Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Do any of you have a weekly tradition?  I remember when I was in college “The Office” had just started and we would all meet in the common area every Thursday to watch it together.  Now MZ and I hit up a local restaurant for reverse happy hour every Thursday night at 8 for live music and split a wedge salad and fried pickles (although MZ usually looks at me with disdain as I peel off the dill infused breading and eat the pickle in its purest form).  But one NEW weekly tradition I started this year spans both of the aforementioned weekly rituals and combines my greatest loves… Reality TV, good food and even better company --- Monday “The Bachelor” Night!

I’ll admit I have never really been a big Bachelor/Bachelorette fan.  I am much more of a Bravo/E! person, but when my friend Jessica started a “The Bachelor” bracket and Susan suggested we meet at her house and have food and start late to be commercial free I said, “SIGN ME UP!”  Plus, Susan’s incredibly witty husband had hilarious aside comments (one of my favorites involved describing AshLee’s look to the wicked witch of the west) and we got to cuddle Jessica’s new adorable baby girl… AKA MZ holding her like a football because as she attests “When I have kids I think I’d just like to have them back when they’re two.”

One night I asked if I could test out a new recipe, mostly because I knew Susan owned a food processer and it was a necessary part of the recipe (sorry, I promise I wasn’t just “using” you, Suze!)  Plus it is gluten free and that worked with Susan’s dietary restrictions… done and done!  When I said I was making pizza with cauliflower I received some skeptical looks, but in the end all agreed it was DELISH!  What we didn’t agree with was Sean’s final choice … although we definitely appreciated Lindsay taking off her shoes and walking away while telling him to stop following her.  Can’t wait for next season … and the next recipe!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Servings: about 2 Servings

For the crust:
2 cups grated cauliflower (about 1/2 a head)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Dash of sea salt
For the topping:
3/4 cup of your favorite store-bought or homemade marinara sauce
1/2 cup of part skim mozzarella
Choice of cooked vegetables (optional)

Tools:
1 large baking sheet (about 11×18 inches)
Parchment paper

What to Do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a food processor, prepare the cauliflower by pulsing florets until they take on a grainy or grated texture.  Place 2 cups of the grated cauliflower into a clean, thin dish towel. Wrap it up in the middle and twist closed, squeezing out all the moisture.

Place the dry cauliflower into a bowl and add the yogurt, eggs, and spices.  Fold the mixture until everything is evenly combined.

Place the cauliflower “dough” onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread the mixture with your hands until it is about 3/4-inch thick. Tadaaah… you’ve got yourself some crust!

Bake the crust for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and firm enough to hold its shape.  Remove the crust from the oven and top with marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella, and your choice of veggies. (If using raw vegetables like we did, I’d suggest cooking them slight at first until they have the desired consistency since they won’t be in the oven much time.)

Pop the pizza back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted, take some to the couch in front of the tv and ENJOY!