I was very happy when my neighbour gave me a piece of his cauliflower pizza to try. I knew that it was something my children would love and it is ideal for those following a gluten-free or grain-free diet – or just a healthier diet. We make this at least once a fortnight and the children love it. Having followed a gluten-free diet for a number of years, pizza was one of the things I did miss, so although this doesn’t taste exactly like ‘real’ pizza, it feels really good to be able to bring back pizza night. It is also a great dish for Meatless Monday, or whichever days you choose to eat less meat.
Cauliflower is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. It is extremely high in Vitamin C and an excellent source of Vitamin K and folate, choline, potassium, Vitamin B6 and fibre. Several dozen studies link cauliflower to cancer prevention, probably because of the high levels of antioxidants it contains. It is though high in fibre, which is considered very healthy but which may be problematic for some tummies.
Recipe tips
You can use whatever topping you would normally put on a pizza, choose your favourite. We like roasted pepper strips, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken and mozzarella, aubergine, grated vegetables and homemade meatballs on our pizzas. We made the pizza pictured without tomato sauce or extra cheese. Leave a comment below with your favourite topping.
Ingredients
For the pizza base
1 medium organic cauliflower (about 400 g)
120 g (1 c) organic mozzarella and/or cheddar cheese, grated
Dried and/or fresh herbs such as basil, oregano or thyme
1 egg
For the topping
Tomato sauce (for those in Sweden, we use ICA’s ‘I love Eco’ basil and tomato pasta sauce – or make your own)
1 yellow or red pepper, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Roasted chicken or thinly sliced homemade meatballs *optional*
120 g (1 c) organic mozzarella or cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated *optional*
Method
1. Preheat oven to 225°C/450°F.
2. Grate cauliflower with a cheese grater or blender so it resembles thickly ground flour or rice (‘cauliflower snow’).
3. Put inside a clean tea towel and wring out as much water as possible. If any water remains afterwards, pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
4. Add to a bowl with the egg, cheese and herbs and mix together until it forms a ball of soft dough.
5. Press it out tightly onto a baking sheet until it forms a pizza base a few mm thick and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until it is firm and starting to brown.
7. Meanwhile, sauté the onion and pepper strips in a pan until they are soft.
8. Remove pizza base from the oven and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Then add your toppings, starting with tomato sauce and finally the cheese.
9. Return it to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes.
10. Serve with a delicious salad.
Preparation: 10 min | Baking time: 20-25 min | Servings: 2-4
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