Pizza, obviously, is a big no-no during South Beach Phase 1, but I have been craving pizza something fierce lately, so I was determined to find some kind of a crust that we could eat. After about a half hour on the Internet, I found a recipe for flax-seed meal crust. Perfect! I thought.Unfortunately for me, our Fred Meyer's doesn't carry flax-seed meal (just the seeds) and the local health food store is closed all day Sundays. So what's a girl to do?
Improvise, improvise, improvise!
I went back to square one and found an online recipe for pizza using cauliflower as the crust. Wild! I thought, and totally South Beach approved! The original recipe called for more cheese than I had on hand, but I decided to wing it anyway using the ingredients I had in my refrigerator.
So, here's the version I came up with...although I think it will need to be tweaked some time in the future. The crust had the consistency of mashed potatoes and I didn't have enough soy flour to balance it out. I'm also thinking that a harder cheese like Parmesan might help the crust hold together better next time. The only other thing about this recipe I don't like is the long baking time. Due to the consistency of the "dough" it takes a while for the cauliflower crust to dry out well enough to emulate pizza crust.
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Makes 1 12-inch pizza; about 6-8 servings
1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/4 cup soy flour (I would increase to 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on the size of your cauliflower)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese (or Parmesan)
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. marjoram
Boil or steam cauliflower florets until tender. Process with olive oil in a food processor until smooth (this may need to be done in two separate batches). Combine pureed cauliflower, soy flour, cheese, and spices in a medium mixing bowl and blend well. The batter will be thick, but spreadable. Grease a pizza pan well and spread mixture on the pan. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees, or until firm to the touch. Add whatever sauce or toppings you desire. Return to the oven for approximately another 10-15 minutes.
Blessed be!
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