Beans on a Pizza.YES, it IS a THING

People have asked me HOW I incorporate BEANS in my pizza. People have also wondered WHY I incorporate BEANS into my pizza. 

Let's start with the WHY ...

I add beans to my pizza to add nutrients. Beans provide protein, fiber, iron, folate, potassium, and magnesium and CONTAIN LITTLE TO NO trans-fat, sodium, and cholesterol. 

 

Now the HOW ...

I often take a cup of beans and give them a rough mash and layer the beans on the bottom of the crust. At this point I may add some spices to layer in additional flavors based on the other toppings I will use. 

 

Pizza with Beans ... Layers of Flavor and Texture

• After you add the layer of beans to your chosen crust, add the cheese or vegan cheese of choice
• Follow with sauteed vegetables ( I used onions, garlic, sweet potato, and oyster mushrooms)

 

• This time I added raw zucchini spirals for extra texture

 

• Top with some additional cheese

 

• Press down and bake according to crust directions

 

Black Garlic ... A Nutrient Treasure Chest

I became aware of BLACK GARLIC when I was walking through the farmer's market a few weeks ago. I spoke to the proprietor of the stand and learned about the product.

I am so glad that I took the time to ask questions and learn about black garlic. Through fermentation,  fresh white garlic turns into black garlic. The taste is savory and not overpowering. For people who shy away from garlic as they do not want to "smell" like they just ate garlic, this is just the product to try!

Black garlic has a soft and spongy texture. When you open a clove to cut and add to a recipe you will notice how soft and pliable the cloves are.

Health Benefits

• Black garlic is known to have properties that help lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and triglycerides
• Black garlic contains phosphorus which helps build strong bones and teeth, facilitate nerve conduction, and filter off waste in kidneys. 
• Black garlic has TWICE the antioxidants fund in white garlic 

Recipes Using Black Garlic

Black garlic can be substituted for garlic in recipes when you are looking for a savory-yet-sweet taste. I substitute it in recipes where I am looking to layer flavors, rather than infuse a dish with flavors. I made an OYSTER MUSHROOM GLUTEN FREE PIZZA and added black garlic to the dish.

 

I modified the pizza recipe by adding the garlic AFTER preparing the veggies. After I placed the veggies on the gluten free pizza crust, I added 5 medium size cloves of black garlic, diced, on top of the veggies. I followed with cheese and a decorative vegetable detail to the center of the pizza.The result was amazing. The vegan pizza had a savory taste ... a little bit of a meaty undertone. It was a great addition to a recipe that I have come to enjoy! Healthy Recipe Variations loves to find variations of tried-and-true recipes to open the door to a variety of nutrients ... and make cooking healthy simple!