cauliflower (not) pizza

I really like putting vegetables, fruit and other healthy stuff into foods that might otherwise be a little less nutritious. Zucchini bread, carrot muffins, black bean brownies, chickpea muffins, any sort of fruit or vegetable purée into unexpected places. I love how sneaky and tricky it makes me feel. 

So I made a cauliflower...thing. It's not pizza, despite what lot of people on paleo/gluten free type blogs are calling these things. It's a little like a flatbread, but really it's a sort of thin, dry omelette. Most importantly, it's a vehicle for cheese, sauce, pesto, pancetta and any other lovely toppings you might desire. The cauliflower crust makes me feel like I'm eating something healthy, but that something is still hot and cheesy and lovely.

Just to be really clear though: it is definitely not pizza. The cauliflower crust will not behave like pizza crust, it will not taste like pizza crust, it will not look like pizza crust. I don't want to create any false expectations. It's not pizza, but it's still really tasty, especially when it's hot and covered in cheese.

I like to make a bunch of these, stack them with parchment paper rounds in between, and freeze them in a zip top bag. They are handy to have, and if you have a few odds and ends in the fridge to serve as toppings, you have a really healthy, fast dinner almost instantly.

cauliflower thing:
makes one 6-8 inch pizza shell

shredded cauliflower, one cup packed
one egg

Preheat the oven to 400f.  If you have a pizza stone place it in the oven to heat up. 

Place the shredded cauliflower in a metal mesh strainer. Boil a kettle and pour the boiling water over the cauliflower to blanch. 

Using a spatula, press as much of the water out of the cauliflower as possible. Set aside to cool

Lightly beat one egg and combine with blanched cauliflower once cooled. Spread onto parchment paper in an even circle 6-8 inches across. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown. Remove from oven and turn oven heat up as high as your oven will go. Place cauliflower crust on a flat surface (thin cutting board or cookie sheet without sides) dusted with cornmeal. 

Top as you like. Return the pizzas to oven, onto pizza stone if you have it, and bake until cheese is melted and golden. 

Enjoy your healthy, tasty, pseudo pizza. 

Photo credit: Tyrel Hiebert