Pizza... (kind of)

There is definitely no better way to spend your saturday night than eating pizza and watching mean girls.

My best friends have decided to give up gluten for lent and dominoes is really expensive when it's not tuesday so I was a bit stuck as to how I was going to get my pizza fill, until I stumbled across the recipe for cauliflower-crust pizza. I was more than dubious at first. But let me tell you - it's deeeelicious.

It is definitely not a healthier option as it is fully laden in cheese. But cheese is dreamy... and so is this.






Pre-heat your oven to 220C /430F.

Start with your cauliflower. Cut off the stems until you are left with the heads.

Now you can grate it or if you're feeling fancy, food-process it. We used a soup hand-blender and a fair bit of elbow grease......

Then I forgot to take photos because I was over excited (I also forgot to turn off my camera's bright effect which means the next few photos are preeeetty garish. Apologies).

So next, put the cauliflower in the microwave for four minutes.

While that's cooking away, get on with your cheese grating.

When the microwave pings, tip the cauliflower out onto a tea towel. Leave it on the towel to cool for about 3 mins.

While you're waiting, get your toppings ready - we sliced up some mushrooms.

Then we gather up the edges of the towel, hold it over the sink and squeeze like there's no tomorrow. (That saying probably makes no sense in this context... I was going to make a gym/bulking joke but I'm not funny and neither is bulking.)

Once you've squeezed out as much liquid as possible out, put it back in your mixing bowl, add an egg, the mozzarella/cheddar combo, oregano, a garlic clove and salt. Mix them together and put it onto baking parchment. Make sure to really compact the mixture with the back of your spoon.

 Then shove it into the oven for 10 minutes.

Next is topping time. I poured on some tomato sauce from a jar... (cue really bright photos)

Sprinkled on some more mozzarella and cheddar....

 Added some pepperoni slices & some mushroom...

Then back into the oven they went for a further 5 minutes...

Cause we were feeling pretty fancy, we indulged in some bubbly...

Then you leave you leave the pizzas to cool for 5 minutes so that the cheese firms up and your hard work doesn't crumble before your eyes...

Really, really delicious. We are already planning our next attempt... perhaps adding some broccoli to the base, and maybe layering on some chicken, goats cheese, caramelised onions & a dash of balsamic. The most exciting of times.

This cost us about £4 each.

I made enough for three but will give you the amounts for one.

SERVES 1

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower Crust

• 1 cauliflower (with greens and stems trimmed away)
• 2/3 of a mozzarella ball
• a handful of grated cheddar
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 egg
• oregano
• Maldon sea salt 

Toppings

• Jar of tomato sauce for pizza
• 1/3 of a mozzarella ball
• a small handful of cheddar
• sliced mushrooms
• pepperoni slices

Bubbly

• Strongbow (very fancy stuff, only for special occasions)