There are just some things that don’t belong together.
Oil and water. Democrats and republicans. And it seemed, until Saturday night, cauliflower and pizza.
Cauliflower has become the darling of the grain-free world. When steamed and mashed, cauliflower makes a great mashed potato substitution. When grated and sauteed, it makes delicious cauliflower fried rice. But, cauliflower made into pizza crust? The two just didn’t seem to belong together. I wondered if this was a bit of a stretch.
Boy, was I wrong!
Cauliflower has done it once again! And I can actually say, I prefer this crust to regular ol’ wheat crust. Yes, this cauliflower pizza crust takes the cake.
Here’s why cauliflower pizza crust is worth making:
- instead of a heavy meal, cauliflower pizza makes a delightfully filling, yet suprisingly light alternative
- it’s grain-free if you need to stay away from gluten or all grains
- it’s a family pleaser–Ezra loved it!
- you sneak in loads of healthy cauliflower
So, get on in the kitchen and get cooking! You’ll be glad you did! Oh, and here’s an idea. Make a double or triple batch of this recipe, bake, then freeze the other crusts for a quick meal!
Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust
gluten/grain free, paleo
inspired by The Savory Lotus
makes 1 large crust or 4 small personal crusts
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets (stem and leaves removed)
1 1/2 cups mozzerella (preferably fresh, organic), grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (I used my pickled garlic)
1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
(and sauce and toppings of your choice)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F and line a cooking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse small batches of cauliflower florets until cauliflower pieces are the size of rice grains. (If you don’t have a food processor, grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater.)
In a large pot, add the cauliflower “rice” and 2-3 Tbsp. of water and cover the pot. On medium heat, steam the cauliflower for about 4-5 minutes until soft. Then transfer to a fine, mesh strainer and drain completely.
Once drained, transfer the “rice” to the middle of a clean dish towel. Gather the ends to wrap the rice in the towel. Making sure the “rice” is wrapped in the towel, squeeze the heck out of the rice to drain excess water. A LOT of water comes out, ensuring a dry, crisp pizza crust.
Transfer cauliflower “rice” to a large mixing bowl and add mozzerella, eggs, salt and garlic. Mix well. (The mozzerella and eggs act as a binder for the cauliflower.)
Scoop out the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Press the dough into one big thin-layered pizza crust or into smaller personal-sized crusts. (I made four personal pizzas using a 1/4 cup for each pizza)
Bake at 400F for 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and firm.
Remove from oven and add your choice of pizza toppings and cheese.
Bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
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