Sometimes you just want some pizza. It doesn't matter how old you are, what diet you are on, where you are in the world, a hot slice of pizza is always delicious and welcoming. All that sauce and cheese and chewy crust makes something inside of you sing. That being said, eating pizza every night of the week is not recommended for your waistline or for your health!

Lately I have been craving pizza, but I also have been pretty lazy and don't want to actually go out and grab a slice, instead I wanted to create something that was equally as satisfying but a tad bit healthier and wouldn't leave me feeling like a rock was weighing me down.

Enter, spiralized noodles. Cauliflower crust has been floating around for awhile now and although it is good in its own right, I hate that it can't be picked up like a good slice of pizza so I have been on the search for an alternative crust. I won't lie, last night I tried making a spiralized zucchini crust and although it tasted amazing, it looked like a mess on a plate and definitely needed a fork. So today I tried again, this time using spiralized potatoes as the crust and what can I say, it was delightful! Inspiralized.com inspired this spiralized crust!

I loved the crispiness that the potatoes took on and the toppings were sophisticated and pleasing to the palate but best of all, you could pick it up!

The crust does take a little extra work but I think that it is worth it.

Spiralized Potato Crust Pizza with Hummus, Tomatoes, Spinach, Goat Cheese, and Olives

Crust

4 small Regular or Sweet Potatoes, spiralized

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Oregano

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 Egg

To prepare the crust, spiralize the potatoes. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the salt and 1 tsp of the garlic powder, stirring to combine. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Transfer to a bowl and add the egg, oregano and remainder of garlic powder, stir to coat all of the noodles. Place the noodles into a 10in frying pan and cover with plastic wrap. Place a larger pot over the pan and weight it down so that the noodles become condensed. Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and place the pan over medium high heat, cook for 5 or so minutes until browned. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a second, larger frying pan. Invert the potato crust into that pan and cook for another 5 minutes.

Heat the broiler and add your toppings! In this instance I added hummus on the bottom layer, topped with baby spinach, sliced roma tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese and kalamata olives then broiled for 5 minutes until the cheese was slightly melted.

Let the pizza stand for 5 minutes before cutting then enjoy and healthy eating!

So here I am, sitting in my little cottage contemplating winters cold and wondering how this huge snow storm that was supposed to rock the northeast completely skipped over me. The chilly weather is here but the white stuff is absent. I think that right about now I would like a storm of sunshine as opposed to snow. I miss not wearing shoes and daylight. That being said, I know we are on the upward swing towards spring but in the meantime I need to stay warm and what better way to do so than with some soup!

This soup is super easy and can be made with whatever vegetable that you have on hand. It is a great detox soup as well. I like to make a big batch and eat it for a week if I feel like I have had too many sweets or too much wine. It helps me feel nourished and lighter. Plus it can help you get ready for bathing suit weather - I know wishful thinking at this point.

Many people use a vegetable stock when making soup but I prefer to use miso since it has a rich flavor and has strong antioxidant properties. It has been linked to curing illness, and has a wide range of nutrients including include vitamin B2, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, choline and lecithin. Miso also increases the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract due to the fermentation process and therefore has been found to reduce the risk of various cancers. So not only do the vegetables cleanse the system and the miso adds beneficial bacteria, the soup also has a hint of heat in order to speed up your metabolism. I hope that you enjoy!

Warming, Detox Friendly Miso Vegetable Soup

2 tbs Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, sliced

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

4 Carrots, sliced

4 Celery Stalks, sliced

2 Sweet Potatoes, cubed

2 Turnips, cubed

1/2 head of Cabbage, sliced

1 16oz can of Stewed Tomatoes

2 cups Baby Spinach

1 tbs dried Basil

1 tbs dried Oregano

1 tbs Ginger

1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1 tsp Paprika

1 tbs Miso Paste

4-5 cups Water

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large stock pot. Add the onions and saute over medium high heat until softened. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, turnips, and cabbage. Let cook for a few minutes before adding the spices. Stir to distribute until fragrant. Add the stewed tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile dissolve the miso in 2 cups of hot water. Add to the pot along with 2 more cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and cooked through. Season with salt to taste.

I like to add the spinach when I eat it but feel free to stir it in during the last 5 minutes of cooking if you so desire. Enjoy and Happy Eating!