cauliflower pizza "crust"

Well, I hate to do this to y'all, but I am going to have to give you two similar recipes two days in a row.  That's part of the trouble for cooking for one or two - you end up with a lot of leftover ingredients that have to be used before they go bad.  I can't stand throwing out good produce, so I try to use up my ingredients right away, lest I forget.

As I have said before, I am a bit of a pizza fanatic.  In fact, the day I unlocked the Level 3 Pizzaiolo badge on Foursquare was one of my proudest moments in recent memory.  And I would have been even prouder if it were somewhere respectable, but alas, I was at Pizza Movers.  At 2:30 in the morning.

So when I took this little challenge upon myself, I knew the "no pizza" part was going to be tough.  A few restaurants in DC make crust from gluten-free flours, but when my friend Meagan sent me a recipe for a cauliflower pizza crust, I was intrigued.  Meagan and I swap recipes often, and I'm always impressed with whatever she sends my way.  This overarching endorsement, however, is not to erase my skepticism regarding this particular recipe - the crust, of course, is make-it-or-break-it in a pie.

But, surprisingly enough, this crust is pretty good if you are fine with skipping the chewy, doughy goodness of a perfectly cooked pizza.  This cauliflower concoction definitely beats those amalgams of gluten-free flours with bizarre textures and sour aftertastes.  The first time Whitney and I made these pies for lunch, we had trouble with the consistency of the crust.  It was still a little soft, but we think that we didn't let the cauliflower cool down enough before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients.  It may have been a little soggy from the water that is released from the cauliflower while steaming, so be sure the cauliflower is completely cool and dry before mixing with the rest of the crust ingredients.

So instead of trying to shovel a limp pizza out of the pan onto a plate, we just ate them directly out of the pans. (I'm sorry, Mom!)  As soon as we bit into them, we realized that the consistency didn't matter - the flavor was just too good.  The crust didn't taste like cauliflower.  It didn't taste like pizza crust, either, but it definitely didn't taste like cauliflower, which is probably my least favorite vegetable.  Definite win.

For toppings, I usually like a traditional tomato base.  However, I was pressed for time and couldn't make my own from scratch, nor could I thicken up some spaghetti sauce with tomato paste (life-saving shortcut for pizza sauce, FYI) because the spaghetti sauce in my pantry contained sugar.  I did have some pesto on hand, so I used that.  Then, we loaded up on artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, roasted red peppers (me) and sausage (Whitney). 

Marginally-related tangent:  I like to make my own pesto, but basil is expensive and flavorless this time of year, so I took another shortcut with store-bought.  However, I'd definitely reccommend making your own - it is easy and so much better than store-bought.  In the summertime, I grow my own basil in my windowboxes, even though my apartment management has told me approximately 27 times that I am not allowed to have windowboxes on the second floor.  (To which I say, whatever.  I'd like to see a gust of wind that can blow my large, cumbersome windowbox off the ledge.  It made it through the hurricane last year without a problem.)  I am not particularly horticulturally inclined, but basil is impossible to kill, which is a good thing since Whitney always forgets to water it when I'm away :) 

Would we make it again?  Definitely.  To be sure, real wheat flour will always be my first choice, but this is a nice alternative.  And, this is super tasty the next day, and the crust hardens a bit, making it easier to eat with your hands.  (I looooove cold pizza for breakfast.  Not sorry.)  We used springform cake pans, but you may have better luck with just cooking it on a baking sheet - it will probably cook better and be easier to get onto a plate.  But overall, we chalked it up as a win. 

The one thing that gets me about this recipe is that the original one calls for an entire cup of shredded mozzarella.  ONE CUP!  That seems a bit excessive - even for me.  I reduced the mozzarella and used grated parmesan in lieu of part of it, which gives it a stronger flavor.  I'd be interested to see how we can get rid of even more of the cheese - I want my cheese ooey, gooey, and melted on top - not inside a cauliflower crust.  Something tells me white beans might work.  Do y'all have any ideas?!

Oh, I know some of you are having trouble commenting, but I can't figure out why blogger won't let you log in with your google IDs.  I'm sorry.  If you have questions, just email me.  Randi emailed me a slew of questions and it kinda made my week!

