Who’s in the kitchen Low-fat, gluten free cauliflower pizza

While in a supermarket in Brooklyn the other day, I spotted a package of “cauliflower pizza.” Not sure which was more eye catching, pizza made of cauliflower or the price, $24. Granted, there were four pieces in the package, but they were thin and about 3” x 5”; I could have eaten all four by myself. Of course, wasn’t sure I would actually want to. Do not get me wrong, I love cauliflower and I love pizza, but not sure why I would want cauliflower crust pizza. I am sure it was probably less caloric than regular pizza and of course gluten free, but so is cauliflower, steamed or stir fried with some chicken or fish. Still, there must actually be a market for it, I thought; otherwise, it would not be in stores.

So that night, there I was on my trusty 12-year-old desktop googling cauliflower pizza crust. Yes, I know, I should enter the 21st century as my daughter Jordana always tells me, and use a laptop, but hey, I am a creature of habit. I do not like change. I am still traumatized from giving up my blackberry and switching to an iPhone. I must admit I liked the idea of speaking into the phone and having “Siri” type out my texts. That was until I realized I had to speak ten times slower than normal so that she would understand me. Most people understand me when I just speak five times slower (I have friends who replay my messages on slow speed.)

So I started speaking much slower. I figured if I could get my husband Jerry to understand me I could teach Siri. When we were first married, Jerry called from the supermarket and asked if I needed anything. I rattled off a list of five items. He came home with three. I asked him if they were out of the other two. He replied, “You spoke so quickly, I was only able to make out three items.” Within a week of getting my new phone, I thought I had the hang of it, but I found myself tapping my computer screen and wondering why it wasn’t responding, and when on my husband’s blackberry the other night I started talking into it to dictate a text.

Jerry looked at me and said, “Who are you talking to and why are you speaking so slowly?” At that point, I thought if I could talk to a cell phone computer named Siri, tap on a screen and basically make it come to life, I might as well try cauliflower pizza. I was shocked to learn there were dozens of cauliflower crust pizza recipes. Gluten-free, it seems, has gone viral. When researching, I learned that only a small percentage, 1% of the 15% that stock up on gluten free food, actually have gluten intolerance.

Over the last few years, gluten-free product sales soared to $2.64 billion. General Mills’ Chex cereals are now gluten-free and many other brands have followed suit.

A gluten-free diet can have its merits, I have learned. People feel less bloated and say their digestive system works better when not eating as much gluten. I guess that is why after Pesach, all those gluten free cake mixes, pastas and snacks do not end up on sale for a tenth of their original price, as they used to years back.

So I decided to try my hand at making this new pizza alternative. Why go through the hassle of making it before I even knew if I liked it? Simple--I always say, “why spend a fortune when you can make it yourself for less.” One year, when my daughter was 14, she handed me a mother’s day gift with a handmade card that read, “I was going to order those fancy inscribed customized M & M’s for you, mom. Then I thought, what would my mom say? She would say,”Why spend $40 when you can make them yourself for $5.” I smiled and then broke into laughter when I opened the box. Inside were dozens of M & M’s all inscribed with “I love you mom,” “love Jordana” or “best mom ever.” Every last one printed with a sharpie marker, by Jordana. Six years later, I still have them in a bowl, sealed in plastic in my kitchen. Sometimes she does listen when I speak.

Cauliflower Pizza

Ingredients for crust

Makes two 10 inch pizzas – 6 slices each

Crust:

4 cups shredded cauliflower

2 eggs

2 cups finely shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

2 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Topping:

1 cup pizza or marinara sauce of your choice

1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Topping of choice. I like to use spinach, onions and tomatoes, sautéed in Pam.

Directions

Remove stem and leaves from cauliflower.

Chop florets into chunks. Place chunks into a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower looks like grain. Make sure not to over pulse, as you don’t want to puree it. Cauliflower can be grated if you do not have a food processor. One head of cabbage yields about 4 cups.

Preheat the oven to 450°, and spray 2 half sheet pans, or pizza pans generously with non stick spray, as these crusts tend to stick.

Using paper towels, squeeze the excess water out of the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower in a mixing bowl and combine with eggs, mozzarella, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Mix until well combined. Place the “dough” on the baking sheets or pans and press each into a 10-inch round crust. Lightly spray the crust with nonstick spray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the crusts from the oven and turn the heat to broil. Spread the sauce on top of the crusts, leaving a 3/4 inch border around the edge. Sprinkle mozzarella and your choice of toppings. Return pizzas to the oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut each pie into 6 slices and serve hot. I experimented and froze one pie once it was cooled. It heated up very well the next day.