Friday, March 7, 2014

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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24 comments:

  1. That looks like a smashing veg pizza! Happy Women's Day to you too :)

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    1. Quite smashing...and I smashed nearly the entire thing last night...saving a few pieces for breakfast of course :)

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  2. Damn, between you and Stacie's "Buffalo Chicken Chili," I now have two new recipes to try this weekend. Am I too lazy to do so? Time will tell!

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  3. That looks AMAZING. I love feta and spinach on a pizza. Yum.

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    1. I've only recently discovered my love of feta, so now I want it on everything!

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  4. That looks good! My husband does the low carb thing on and off so good to know about cauliflower crust. And I like lots of veggies on my pizza. As Daniel mentioned, I posted a recipe too, which is funny because I've only posted a couple others in my two years of blogging!

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    1. It must be a food-sharing weekend. This version actually took much less time than a traditional flour crust, so that's another plus!

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  5. Actually the crust by itself looks yummy to me. I recently saw an article about using cauliflower for a pizza crust substitute. I will definitely have to try this. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You're welcome! And the crust does have plenty of cheese, so I think it would be an okay stand alone...mmmm. Cheese.

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    2. I agree with Michael. I imagined the crust as crispy and cheesy. Mmm.

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    3. After it baked, yes. The top was golden brown and begged for some taste-testing. :)

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  6. I've seen the cauliflower crusts on Pinterest. I've been wanting to try them but have been weary because I HATE that vegetable but figured the flavor would get drowned out by the toppings. Did it?

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    1. I think so--especially because the cauliflower "rice" is mixed with egg and cheese, that's what I tasted...plus all the cheese on top. And depending on your sauce, that's most of what you'll taste. I'd say give it a shot!

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  7. Yum. Love me some homemade pizza. Although I'm questionable on the cauliflower thing; it's not exactly my favorite vegetable.

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    1. I'll eat almost anything, but it really didn't have a strong flavor at all. The thing to get used to was the texture, which would hopefully improve if I actually followed directions. Cauliflower lends itself well as a vehicle for other flavors, luckily!

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  8. Sounds like a wonderful day--especially the part about getting dropped off closer to your destinations. I've had cauliflower "mashed potatoes" before. I'd be willing to try make a crust like this. Any excuse to pair something with wine. :)

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    1. The bus routes were for sure a surprise win. Apparently people are using cauliflower for lots of starchy things, which I'd never heard about until my mom shared this recipe, but now I want to try all the variations! And yes, we're always pairing with wine here.

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  9. That looks really good. I've never tried a cauliflower crust.

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    1. I recommend it! Very quick process, very tasty results.

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  10. I love cauliflower pizza crust. It's amazing and this looks delicious! :) Makes me want to get some cauliflower tomorrow and do this.

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    1. Thanks! It makes me feel like spring might actually come.

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  11. I have heard of this type of recipe before and swore I would make it someday. Your yummy recipe has me wanting to make it now! Thanks for sharing this delicious post!

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    1. You are welcome! Glad I could encourage some kitchen adventures.

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