Friend of Julie: Cauliflower Pizza

This cauliflower pizza crust recipe comes from our key-friend Jennifer. Be sure to top your pizza off with lots of protein.  I have not yet made this recipe, because I hear it can be tricky. Those who have been successful say it's wonderful and they make it on a regular basis.

Cauliflower pizza crust. Photo source: 12tomatoes

Cauliflower crust pizza with chicken.
Photo by Sharyn.

Ingredients

• 4 cups raw cauliflower rice (about one medium head)
• 1 egg, beaten
• ⅓ cup soft goat cheese (chevre) or ricotta cheese (Parmesan or mozzarella work too)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch of salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.
3. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the "rice" and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
4. THIS IS THE SECRET:
   Once you've strained the rice, let it cool and then transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It's amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.
5. 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!
6. Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper. (It's important that it's lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about ⅓" thick, and make the edges a little higher for a "crust" effect, if you like.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F. The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
8. Now's the time to add all your favorites-- sauce, a tiny bit of cheese, and any other toppings you like. See photo below of a cauliflower crust pizza topped with chicken.
9. Return the pizza to the 400F oven, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
10. Slice and serve immediately!

Notes

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, wrap up the extra pizza crust in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick "frozen pizza" to enjoy another night! All you need to do is add toppings and bake at 400F, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Photo and original recipe source: 12tomatoes

Another key-friend shared 23 Insanely Clever Ways To Eat Cauliflower Instead of Carb, which is pretty amazing, but watch for non-key items in some of these dishes, as I haven't read them all. I just scrolled down the page and looked at the gorgeous food photos. I see that many of them have way too much cheese, so be careful with the cheese too!