This Woman Makes Her Own Pizza

I've only got about 40 more minutes until it's not technically Friday anymore, so real quick: Happy International Women's Day!

I spent mine...working. Doing nothing of real interest, besides the things that many women do all around the world, probably: laundry, dishes, food prep, driving around children, and reading articles about the possibility of a future female president.

Then I came home and made myself dinner. I shared it with no one, and enjoyed every bite. Fridays mean pizza, and a Friday in March means I'm trying out a more vegetable-inspired pizza. This one comes with a cauliflower crust and minimal toppings.

Pre-baking...it may not look appetizing, but don't count it out yet.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (recipe from my mom...unsure of her source, though I did find this and this)

½ large head of cauliflower, grated (just over 2 cups)

1 large egg

¾ c finely shredded mozzarella

1 tsp dried oregano

1 clove fresh garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 450

Grate cauliflower into small crumbles (or chop or put in a food processor)

Boil cauliflower “rice” in a medium pot for 4-5 minutes

Drain, let cool, then squeeze out ALL remaining moisture (use a clean dish towel)

Mix crumbles (about 1 ½ c) with remaining ingredients

Pat into pan (I used a baking sheet, was afraid to use pizza stone...also, fingers work better than spoons)

Drizzle top with olive oil

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown

Remove from oven and switch setting to broil

Spread sauce on crust, add toppings and cheese

Broil 3-4 minutes or until toppings are hot and cheese is melted

Notes: 

• I made my sauce by combining one can (8 oz) of tomato sauce with one can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes...add a little basil and oregano, stir in a pan over medium heat until the crust is ready to go.
• My crust seemed a little soggy when finished, but once it sat and settled, it held much better. I didn't do the draining of the moisture step, but upon reflection, that's a necessary if you want a crispier/crunchier/more pizza-like crust. Mine was a little casserole-y until it solidified more.
• Toppings I used: green pepper, more mozzarella cheese, feta, and spinach. It's just what was in the fridge. I wish I had mushrooms and olives, those would have went nicely with everything else.
• Pairs well with cheap wine, like all of my pizzas. ;)

Today wasn't the best Friday I've ever had (I actually woke up feeling a strange sort of spring sadness--almost nostalgia/homesickness, but different...bittersweet is the word I'm coming up with), but I couldn't deny my upbeat mood once the day got going. The snow is melting (for now), the sun was out, and my bus routes are both under construction which somehow gets me dropped off closer to my destinations. To top it off, I made myself a great pizza for dinner and enjoyed Me time: catching up with shows and blogs, starting a new book or two, and getting my weekend laundry started early.

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