January 8, 2014

Cauliflower Pizza Crust


Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.  I first want to apologize for the lack of posts lately.  I am currently taking a couple of classes and it seems to be dominating most of my free time, but I am hoping to get back to posting more often in the next month or two.  

If you are like me, or like many people out there, the beginning of a new year means getting back on track with eating or starting a new diet, etc.  I always give in to the holiday temptations, so January typically is the time I get back to eating healthy.  A few months ago I kept seeing pictures of pizza made with a cauliflower crust on Pinterest and it definitely intrigued me.  Could it really be possible to make a pizza crust with cauliflower and it would not only taste good, but it would actually hold together?  I read through a couple of recipes to see how it was done, then I filed it away in my brain to try at a later date.

I finally had a little time the other day, and I knew right away that this was what I wanted to cook up.  I love pizza, so now that I'm back to eating healthy it seems all I can think about is eating things I am not supposed to...like pizza!  I figured if this worked out, it would be a nice treat for when I am feeling like I want to give into cravings.  I was astonished at how well this turned out - great flavor, but best of all was that it actually held together nicely and I could pick up a piece without it crumbling or falling apart!  AMAZING!  Who ever came up with this idea is a genius!  I am so excited and will DEFINITELY be making this again ☺



Cauliflower Pizza Crust


1 medium-sized cauliflower head, stem removed & cut into 1-2" pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded  

1 egg, slightly beaten

Place a cookie sheet upside-down, or a pizza stone, in the oven and preheat it at 450.  Take the cauliflower and place it in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it turns into tiny pieces/crumbles (should look powdery/fluffy).  Pour into microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes.  Place a cloth kitchen towel on the counter and pour & spread the cooked cauliflower bits onto the towel and let cool a couple of minutes.  When cool enough to handle, gather the cauliflower into the middle of the towel, then fold the towel up (like a tootsie roll wrapper).  You want to squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the towel - so you really want to wring the heck out of it for a considerable amount of time (like 5 minutes or until no more drops of water are visible).

Place the cauliflower back into the bowl and add the salt, italian seasoning, garlic & onion powder, Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.  Stir well to combine.  Add the egg and stir to incorporate it into the mixture.  Take a piece of tin foil and spray it well with cooking spray.  Dump the cauliflower mixture onto the tin foil and shape it into a ball of dough, then spread it out in whatever shape you want for your pizza (square or round) until it's about 1/4" thick.  Take the tin foil with your cauliflower crust on it and place it in the oven onto the already hot pan or pizza stone.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and the edges start looking crispy.  Remove the tin foil with the cauliflower crust from the oven and add your toppings - sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you like (I did caramelized onions & mushrooms).  Place pizza back into oven for another 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.  Remove and let cool for 2 minutes before slicing. 

8 comments:

  1. I have made several pizzas this way. Even my daughter who is a skeptic (because I sneak healthy foods in her diet) said the pizza was "amazing" and I have to agree.

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  2. I was astonished at how well this turned out - great flavor, but best of all was that it actually held together nicely and I could pick up a piece without it crumbling or falling apart! AMAZING!

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  3. hi, Pizza without flour! amazing!!! the pizza looks mouth-watering and sure will taste equally good. would definitely like to try!!
    possible to upload a video of this?

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  4. Looks like will be a delicious recipe to enjoy the weekend with family. Lots of thank for sharing the blog and recipe too.

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  5. Looks great.....can't wait to try it.....Thank you!

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  6. I think you will love it - good luck!

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  7. Saw this on the "Kitchen" Nov 8 and they said the same thing...it was delicious!

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  8. I am allergic to eggs and dairy. Has anyone tried this with substitutes yet?

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