cauliflower pizza crust
The cauliflower pizza crust craze has intrigued me for the last year or so. Supermarkets here in the USA now sell frozen cauliflower pizzas and pre-baked crusts. Don’t get me wrong, I love traditional pizza however I have been trying to reduce my intake of refined carbs (i.e. white flour, white bread, white rice etc.) for a while so it seemed like the perfect time to try. Refined carbs are stripped of nutrients and fiber making them ‘empty calories’. Plus I seem to put on weight just by looking at pasta and bread! With the goal of boosting my daily vegetable intake, a cauliflower pizza crust seemed like the perfect combination of satisfying my desire for pizza and also providing me with more vegetables! Cauliflower is also part of the cruciferous vegetable family and these vegetables are superheroes. If you want to know more about this amazing family of vegetables, check out one of my early blogs devoted entirely to them!
Back to cauliflower pizza crust..the results took me by surprise! I haven’t figured out how to get the crust crispy but that will be my next challenge. I think a pizza stone could help as well as ensuring you squeeze out every drop of water possible from the cauliflower before you make the crust. I topped my pizza sauce with tomato sauce, home-made pesto, roasted vegetables and cheese. If buying store bought tomato sauce ensure that the tomato sauce is free from sugar and refined oils (such as sunflower, safflower, vegetable oil) and only has olive oil in it. In a nutshell, vegetable and seed oils (think safflower oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and vegetable oil) cause inflammation and reduce our cells ability to function optimally. And just to reiterate, olive oil is fine and good for you!
So, here is the recipe for you. This recipe comes from the website Damn Delicious.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Creating the Magic!
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
To make the cauliflower crust, add cauliflower to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until finely ground, yielding about 2-3 cups.
Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover loosely and place into microwave for 4-5 minutes, or until softened; let cool.
Using a clean dish towel or cheese cloth, drain cauliflower completely, removing as much water as possible. (super important step).
Transfer cauliflower to a large bowl. Stir in the eggs, mozzarella, Parmesan and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread cauliflower mixture into a 15 by 10 inch rectangle onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
Top with pizza sauce, cheese and pizza toppings. Place into oven and bake until cheese has melted about 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve immediately sprinkled with basil and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Enjoy!
