By Christine Salins.
The humble cauliflower is certainly having a star moment right now. And why not? It’s a super nutritious vegetable, tastes delicious and can be transformed into everything from hearty soups to ‘rice’, pizza bases and cauliflower ‘steaks’.
The recipe here for Cauliflower Pizza Crust is a great one to get the kids to help with (and brilliant for keeping them entertained if in lockdown or they are complaining of being bored).
It comes courtesy of Sydney Markets, which has a program called Fresh for Kids focused squarely on getting kids to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. The program was developed in 1997 to help combat the alarmingly low levels of fresh fruit and vegetable consumption amongst primary school aged children.
Kids are more likely to eat a dish if they have had a hand in creating it, so this is a great way of encouraging them to eat more fresh veg. The cauliflower pizza crust is easy to make, healthy and naturally grain-free and gluten-free. It’s suitable for anyone who wants to be able to enjoy a pizza while following a low-carb or food combining diet.
It’s a simple blend of cauliflower, eggs, almond meal and cheese, flattened and baked into a golden crust. It can be frozen for later use or topped with fresh ingredients for a healthy dinner. Try the Margarita topping here or encourage the kids to come up with their own toppings – the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Cauliflower Crust Margarita Pizzas
Makes 2 large pizzas
Ingredients:
Cauliflower pizza crust:
700g cauliflower florets (about 1 medium cauliflower)
¾ cup almond meal
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
Pizza topping:
1 cup thick tomato passata sauce
200g mini roma tomatoes, halved lengthways
2 x 180g tubs bocconcini cheese, drained and torn in half
¼ cup finely grated parmesan
Basil leaves, to serve
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.
To make the cauliflower pizza crusts, pulse the cauliflower, in batches, in a food processor until it resembles fine crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl. Add almond meal and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Make a well in the centre, add eggs and stir until well combined. Evenly divide cauliflower mixture between 2 large (30cm) pizza trays lined with baking paper. Firmly press the cauliflower mixture onto the trays to form the pizza bases. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Increase oven temperature to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Dividing ingredients, spread each cauliflower base with tomato passata sauce. Top with tomatoes, bocconcini and parmesan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbling. Scatter with basil leaves and serve with toasted wholegrain bread.
Recipe courtesy of Sydney Markets Limited.
