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Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Introduction & method

Yes, really. A pizza with a crust made from cauliflower. You do need to 'rice' the cauliflower first though, otherwise it would be very lumpy. But seriously, cauliflower crust pizza is quite easy to make and it tastes fantastic - you need never feel guilty about eating pizza again!

 Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe

Make the Tomato Sauce


Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a wok or frying pan on medium-low heat. Cook the onions for a few minutes until they are saftened but not browned. And the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, heerbs and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt if necessary. I sometimes find tomatoes are very acidic - in this case you can add a quarter of a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to reduce the acidity. If you want a super-smooth sauce, whizz it with a stick blender or proper blender. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover with plastic film and place in the fridge to cool down.

Rice the Cauliflower


Strip off the outer leaves of the cauliflower and cut or pull the florets off the central core. Whizz the florets in a food processor or blender until they are broken down into small granules, looking a bit like rice. Place the cauliflower rice into a suitable bowl and microwave it for 4 minutes. Let it cool down a bit, then tip it onto a clean tea towel or a piece of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners of the cloth and squeeze the cauliflower over a bowl to remove as much water as you can.

Make the Pizza 'Dough'


Mix together the cauliflower rice, grated mozzarella, egg, herbs and salt. Line a pizza tray with a silicon mat (I used greaseproof paper once and it stuck like glue to the cauliflower). Spread out the dough to cover as much of the tray as you can, but try not to make it too thin - about 9mm (3/8ths of an inch) should be OK.

Bake the Base


Pre-heat your oven to 220°C (428°F) for a fan oven, 240°C (464°F) for a conventional one, gas 9. Put the pizza base in and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden. 

Prep the Toppings and Finish the Pizza


I opted to make a totally vegetarian pizza topped with thinly sliced red onion and mushrooms, with sticks of red, green and yellow bell pepper. Spread a generous coating of tomato/pizza sauce over the base, then arrange your topping as desired. Drizzle with olive oil - make sure your mushrooms get a good coating, and finish it off with slices of mozzarella. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Garnish with torn basil leaves.


The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Cauliflower Crust Pizza on YouTube.

 
You might also like these recipes:

Mince and Tatties with Skirlie

Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks With Red Wine Sauce

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Ingredients & Info


PIZZA BASE
 1 large cauliflower
 60 grams grated mozzarella
 1 egg
 half a tsp oregano
 half a tsp ground basil
 half a tsp salt
TOMATO SAUCE
 1 x 400 gram can chopped tomatoes
 2 tbsp tomato puree
 1 small onion
 2 cloves garlic
 small bunch fresh basil
 2 tbsp olive oil
  salt and pepper to taste
TOPPING
  whatever you want, except pineapple
 2 tbsp olive oil
 120 grams mozzarella
  basil leaves, to garnish

UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Makes 1 pizza
Prep time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 25 minutes.
Total time: 40 minutes.