
Its a really tasty way to get more vegetables into the diet and it is a great gluten free alternative for pizza. Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable – same family as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts - high in powerful antioxidants – so it is detoxifying and anti-ageing! Here are just a few things it is good for:
- Immune system - high in vitamin C and anti-inflammatory & antioxidants
- Bone health - boron – which helps calcium be absorbed into bones
- Digestive health - high in fibre so it helps move things along in the digestive tract
- contains sulphorophane, a powerful antioxidant which can reduce the incidence cancers particularly prostate and breast as it helps modulate oestrogen metabolism.
- also helps prevent bacterial overgrowth in gut and protects the gut lining – so it is gut healing as well.
This recipe is adapted from Louise Fulton Keats “Something for Everyone”, Thermomix cookbook - which I highly recommend as a great resource for family meals.
I often make a double batch and freeze half with a piece of baking paper between each pizza base.
Ingredients
500g cauliflower (about 1 average sized cauliflower)
80g parmesan, roughly chopped
1 egg
60g tomato paste/tomato passata (I use my home-made tomato passata)
8 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4-5 strips of sulphite free - free range bacon (optional)
olive oil
3 small bocconcini
1 -2 basil sprigs, leaves only
Method
Thermomix: Place cauliflower into the mixing bowl and chop 4 sec/sp 5. Transfer to a large baking dish and bake in oven for 15 mins to dry out, stirring once or twice during the cooking time to prevent burning. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Place parmesan into mixing bowl and chop 20 sec/sp 7. Scrape sides of bowl and add the cauliflower and the egg and mix 6 sec / sp 6, scrape down sides and repeat.
Spread the cauli mixture onto baking paper forming 3 small pizzas – about 8mm thick. Bake in oven for about 20-25 mins until light golden.
Food processor: Place cauliflower into bowl and pulse until it is like cauliflower rice. Transfer to a large baking dish and bake in oven for 15 mins to dry out, stirring once or twice during the cooking time to prevent burning. Set aside and let cool slightly.
Process parmesan until finely grated. Scrape sides of bowl and add the cauliflower and the egg and mix until well combined.
Spread the cauli mixture onto baking paper forming 3 small pizzas – about 8mm thick. Bake in oven for about 20-25 mins until light golden.
Both methods:
Remove from oven, spread tomato passata, scatter mushrooms, chopped bacon and bocconcini or your choice of toppings, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 8-10 minutes. Scatter basil leaves and serve.