Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza

An easy to follow, (no fasting allowed) plan for attaining a fabulous body,
inside and out.

WHAT IS THE FIT VEGAN CHALLENGE?

1. Make one meal each day a healthy, vegan one.
2. Incorporate the “calorie burner of the week” into your fitness regime.

WHY VEGAN?

A few benefits of plant-based foods:

• Speed Weight Loss
  “A plant-based diet revs your metabolism, causing you to burn calories up to 16% faster that you would on a non plant-based diet for at least the first 3 hours after meals.” – New York Times Bestselling author, Kathy Freston
• Boost Energy & Brighten Complexion
  The wide array of antioxidants, vitamins, and phytonutrients in plants provide an array of benefits including overall increased energy and the repairing and protecting of cells to reveal glowing, clear skin. – USDA
• Contribute to a Lifetime of Optimum Health
  Those who eat generous amounts of plant-based foods are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke. cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. – USDA (choosemyplate.gov)

Vegan Meal of the Week:

Make lunch or dinner a DELICIOUS, healthy vegan meal (unrefined grains, beans, legumes, veggies, fruit, non GMO tofu, tempeh). No meat, fish, dairy, or eggs. Each week I’ll provide one vegan meal option and one substitution or healthy addition to incorporate into your daily menu to help you feel satisfied and never deprived.

Today’s recipe and instructions comes directly from vegan chef Chef Chloe. Enjoy Chef Chloe’s delicious (healthy) pizza. It’s the perfect fall dish!

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Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza

Ingredients

• For the Pizza Dough (OR 1 to 1 ½ pounds store-bought pizza dough)
• 1 (¼ -ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour), plus extra for rolling
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar or maple syrup
• Garlic White Bean Puree (can be prepared up to 2 days in advance)
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pizza Topping
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups (½ -inch) cubes peeled butternut squash
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced (preferred: honeycrisp, gala, or fuji)

Instructions

1. To make the Pizza Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until bubbles form, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oil, salt, sugar, and the yeast mixture. Using lightly floured hands or an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix until a stiff dough has formed. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle extra flour 1 teaspoon at a time as needed.
3. Place the dough in a large well-oiled bowl and rotate the ball of dough so it is completely covered with the oil. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl as it rises.
4. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and place in a warm part of the kitchen until it has doubled in volume (about 1 to 1 ½ hours).
5. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface, shape into a disc, and knead for five minutes. Use dough immediately or cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for a later use. Thaw to room temperature before using.
6. To make the Garlic White Bean Puree:
7. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
8. To make the pizza topping and assemble the pizza:
9. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
10. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and sauté onions until soft and lightly caramelized, about 20 to 30 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
11. In the meantime, toss remaining 2 tablespoons oil with squash and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes until squash is fork tender, turning once or twice with a spatula. Remove from oven and set aside. Turn heat up to 450 degrees F.
12. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet (approximately 9- x 13- inch) with oil.
13. Stretch pizza dough into a rectangle and fit it into the prepared baking sheet. Spread a layer of the Garlic White Bean Puree evenly over the rolled-out Pizza Dough. You may not want to use all of the puree, just enough to coat the dough. On top of the dough, arrange the spinach, caramelized onions, roasted butternut squash, and apple slices. Season with salt and pepper, and brush the edges of the crust with olive oil.
14. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, rotating midway, until the crust is slightly browned or golden. Let cool, slice, and devour!

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https://fitfluential.com/roasted-apple-butternut-squash-and-caramelized-onion-pizza/

Check out the Roasted Apple, Butternut Squash, and Caramelized Onion Pizza recipe at Chef Chloe.

Enjoy!

Substitution of the Week:

Swap the simple white carbs with a nutrient dense sweet potato. This powerhouse vegetable not only taste delicious but is packed with fiber, vitamin b6, potassium, manganese, and important antioxidants. It’s also a low calorie food!

Calorie Burner of the Week:

Kettlebell exercises combine cardio and strength training to tighten up your trouble zones in no time. No kettlebell? You can use a dumbbell instead.

How to do it:

1. Hold a kettlebell (or dumbbell) with both hands and stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Bend at your hips and lower your torso until it forms a 45-degree angle to the floor, keeping lower back naturally arched.
2. Swing the kettlebell between your legs. Keeping your arms straight, thrust your hips forward, straighten your knees, and swing the kettlebell up to belly-button/chest level.
3. Continue swinging until you’ve completed 10 reps with a challenging weight (17 to 26lb kettlebell depending on your fitness level).

Green Reason of the Week:

According to Dr. David Brubaker, PhD, at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for a Livable Future, “The way that we breed animals for food is a threat to the planet. It pollutes our environment while consuming huge amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. The results are disastrous.”

Motivation of the Week:

“Identify your problems but give your power and energy to solutions.”
-Tony Robbins

For more recipes, fitness tips, and workouts visit www.noratobin.com and follow me on Twitter @NoraTobin.

Click here for previous Fit Vegan Challenge posts.

Nora Tobin grew up in the High Sierra’s on Lake Tahoe, where she spent most of her childhood outdoors- hiking, snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, rock climbing, and white water rafting.

Nora is a GNC Brand Ambassador and a weekly contributor to SHAPE. She is a NASM certified personal trainer and currently working towards certification as a Fitness Nutrition Specialist.

Nora is the creator of a unique fitness program that incorporates yoga, weight training, stand up paddle, beach boot camps, hiking, running, sports specific training, as well as nutrition information and meal plans, for ages ranging from 5 to 70. She is writing a fitness book currently slated for publication that will serve as a manual for a knockout body, peaceful mind, and better planet. Nora has competed on the AVP, CBVA, Corona Wide Open, and GAV beach volleyball tours.

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