PERFECT CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST

The Secret To Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust

ORIGINAL POST FOUND HERE 

By Megan, on January 18th, 2012

Pizza has to be one of my favorite meals EVER.

 Gooey cheese, chunky tomato sauce… I’m already drooling.
But since traditional pizza is mis-combined, thank goodness for whoever came up with the idea of making a cauliflower-based pizza crust. Now we can have our crust AND cheese, and eat it, too! All without feeling sluggish and greasy afterward.
You may remember that I’ve tried my hand at a cauliflower crust before. It was fine, but definitely more egg-y than traditional pizza crust—> and it certainly couldn’t be picked up by hand!
Luckily for us, Doris has taught me the secret to making perfect cauliflower pizza crust.

 The kind you can pick up with your hands.
The kind that will fool your family.
The kind you’ll want to eat again and again!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
makes 1 large crust
Recipe courtesy of Doris Choi
Ingredients:
4 cups cauliflower rice, steamed and strained
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400F, then get to work on your crust.
Step 1: Begin by making your cauliflower “rice.”
Simply pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.

Step 2: Steam & Strain the rice.

Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it steam for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
Now here comes the secret:
Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel.

 Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEEEEEEZE all the excess moisture out!
It’s amazing how much liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
–
Step 3: Make & Shape the dough.
In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices.
Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.

 It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper!)

 Keep the dough about 1/3″ thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
–
Step 4: Bake!
Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F.

 The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
–
Step 5: Load on the Toppings!
Now’s the time to add all your favorites– sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like.

 This goat mozzarella is ridiculously good, without a “goat-y” flavor.

 Time-Saving Tip: I recommend making a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts–> make one for now, and save one for later. After baking the crusts and adding the toppings, wrap up the whole pizza in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick “frozen pizza” to enjoy another night! Simply thaw and bake at 400F, as directed below, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
Return the pizza to the 400F oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
Then slice and serve immediately!

 There is something so comforting to me about eating retangular-shaped pizza slices.

 It’s reminiscent of cafeteria pizza… only WAY better.
Hope you try this the next time a pizza-craving strikes!

ROASTED VEGETABLE PIZZA

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Total Time: 1 h

Ingredients

• 3 medium pepper(s), red, bell
• 1 medium onion(s)
• cooking spray, olive oil-flavored
• 16 ounce(s) whole wheat bread dough loaf, frozen
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, red, crushed
• 1 cup(s) cheese, mozzarella, part-skim, shredded
• 1 cup(s) tomato(es), red or yellow, chopped
• 1 cup(s) cheese, queso fresco
• 2 tablespoon basil, fresh

Preparation

1. Halve sweet peppers, removing stems, membranes, and seeds. Place peppers, cut sides down, on a baking sheet lined with foil. Lightly coat onion strips with nonstick cooking spray. Place onion strips around peppers. Bake in a 425° oven for 10 minutes. Remove onions and set aside. Bake peppers for 10 to 15 minutes more or until skin is bubbly and browned. Wrap peppers in the foil; let stand for 15 to 20 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Using a paring knife, gently pull off the skin. Cut peppers into 1-inch-wide strips.

2. Meanwhile, lightly coat two 12-inch pizza pans with nonstick cooking spray. Divide bread dough in half. Pat half of the dough into an 11-inch circle in each pizza pan, building up edges slightly. Prick bottom of crust with a fork. Do not let rise. Bake in a 425° oven about 10 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven; cool on wire racks.

3. Lightly coat each crust with nonstick cooking spray; sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Top with mozzarella cheese, roasted peppers, roasted onion, and tomato. Sprinkle with queso fresco or feta cheese.

4. Bake in a 425° oven about 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and crusts are crisp. Sprinkle with basil or oregano.

 

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 252, 

Saturated Fat: 1g, 

Sodium: 474mg, 

Dietary Fiber: 3g, 

Total Fat: 9g, 

Carbs: 32g, 

Cholesterol: 21mg, 

Protein: 14g

Exchanges: 

Vegetable: 0.5, 

Starch: 2, 

Lean Meat: 0.5

Carb Choices: 2

VEGETABLE PITA PIZZA

Vegetable Pita Pizzas

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 13 mins

Total Time: 23 mins

Ingredients

• 2 large pita, 100% whole-wheat
• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup(s) assorted fresh vegetables (such as small broccoli or cauliflower florets, red sweet pepper strips, sliced fresh mushrooms, and/or chopped carrot)
• 1/4 cup(s) pizza sauce
• 1/4 cup(s) cheese, mozzarella, shredded

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place pita bread rounds on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, coat an unheated small skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add the vegetables; cook and stir until crisp-tender.

3. Spread pizza sauce on pita bread rounds; sprinkle with cooked vegetables and cheese. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes more or until light brown. Serve warm.

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 113, 

Saturated Fat: 1g, 

Sodium: 291mg, 

Dietary Fiber: 3g, 

Total Fat: 2g, 

Carbs: 20g, 

Cholesterol: 4mg, 

Protein: 5g

Exchanges: 

Vegetable: 0.5, 

Starch: 1, 

Fat: 0.5

Carb Choices: 1.5

Flax Meal Pizza Crust (Personal Size)

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Flax Meal 

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese  

1 tbsp Italian seasoning  

2 tsp granulated Splenda  

1/4 tsp baking powder  

1/4 tsp garlic powder  

1/4 tsp onion powder  

1/4 tsp salt  

1 large egg  

2 tsp water

Directions

Combine all dry ingredients. Mix well

Add water and egg. Mix well.

Spray microwave safe plate (should be flat) with cooking spray.

Microwave on high for 1:40.

