Over the last year, my family research has taught me a lot of things. Most of all, it brings home to me, in so many ways, just how different my life today is from the lives led by my ancestors.
While we all love grandma's cookie recipes, Mom's chicken soup, and all the other great foods of our relatives, every now and then, I, too, have a contribution to the family recipe collection. Here's another: cauliflower pizza. This is not my original recipe; it was given to me by my online diet support group friends. You may be thinking, big deal, another version of a veggie pizza, just with cauliflower on top. That's where this recipe differs. The crust is made from cauliflower, and many people say if they didn't know that cauliflower was the crust's main ingredient, they would not be able to guess. I must admit, I was skeptical. But this was last Sunday's dinner, and I'm here to tell you, it's pretty darn yummy!
Preheat oven to 440 degrees. I begin by trimming and cleaning a head of cauliflower, cutting into chunks, and pulverizing it in the food processor. This turns it into a flour-like consistency, although it will be a bit moist. That right there is something my ancestors could not have done! "Ancestors" and "food processor" are words that you almost never see in the same sentence!
Add one cup of the mashed cauliflower with 1/4 cup of Eggbeaters, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. (If you are trying to go the healthy route, low-moisture, part-skim works well.)
Spread this on a cookie sheet that has been generously sprayed with Pam or similar product. Even better, use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Use a spatula and spread/pat this mixture into a circle, about ten inches or so in diameter. Place in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until very nicely browned. The edges should look almost burnt.
I checked my pizza "crust" at 12 minutes, and wound up cooking for a few minutes more, and more, and more. The entire cooking time for me was almost 20 minutes. But since all ovens are different, be sure to check it at 12 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven. If you used parchment, slide the paper off the pan, lightly spray the pan with Pam, then slide just the crust back onto the hot pan. Top with three tablespoons of your favorite (sugar-free, if desired,) pizza sauce. Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella. Add toppings. In the one above, I added chopped fresh spinach, then sliced up a few black olives, some mushrooms, and even some...wait for it...tofu pepperoni!
Place back in the oven, under the broiler. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn, remove when cheese is melted. Cut into wedges. Talk about YUM! ENJOY!
While we all love grandma's cookie recipes, Mom's chicken soup, and all the other great foods of our relatives, every now and then, I, too, have a contribution to the family recipe collection. Here's another: cauliflower pizza. This is not my original recipe; it was given to me by my online diet support group friends. You may be thinking, big deal, another version of a veggie pizza, just with cauliflower on top. That's where this recipe differs. The crust is made from cauliflower, and many people say if they didn't know that cauliflower was the crust's main ingredient, they would not be able to guess. I must admit, I was skeptical. But this was last Sunday's dinner, and I'm here to tell you, it's pretty darn yummy!
Preheat oven to 440 degrees. I begin by trimming and cleaning a head of cauliflower, cutting into chunks, and pulverizing it in the food processor. This turns it into a flour-like consistency, although it will be a bit moist. That right there is something my ancestors could not have done! "Ancestors" and "food processor" are words that you almost never see in the same sentence!
Add one cup of the mashed cauliflower with 1/4 cup of Eggbeaters, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. (If you are trying to go the healthy route, low-moisture, part-skim works well.)
Spread this on a cookie sheet that has been generously sprayed with Pam or similar product. Even better, use parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Use a spatula and spread/pat this mixture into a circle, about ten inches or so in diameter. Place in a preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until very nicely browned. The edges should look almost burnt.
I checked my pizza "crust" at 12 minutes, and wound up cooking for a few minutes more, and more, and more. The entire cooking time for me was almost 20 minutes. But since all ovens are different, be sure to check it at 12 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven. If you used parchment, slide the paper off the pan, lightly spray the pan with Pam, then slide just the crust back onto the hot pan. Top with three tablespoons of your favorite (sugar-free, if desired,) pizza sauce. Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella. Add toppings. In the one above, I added chopped fresh spinach, then sliced up a few black olives, some mushrooms, and even some...wait for it...tofu pepperoni!
Place back in the oven, under the broiler. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn't burn, remove when cheese is melted. Cut into wedges. Talk about YUM! ENJOY!
I'm with the ancestors: my name and "food processor" are not words you'd see in the same sentence, either!
ReplyDeleteOther than that, it sounds like a delicious recipe!
The recipe looks so yummy! I invented the original almost four years ago, so it is so cool seeing how it is adapted and used!
ReplyDeleteFondly,
In cauliflower,
Jamie
Hi Jamie, thanks so much for commenting. The pizza is a big hit in my house, thanks for sharing the recipe. How did you ever find Raking Through the Leaves?
Delete