Oh wow, this is amazing. I honestly did not know what I was getting myself into when I decided on a cauliflower crusted pizza for a mid week dinner. I must say I’m glad I did it. I had seen a couple of people mentioning it on the interwebz and I have to say I felt quite virtuous sitting down to my dinner. I’m always looking for lighter, healthier alternatives for some of my favourites and who doesn’t love indulging in a pizza as a mid-week treat. Now you can and it’s all vegetable. High five!
Cauliflower is the stuff of miracles, mashing it, making soup with it, in a curry (Aloo Gobi, yummm!), roasting it with spices, turning it into a pizza dough (hurrah!) and even using it in sushi. It is such a versatile veggie and with the addition of some herbs and spices you have a right zinger of a meal to gobble up. As a vegetable, it is naturally low in fat and carbohydrtates but boasts a punch of dietary fibre, folate and vitamin C.
I made this up as I went along but by the time I made the third pizza, I was a cauliflower crust pizza making pro. The beauty of this is that you can add in the herbs and spices that you like. I used what I had in the cupboard and it was a treat.
I was so surprised at how the base turned out, quite spongey and crisp on the outside.
Ingredients
Makes 2 pizzas
Base:
1 head of cauliflower (600g)
2 eggs or 3 egg whites
Handful of chopped parsley
Pinch of Maldon Sea salt
Pinch of pepper
Oregano
Topping:
Tomato Sauce
Your toppings of choice*
Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Line and grease two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
In a blender, whizz up your cauliflower florets until resembling breadcrumbs.
In a mixing bowl, combine the blended cauliflower, egg, herbs, salt and pepper.
Turn out half of the mixture on to each baking tray and with a spatula shape into circles, 1/2 inch thick. The “dough” will be quite pliable and easy to maniplulate into pizza shapes. Pop the trays in the oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on your oven as they all differ.
When the bases are done, remove and add your toppings of choice.
Pop back in the oven and bake for a further 12-15 minutes, again depending on your oven.
*I used a tin of diced tomatoes for the sauce, pan fried moroccan spiced chicken (150g per person) and onions, mushrooms, peppers and a sprinkling of oregano. I did not use any cheese on mine and didn’t miss it one bit!
I made a third one for my lunch the following day (pictured) and it was a gorgeous lunchtime treat. So moreish and kept me ticking over until dinner time.
Do you love cauliflower as much as I do?
OH! I’ve seen these pop up around the internet & I’ve always been intrigued but though it might be fiddly or not so great tasting. The best thing is, I have some egg whites in the fridge, so guess what we’re having for dinner tomorrow night? This looks awesome.
Excellent Liv, let me know how you get on. It’s a real treat and adding in your favourite flavours makes it extra special
Happy this has been posted! Like Liv, I’ve seen it around but never actually gotten around to making it, but I will now! Just won’t tell Steve about it
Till AFTER he’s eaten it!
I hope he likes it
T polished the plate. It’s amazing how it turns out. Let me know how it goes!
Can’t wait to try! Is the cauliflower cooked first or raw?
It’s raw when you blend it. The only time it gets cooked is when it goes in as a pizza. You can steam it beforehand if you want but it worked perfectly this way
I have been seeing this around the place – your version looks fantastic!
Thanks Kari, it’s delcious! I love how it fills you up on just pure veg
Pingback: Dinner Winners | Atelier de Vivre