J(alapenos).O(nion).B(acon). Cauliflower Pizza
I think I might have an unhealthy love affair with pizza. I walked away from college being more in love with pizza than any human should be. I will blame this on the east coast - yes, the WHOLE coast. I have learned there are Greek and Italian-style crust! Also, NYC basically has their own style of pizza. You can get it by the slice or the whole pie—pizza is readily at your disposal. If you’re lucky, you can get it for free...I sat through so many events just for the food at the end. (You can save your judgments.)
Anyway, my love for pizza did not stop once I crossed the graduation stage—it simply matured: I love Supreme, more than Ultimate Meat toppings now; I choose the thin or wheat crusts over a puffier kind; I will even pick pesto on my fancier days. But for the last couple of weeks, I have heard whispers about a wheat free pizza that maintains all of the taste. I was skeptical, but desperate to keep my habit going.
I started looking up Cauliflower Pizza recipes and came across this one! I never thought to use cauliflower in such a way. I always thought of this veggie as the less fun sibling of broccoli. Not that broccoli is any more fun, but that beautiful green coloring gives it some hip feel (compared to the cauliflower—I think Dana would agree). But after making this dish, I am starting to have a bit more respect for the pale brethren.
Money Matters
All in all, I spent about $13 and I had enough toppings for another pizza.
#ROGUElyfe
- I cooked the cauliflower the day before, let it cool overnight then wrung it out. You will be surprised how much water comes out! The extra moisture makes the cauliflower less firm, thus flimsy and in need of a knife and fork.
- Please make sure you are using parchment paper; wax paper is not heat resistant so it will melt in the oven...and foil gets stuck (I used foil, and rubbed it down with olive oil—still stuck). Follow directions folks - no going rogue here :(
- I’ve used pesto, as well as BBQ sauce on this crust—have fun with this folks!
My Take
Crust
4 cups raw cauliflower rice
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt
Toppings
½ cup tomato sauce
4 strips of bacon
½ small onion
¼ 8oz can of pickled jalapenos
¾ cups skim milk mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400F, then get to work on your crust.
Cauliflower “Rice”
Simply pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.
Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer. Wrap up the “rice” in a thin dish towel, and wring out the excess water.Here is where you may want to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, then wring it out again (see explination in Things to Notice).
The Dough
In a large bowl, mix the “rice”, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (why not wax paper? See Things to Notice). It will look and feel very different from typical dough, but it will work!
Keep the dough about 1/3″ thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like. Bake for 35-40mins at 400 degrees. Do not turn the oven off once done.
Top it Off
Add the toppings to the crust in the order above, and place back in the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese has bubbled—5-10mins.
Once pizza is done, it is sit for 15mins. Slice it up and serve!
Again, add whatever toppings you like—just make sure you enjoy it!
Happy Cooking Y'all :)