Cauliflower Pizza Crust by Patrice Hall

 

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

by Patrice Hall 

Since I have adopted a keto diet, finding recipes which are low carb has been daunting. This recipe from The Spruce Eats fits the bill for people who crave pizza but don’t want to eat too many carbs.  Cauliflower is the veggie of choice for keto dieters. It is used for a rice or potato substitute and is very versatile.  I have been on the keto diet for the past 2 months and as a result I experience less joint pain, more energy and feel more alert.  I used cauliflower, spring onions, some of the greens and eggs from my CSA share.  I made the pizza with ground beef. It tasted ok for my first try. I never made any pizza crust from scratch before.  So, I think I messed up on a couple of steps.  I’m sure I will do a better job next time! Enjoy!

Prep:

20 mins

Cook:

50 mins

Total:

70 mins

Serving:

1 serving

Yield:

1 10-inch crust

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 medium (2-pound) head cauliflower or 2 (12-ounce) packages frozen cauliflower rice

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

If using frozen cauliflower rice, proceed to step 3.

If starting with a whole cauliflower, remove the outer leaves and tough stems. Cut into florets. You should have 1 pound 8 ounces or 7 cups florets.

Transfer half of the florets to the base of a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is finely chopped like rice, 4 to 6 pulses. Repeat with remaining florets.

Transfer the riced cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Bake until tender and moist, about 20 minutes. Cool at room temperature until safe to handle, about 10 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 F. Transfer the cooked cauliflower to the center of a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Transfer the squeezed cauliflower to a large bowl and stir in the egg, cheese, herb blend, salt, and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Pat the parchment paper on the baking sheet dry and spray again with cooking spray. Transfer the cauliflower mixture to the center of the prepared baking sheet and form into a 10-inch disc, about 1/4-inch thick. Press the cauliflower firmly into shape.

Bake the cauliflower crust in the preheated oven until dry and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Carefully invert onto a new baking sheet. Bake until dry and golden on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes.

Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. The crust is now ready to be used; add toppings and cook on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425 F until hot and the cheese is bubbly, about 5 minutes.

How To Store

You can make the cauliflower crust up to 3 days before topping and baking. Store it flat in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator.

This crust can also be frozen. Par-bake the crust as directed, then freeze it on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. When ready to make pizza, bake the crust for 5 minutes directly from frozen, then top and bake to melt the cheese.

(From the Spruce Eats website: https://www.thespruceeats.com/cauliflower-pizza-crust-recipe-7104588)

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Interested in learning more about the Norwood CSA?  Check out our Info Page: https://norwoodfoodcoop.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-join-norwood-csa.html