The other day I was thinking out loud and my brain forced me to blurt out “cauliflower crust pizza I need you in my liiiiiife”. And clearly if I’m thinking about a particular food, I need to make it, or my brain will not be happy. And so I obliged. I made cauliflower crust pizza. And it was just as amazing as I thought it would be.
The reason I went with mini pizzas is because every time I try to make a full-size pizza, the crust always falls apart and I cry and curse and hit things.
So I went with mini pizzas this time. Thankfully, there was no foul language shooting out of my mouth when these babies were done. My husband was thankful.
I topped my pizzas with marinara, lentils, green peppers and a healthy dose of vegan parmesan cheese. The result? An easy to eat, healthy, gluten-free vegan pizza and makes my tummy happy. Success!
- Marinara Sauce
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1/2 chopped cucumber
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 cup water
- 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
- Cauliflower Crust
- 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 6 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- Soak your sun-dried tomatoes for at least 2 hours, then drain.
- Add all marinara ingredients to a food processor or blender and process/blend until combined.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Set aside.
- Place the cauliflower into a food processor (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how large your food processor is) and pulse until you get a rice-like texture.
- Add the cauliflower rice into a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower rice and allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, the the cauliflower rice and transfer to a large, clean dishtowel. Wrap it up and squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as you can. The more, the better.
- Mix together 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons water and set aside to thicken.
- Add the cauliflower to a large bowl, then add in the chia seeds, almond meal, salt, garlic, basil, oregano and flax egg. Mix well, then divide the mixture into about 12 balls. Form those balls into small pizzas and place on the baking sheet. Press together well so that the crust stays together when baking.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is dry and golden brown. Flip, and bake another 5-10 minutes.
- Then, add your toppings and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until everything is nice and warm.
Leave a Reply