Crimini Mushrooms-Pizza Bites

Posted by: Nutritionist Karen Roth May 28, 2015 No Comments
Crimini Mushrooms, Peperocinis and Basil all have amazing health benefits. Below I have broken down some key information about each.

CRIMINI MUSHROOMS (also known as Baby Bellas)

  • Promote functioning of white blood cells, which are vital components of our immune system and a healthy immune system helps protect us against arthritis, development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, among other things
  • They offer great antioxidant support with the concentrated nutrient selenium
  • They are a valuable source of B vitamins including B2, B3, B5 and B12
  • Perhaps the most impressive is their anti-inflammatory benefits. Crimini mushrooms can block the production of molecules that cause inflammation

PEPERONCINIS (also known as Tuscan Peppers)

  • Staple of Greek and Italian cuisine
  • Adds delicious flavor to many dishes
  • Low in calories – 3 calories each
  • 3 pepperoncini give you 2% of your daily Iron requirements
  • Good source of Vitamin C

BASIL

  • Powerful antioxidant protection
  • Contains flavonoids which have been found to protect cell structures
  • Provides antimicrobial protections
  • Restricts growth of numerous bad bacteria
  • Promotes anti-inflammatory protection

As you can see, these vegetables and herbs are superstars in the health arena. Now let’s take a look at how I used these items in this recipe:

PIZZA BITES – A simple, healthy, and delicious recipe:

Before we begin, I would like to note that you can also use large Portobella mushrooms for a personal size pizza. Porobellas are simply mature crimini mushrooms.

For this recipe I used 6 crimini mushrooms peeled, Pizza Sauce, Fresh Basil, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Peperoncinis.

It’s important to read labels and choose products free from artificial colors, preservatives, sulfites and artificial flavors. My favorite brand of peperoncini and sun dried tomatoes is Jeff’s Naturals. And I chose Cucina Antica pizza sauce which had simple delicious ingredients of tomatoes, onions, extra virgin olive oil, salt, basil, garlic, white and black pepper.

   

http://cucina-antica.com

http://jeffsnaturals.com

Since it’s a whole lot easier to see a recipe in action, rather than reading about it, CLICK on the short video below for the simple steps to making Bagel Bites!

Author: Nutritionist Karen Roth
Karen Roth, MS, CNC holds a Masters of Science Degree in Holistic Nutrition from Hawthorn University. She earned her undergraduate degree from UC Irvine. Karen shares her knowledge to empower her clients to take control of their health with food choices that best support their specific health condition.