A few months back, a friend suggested I should try making a cauliflower pizza.  As a pizza lover, and I mean everything from stone-baked to Domino’s, I thought this sounded like a terrible idea.  Replacing the dough with cauliflower?  Surely that just wouldn’t be a good idea?  And how could you make it possibly stuffed crust?!?

I was very kindly gifted the Hemsley + Hemsley cookbook “The Art of Eating Well“.  As well as than just being a generally pretty read and making me feel a bit jealous that I am not one of the annoyingly beautiful and virtuous Hemsley sisters, this book is packed with tempting recipes.  Including, as luck would have it, their version of “Flower Power Pizza”.  It didn’t look too complicated (and I wanted to eat the picture which is always promising), so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  This recipe below is very minorly adjusted from their book.

Okay, I admit it.  I’m a convert.  That’s right, people: cauliflower pizzas work.  The sweetness of the cauliflower is a wonderful combination with the salty parma ham and creamy mozzarella I used as toppings.  I didn’t feel disgustingly bloated after eating it.  Although I can’t promise not to go back to Domino’s occasionally, I’m delighted to have added this much healthier version to my repertoire.

Ingredients: (makes 2 pizzas)

• Pizza base:
  • 280g cauliflower (about 1/2 a head), grated
  • 2 egg whites, beaten
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 80g wholegrain flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • salt and pepper
• Tomato sauce:
  • 3 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tins chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • salt and pepper
• Toppings (this is what I used – you can use anything you like):
  • 1 ball of buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
  • 6 chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 butternut squash, roasted
  • A handful of fresh spinach
  • 100g parma ham

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 C / gas mark 6.  Grease and line two large baking trays.
2. For the tomato sauce, fry off the garlic in the olive oil and then add all the remaining ingredients.  Simmer gently until the sauce is thick – it took me about 20 minutes. 
3. Put all of the pizza base ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix well with a spoon and then bring together to form a dough.  I found it easiest to use my hands for this. 
4. Divide the dough into two sections, and flatten each section into a pizza base shape on the baking trays.  Press down with the back of a spoon to get the dough thin and regular.  (I left them in the fridge at this point until I was ready to eat.) 
5. Bake the bases for about 20 minutes, turning after 15 minutes to cook both sides.  They should look light golden when ready. 
6. Spread the tomato sauce onto the bases and then top with the mushroom, butternut squash and mozzarella cheese (or whatever toppings you fancy using).  Bake again for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 
7. Add the spinach and parma ham.  Serve immediately. 

Caroline Crimson x