the sugars and then the yum!

I saw a similar idea on some other blogs and I decided to try it myself and I am soooo glad I did! This was time consuming in the roasting but the prep is minimal. I roasted all the classic ingredients for a marinara, but used cherry tomatoes for a little extra sweet punch. To add to the ease of this recipe I lined my baking pans with non stick aluminum foil for easy clean up! My husband appreciated this since he usually does the dishes!

This is also incredibly healthy and local! I used cherry tomatoes from my own co-op garden with my neighbors and from the farmer's market. Using very little EVOO this recipe is very low in fat, but VERY high in flavor.

Farmer's Markets: An Exploration of being a Long Island Locavore

Why Eat local?

Many people have their reasons for it, many of their reasons differ. It doesn't really have a impact of the healthiness of the food and sometimes it isn't even cheaper. Than why eat local? This is something I needed to look into and explore myself. Would I like it? Can I save money? Is eating local for me? In this post I discover the local farmer's markets and discover my own motivation to eat local.

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting and Cheese Sprinkles

 

Why is this a Foodgasm?  Like you have to ask?  Come on.....flavorful meatloaf in the shape of a cupcake and covered in mashed potato "frosting" and cheese "sprinkles"......oh and did I mention it's good for you too!  Oh yeah, get in my belly!  

This is a 5 point foodgasm...including mashed potato frosting and cheese sprinkles! (Recipe yields 14 servings)