Potato-Crust Pizza with Roasted Eggplant & Peppers

Reposted from CleanEatingMag.com

First Line Therapy Servings:

1/4 Pizza: 1 Protein, 3 Category 1 Vegetables, 2 Category 2 Vegetables (Substitutions required!)

By Lisa Howard

Serves: 4
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb red bell peppers
• Olive oil cooking spray, optional
• 1 lb eggplant (1 1-lb eggplant or 2 1/2-lb baby eggplants), trimmed of both ends, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
• 1 1/2 lb white potatoes, scrubbed well
• 8 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried oregano

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place a sheet of aluminum foil on bottom rack of oven, then preheat oven to 475°F. Place whole peppers directly on center rack and roast for 15 minutes. (Foil will catch any drippings.) Remove peppers and immediately place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then slip off skins and remove seeds and stems. Cut peppers into 1-inch-thick strips and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly mist with cooking spray. Place eggplant on baking sheet, reduce oven temperature to 375°F and roast on center rack for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, fill a large mixing bowl halfway with cold water. Grate potatoes, immediately placing potatoes in water to prevent browning.
4. Line a separate baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly mist with cooking spray. Working with 1 handful at a time, squeeze excess water from potatoes and place on a clean kitchen towel. Roll up towel; bend and wring any remaining moisture from potatoes. Spread potatoes on baking sheet, creating a layer about 1/8-inch thick. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. (NOTE: If baking potatoes at same time as eggplant, place baking sheet with potatoes on bottom rack in oven.)
5. Once baked potato crust is removed from oven, top with peppers, eggplant and mozzarella. Then sprinkle rosemary and oregano over top of mozzarella. Bake for 20 more minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrients per 12-oz serving (1/4 of pizza): Calories: 361, Total Fat: 10 g, Sat. Fat: 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.25 g, Carbs: 47 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 22 g, Sodium: 366 mg, Cholesterol: 206 mg

FULL PRICE
$8.44
COST PER SERVING
$2.11
TIP:
Soaking the grated potato for this “pizza” in water and squeezing it dry will not only prevent the tater’s shreds from browning, but the soak-and-dry technique will create a crispier crust. Ensure that you spread the potatoes out as evenly as possible to create a thin crust of interlocking shreds.

TIP: Don’t love eggplant or red pepper? Try mushrooms, sliced turkey meatballs with pine nuts, seasoned lean ground beef or turkey, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, etc. Just make sure to count your toppings towards their appropriate categories!