The Teenage Taste

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

You probably don’t know this, but I am extremely injury prone when it comes to running. When I started running last year the girl who never broke a bone or  pulled a muscle before suddenly became the girl who had a stress fracture in her lower back, pulled her quad, and twisted her ankle. Twice.

Scratch that, I’ve twisted my ankle three times. That’s right, it happened again!

Cross Country is my favorite sport ever so I was beyond excited when practices started up again this past Monday. For Monday and Tuesday the course we usually run in the woods was wet so we were stuck running on the track. On Wednesday when I arrived at practice the coaches instructed the team to run a ”small loop” which meant we were finally running through the woods. As we started to run I looked around at my fellow teammates who all seemed to be a tad bit more energetic than they had been just seconds before.

As we ran we talked and laughed while simultaneously jumping over the tree roots and mud puddles that seemed to double in quantity since last season. It wasn’t until halfway through the run that the roots finally got the best of me. Twiiiisssttt!

I stepped on a root, my foot slipped, my ankle twisted, and I stumbled. My friend, Maddie, who was running behind me immediately asked if I was OK. Almost automatically I said yes, but really I was thinking “%$#*& OUCH! This cannot be happening!”

Of course, I stupidly continued running, stretched with the team, and then went on to run 4 more miles with a twisted ankle. No, it didn’t hurt that badly during the run but when I came home afterwards it was absolutely excruciating! My Mom helped me wrap my ankle and then, after realizing I was super hungry, my Mom offered to make me some Dinner but I insisted on hobbling into the kitchen and making myself the same pizza that I have made 342788 other times this Summer.

It’s an obsession. A big, carbalicious, comforting, yet still somewhat healthy obsession.

Roasted Vegetable, Hummus, and Cheddar Pizza

 “There’s a reason I am obsessed with this pizza. It’s delicious, flavorful, and satisfying, but it’s also incredibly versatile! You get to choose what flavor hummus you use and can use a different variety of roasted veggies every time you make it! I like to use jalapeno hummus and roasted zucchini, onion, and peppers. What will you use?”

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pizza dough or 1 package store-bought pizza dough
• 2 cups vegetables
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup hummus
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes

 

↑ My favorite hummus!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a large baking sheet, set aside.
2. Place vegetables and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Season to taste and toss to combine. Place prepared vegetables on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes.
3. After vegetables are finished roasting, lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Knead pizza dough and form it into a circle approximately ½-inch thick. Blind bake for 12-15 minutes.
4. After the pizza dough is done blind baking, spread with hummus and top with roasted vegetables and cheddar cheese. Bake for 10 additional minutes and enjoy!

Yield:  3-4 servings