Spay non-stick pan with cooking spray. Transfer crust from plate to pan and brown on both sides over medium-high heat.

Add toppings of choice and cover in pan to melt, or microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Serving Size: makes one 9" pizza crust

Number of Servings: 1

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 1
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 205.8

• Total Fat: 14.8 g
• Cholesterol: 211.0 mg
• Sodium: 765.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 10.7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 8.1 g
• Protein: 13.5 g

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Description

Use grated Cauliflower to make a low carb pizza crust!
This recipe really assumes you understand how to make a pizza. This is just a crust recipe - it's up to you to actually put toppings on it.
Taken from here.

Ingredients

Recipe includes base + 1 of the spice mixes

Recipe Base

• 1 cup cooked, grated cauliflower
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Original Spice Mix

• 1/2tsp fennel
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp parsley

My Spice Mix #1

• 1/2 t onion powder
• 1/2 t garlic salt
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. If using frozen cauliflower, cook in microwave using as little water as possible. If using fresh cauliflower, roast in oven at 350 for 30 minutes (This could probably be microwaved, as well, but I haven't tried it). Do NOT boil to cook - this adds entirely too much water.
2. Use a food processor or cheese grater to grate the cauliflower. Some variations of this recipe mention using a potato ricer, but it doesn't work so well.
3. Mix the grated cauliflower + cheese + egg. I added my spice mix into the base mix. You can also sprinkle it on top.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20+ minutes for double recipe)
5. Pull pizza out, let pizza crust cool to solidify a bit - not nessicary, but makes the crust more solid - this'll take ~20 minutes.
6. Add toppings and broil until the cheese is melted on top. This could also be baked, but that will take longer and potentially make the crust soggier.
7. Enjoy!

Notes

• Moisture is the enemy here. Too much moisture makes the recipe too flimsy. It's completely edible, it's just not as stiff as it could be.
• This recipe could just make breadsticks, or rolled thin and made into 'noodles' for lasagna or tortillas.
• I made this recipe with dehydrated cauliflower and it turned out quite nicely. I doubled the recipe and used 1/2 cup of dried cauliflower and 3 eggs instead of 2. I ended up putting about 2/3 cup of water in with the cauliflower.

serves 4- 6 for one recipe (10" pizza) not including toppings:

For 6, per serving:
calories: 73 calories
effective carbohydrates: 1.5
total carbohydrates: 2
fiber: 1
protein: 5 grams
fat: 4 grams

For 4, per serving:
calories: 108
effective carbohydrates: 2
total carbohydrates: 3
fiber: 1
protein: 7 grams
fat: 6 grams

GREEK PITA PIZZA

Greek Pita Pizzas

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 6 ounce(s) beef, extra-lean ground*use ground turkey here for lower fat, adjust nutritional values accordingly
• 1/4 cup(s) onion(s), finely chopped
• 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 8 ounce(s) tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh, snipped
• 2 pita, 100% whole-wheat, split horizontally and toasted
• 1/2 cup(s) cheese, mozzarella, part-skim, shredded
• 1/2 cup(s) spinach, shredded
• 1 small tomato(es), chopped
• 1/2 cup(s) cheese, feta, crumbled
• 12 olives, pitted, quartered

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown; drain off fat. Stir in sauce and rosemary. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Top pita rounds with meat mixture and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Top with spinach, tomato, feta cheese, and olives. Serve warm.

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 251, 

Saturated Fat: 4g, 

Sodium: 739mg, 

Dietary Fiber: 4g, 

Total Fat: 10g, 

Carbs: 25g, 

Cholesterol: 42mg, 

Protein: 16g

Exchanges: 

Vegetable: 1, 

Starch: 1, 

Lean Meat: 1.5, 

Fat: 1

Carb Choices: 1.5

PIZZA RUSTICA or ITALIAN EASTER PIE

Pizza Rustica or Italian Easter Pie

 

This is an Easter classic from Naples. It is usually encased in a double crust and baked in a springform pan. with or without the crust. Once it cools to room temperature you would cut it into wedges from a pie plate or round cake pan, or squares from a square baking pan.

1 pound part skim ricotta – Calabro or Polly-O are the best
4 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
8 ounces Polly-O mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 ounces genoa salami - ask for it to be cut on number 5 on the slicer
4 ounces sopressatta cured Italian deli meat
4 ounces pepperoni

Blend the ricotta with the eggs and parmesan cheese. Cut the salami, sopressata, and pepperoni into 1/4 inch cubes; fold into the cheese mixture. Lightly brush a deep dish pie plate or cake pan with olive oil.

Transfer the cheese and meat mixture into the prepared pie plate.

Preheat oven to 325°

Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until golden brown, edges are slightly puffed and a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature and cut into thin wedges.

Serves 10.
Calories per serving 184;
fat 12 g:
Carbs 4 g:
Protein 16 g.

RUSTIC PIZZA

ZUCCHINI PIZZA

Sicilian-Style Focaccia Pizza

Preperation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients:

3 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

3 oz Provolone cheese, shredded

1 10 inch focaccia bread

1/4 lb canned artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and chopped

1 tbsp dried basil or oregano

1/3 cup tomato pizza sauce

2 tbsp garlic flavored olive oil

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush focaccia with olive oil. Mix pizza sauce and oregano. Spead over focaccia. Add remaining ingredients. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 110

% Calories From Fat 72%

Total Fat 8.8g

Saturated Fats 3.7g

Mono-unsaturated Fats 4g

Poly-unsaturated Fats 0.6g

Cholesterol 16mg

Sodium 190mg

Total Carbohydrates 3.2g

Dietary Fiber 1.5g

Sugar 0.5g

Protein 5.8g