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!

Skillet Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant.  It somehow took me about 28 years to figure this out, but now that I know it, I can't get enough of it.  Interestingly, I have never made any legitimate eggplant parm.  I think I'm scared.  I have become such a connoisseur of it and order it any time I see it on a menu.  I am afraid my own won't match up if I don't have the perfect recipe.  I keep making other eggplant parm-y things without attempting the real deal.  Maybe someday :)

For now, however this will do.  And it will do very well.  Because it is delicious.  And far healthier than a fried eggplant parm.  It gets roasted rather than fried (I think the name "skillet" eggplant parm is misleading; it sounds like it gets fried in a skillet; in fact, it gets roasted and then baked in a skillet - or any other baking dish).

There is nothing quite like roasted eggplant.  It's almost creamy, and so flavorful.  So imagine roasted eggplant, nestled in with tomato sauce, melted mozzarella, and freshly grated Parmesan.  Toss some fresh basil on top when you pull it out of oven, and you're done.   This is such a fast and easy - and dare I say healthy? - version of eggplant parm.  No breading, no frying.  If you're in the mood for eggplant, and you don't have enough time (or courage) to do the real deal, this is a great alternative.  Make some spaghetti and serve both and you have an Italian feast.

I've made this recipe twice.  It's a good meal for people who are on gluten-free or low carb diets, which happen to include lots of the people in my family.  It's also just downright delicious no matter what you are eating or not eating.  Just make sure your diet plan includes this roasted eggplant parm this week.

Recipe:

skillet eggplant parmesan
from Annie's Eats
serves 6

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants (about 3 pounds total), sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/4 cups tomato sauce
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Lay the eggplant slices on baking sheets in a single layer.  Brush lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, flip and repeat on the other side of all the slices.  Roast, flipping halfway through the baking time, until slightly soft and golden brown, about 35 minutes total.  Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

2) Spoon 1 1/4 cups of the tomato sauce in a large deep sauté pan.  A casserole dish works just as well.  Layer half of the eggplant slices evenly in the pan.  Sprinkle with a third of the grated Parmesan and half of the mozzarella.  Spread another 1 cup of sauce over the cheese, the remaining eggplant slices, another third of Parmesan and the remaining mozzarella.  Top with the remaining Parmesan.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbling.

3) Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.  Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm.