If you follow my blog then by now you should know that I’m big on the idea that sometimes all you need is a hint of a flavor to satisfy a craving. Does a cauliflower pizza crust taste like a real pizza crust? No, of course not! But it doesn’t taste like cauliflower. And with the right mix of spices and toppings, this recipe will help to alleviate any pizza cravings you might be dealing with.

The first time I made cauliflower pizza crust I actually thought that I would be able to pick it up and eat it with my hands, like a regular slice of pizza. That is not the case! You will need to eat this with a knife and fork.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded cauliflower
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup lowfat cottage cheese (you can use any cheese, but I think cottage cheese is healthiest)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt, to taste (I usually sprinkle the pizza with salt AFTER I’ve cooked the toppings)

Directions:

1. Shred the cauliflower into small crumbles using a blender or food processor.

2. Place the shredded cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it uncovered for 8 minutes. Give the cauliflower a chance to cool.

3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet or pizza pan with nonstick spray (or use a nonstick surface).

3. In a medium bowl, mix the cauliflower with the remaining ingredients.

4. Pat the crust on to a cookie sheet. I make my pizzas small and thin, so they cook well and it’s easy to remove them from the tray. But you can make them any size you wish.

5. Spray the crust lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove the crust from the oven. (I like mine to be crispy around the edges. It makes the crust more “solid” when it comes time to eat the actual pizza.)

Now that you’ve got yourself a healthy and delicious pizza crust, you’re free to make any type of pizza you like! You can stick with the basics and just add sauce and mozzarella cheese, or go crazy and make a white pizza or a Hawaiian. Just add your toppings and throw the pizza in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

Oh, one thing I’ve learned – you should cook any veggie topping before you put the pizza in the oven. The 5-10 minutes that the pizza is in the oven, well, that’s only to heat things up and melt the cheese. If you want soft veggies or cooked meat, you’ll need to prepare that beforehand. You can do it while the pizza crust is in the oven.

Enjoy!