I’m doing my best to stay away from carbs so pizza has been a no-no for me these past couple of months. I had a craving for it and decided to behave and try this recipe out. Believe me I know it sounds weird. Too many cooking questions and Chef logic ran through my head but I was committed and this needed to work.
I held that head of cauliflower and focus my intention. “please taste like pizza, please, please please! Thank you and So Mote it Be!” I got to work and the rest was magic! I paraded my newly made crust around the house and boasted that this would be the best pizza ever, and honestly it was!! I was super full with 2 slices and so was everyone else ( A miracle!) We finished dinner off with some sliced fruit and no one snuck into the kitchen for snacks. A spell well done.
Cauliflower Pizza Serves 2 ( up to 4 as an appetizer)
1 head (2-3 cups) riced cauliflower
2 eggs
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried Italian seasoning or dried oregano
Toppings
1 cup pizza sauce
1/2c mozzarella cheese , shredded
½ c red onions, small diced
(try red cabbage for color and crunch)
½ c red peppers, diced 1 inch cubes (you can add cherry tomatoes here as well)
1/2c orange peppers, diced 1 inch cubes
¼ c fresh or canned corn kernels, rinsed and drained
(yellow tomatoes are a great addition or squash)
1/4c broccoli, blanched
Core and cut the head of cauliflower into smaller pieces. In a food processor, pulse until it creates small pieces (about ¼ in) steam or put in the microwave for 5 minutes then cover for 2 minutes. Uncover and drain. Let cool! Once you can handle the touch of the cauliflower, put it into a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much water as possible (super important!!)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, add cauliflower, eggs, parmesan,mozzarella, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. Incorporate all the ingredients well. Grease a piece of parchment the size of a cookie sheet or a round pan. Shape mixture into desired shape. Keep the same thickness throughout for even cooking.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.
Raise oven temp to 450 degrees F. Once cool, flip over then top with sauce, cheese and the toppings ( you can add whatever you love to put on your pizzas) then bake for another 12-15 minutes until cheese is melted and toppings are warmed throughout. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes to let it set then cut and enjoy!
Tip: you can substitute the cauliflower with broccoli. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables to help them roast faster for added flavor.
*blanch – to submerge a food item into boiling water to partially cook or brighten color, then remove and quickly run cold water to stop the cooking. (blanch your broccoli for 30 seconds to a minute, right when it turns bright green take it out and drain, running cold water over it, or dunk into an ice bath)