Cauliflower crust - my new vehicle for all things pizza and sandwich!

As a gluten-free girl, or anyone interested in lowering their starchy carb intake, pizza and bread is usually a big time no-no. I'm not a big low-carb or gluten-free tortilla wrap person because honestly I need more flavour than that! I could use those wraps in a pinch, and sometimes I will make up a batch of savoury crepes to use as wraps, but I needed more - and more importantly I needed to find a way to bring pizza back into my life in a healthy way. Enter: cauliflower.

This recipe is a bit more cooking intensive than what I usually post, but I love it and it's great for those nights when you really feel like indulging but don't want to go astray from your nutrition program. Also, once you've made it one time, it gets easier every time! Now it's a breeze to make some up while I'm prepping other things in the kitchen.

**WARNING: If you're expecting a crispy-flour-like pizza crust, this recipe won't give you that. The texture is different, but incredibly tasty - even my Italian husband said he'd happily have this pizza over his favourite take-out option! We like it best when making smaller pizzas (even in mini-loaf pans or little pizza bits in muffin trays) and is a great option for cooking with kids! The kids can help to form the crust in the pan, and top their own little pizzas! It's a great Friday night activity for the family, or a fab option for Saturday night date night! Not to mention...it's healthy!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
this recipe makes 3 pie-pan sized pizzas (or 12 mini-loaf pizza squares!)
Calories per pie-pan sized pizza crust: 188! carbs: 7g; protein: 16g; fat 10g - add some veggies on top and a salad on the side and it's a perfect meal!

Ingredients:
- 3 cups of 'riced' cauliflower (made from approximately 1/2 medium head of cauliflower)
- 4oz part skim mozzarella, grated
- 2 eggs, beaten
- oregano
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil (to brush/spray on the crust)

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1/2 medium head of fresh cauliflower, and grate it with a cheese grater. (Use the medium grate-size - it should look like little fluffy bits of cauliflower!) Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 6 minutes - no water required! The cauliflower will steam iteself!


Directions
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Spray pie plates or mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.
3) In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups cauliflower, 2 eggs and grated mozzarella. Add oregano, garlic, salt & pepper and stir to mix.

4) Transfer to pie plates/mini loaf pans and using the flat side of a spoon, press mixture into the pans until smooth. *Note: the thinner the crust the better. You want it to fully cover the pan so there aren't holes, but if you make it too thick it will wind up being mushy.
5) Spritz the top of the crust with olive oil.

6) Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes on the middle rack, then switch the oven to broil on max and let cook for another 5-10 minutes on the top tack to brown the crust.
7) You can stop here and start assembling your pizza...BUT if you want the crust to be crispier, using a spatula/flipper, flip over the pizzas and put back into the oven on broil for another 5-10 minutes (until desired browness is acheived).
8) When you're happy with the crust crispy-ness take it out and top with your favourite pizza toppings - tomato sauce, cheese, sauteed veggies, chicken, etc. Put back into the over for approx 5 minutes on broil!

Take it out and love it!

If you made more crust than what you want to eat at that meal, take the crust, let cool and then keep in the refrigerator. Then when you want to use it, just add your pre-cooked toppings and broil to heat :)

You can also use the mini-loaf crusts for open-faced heated sandwiches and for making great bite-sized appetizers when you have guests over!