Cauliflower Pizza Crust:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dries herbs (Italian seasoning, basil, rosemary, parsley)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 whole eggs beaten or ¼ egg whites
INSTRUCTIONS:
You will need a food grater or food processor or blender/vitamix.
Cut the core out of the cauliflower. Break the cauliflower into florets and rinse.
Put the florets in your food processor and pulse until fine and looks like rice. If using a grater, grate the cauliflower. Processing the florets is much easier and cleaner!
Cook your cauliflower ‘rice’ a bit to soften it up…
- steam it for about 5 minutes,
- microwave it for about 3 minutes or
- bake it for 15-20 minutes
You don’t want it to be mushy, just cooked a bit so it’s not hard and it releases the moisture in it. Then let it cool a bit until you can handle it.
The secret is taking the moisture out of the ‘rice’. The easiest way to do this to get the most water out of it is to use a thin dishtowel. Put the ‘rice’ in middle of your dishtowel, grab the corners up and begin to squeeze your ball of ‘rice’. You can twist it as well to ring as much water out of it as possible. You’ll be surprised at how much water is in your cauliflower!
Making the “DOUGH”
After you can’t get any more water out, put your ‘rice’ in a bowl to make the ‘dough’ and separate it a bit so it’s not in a ball. Add the cheese, herbs, salt, pepper, garlic and eggs…mix well. It may seem ‘wet’, but the eggs and cheese will work to keep it all together.
Lightly spray a pan or glass dish. (Some people use parchment paper). With your hands, form a rectangle or circle with your ‘dough’ that is about ¼ inches thick. Pressing lightly to make your ‘dough’ stick together. You can use the edge of a spatula or knife to make the sides straight.
Bake:
Bake your crust or sticks in the oven on 375-400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Ovens vary so the cooking time/temp may vary for you. After about 15 minutes, keep an eye on your crust. You want the edges to be golden brown.
For Pizza Crust:
For pizza crust, bake until the top and sides are a light brown. Then take it out of the oven and put your toppings on. Keep in mind that too much sauce can make the crust less firm. And, canned veggies contain liquid as well.
After adding toppings bakes again for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
For Bread Sticks:
If you want cheese ‘bread sticks’, add more cheese and bake for a few more minutes until the cheese melts and sides are brown and crispy. I made those pictured myself.
