Sunday, April 22, 2012

Cauliflower Crust Pizza - Perfect for Jorge Cruise Diet

Finally, a wonderful, healthy alternative to a beloved, fattening, American pastime!  Pizza!  I love it but since I am not eating grains or "white stuff" it can be difficult to come up with tasty ways to enjoy our favorite foods.  I posted a recipe for a terrific flax meal pizza crust.  It is also a delicious recipe but for those who have to watch their flax seed intake or want to eat more vegetables then swapping out the flax seed for cauliflower is the way to go!  Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables that one can use in so many unique, flavorful and healthy ways.  More recipes to come soon.

My Version Was Topped with Mushrooms and Golden Peppers!



Photo by Beth from Eat, Drink, Smile

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt (I use Granulated Garlic)
  • Olive oil (optional)
  • Pizza sauce
  • Shredded cheese
  • Favorite toppings*

Directions:


To "Rice" the Cauliflower:

  1. Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater).
  2. Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes (some microwaves are more powerful than others, so you may need to reduce this cooking time). There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.
One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.
  3. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven.
  5. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese.
  6. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).
Enjoy!
*Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Source: Eat. Drink. Smile.
Adapted from Your Lighter Side.

4 comments:

Natalia's Fine Needlework said...

Gina, I understand about "white stuff", but why no grains? Do you mean no oatmeal, barley, buckwheat, etc...?

Gina said...

Hi Natalia,
You can have grains or any healthy, clean food. I have been following Jorge Cruise's Belly Fat Cure Fast Track. It is a Paleo based diet where you est mostly protein and vegetables and healthy fats and do not eat grains, legumes, or very much fruit. This diet was designed to be followed for about 2 weeks to jump start your healthy eating plan eith the idea of transitioning to Jorge's original belly fat cure diet. I do still have some grains from time to time, but I have found that gluten tends to bother me a little bit so I try not to eat much of that. I happen to love oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, etc. The key is to enjoy what you eat and eat cleanly. You should never feel deprived or punished! ♥

Natalia's Fine Needlework said...

Thank you, Gina. I'll go to dig deeper in his diet.

Doris said...

Hi Gina,

I was actually going to be making a cauliflower crusted pizza this coming weekend and you beat me to it. Great minds think alike, don't they?

Everday Paleo, Bill Haley's site, and PaleoOMG blogs all have LOTS of recipes that are so incredibly good. I really don't miss the grains at all.

Your pizza looks so scrumptuous!

Hugs,
Doris