Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I have posted before my struggle to find something suitable for dinner when my uncle Tuck comes to visit! He is a diabetic with a strict diet.  Carbs are bad, and carbs are everywhere.  He can basically eat meat and cheese, which obviously doesn't meld so well with my usual meal plans!  This last visit, when he came into the house and asked what was for dinner, I was excited to say, "pizza."  Before he could panic that I was about to hand him a pizza crust and put him into a diabetic coma, I announced my plan to make both regular pizza (for the rest of us) and cauliflower crust pizza for him!  My friend Laura at work gave me the crust recipe and swore it was a good alternative to regular pizza.  So, here it goes!

This crust is gluten-free; it is made only from cauliflower, egg, goat cheese, oregano and salt!  I have heard horror stories of cauliflower crust that is mushy and soft and flavorless; that's not happening here. The goat cheese and oregano keep it tasting great, and it is somehow bizarrely bread-like.  Then there is the fact that you actually can pick this pizza up with your hands!  I could have baked mine a little longer, but the natives were getting restless and we wanted pizza, so I rushed it a bit, but it was still a great crust alternative.

Secrets include making sure you squeeze out as much moisture from the cauliflower as you can!  I used frozen and thawed cauliflower florets but fresh would be fine too; it just saved me the step of cooking it.  Squeeze it, mix it, bake it, flip it (this was a little bit scary but we did it as a group effort), bake it some more, and then top with your favorite toppings and bake one last time.

The end result was a beautiful pizza that was both tasty, gluten-free, low-carb, and enjoyed by diabetics and non-diabetics alike!  Definitely something to make again for my gluten-free and low-carb family and friends!

Recipe:

perfect cauliflower pizza crust
from Detoxinista
serves 2 - 4

Ingredients:
2 pounds cauliflower florets, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pulse batches of raw or thawed cauliflower florets in a food processor until a rice-like texture is achieved.

2) If you used fresh cauliflower, fill large pot with an inch of water and bring it to a boil.  Add the cauliflower rice and cover.  Cook for 4- 5 minutes.  Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.

3) Transfer strained cauliflower rice to a clean,t in dish towel.  Wrap up the steamed rice in the dish towel, twist it up, and squeeze all the excess moisture out.

4) In a large bowl, use your hands to mix cauliflower, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices.  Press the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Keep the dough about 1/3 inch thick, and make the edges a little higher for a crust effect.

5) Bake for 30 minutes, until top is dry and golden.  Then carefully flip the crust over and bake for another 10 minutes.  The crust should be firm and golden brown when finished.

6) To complete pizza, add sauce and toppings and bake for another 10 minutes.  Slice and serve hot.  Alternatively, allow to cool and slice to use as a flatbread for sandwiches!