I went a little nuts making cauliflower rice this week. It was just so easy and the possibilities seemed endless…and so exciting! After making turmeric spiced cauliflower rice, I still had a gigantic container of finely chopped cauliflower left. I’m always on the lookout for great kid-friendly ideas and came across this Cauliflower Rice Pizza Crust recipe on the Love and Lemons blog. I adapted it based on the veggies I had left in the fridge at the end of the week, and transformed it into a healthy version of vegetarian pesto pizza. This version of kale pesto below is one of my kids favorites and I’ve been making it for years and years. Everyone loved this pizza in my family – a definite keeper for the next time I go crazy with cauliflower and my food processor!
This crust is made from cauliflower, almond meal and eggs giving it an exceptional nutritional profile, and making it a great protein source in particular. Typical pizza crusts are made with refined carbohydrates offering very little nutritional value. This version, however, gives you the health promoting antioxidant power of cruciferous vegetables paired with the brain boosting heart healthy qualities of almonds. Unlike conventional pizza crusts, this crust also is super high in fiber, which promotes gut and intestinal health and helps the body get rid of excess cholesterol, hormones and toxins! No, this isn’t your ordinary pizza. The bonus? It also tastes super good…
Pesto Cauliflower Rice Pizza
Ingredients
pizza crust:
- florets from 1 large head of cauliflower yielding 4 cups ground “riced” cauliflower
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour or more if needed
- 6 eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- about 10 grinds of black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 5 Tbsp parmesan cheese
- olive oil
toppings:
- 1 small ball of mozzarella cheese sliced
- 1/2 fennel bulb sliced thinly
- 1/2 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 large kale leaves stemmed and chopped (optional, but I had a lot in the fridge!)
- kale walnut pesto recipe below
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
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In a food processor, put dry cauliflower florets. Pulse until it becomes a "rice" consistency.
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In a large bowl, put all pizza crust ingredients. Combine well. Using your hands, form two balls with the dough. Place each dough ball on a separate baking sheet. Pat each dough down, flattening it into a 1/4" thick pizza crust. Brush the top with olive oil. Bake the crust by itself for 15 minutes.
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Add mozzarella, asparagus and fennel slices on top of the crust. Brush vegetables with olive oil. Return pizza to oven and bake for another 7 minutes are so, until cheese is bubbling and vegetables are tender. Top with steamed kale (optional) and dollops of kale pesto. Garnish with chopped parsley!
Walnut Kale Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups kale stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted
- 3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
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Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until desired consistency (should have some texture to it and not completely smooth).