Cauliflower Pizza
Recipe by Chris Newport, Nutritionist and Head Coach
Just about everyone loves pizza, right? Well, with one gluten-free family member and another one sensitive to yeast (and both of them sensitive to many gluten-free grains), “real” pizza is a thing of the past. Now, if you asked me to give up pizza for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t so much complain. But it’s a pretty darned convenient and common meal. And it’s a great vehicle for lots of healthy foods.
Behold (slice it any way you like…it’s all healthy)!
When pizza’s prepared with cauliflower, you’ve got a nutritional powerhouse on your plate. Research suggests that brassica veggies (those in the mustard family including broccoli, kale, cabbage and mustard greens) have anti-cancer properties. Of those, the crucifers (which includes cauliflower…learn more about them and their anti-carcinogenic properties here) are a dietary source of glucosinolates, a large group of sulfur-containing glucosides. Why all the technical jargon? Because this is the healthy rock-star compound in cauliflower (and all cruciferous veggies). It’s also what makes these foods stink if you overcook them (and all their healthy properties). Did your grandma ever cook the snot out of collard greens? Yup…it’s that smell.
So why do I mention sulfur besides it’s healthy benefits? Just a word of warning: wash your kitchen towel (read below) that you used to wring out your cauliflower ASAP. Don’t let it sit in your laundry basket unless you want your whole house to smell like rotten eggs the following day. Trust someone who has learned from experience (insert gag here).
Hopefully I haven’t scared you off of trying this. It really is yummy. In fact, the first time I made this, my husband said I could “make it anytime,” which I guess in dude-speak means it’s pretty good.
I got the idea from The Lucky Penny Blog, who claims to have the BEST cauliflower pizza ever. Well, by golly, if you say it’s the BEST, it must be, right? So I took her version and made it a tad simpler. Now with any pizza, you can absolutely add your own flare to your liking. Here’s the cauliflower pizza for “newbies” breakdown:
- Obtain cauliflower (we shop often at BJs, which has pretty monstrous heads of cauliflower and will double this recipe. Otherwise, just get a small to medium head and you’ll be set).
- Wash.
- Cut off florets. No need to be fancy. Just whack away (and watch your fingers!).
- Pulse raw florets in a food processor (one of my favorite kitchen tools, by the way).
- Microwave the cauliflower “rice,” covered, for a few minutes.
- Let cool (this is the longest step in this whole process. But if you have tough hands, proceed) in a bowl lined with a cotton, clean kitchen towel.
- Wring out as much liquid as you can (at this step, you can save in the fridge for use later that night or the next day).
- Add a few ingredients (for binding and flavor), then form with your hands into the desired pizza shape (square, round, oval, or several personal pizzas).
- Bake until lightly browned.
- Add toppings and bake a few more minutes.
- Cool and eat.
It might sound like a lot, but it’s a whole lot quicker than the “real” pizza version of kneading and proofing if you’re going for the homemade version. And it’s a whole lot healthier than the take out version. A whole lot. Shall we talk about sulfur again? Ok…moving on…
FYI, we have two versions of this. One has eggs and the other uses an “egg replacer,” which is 1T ground flax seed or chia seeds and 3T water (allowed to sit for about 10 minutes while you’re prepping the cauliflower). Works like a charm if you can’t have eggs.
So give it a shot and let us know what you think!
Cauliflower Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 small to medium head of cauliflower
- 1 large egg or egg replacer (see above)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 tsp herbs oregano, basil and garlic work well
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Prepare your pizza toppings as desired (we particularly like pesto, mozzarella and sausage, but to each their own).
- Wash cauliflower and roughly chop the florets.
- Pulse florets in a food processor until it looks like rice.
- Microwave cauliflower "rice" in a covered container for about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour into clean kitchen towel and let cool for several minutes.
- Wrap the cauliflower in the kitchen towel (like your sweet little stork baby), then wring out the liquid over a sink or bowl. Use your muscles and get every last drop out or your pizza will be mushy.
- Add the egg, cheese and herbs and mix with your hands.
- Form the pizza on parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet using your hands to make your desired shape (circle, square or personal pizzas). The crust should be about 1/4" thick.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until it looks slightly browned. Your nose will tell you too.
- Remove from oven, add toppings as desired and return to oven another 5 minutes or so.
- Allow to cool for a couple minutes, slice as desired and enjoy! Keep in mind it's messy and fun to eat and a little more floppy than your typical pizza.
