Cauliflower Pizza Crust - Veggie Pizza

Blogging Marathon #41: Week 4/ Day 2

Theme: Low Carb Recipes

Dish: Cauliflower Pizza Crust - Veggie Pizza

For the second day of the Blogging Marathon theme of 'Low Carb Recipes' I have a very interesting recipe, a veggie pizza with a cauliflower pizza crust. I have used cauliflower has a low carb alternative in my Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe and also in the Cauliflower mashed potatoes, and have had a good success rate with it. So, I was really excited to try it.

Also, as much as I say I am doing fine, you do crave for some 'junk food' and pizza was on the top of my list. I topped the cauliflower pizza crust with my most favorite veggies. It made for a wonderful and flavorful pizza which made me feel I was eating the real deal. It is also pretty filling with the huge amount of veggies in it. The cheese adds protein to round it off to be a very satisfying meal.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#42

Also, check out the other Low Carb Recipes on OhTastenSee.

Making the crust:

Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor, pulse it until it forms crumbs. Place the cauliflower crumbs in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a moist paper towel. Microwave for 8 minutes stopping every 2-3 minutes and stirring to ensure even cooking. At the end, you want the cauliflower soft to touch but not mushy. Let the cauliflower cool enough to handle.Then, place this mixture in a towel and squeeze as much moisture out as you can.

Mix the cauliflower, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spray a 12 inch pizza pan with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the cauliflower mixture on the pan and gently press the mounds together. This method helps achieve an even crust, as opposed to piling the mixture in the center and spreading it out to the edges.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are a golden-brown color. Allow to cool for five minutes. Gently slide a spatula around the edges to loosen from the pan slightly.

Top crust with the marinara sauce leaving a 1/2 inch rim. Top with spinach leaves, onions, peppers, olives and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and pepper jack cheese and the red pepper flakes. Bake for 10-15 minutes more in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven until golden and bubbly. You can even broil this for the couple of minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes for the crust to solidify. Cut and serve.

Verdict: For a low carb, veggie rich version, this is a great way to satiate some pizza craving. If you are concerned about the amount of cheese, if you consider the per serving amounts, it gives a boost to the amount of protein and makes it really a pizza. Feel free to reduce the cheese to 1/2 cup if too conscious.

NOTES:

Crust can be halved and made into personal sized pizzas.

You can make the crust ahead of time and freeze it. Before ready to make pizza, thaw the crust and proceed as above.

If you want to reheat the pizza already made, bake the slices again in a 350 degree oven until warm. Do not microwave. This will result in making the crust soggy. Alternatively, you can reheat this on a skillet or pan.