Cauliflower pizza crust!

I found this recipe on Pinterest. It comes from the Fat Girl in a Skinny Body blog, you can check it out here.

I had tried another recipe for cauliflower crust that was a total fail—it didn't stay together at all and I couldn't get it onto a plate without the whole thing turning into a pile of mush. This one promised to be a better cauliflower crust and it really delivered. We love it and it's a great substitute for a dough crust if you're cutting down on carbs.

Cauliflower Crust
Makes 4 individual pizzas

2 eggs
2 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups riced cauliflower (grate the cauliflower on a cheese grater)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh julienned basil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine riced cauliflower, basil, eggs and mozzarella. Divide into 4 amounts and press evenly on the parchment paper (you can omit the basil or substitute it for others herbs of your choice).

Bake the crusts at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
(I like 15 minutes.)

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and add desired toppings.

Fat Girl in a Skinny Body recommends marinara, sliced zucchini and onions, and basil ricotta. Check her post for details.

I've made it this way and it was quite good, but Marc wasn't really a fan of the ricotta on top. So this time, I made a Thai chicken version:

1 T. sweet chili sauce on each pizza; red onion strips; diced, cooked chicken; peanuts; more mozzarella on top; and a little cilantro sprinkled on after it bakes. Yum! I'm going to make a barbecue chicken or Hawaiian version next time.

Sweet Potato and Brie Flatbread

(Recipe from Real Simple website)

1 pound frozen pizza dough, thawed (I used Marc's fast & easy dough)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
8 sprigs fresh thyme
4 T. olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
4 oz. Brie, sliced (I removed the rind)
2 t. red wine vinegar
4 cups mixed greens (I used arugula)

Heat oven to 425º. Shape the dough into a large oval or rectangle and place on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato, shallots, thyme, 3 T. of the oil, 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper. Scatter over the dough and top with the Brie slices. Bake until gold brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, remaining T. of oil, and 1/4 t. each salt and pepper. Toss with the greens and serve with or atop the flatbread.

So delicious!

Marc's easy pizza crust

Marc has made some crazy-time-intensive pizzas out of the California Pizza Kitchen cookbook. They are delicious, but for a quick weeknight dinner, we stick to his fast and easy crust. (again, I watched him once and forced him to approximate a recipe)

1 cube of fresh active yeast (he learned to make this on his mission -- these are about 1/2 oz., so I think we use about a tablespoon of dry yeast)
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 T. olive oil
flour

Place yeast in a large bowl and add warm water and sugar. Stir with a fork to dissolve and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add salt and olive oil and stir. Add enough flour to form a thick dough. Knead lightly to mix and form into a ball.

Oil and flour pizza pan (or sprinkle cornmeal). Press ball of dough in center and press out to the edges.

Bake about 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Three favorite easy pizzas:

-- Spread barbecue sauce on your crust. Top with diced or shredded chicken, green pepper, red onion, and monterey jack cheese.

-- Spread sweet chili sauce on your crust. Top with diced or shredded chicken, red onion, and other veggies like sweet peppers and/or bean sprouts, peanuts, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro after baking.

-- Make a simple sauce with tomato paste, a little bit of milk and crushed red pepper flakes. Top with sliced fresh tomatoes, then add sautéed onion and bell pepper. Top with pineapple and mozzarella.