Have you heard about cauliflower pizza? This grain-free alternative to regular pizza has recently gained popularity. It’s a gluten-free friendly meal that makes for a fun night in preparing dinner with family or friends.
Making a crisp and flavorful cauliflower crust creates a delicious, low-carb pizza. The recipe below serves as a basic and classic version of this unique dish. However, feel free to experiment by topping this pizza with your favorite sauce
or vegetable topping.
The trick with perfecting your cauliflower pizza is making the crust the perfect thickness. Optimal thickness is about ¼ of an inch; this is thin enough to crisp in the oven, but not too thick for the pizza to fall apart. Try the recipe out this weekend, and enjoy.
Stefani’s Cauliflower Pizza
Yield: 1 Large Pizza Crust
Pizza ingredients
1 medium size head cauliflower
½ cup shredded low fat, part skim mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Original Blend
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Toppings
1 cup organic, low-sodium tomato sauce
1 cup shredded low fat, part skim mozzarella
Desired toppings, pre-cooked (i.e.: sliced grape tomatoes, sautéed vegetables, sliced grilled chicken)
Fresh basil, for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Wash and dry the cauliflower head. Cut the cauliflower into pieces and pulse in a food processor until fine and grain-like.
3. Place the cauliflower in a bowl, and steam or place in the microwave for 6-10 minutes (depending on the strength of your microwave). Let cool first, and then thoroughly drain the steamed cauliflower. You can wrap the cauliflower in a thin dish towel or cloth once it has cooled to help wring out the moisture.
4. Once the cauliflower is cooled and drained, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. If the mixture is still watery, squeeze out some of the liquid.
5. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and spread into desired shape. Pat down until about ¼ inch thick. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove pizza crust from oven. Spread on the tomato sauce, and then sprinkle on the mozzarella. Add desired toppings, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Remove the pizza and let cool. Garnish with fresh basil. Slice and enjoy.
Stefani Pappas, CPT, CWMS is a nutritionist pursuing a career as a registered dietitian. She is a personal trainer, Equinox fitness instructor and contributing writer for Elite Daily.
Visit www.stefhealthtips.com for more information.