Also, when I posted this recipe on Facebook and Twitter with the caption "Don't be like me", it became my most visited page to-date.  I guess I know how to get you to read my blog...

Cauliflower pizza crust
Makes one eight-inch pie
Adapted from Recipegirl.com 

1/2 head of cauliflower
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoons oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.  Preheat oven to 450.
2.  Remove bottom part of cauliflower, where the stem has the green leaves coming out of it.  Chop cauliflower into smaller pieces and pulse in food processor until crumbly.
3.  Microwave cauliflower for about 5 minutes, until soft.  Let cool completely.
4.  Mix cauliflower in medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
5.  Form an eight-inch rounds on a greased baking sheet, or, as I did, a spring form cake pan.
6.  Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
7.  Remove from oven, top with desired toppings, and place under broiler for 30-60 seconds, until toppings are warmed through. Pin It Now!

pizza pizza!

It's the last Monday of Lent!  Only six more totally meat-free days!

Friday night one of my biffles, Brent, came up from Richmond to spend some time with some of us girls.  We were all too busy eating dinner to take pictures, so this is the only one I got (it's dark and from my iPhone, but you should have seen it before instagram made it better!)

So what did we eat?  Tax day left us all poor, so we wanted to stay at home.  My original intention was to host a make-your-own pizza night, but we eventually decided a potluck would be best.  My contribution was flatbread.  I had been wanting to make this carmelized onion and wild mushroom pizza, but I also wanted to make a pizza sauce from my leftover tomato paste.  Then, I remembered that Brittany is not wild about tomatoes, so I decided to get some pesto for a green pizza, too.  Because I am completely incapable of making tough decisions, I ended up with three flatbread "pizzas" - carmelized onion & wild mushroom; pesto, artichoke, tomato & mozzarella; and proscuitto & ricotta with tomato sauce (obviously I didn't eat this one). 

About the proscuitto di parma - that was a complete impulse buy at Whole Foods, likely stemming from how FOMO I was over the proscuitto from the previous week's Tarot card reading.  I was waiting for the pizza lady to bring me my pizza dough, and the proscuitto was screaming my name from behind the neighboring deli counter.  "Buy me, Maria.  I know I'm $22 a pound but I am so yummy and delicious and you only need a little bit.  And I know you can't eat me right now but think about how yummy I'll be once you can.  And don't worry, I'm cured with so much salt that I won't go bad between now and then.  You know you love me." 

So, in a desperate attempt to get the dead, talking Italian pig out of my head, I asked for a quarter pound.  And I talked to the butcher about how I gave up meat for Lent but that man, wouldn't proscuitto be nice on a pizza?  He told me what a nice friend I was for buying the proscuitto for my friends (nothing like a nice stroke of the ego at 4pm on a Friday to really get you ready for the weekend).  I, of course, told him that the real reason why I was buying it was not because I was nice, but that I wanted to live vicariously through them AND I was going to hoard the leftovers and cash them like Western Union once Lent ends.  He just looked at me like I was a nutcase as he weighed the beautiful meat.  I felt awkward.  The scale read 0.21 and I blurted out, "That's fine!  Thanks!"  I had to get out of there before I walked out with the whole meat counter.

I came home, tucked the proscuitto away, and got down to business.  I started the tomato sauce and let it simmer, got to work caramelizing the onions in butter and olive oil, and sauteed the mushrooms in a bit of white wine.  Later, I cut the ball of pizza dough into three sections, and Whitney and I rolled them out with a wine bottle, bringing back bad memories from my butternut squash ravioli nightmare).  

If you're ever making a pizza in the oven, just remember that high heat is your friend.  We preheated the oven at 500° (with the pizza stone inside) and, once we were ready to cook, cut the oven temperature down to 450°.  Be careful when you open the oven because I'm pretty sure my eyelashes almost caught on fire. 

