The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I know what you're thinking!  I thought the same thing.  Disgusting.  However, the comments/reviews showed that it was actually quite yummy, and I figured...I'm always up for trying a new pizza recipe, esp one that's lower in carbs and fat than the regular recipe.  A veggie too?  Well heck, you could even call it healthy.  I warned Shannon: this is not pizza.  This is a cauliflower dish.  That way, he wouldn't be mad when it didn't taste like pizza.  Amazingly enough - after his first bite, his response was surprise.  He had three helpings, and asked for me to make it again the next day.  He even said he thought he liked it better than regular pizza crust.  That's what I call a successful meal!

ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked, smashed/riced cauliflower
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for crust)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• pizza sauce
• olive oil (optional)
• 1/2 pd lean ground beef (or your choice of meat topping) cooked
• Tomato sliced
• Light mix Italian or Cheddar Cheese

directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Steam until soft, then mash with potato masher until pieces are tiny, nearly the size of grain rice.  It doesn't matter if you have a few larger chunks.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings (mine was cooked lean ground beef and a tomato) and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

*reminder that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Happy Eating Friends!~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement- Healthy & Hearty Pizza

I love me some good pizza, that's just all there is to it.  However, if I eat crap, I gain weight...and lets face it folks...pizza is full of crap.  So... I decided to come up with my own recipe where my family and I could still enjoy the popular entree.

4- Whole Wheat Pitas or 2- whole wheat pre-made pizza crusts (sometimes Walmart has the pre-made)
1- Jar pizza sauce (I get Walmart Great Value brand, less sugar then most of the others)
1- Pd Lean Ground Beef
8-White mushrooms, sliced
1-Can of Artichoke hearts, the hearts pulled into smaller chunks
4- Roma Tomatos or a few cherry tomatoes, sliced
1-small onion, diced
1/2-Cups of Cheddar Cheese
1/2-Cup Mozzarella Cheese
(any other veggies your family may enjoy, go ahead and substitute.  I wouldn't suggest not using the tomatoes though, they are amazing baked on this pizza)

Preheat oven to 375, and brown the ground beef.  If your family doesn't like onions unless they are cooked, go ahead and throw them in with the beef.  I like them a bit crisp tender, so I add them later.  Smother the pittas or pizza crust with the pizza sauce, then add the ground beef, to cover.  Add all the vegetables, spread out.  Then, slather with the cheese....and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese and veggies are cooked, and the crust is cooked to your liking.

My entire family LOVES this dish.  Because I just started really serving it with the artichoke hearts, Callie still picks them off...but I still cook it with them, hoping eventually she'll just eat it :)
Happy Eating Friends!!  ~ Trina