I hate the word “diet.” It comes with a negative connotation, most often indicating what you can’t have, or rather, what you can’t enjoy. But Weight Watchers seems different. I don’t technically follow the plan, but its philosophy, on of basic portion control, isn’t a crazy fad, and that’s what I love. So when my former roommate bought a Weight Watchers cookbook, I was more than intrigued to try a recipe.
Mediterranean-Style Salad Pizzas (from Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes)
Before heading into the oven
What you need:
- 1 heart of romaine lettuce, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
- 1 8½ ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 cup canned cannnelini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 7 oz. jar roasted red pepper, drained and coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp balsalmic vinegar
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 7-inch whole-wheat tortillas
- 8 tbsp shredded fat-free mozzarella
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Toss together the lettuce, tomato, artichoke hearts, beans, roasted pepper, vinegar oil and black pepper in a medium bowl.
Arrange the tortillas on a baking sheet. Top each tortilla with about 1¼ cups of the salad and spirnkle with 2 tbsp. of the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese melts and the lettuce wilts slightly, about 5 minutes.
Serves 4
It’s REALLY quick meal to make. If you have enough time to whip up a salad, you have enough time to make these, especialy since there’s even less chopping required than regular salads. Plus, one pizza clocks in at just 277 calories. To fulfill my daily calorie quota, I thought I’d eat two, but with the great balance of protein and carbs, 1 and a half pizzas was my magic number.