Anyway, one of the trendy things I keep running across is pizza made with a cauliflower crust. I happen to think the crust is really important on a pizza but lots of people say the crust is more of a vehicle to get the pizza toppings in your belly. I do think crust is important but I was intrigued and thought I'd give this one a go. My mom has been making mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes for a quick, healthier side dish for a long time now.
I was actually super impressed with how this turned out! It was a little bit limp but otherwise it was a nice, chewy way to save 600-700 calories, I think. I also think it will be really good once I'm heating up the leftovers in the oven one more time. I think it'll help it crisp up even more. This also doesn't taste like cauliflower AT ALL! I mean, let's not kid ourselves, it doesn't taste like regular crust but there's no way someone would guess it's cauliflower if they didn't actually know.
This is also a great option for people who watch their carb intake or don't eat gluten. I got the recipe from this blog.
What you'll need:
One large(ish) head of cauliflower
Pinch of salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup of mozzarella
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
1 egg
+ sauce, cheese and pizza toppings of your choice
1. Preheat the oven and place a pizza stone or pan in there to heat up. Cut a piece of parchment paper (that will fit on the pan) and spray with a light layer of cooking oil.
2. Wash and cut up the cauliflower. Discard the stems. Throw the florets in a food processor and pulse until you get a fine chop - kind of like rice. Don't worry too much if there are a few bigger pieces here and there but do your best to chop it really fine. I did mine in two batches.
3. Dump the cauliflower into a microwave safe container, cover and microwave for about 6 minutes. It will be steamy hot when it's done.
4. Dump the cooked cauliflower into a clean tea towel, spread it out to speed the cooling. You're going to have to handle it in a few minutes so make sure it's not too burning hot.
5. Grab the tea towel and cauliflower in your hands so it's inside like a sack and then wring it out over the sink to get as much water out as possible. This is the sort of thing I would ask the bf to do (had he been home) just to get the maximum water out of it. There's no shame in that, ladies.
6. Next, throw it in a bowl with the cheese, basil, oregano, garlic powder and salt. Mix well (hands are best for this). Then, add the egg and make sure everything's really well mixed. At this point, it should come together nicely in a big ball. Like a dough ball!
7. Once everything's mixed well, form the crust on the parchment paper. Make sure the crust isn't too thick or thin - you kind of just have to use your judgement for this. I'd say my crust was probably about 1/4 - 1/8 of an inch thick. Now it's starting to look like a pizza!
8. Bake in the oven about 10 minutes until it's got a little bit of colour on the top and some around the edges too. Be careful! You're working with a really hot oven here. I set off my smoke alarm, haha.
9. At this point, you can let it cool a little before you put the toppings on. I didn't wait very long though because I was so excited and it turned out fine. The sauce didn't get runny and the cheese didn't start to melt.
10. Last but not least, pop the whole thing back in the oven for another 6-8 minutes to finish it up! I put mine on broil for a couple minutes right at the end to get the cheese nice and bubbly. If you do this though, MAKE SURE you pay attention because it can get burnt so quickly. I actually plunk my bum down on the floor and literally watch my pizza broil when I do this, haha!
Yes, I had four pieces and I didn't feel bad after!
