Two years ago my passion for pizza led me to purchase a pizza maker from William Sonoma. I gave it to my husband for father's day BUT I secretly really wanted it! I buy my pizza dough from Trader Joe's because their whole wheat dough is the bomb!!! And I make personal pizzas for everyone. The kids typically go with traditional but my favorite is white pizza with a arugula on top and a drizzle of lemon infused olive oil. We have teens in the house now so they aren't always home on a friday night so pizza night is not always a given SO this works great and it's a little healthier than take out.
Since starting the 21 Day Fix a couple of weeks ago I chose to not do pizza. I get 2 yellows (carbs) a day and I decided pizza crust just doesn't make my "can't live" without list so I'm skipping it for a few weeks. BUT then I came across this recipe . . . Cauliflower Pizza Crust!! Could it be possible that cauliflower could really make a good pizza crust?! I had to find out!
I already planned on doing pizzas this week (I was just going to skip) BUT I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge so I decided to give it a go. It isn't difficult to make but it isn't a simple thing either. The recipe is below and I say it's worth a go if your curious and craving a healthier version of pizza especially if you are doing Paleo or on the 21 Day Fix. I liked it, my family not so much as I made each of them try a bite before telling them what it was. I should not though my family is a little skeptical anytime I ask them to "just try it" before telling them what's in it. LOL
Here are some tips if you are going to try this. Make sure after you have cooked the cauliflower that you let it cool enough before you wring it out. I didn't wait long enough and it was still hot, making wringing out the moisture in the cauliflower a little harder. I think the crust would have been crispier if I had done that. This recipe doesn't make a lot - it's a enough for 2 small personal size pizzas so double if you are going to make for your family. I topped mine with the traditional sauce and mozzarella because I wanted to really see how it compared and it was a way could get my kids to try it. Next time I would get a little more creative.
Would I make it again? Absolutely, it was guilt free pizza and I think it would be fun to make smaller rounds of crust and use them for snacks in the future. My family ate their traditional pizzas and I take happiness in knowing their crust was whole wheat and I happily enjoyed my cauliflower pizza!!
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
recipe from the Lucky Penny blog
1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush it even more between your fingers)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crust it even more between you fingers)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
optional a few shakes of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg
optional: 1 tablespoon almond meal
Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil.
Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets, you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. See above photo. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step.
Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess.
Dumped cauliflower into a bowl. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt), and a dash of red pepper if you want. I also added 1 tablespoon almond meal because my cauliflower yielded closer to 2 cups of cauli snow, this is optional and I would not add the almond meal if you have closer to 3 cups of cauli snow. Now add your egg and mix away. Hands tend to work best.
Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either.
Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 - 11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
Add however much sauce, cheese, and toppings you want. Slide parchment with topped pizza back in the hot oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.
Allow it to cool for a minute or two. Probably closer to two. Then using a pizza cutter and a spatula serve it up and enjoy!
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