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:
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Mix the vegan egg and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the cauliflower florets in a Cuisinart or food processor and pulse until a fine crumble. (But not blended smooth!)
- Add the cauliflower to a large pot with enough water to cover, a few cups, and bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Drain the liquid and transfer to a shallow bowl.
- Place in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, so you don’t burn yourself squeezing out excess water.
- Remove the cooled cauliflower and put in a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or thin dishtowel.
- Squeeze out all of the excess water.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cauliflower and all the other ingredients.
- On a pizza stone (or baking pan), flatten out the mixture to make a crust about ¼“ thick.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until lightly golden and dry to the touch.
- 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.
- 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:
- Blend everything in a Vitamix or blender until completely smooth.
- 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
Hi, I tried this recipe. My hubby and I loved it! 🙂
Awesome! So glad to hear it!