Food! It's What's for Dinner!: Yummy Pizza Goodness With Fewer Carbs and Half the Guilt

This year I moved to an area that had more restaurants than the whole north eastern side of the state where I moved from. Among these were not one but two of each of my favorite Pizza places; Abbey's and Pappa Murphy's. The first month after moving in, I indulged in grabbing one of those bad-boys with extra cheese every time I had to go into town with every intention of laying off once I got settled. But over the next several months, as life threw several more curve-balls and the stress amped up, I found myself giving into the pizza cravings to the tune of at least two extra large ones per month. This translated to pizza for almost every meal for two weeks a month! To top it off, my job change had me tied to a desk most of the summer. My activity level at worked tanked, and my activity level at home wasn't much better.

Luckily, I clued in before getting to the point of having to look into larger uniform pants, but not before undoing a lot of work I had put into myself last year. I managed to break it off with my pie-dealers but the cravings were still strong...And that's when I found love in an unexpected place...

CAULIFLOWER!!!

Thanks to the joys of the internet and the trending health fad, I have discovered that cauliflower isn't just for dipping into cheese! Several rounds of experimenting and I have perfected my Caulizza! While it's not real pizza, it definitely hits the spot on the weekend and leaves one feeling guilt free to enjoy your favorite Alcoholic Beverage.

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cauliflower
1 Egg (2 for a fluffier crust)
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
Garlic Cloves
1/2 Tbls Dried Oregano
1/2 Tbls Dried Parsley
1/2 Tbls Dried Basil
1 Tbls of Olive Oil
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Your Toppings of Choice

Cut the head of the cauliflower into small chunks, throw it into a food processor and crank that baby up till the cauliflower is about the consistency of cous cous. Then put it into a microwave safe bowl and nuke for 5 minutes....OR..if you are like me and don't like scrambling your food, throw it in a strainer and steam over a pot of boiling water for 6 minutes.

While waiting the cauliflower grate about a cup of Mozzarella, 1/2 a cup of Parmesan, and I like to throw in about 1/3 or so of a cup of chedder. This I also throw in the food processor and dice it till its nice and evenly crumbled. Also dice one or two garlic cloves in the mixer.

Once the cauliflower is done steaming (or nuking) put it in the middle of some paper towels or tea cloth and wring the residual water from it. This is very important! I usually throw it back in the mixer for a few minutes till it's consistency is close to mashed potatoes.

Throw it in a mixing bowel with the cheese, herbs, and baking soda and powder. Throw the egg(s) in the mixer for a couple of minutes before adding. Now get your hands in there and moosh it all together. At this point I usually throw in some ground flax seed and a tbsp oatmeal and sorghum flour. I have made this recipe with and without. I like the flax for the added fiber, and think the flours make it a little denser, but otherwise don't notice much difference one way or the other.

Now get your hands in there and mix it UP!

The dough should have a loose, wet consistency, but it shouldn't be runny. Preheat your oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper greased with olive oil or butter. I like to sprinkle a little it of Parmesan on paper for some added flavor. Roll the dough into two balls (or just one if you want one large pizza) and flatten.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are browning slightly and the center has risen and is firm.

Now add your favorite ingredients! Another note: things like mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, etc have a high moisture content. I usually grill these a little before adding as the extra moisture will make the crust soggy.