Thursday, April 17, 2014

L.E.A.N. Approved Snack - Chicken & Veggie Mini Pizzas

Before I share the quick recipe for DIY pizzas that even young children can make, I'm going to do a quick recap of what L.E.A.N. stands for...

L.E.A.N. is an acronym - Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, Nutrition. It is a philosophy taught by coaches certified from the Sears Wellness Institute (like me!). We teach quality and integrity of foods like nutritionists do and our basic foundation is the Traffic Light Eating (TLE) concept. When we think of foods in the 3 colors of a traffic light, we can quickly ascertain which foods fuel our bodies. Green and yellow light are the categories you want to stay in at least 80% of the time! More information on TLE can be found on a post I wrote in March 2013. 


L.E.A.N. Approved Snack - Chicken & Veggie Mini Pizzas




Ingredients:
3- 100% whole wheat English muffins (without HFCS or hydrogenated oils)
2 tbs EVOO; divided
Spaghetti sauce 
Leftover chicken breasts, chopped
Veggies on hand - I used broccoli florets and onions
1 tsp oregano
Shredded Mozzarella cheese (can omit)
Unbleached parchment paper

Preparation:
1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and separate the 3 english muffins. Set it up like an assembly line. This is a great time to get the little ones to help! 

2. While the little one is separating the English muffins and putting them in two rows of three, heat 1 tbs EVOO on medium heat in a skillet. Prepare veggies for a quick stir-saute. 

3. Using a silicone basting brush put a little EVOO on each slice of the English muffins. 

4. Cook the veggies for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and seasoning with oregano. Stir in the chopped chicken breasts and finishing heating for 3 minutes. 

5. Turn on your oven's broiler to low. 

6. After all English muffins are topped with EVOO, use the same basting brush to top them with spaghetti sauce. Make it as thick as you'd like. 

7. Top the English muffins with the cooked veggies & chicken and if using, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. 

8. Place in the broiler for up to 10 minutes. Remove. Cool. Enjoy!!

Notes:
If you'd like your English muffins to be more crunchy than soft, you can place them in the broiler with the EVOO (step 3) for 4 minutes. Then carefully (if children are helping), remove from oven and top with spaghetti sauce. Follow directions 7 & 8. 



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