Pizza. Is it silly that I can’t imagine a time without it? I mean, it seems like it’s right there with red beans and rice. Surely it has and always will be something that people of all backgrounds, ethnicity, income levels, and from all parts of the world recognize. It’s essentially the universal food… am I right?
I wonder how many generations you’d have to go back to find someone who isn’t familiar with the term, pizza. Is it really weird that I’m thinking this deep into it?
It’s just that pizza is now something that has morphed into so many different interpretations, it’s practically its own food group, right there with Vegetables, Meats, Dairy, then Pizza.
Think about it, there’s whole wheat crust, deep dish, stuffed crust, thin crust… not to mention all the veggie crust options, like eggplant, sweet potato, and spinach. Then there’s the toppings and sauce; like BBQ, Pesto, Chicken, Ham, Pineapple, Steak, even seafood. And I haven’t even touched the boundless options of cheese. Mozzarella, Cheddar, Feta, Bleu, Goat, and on and on…there are so many COUNTLESS OPTIONS!
Do you think that the first person to make a round, flat piece of bread and top it with tomato sauce (surely that was the first sauce to be used, right?!) along with a little cheese ever thought that it would grow to so many unlimited options and varieties?
Ya know… at this point I don’t know whether to be more impressed by the enormity of pizza flavors and combinations, or concerned with my own frame of mind for contemplating the whole thing this long. And really… if you’re still reading, maybe I should be equally concerned about your frame of mind! :)
Okay, I’ll stop with the rambling. I guess what I’m getting at is that as much as I strive to eat clean and make healthy choices when it comes to the foods I cook for us, I like love pizza as much as the next person. And while chowing down on a thick crunchy, chewy crust loaded with yummy greasy cheese and toppings is okay every now and then, it’s not something to add to the weekly menu.
Luckily, there are healthier ways to satisfy that craving without indulging in quite so many unhealthy calories and fat grams. Like this Cauliflower pizza crust for instance. I know cauliflower {in all it’s versatility} is all the rage right now, but if you haven’t tried it as a pizza crust, you must! Truly.
I came across the Cauliflower Pizza crust recipe a few years ago when looking for a low carb pizza option. And it seems like since then, the recipe has completely blown up all over the web. There are so many different variations of it, some that include the addition of numerous gluten-free flours and others that instruct you to squeeze all the water out of the cooked cauliflower in efforts of creating a crust that can be picked up like traditional pizza.
Truth is, I haven’t found that perfect combination of both ingredients and instructions to make a crust that can be picked up without falling apart.
In my mind, it looks like pizza, tastes pretty much like pizza, but is eaten like a casserole. Which means, with a fork. And for me, that’s okay. I’ll probably still try different variations from time to time in hopes of a new outcome, but in the end I’m just happy that I get the flavors of pizza with the health benefits of cauliflower!
So, if you haven’t tried a cauliflower pizza crust recipe, I urge you to jump on the bandwagon and give it a try! And do it sooner rather than later, you won’t be sorry!
Cauliflower & Flax Pizza with Veggies
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 1 head cauliflower approx 6-7" round
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 tbsp spicy spaghetti seasoning
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Toppings:
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce I use my Grandmother's homemade spaghetti sauce!
- 3/4 red or orange bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium onion sliced
- 5-6 cherry tomatoes finely sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese mozzarella or blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray round pizza pan with coconut oil or olive oil cooking spray (see notes re parchment paper).
- Chop cauliflower into pieces and add it food processor. Pulse for 30-45 seconds or until cauliflower is riced into fine pieces.
- Add riced cauliflower to microwave save bowl and heat on high for 4-5 minutes. See notes for oven instructions.
- {At this point, once the riced cauliflower has cooled, you can put it in a double layer of cheese cloth and squeeze to remove all moisture. This did not help my crust hold together any better than the other times, but it may work for you!}
- In a medium bowl, add cooked cauliflower, egg, flax, cheese and seasonings, then stir to combine.
- Transfer to greased pizza pan and spread out, using spatula, to an even round crust.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- While crust bakes, add chopped veggies to baking sheet, sprinkle with desired seasonings (I used the Spicy Spaghetti Seasoning) and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until soft. You can also toss them in a pan on the stove, spray with a little coconut oil cooking spray and saute for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Once crust has baked first 15 minutes, remove, add sauce, veggies and cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, then turn oven to broil and bake for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to ensure it does not burn.
- Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper if desired, then EAT!
Notes
*Oven Instructions: Remove leaves and separate florets, roast in the oven for approximately 15 minutes on 375 degrees. Then remove and cool before adding to food processor to rice.
Nutrition
