The best thing about winter is the comfort food. Here in England, while it is technically considered spring now, it is still freezing cold and we are currently getting weather warnings for snow and sleet in the coming weeks. So I don’t think we are out of winter just yet. Which means it is still the perfect time for comfort food and warm, hearty meals.
As I’ve said in previous posts, I am spending this year working on my health and fitness. It is something that I have always loved, and I find exercise to be very therapeutic for me. The worst part, however – or should I say the hardest part by far – is the diet. Focusing on macro rich foods usually means missing out on a lot of flavour, and let me the first to say that food fatigue is real. Eating the same few meals every day for weeks on end can really take its toll on motivation levels. Which is where the ‘cheat meal’ comes into it.
Now I hate the phrase cheat meal. It’s not a cheat to eat something nice, and to label it as much gives it this connotation of something naughty that you should later feel guilty for. It is this sort of language that can lead to a disordered way of looking at and dealing with food and trust me when I say that it is not a pleasant way to live. I for one do not think people should always eat super duper healthy, as balance really is key. Even eating nothing but fruit and veg can in itself lead to some really disordered thoughts towards food. A balanced diet is key and knowing how to create that balance in your everyday life is fundamental if you want to have a good relationship with food and with any exercise you enjoy.
Pizza is my kryptonite. If given the chance I could and would live off of pizza for every meal. The downside though, especially when looked at from my fitness goals, is that pizza is obscenely detrimental to my goals. Papa John’s pizzas are amazing, but they are also about 2000 calories. Is it that bad every once in a while? No, of course not. But will it actually do anything to help me reach my fitness goals? Not even remotely. Hence why I have been experimenting with ways to make the perfect home pizza that is not only super yummy, but also super low hassle.
The best combination I have found is:
- Pizza Express ready to bake pizza dough
- cathedral city grated cheese
- squeaky bean apple wood smoked ham
- tesco own brand pizza sauce base
The pizza express base takes 20 minutes to cook, although I left it for about 25 minutes as I prefer quite a crispy base. My oven is also not the best, so always double-check the cooking times and amend as necessary for the appliances you have. The pizza dough is literally roll out and go, so you really don’t have to prep it in any way. So ideal!
I am also not going to debate about whether pineapple belongs on pizza. Ham and pineapple is the best pizza combination and you’re lying to yourself if you think any differently. What we should really be debating is whether fish belongs on pizza….now obviously I don’t eat fish but I think that anyone who does add fish (namely sardines) to a perfectly good pizza must be having a mental breakdown of some sort. But anyway….pineapple on pizza is delicious and I personally love it.
The Squeaky Bean smokey ham adds a very nice, rich flavour to the pizza and helps cut through the sweetness of the pineapple. Yes, it is probably more expensive than Quorn ham or other meat alternatives, but as I only have this pizza once in a blue moon as a special meal, I do like to splurge a little bit with it.
The cathedral city melts wonderfully, and it is very creamy. Perfect for the pizza topping. It is probably the closest to dairy cheese that I have come across, so you can’t go wrong with this product. There isn’t much more to say on it other than if you liked Cathedral City before going vegan, then their plant based range is exactly the same in taste and texture in my opinion.
The pizza base is square and pretty big, but when shared between myself and my partner, it is the perfect size. This meal always scratches the ‘I need something greasy and bad for me’ itch without actually being greasy or bad for me. I never finish this feeling too full, nor having that odd greasy feeling in my mouth afterwards. I also wake up the next morning feeling energised and ready for the day, compared to the lethargy and heaviness I feel after a big takeaway pizza.
This pizza is a game changer for me at times. It is homemade enough that it allows me to control just how many toppings I add to it and can easily keep track of the macro and micro nutrients of it (this is not something I always track but it does help to know exactly what your meals consist of) but is also using products that allow me to spend more time relaxing rather than having to make my own dough or toppings. If I had more time I would obviously love to be able to make my own pizza dough, but with my gym routine, my working life and currently planning for a wedding, time is not on my side. So the quickest solution is working best for me!
Taylor Talks Vegan 