Cauliflower Power: Part 1

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

 Today we decided to try out a recipe involving one of the most widely-loved foods in New York-- pizza. This pizza, while cutting out carbs and gluten, definitely does not cut back on taste. Kimberly and I have heard of using cauliflower as a substitute for pizza crust, but have always been skeptical to try it out ourselves. Cauliflower alone is not enough to stand in for pizza dough, so we decided to add eggs and cheese to the "crust" mixture. We baked the pizza crust for approximately 20 minutes, added toppings, and then baked the pizza for a little bit more time. We used an oven temperature of 350 degrees F, but in the future it would be optimal to use a higher temperature--one closer to 400 degrees F--in order to make the pizza crispier. Below you will find step-by-step photos to this recipe! Enjoy!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza 

Yields 8 slices of pizza
Cooks for 15-20 minutes

Pizza Crust

2 cups cauliflower, food processor

2 eggs

1 ¾ cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pizza Topping

1/2 cup tomato sauce (we used homemade, but store-bought is okay too)

1/4 cup Part-skim mozzarella cheese

Tomatoes or other toppings (such as peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, grilled chicken, etc.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450^oF.
2. Wash head of cauliflower. Break up into smaller pieces to fit in food processor. Pulse in food processor until cauliflower is completely shredded and has a rice-like consistency.
3. Shred mozzarella cheese and combine with cauliflower.
4. Add Parmesan cheese and two eggs whisked into the mixture. Stir together until egg and cheese are evenly dispersed and the mixture sticks together, just as pizza dough.
5. Line 12” round pizza dish with parchment paper. This will prevent your cauliflower crust from sticking to the pan. Pour and spread out dough evenly in a circular shape. Crust should be approximately 1/2 inch thick.
6. Bake crust in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until it is golden.
7. Spread tomato sauce across crust, distributing evenly with a spoon.
8. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese on top of pizza.
9. Slice a tomato (or any other pre-cooked vegetables or toppings!) and spread on top of pizza
10. Bake for approximately 5 more minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.
11. Let cool for a few minutes, slice into eight pieces, and enjoy!