It’s not JUST Meatless Monday! It’s also erev (the eve of) my birthday! Let’s have a pizza party to celebrate!!! 🙂

Like most Americans, I like pizza. But only really, really GOOD pizza. I’m from NJ and lived in NYC for half my life so I’m what some would call a “pizza snob.” I’m ok with that. 🙂

When I lived in Boston, and now in LA, I don’t eat pizza. Why? Because I’ve tried it and frankly, it sucks. It’s not worth the money or the calories. (Ok, there is ONE place in LA I found that is decent but it’s nowhere near where I live, and it’s because the owner is from the Bronx and they ship the water in from NY! LOL!)

Since I don’t eat much gluten OR dairy now, I figured I just wouldn’t have much pizza anymore and that was that. But for quite some time now I’ve been hearing about a cauliflower pizza crust. I’ve seen photos of it on Instagram and people posting how good it is on Facebook. But I never tried it. UNTIL NOW.

Organic cauliflower was on sale and looked great, so I thought, why not? I gave it a go. The verdict? It’s super yummy! Very fragile, hard to handle and I needed to eat it with a knife and fork, but overall a winner!

I made my favorite –caramelized onions, kale, marinara (I used a jarred sauce… I’m a busy business mompreneur!) and my outrageously, insanely good VEGAN mozzarella cheese! (Recipe for that is below too!) You’re welcome. 🙂

It’s a great dish to get the kids involved in the kitchen – they can choose what veggies they want for toppings and put them on themselves. My daughter wasn’t too helpful, but she did devour it. 🙂

I’d love to know what you think and of course if you try it, please let me know!

Mangia!

Cauliflower-crust Pizza (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 pound cauliflower florets
• ½ c almond meal
• 2 vegan eggs (combine 2 tbsp chia seeds or ground flax + 6 tbsp water, and set aside)
• 1 tbsp ground chia
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp pink Himalayan salt

Marinara Sauce:

• Use your favorite jarred (ALWAYS buy tomato sauce or tomato anything in a jar!)

Crust Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Mix the vegan egg and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
3. Place the cauliflower florets in a Cuisinart or food processor and pulse until a fine crumble. (But not blended smooth!)
4. Add the cauliflower to a large pot with enough water to cover, a few cups, and bring to a boil.
5. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Drain the liquid and transfer to a shallow bowl.
7. Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, so you don’t burn yourself squeezing out excess water.
8. Remove the cooled cauliflower and put in a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or thin dishtowel.
9. Squeeze out all of the excess water.
10. In a large bowl, mix together the cauliflower and all the other ingredients.
11. On a pizza stone (or baking pan), flatten out the mixture to make a crust about ¼“ thick.
12. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until lightly golden and dry to the touch.
13. Add sauce and your favorite pizza toppings and return to the oven another 5-10 minutes. I added marinara sauce, sauteed onions, fresh kale and some vegan mozzarella cheese, recipe below.
14. Enjoy!

Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

• ½ c raw cashews, soaked in water 3+ hours if possible, and drained
• ⅔ c water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• ½ tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Blend everything in a Vitamix or blender until completely smooth.
2. Heat in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking frequently until thick and has the texture of melted cheese, about 5 minutes.

Crust adapted from: Detoxinista.com