Transforming ingredients

Pizza is my favorite food group.  All of the components of the food pyramid can be found in a single piece of pizza:  bread, dairy, vegetables, & meat.  You really can't go wrong with that meal, right??  Of course, our-ever growing health conscious society is always looking for ways to make this all-American dish low in sugar, fat, carbohydrates, & anything else that makes pizza delicious.  I do believe yours truly has found a way to make a fantastic carb-less pizza & still keep all the taste.  You, too, can do it by transforming a simple ingredient:  cauliflower.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Cauliflower.  Now, as a kid, the only way I would eat that vegetable is in my mamaw's kitchen, deep fried from Schwan's.  In fact, I would chase the Schwan's truck down the street to buy the breaded cauliflower & a box of root beer popsicles.  Now that I've grown into a mature adult, I've come to love cauliflower practically any way it is prepared:  steamed, creamed, roasted, pureed, & raw with ranch dip.  I've been searching blogs for dinner ideas lately, & I came across a recipe for a cauliflower pizza crust.  Really?  Made with cauliflower?  You don't say!!  I decided the rainy weekend would be the perfect time to give it a go.  Now, I tell you, I followed the online recipe to the T on the first go-round, & the crust was a flop.  I will NOT be including the pictures from that fiasco.  Once I recovered my patience, I gave it a second shot, & it was perfect.  Here is my recipe & simple instructions:

one cup cooked, riced* cauliflower
one cup grated cheese (I used cheddar)
one egg, beaten
salt
pepper
garlic powder
Italian seasoning

*To rice cauliflower, you simply chop the florets from the head & use a cheese grater or food processor to finely grate them.  It will look like rice in your bowl.  I grated an entire head, & it yielded a bit more than two cups.  . 

- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Once you rice the cauliflower, put it all in a microwave safe dish with 1/4 cup water, & microwave for six minutes, stirring halfway through.  Allow the cauliflower to cool in the refrigerator for AT LEAST one hour before using. 
- Combine one cup cauliflower & grated cheese in a medium mixing bowl, then stir in the egg.  Once that is well mixed, add your seasonings to taste.  I never use the same amount in my recipes, & only you know how much of each seasoning you prefer. 
- Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  You may also line with parchment paper, but spray it, as well, if you do.  Place cauliflower mixture on sheet & form into about a nine-inch round.  It is best to keep the crusts individual size, so you may double/triple the recipe as you see fit. 
- Bake at 450F for 12-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your crust.  I let mine go the full 20 minutes, as I like my crust to be crispy.  Do check on it in intervals, as oven times & temps vary.
- Remove crust from oven & top with your favorite toppings.  I used pizza sauce, sliced squash, onions, fresh spinach, & fresh mozzerela. Place pizza back in the oven on broil until cheese melts.

This pizza had delicious taste & none of the carbs.  You can use virtually any topping you want.  Next time I make this dish, I will take the crust off the cookie sheet & let it cool on a wire rack to allow it crisp up more on the bottom.  Domino's, Pizza Hut, & Papa John's are spending millions in marketing to revamp their image & come up with the perfect pizza.  You, dear friends, just need to dig in your pantry for some simple ingredients, & you will have the perfect 'new' pizza that's better for you, easier on your pocketbook, & your kids will never know they aren't eating bread.  That's a winner no matter how you slice it.