Mi Nueva Vida & Bok Choy Margherita Pizza

As most of you know, I recently relocated from New York, New York to Buenos Aires, Argentina. After a very bumpy flight, we arrived safely in the afternoon of April 21.

Since then it has been a whirlwind. We spent the previous week prior to my move, packing, cleaning, and clearing out, and then we spent the better part of our first week in Buenos Aires doing the same in our new apartment - cleaning, unpacking, organising, and what seemed like an unlimited amount of laundry! It’s been exhausting.

But things are finally starting to settle down (We literally fueled ourselves for the first few days with lots of mate.) 

Life here is fantastic. Argentina is entering fall, but from what I hear it’s been far more pleasant and warm here than it has been back in New York. I start my immersion Spanish courses later this week (5 days a week – 4 hours each day!) If I can’t learn Spanish under these conditions, well… then I guess I'm hopeless! Next month I'll be starting a new online program from Cornell University, and I plan on teaching English part-time as well. I am also continuing to see clients for BYOL Nutrition & Wellness counseling.

But with all the changes, I haven’t forgotten about dinner! I made this Bok choy and Basil Margherita Pizza on one of our first nights here. It’s pretty simple especially if you use a pre-made pizza crust or make a slightly altered version of my protein packed, gluten-free lentil bread ahead of time.

Bok Choy & Basil Margherita Pizza (Gluten-Free)

Serves 2

Gluten-Free Crust:

½ cup green lentils

½ cup brown rice

¼ cup amaranth

2 tablespoons flaxseed (optional)

salt to taste

Two generous pinches of dried Italian seasoning (basil, rosemary, thyme, tarragon) 

water

I recommend making the crust ahead of time so it can fully set and dry out, making for a crispier pizza crust. If you make the crust ahead of time, this pizza only takes about 25 minutes.

To keep the crust from becoming fluffy, don't add the yeast or baking soda found in the original recipe. Start by soaking the lentils, rice, and amaranth together in a large bowl with warm water. I like to let this soak for around five hours, but one hour at least (tip, if you are soaking for a shorter time, add either a vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to the water to breakdown the acids found in these cereals more quickly. Personally, I like to soak these cereals before heading to bed or off to work, they’ll be ready when you wake up or come back home). 

After soaking, rinse the ingredients well, and transfer to a blender or food processor – a hand-held immersion blender works well too. Blend with just enough water so the cereals are nearly but not completely immersed in water. Blend until smooth.

Now bake the “dough” at 350 for 25 minutes or until completely browned and firm. Now let the crust cool.

Toppings:

1-2 large tomatoes - sliced

1 small bunch bok choy – chopped, greens only

Small head of garlic - oven-roasted and diced

1 handful fresh basil

1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (or make your own*)

Red and Black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 300. While you are preparing everything else, peel and crush 5 to 6 cloves of garlic and wrap them in tinfoil and place them in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes.

*Because a Margherita pizza is all about the sauce, I like to make my own whenever I have the time. Using a jarred or canned sauce is fine too, but making your own only takes a few extra minutes and really increases the flavor! If you have the time and inclination, try this sauce and let me know what you think!

1 large can of chopped tomatoes (I like to get salt-free)

4-5 sundried tomatoes (if they are hard, try soaking them in warm water for a few minutes)  

2 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 large handful of fresh basil

1 small handful of cashews (roughly 8-12 cashews)

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

cayenne pepper to taste

a pinch of date sugar or your favorite sweetener

salt and black pepper to taste

Blend all of the sauce ingredients together until smooth. 

Now spread the sauce onto the crust and begin to add your remaining toppings. Start by placing the sliced tomatoes around the pizza. Get the roasted garlic out of the oven, dice it, and scatter it on top. Then add the washed and chopped bok choy greens. Place the pizza in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Take the pizza out and add the handful of basil on top of the other ingredients. Return the pizza to the oven for a final 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve hot with a fresh salad and roasted veggies. Enjoy!

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Maple-Mustard Lentils

First off, a big Congratulations to Janet who won BYOL's BRAVO! giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered. Second, BYOL is now on Facebook, be sure to like us for recipes, updates and more. 

I’ve got a great one to share with you! Its a BYOL original, but the idea was inspired by a long-standing favorite dish of mine, the maple-mustard temphe sandwich from the Cinnamon Snail.

Don’t be fooled by how easy it is to make; this dish has some serious flavor and packed full of nutrients as well!

2-3 servings

What you’ll need:

1 cup dried green lentils

1 sweet potato –peeled and cubed

½ cup brown or wild rice

½ head lacinato kale- chopped

1 small red onion - chopped

3 cloves garlic -minced

1 handful of golden raisins

14 oz can of no-salt added diced tomatoes

3 tbsp maple syrup (use a high quality syrup it makes a big difference in the taste)

3 tbsp mustard

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp veggie broth or water

dash of mustard powder

dash of cinnamon

Prepare the lentils (soak in water for 8 hours, if possible) and rice as normal (I prepare both in the same pot). While the lentils and rice are cooking, peel the sweet potato, and start preparing the other ingredients. Once the lentils and rice are done cooking transfer them into a dutch oven or oven-safe container. Add the other ingredients including the ingredients for the sauce (keep the kale and raisins to the side for now). Mix the continents well, cover and put into the oven at 375° for 25 minutes. 

After 25 minutes, take the mixture out and remix it. Now, add the kale and rasins and put the dish back into the oven uncovered for another 12-15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the sweet potatoes are soft. 

Serve hot and top with chia seeds and sunflower seeds for Omega-3s and some added crunch.

In total, the dish takes around 50 minutes to prepare and cook. If you precook the sweet potato for about 10 or 15 minutes while the lentils are cooking, you can reduce the overall time this dish needs. 

As an added benefit the maple-mustard lentils keep well up to one week in the refrigerator or it can be frozen for future meals.

enjoy and happy President's Day