Thursday 7 November 2013

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I've been seeing Cauliflower Pizza Crust rolling around claiming to be "DELICIOUS!" and "LOW CARB!" and "YOU'LL NEVER MISS REGULAR CRUST!"

But, being an irrefutable carb addict, I cannot accept these claims.

So when the brilliant Jessica over at How Sweet Eats posted a recipe for Cauliflower Crust Pizza - I was curious.

Very. Curious.

Because Jessica would never lead me astray.

And she would never joke about pizza.

I figured I'd give it a whirl.


And don't worry - there's nothing strange in here.  Very basic stuff.  I don't know a lot about gluten free diets, but this might be good enough for those folks too.

First, pulse up and microwave your cauliflower.  Then wring the ever-living crap out of it so you can get as much of the water out as possible.  And be prepared.  The cauliflower water left on the towel stinks to high heaven.  I would recommend making this on wash day.  Or putting the dried out towel in a zip-lock bag.


Then combine the following in a bowl....  The Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.


Then the spices:  salt, basil, oregano, and garlic.


Then add in the really well ringed out cauliflower.


And mix together.


Add in one lightly beaten egg and combine.


Then spread out on oiled parchment paper.  This was rolled out to just under 1/8 inch thick.


Then bake for about 8 - 11 minutes, until it starts turning golden.


Add the toppings (sauce and cheese).


Then bake for another 5 - 7 minutes until the cheese is melted.


I was fairly surprised.  I could pick the pieces up just like regular pizza and it actually had quite a bit of flavor! 

To be honest, I am still a regular crust girl.  Always will be.  But when I'm in serious need of - let's call it "deflating" - I would totally do this to get my pizza fix in!

And, yeah, I would agree with the aforementioned claims.....  Totally.

This is the Cane girl - signing off.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 small head cauliflower
1/4 cups Parmesan cheese
1/4 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
  1. Wash and dry a small head of cauliflower.  Remove the florets and place in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the cauliflower is like small pieces of rice.  Continue until there is 2 - 3 cups of cauliflower rice.
  2. Place the cauliflower rice into a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for about 4 minutes.  Let cool until cool enough to handle by hand.  Pour into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Too much liquid will make a crumbly crust.
  3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Oil a piece of parchment paper and set aside on a pizza pan.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked, drained cauliflower, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, salt, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and the egg.
  5. Use your hands to combine the ingredients into a ball.
  6. Put the ball on the oiled parchment paper and gently pat out into a circle. Don't make it too thin (or it will fall apart), but don't roll it too thick either.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 - 11 minutes, until the crust is golden.
  8. Remove from the oven and add your toppings.  Return to the oven and cook for another 5 - 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden.
  9. Remove from the oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before slicing.
Source:  How Sweet Eats c/o Tasty Kitchen

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