Most people eat cauliflower in veggie platters, or smothered in cheese and baked in the oven au gratin, or roasted, or steamed with carrots. Ugh, (about the carrots, not the cheese). I aim to inspire you to think outside of the crisper, and try using cauliflower as the star ingredient in your meal, and not just as a supporting character.
It all starts with cauliflower rice. It really doesn’t get any simpler than this, and it is the foundation for so many cauliflowericious dishes (say that 3 times fast).
Grate one head of cauliflower: you should get about 2 1/2 to 3 cups. Put this into the microwave and nuke for 6-8 minutes. Microwaving cauliflower is a delicate art, be careful not to burn it! Even though grating uncooked cauliflower is messy, I prefer this method because the result is a texture very similar to rice.
If you steam cauliflower florets before grating it, the “rice” will be mushier as the florets will have absorbed a lot of water. When I’m feeling lazy I just steam and chop, but for this recipe I recommend grating.
Cauliflower pizza is a healthy gluten free alternative and great recipe to try out. I know the steps look daunting, but it really is very simple, don’t wuss out on trying something new! Be forewarned, this isn’t the type of pizza you can pick up with your hands, it’s unique and deserves to be savored with a fork and knife.
Cauliflower Pizza
You Will Need:
1 head of cauliflower, riced
1 small potato, grated
1/4 cup grated onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Optional: Fresh herbs like parsley, rosemary, cilantro or even Italian seasoning can be added if you wish.
Toppings:
This is not your average pizza crust, so step up your pizza game and add some gourmet toppings! I used prosciutto, goat cheese, arugula and whole olives.
This Is What You Do:
Preheat your oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk one egg. Grate your small potato and onion and wrap them in paper towel or a clean kitchen cloth and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
Combine cooked riced cauliflower, potato,onion, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and fresh herbs with whisked egg.
On a large baking sheet, or pizza pan, spread out your cauliflower dough. I made two small pizzas about half an inch thick. I found making smaller pizzas works best for this type of dough.
Brush with olive oil or a bit of egg yolk to ensure a crispy crust, and then bake for 15 -20 minutes, or until firm and golden. Don’t add your toppings yet! The dough needs to firm up before you pile it high with tasty treats.
Dress That Pizza Up
Once the dough has firmed up, remove from oven and add your sauce, cheese, ham, pepperoni, mushrooms – whatever you like. I added homemade red sauce to one, and lightly brushed the other with olive oil . Next came the crumbled goat’s cheese and sliced prosciutto. I put it back in the oven until the cheese was melted and bubbly. Meanwhile I tossed my arugula in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When the pizzas were ready, I added the arugula and finished it off with some olives. VOILA!
