White rice and pizza: what do these things have in common? If you guessed cauliflower, then you’re right! If you’re scratching your head right now and thinking, “What?” then this post is going to blow your mind.
You can use cauliflower to make rice. Yes, you read right. Cauliflower rice. It’s super-easy, delicious, good for you, and much lower-carb than actual rice. You can use it as a side to any meal you’d normally serve with white rice, like Chinese dishes, crock pot dishes, and more. There are also several different variations you can make depending on the flavors you want to impart.
As for the pizza, well, you can make the crust from cauliflower too! If you’re one of those Paleo people and miss your pizza with a passion, then miss it no more. You’ll be making delicious and nutritious pizza in no time.
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Cauliflower Rice
Basic Cauliflower Rice Recipe
The main things to remember with cauliflower rice are:
1) Get the cauliflower into small pieces;
2) Season it; and
3) Sauté it.
Getting the vegetable into the proper-size pieces requires either a cheese grater or food processor. Wash the head of cauliflower first and pat it dry. Grate or pulse until it’s the size of rice grains. Next, heat some oil of your choice (coconut or olive oil works well), sauté for four or five minutes, and then season with salt and pepper.
Onion and Garlic Cauliflower Rice
Prepare your cauliflower exactly the same as the basic recipe but sauté half an onion and one to two cloves of garlic (minced) in the oil before you add the cauliflower.
Lime Cilantro Cauliflower Rice
This is a great side dish to anything Mexican. Follow the above directions to prepare the cauliflower for cooking. As the cauliflower cooks, juice a lime and zest it, and chop up half a cup of fresh cilantro. Mix these ingredients, along with two tablespoons of butter and salt and pepper to taste into the cauliflower just before serving.
Curry Coconut Cauliflower Rice
This is a great accompaniment to Indian or Thai dishes. Prepare your cauliflower rice as normal and then stir in between two tablespoons and half a cup (depending on the amount of “rice” you have) of full-fat coconut milk (pick one without all the additives) and a teaspoon of curry powder. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix it all together.
Cauliflower Rice Pizza Crust
This is one of those things you’ll have to taste to believe. The steps to making it are pretty basic: make your cauliflower rice, let it cool, and then squeeze all the water out. Getting the water out is the secret to the crust, so don’t leave out that step! Then you’ll add the other ingredients, press it into a crust shape, bake it, top it, and bake it again. Here are a few different variations.
Basic Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Basic Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower (you need about four cups worth once it’s processed)
- 1/3 cup grated mozzarella
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano OR Italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon of salt (do not include this if the seasoning blend contains salt)
- ¼ teaspoon of pepper
1. Preheat your oven to 450F, with your baking stone or pizza sheet in the oven to heat. Prepare your cauliflower but make sure all of the pieces are totally dry before you process them into smaller pieces. Sauté in a dry pan or microwave without water for about seven minutes. After it is cooked, transfer it to a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. If you don’t get enough water out, your crust will be soggy.
Tip: get a sheet of parchment paper ready and spray it with olive oil or whatever you use as non-stick spray.
2. After you get the water out, add the other ingredients and mix well. Spread out onto your prepared baking stone or pizza sheet and bake for 8-15 minutes or until it is golden. Cooking time will depend on how thin you’ve made the crust. Take out the crust, top it with your favorite toppings, and broil until the cheese on top melts.
Variation #1
Prepare your cauliflower the same as in the basic recipe above, but instead of using mozzarella cheese, use soft goat cheese. Do everything else exactly the same.
Variation #2
Instead of mozzarella cheese, use ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese for even more cheesy goodness. Also, in addition to the other basic ingredients, add half a teaspoon of garlic powder. Press this all down onto your prepped parchment paper. Make sure it’s nice and stuck together. Use a cutting board to slide the parchment paper and crust onto your heated baking stone or pizza sheet and bake.
Variation #3 (Cheese Free)
If you don’t use cheese you can still make this pizza crust! Do everything exactly the same, except add two tablespoons of almond flour and up to one tablespoon of olive oil to help bind it. If you use nutritional yeast, add a bit (up to one tablespoon) for flavor. You may need a bit longer for your cooking time.
Ideas For Toppings
Honestly, you can put whatever you want on your pizza, but some great ideas for toppings are:
- Pulled pork, caramelized onions, red and green peppers, and BBQ sauce;
- Chicken breast, sliced cashews, korma sauce, mozzarella cheese, and cilantro for garnish;
- Homemade pizza sauce, pesto sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and pepperoni;
- Bacon, mushrooms, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and pizza sauce;
- Ham, pineapple, mozzarella cheese, onions, and pizza sauce;
- Cooked grass-fed ground beef, taco seasonings, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, hot sauce, and green onion for garnish;
- Pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, green pepper, onion, hot banana peppers, pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese;
- Pesto, chicken, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, artichoke hearts, red onion, Parmesan cheese;
- Chicken, sautéed onions, BBQ sauce, grilled red peppers, and mozzarella cheese;
- Olive oil and curry powder “sauce,” mozzarella, kale, mushrooms, smoky meat, and onions; and
- “Thousand island dressing” (make your own), sauerkraut, pastrami or corned beef, and Swiss cheese.
Enjoy! [author_bio name=”yes” avatar=”yes”]
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