Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Don’t turn up your nose!!! You have to try this if you love pizza ,,and even if you don’t care for cauliflower you are going to love this.Low carb and missing pizza? This is for you too… another recipe from pinterest, combined with a recipe posted in a group I am in, along with my own tips to make sure “you” get it right the first time… My son said he liked it more than “real” pizza”, and at 13, I would say that is the best review one can get.I do apologize in advance for not having all the pics I normally have. We were leaving to take my daughter back  to  college,and I wanted to make this for her before she left again for school.I was in a bit of a rush, but hopefully you can follow along.

• 1 medium cauliflower,grated
• 1 large egg plus one egg white,beaten well
• 1 C. shredded cheese,I used sharp cheddar this time ( I like to coordinate with the topping I am using)
• 1 clove garlic,minced
• 1 T. minced DRIED onion (no fresh- too much water)
• 2 t. dried oregano
• pepper to your liking
• pinch cayenne (optional)

Toppings

• 3/4 C. any sauce
• 3/4 C shredded cheese
• 10 olives,1/2 C mushrooms,sauted, diced tomatos, again anything,just like a regular pizza

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and make sure rack is in the middle. Clean cauliflower and dry well.Cut in quarters.This will break into florets. If you use a prcessor,size does not matter. I grated it by hand- just as easy, and no worries of over processing. You do not want mush.It should look like grains of rice.

Microwave for about 8 minutes. While cooling stir the cauliflower so it dries instead of steaming more. You can lie it on a paper towel,but I find  this messy. Spreading it out on a cookie sheet and baking it for about 3 minutes in the pre heated oven is the best method. Many recipes tell you to use the cauliflower raw. Don’t! There is just too much moisture in it and you will be disappointed. Once cooled add your beaten eggs,cheese and seasonings.I use my hands.

Line a stone with parchement.You can lightly oil it too, and sprinkle some cornmeal on is as well if you like. A rectangle cookie sheet it fine too for square slices. The art of cooking is to never get locked into one mode. Drop the “dough” in the center of the pan, and using your fingers  form the crust. Try to get it as even as possible,and make sure there are no little gaps in it.

Bake until very brown and crusty. Due to my rushing I neglected to take a pic of the baked pie before I added the toppings(Crust right out of the oven pic added 4-22-12,,it was a little thinner but still needed 20 minutes))..Checked at 15 minutes this went to  20 minutes before I felt like it was firm enough to hold the topping. Worst case scenario is you eat it with a fork! No big deal.But if cooked  long enough and not overloaded with toppings, you should be able to pick this up like a regular slice of pizza. I highly recommend keeping an eye on it in the last 5 minutes.Add sauce and toppings as soon as pie comes out of oven.

Put back in the oven for 5 minutes,or you can broil  until cheese is bubbly. I however tend to burn things under the broiler, so I use the baking method.Cut in 8 slices..very filling…

Does this not look like the real deal?

Braided Calzone

A picture of this has been floating around pinterest,though I never really found an exact recipe on the pics I clicked. I decided to try it out last night using up some of what I already had in the fridge.The possibilities are of course endless,wrapping your fillings up and braiding the dough like a gift of yummy goodness. Without a doubt, making your own dough would be a plus. Being the cook and not the baker a ball of ready made dough worked just fine and having prepped the fillings early in the day,was a thirty minute quick meal.

• 1 ball of pizza dough,enough for 12″ pizza
• 1/2 – 3/4  tomato sauce,depending on how “saucey” you like yours
• 1/3 lb. hamburger,browned,seasoned,and drained well
• 2-3 medium/large mushrooms,medium dice,sauteed
• 1 large sweet onion,sliced and carmelized
• 3 oz.fresh  (if available) mozarella
• 2-3 T. cornmeal

Dust your rolling surface with some cornmeal.Roll out your dough into as even a rectangle as possible,approximately 11″ x 14″.

Transfer your dough to your baking stone or sheet,which has been sprinkled with additional corn meal. My stone was a little short,so I ended up snipping some of the dough off the ends. Next time, I will use a rectangular baking sheet.Spoon your sauce down the middle,making a little street for the next layers to travel on.

On your sauce layer: ground meat,mushrooms,onions and cheese.

Using sharp kitchen shears, cut into your dough from the sides,but not going in as far as your filling. Fold up the bottom over filling.Cross each cut over your filling,alternating sides. (I apologize my picture of this did not come out-but when it is in front of you it is easy to figure out the pattern) I also tucked the end of each piece inside, next to the filling, so no little nubs were sticking out of the braid.Continue to the opposite side,fold the other end in over your last braiding.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack so bottom does not get soggy.

Slice with a sharp serrated edge knife and…enjoy. Whatever combiation filling you use,steak and cheese,Italian coldcuts,roasted veggies and cheese for  a vegetarian version, all the better wrapped in this blanket of  dough.

Now how cute is this? Jess and her family made this – stuffed with sauce, salami, pepperoni, ground beef, black and green olives,  onions, green peppers, provolone and mozzarella cheese.  Olive eyes and a green pepper mouth adds his personality!