Wild Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Pizza, adapted from Woodfire Grill's recipe on epicurious

makes one 6-ounce flatbread 

2 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced crosswise

4 ounces assorted wild mushrooms (I used a mixture of baby bello, oyster, and shiitake), cut into bite-sized pieces

3 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

1/2 cup white wine (I used a Chardonnay)

1/4 cup freshly grated Italian cheese (I used a mixture of asiago, parmesan, and fontina)

1.  Position rack in bottom third of oven.  Preheat oven to 500°F at least 30 minutes before baking and place pizza stone (or inverted baking sheet) in there while the oven is heating.  This allows for more fast and even cooking. 

2.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and two teaspoons garlic, sauté 4 minutes. Add wine and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  

4. Roll out pizza dough and reduce oven temperature to 450°F.  Remove preheated pizza stone or baking sheet from oven. If the baking sheet is rimmed, you may want to invert it and cook the pizza on the bottom.  You could line the sheet with parchment paper, but I think it would work fine without it.  In either case, sprinkle the sheet well with cornmeal or flour.  Carefully slide the rolled out dough onto the cooking device.  

5. Quickly drizzle the dough with one tablespoon olive oil and one teaspoon garlic.  Top with the onions and mushrooms.  Sprinkle grated cheese on top.

6.  Return stone to oven,  and bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

7.  Let pizza rest one minute, slice into wedges and serve. 

The second pizza was made with a store-bought pesto and topped with mozzarella, artichoke hearts, and cherry tomatoes. This one (and the proscuitto/ricotta/tomato sauce pizza with it in the picture) was placed on an inverted baking sheet.  As you can tell from the photo, I lined the sheet with parchment paper.  I had problems getting the pizza off the paper (or the paper off the pizza?) so next time I will probably leave it off and just make sure the sheet has plenty of cornmeal or flour on it.  For the tomato sauce, I used leftover tomato paste to make a sauce similar to the one I had eaten with breakfast, but added a few more ingredients and tasted as I went along.  The recipe is as follows:

40-day Vegetarian tomato sauce, re-tweaked
Makes about 3 cups

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
3 teaspoons garlic
7 tablespoons tomato sauce
5 ounces water (10 tablespoons, or about 2/3 cup)
15 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt & pepper, to taste

1.  Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until translucent and fragrant.
2.  Add tomato paste, water, San Marzano tomatoes.  Cook on medium-high, stirring well and crushing tomato paste into the water.  After five minutes, add Italian seasoning, dried basil, and sugar.  Stir well for another five minutes or so.  Once the sauce gets very hot and begins to bubble, cover and let simmer 20-25 minutes.  Adjust seasoning as needed. 

Whitney made a delicious Greek orzo salad with sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta, and parsley.  I was "taste-testing" it all day long!  Kate brought a delicious California salad - mixed greens with avocado, tomato, cucumber, and almonds, topped with balsamic.  It was crunchy and light and refreshing, the perfect complement to the flatbreads and Whitney's orzo.

And don't think we stuffed ourselves before dessert!  For dessert, Brent made some (tasty!) raw vegan cookies from oats, quinoa, coconut, peanut butter, agave, and vegan chocolate chips.  Y'all head over to My Sweet Natured Life to see the recipe! Brittany went all smitten kitchen on us and made an amazing blueberry crumble topped with ice cream, of course!

The rest of my weekend was low-key - spent some quality time with my mat at Hot Yoga DC and went on a long walk with Rae.  I also got a nice grilled vegetable burrito from Surfside on Sunday with some friends.  It's been a whirlwind of a Spring and there's even more on the agenda for the next several weekends.  Easter, NASCAR in Richmond, Gold Cup, UVA Riverboat Reception, Bollie's Graduation, Italy!!  It's wonderful to be busy.

Have a great week!

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when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, il Canale....

Admittedly, I am a bit of a pizza snob.  Don't get me wrong - I believe there is a time and a place for every type of pizza - from high-brow gourmet pies to a 3am heap of melted, cheesy goodness from Jumbo Slice in AdMo.  I sometimes like a cold slice of Papa John's for breakfast.  And, disgustingly enough, I have been known to polish off an entire Kavanagh's pizza in one afternoon, but let's not go there.  All-time low. 

In DC, gourmet pizza shops are a dime a dozen.  People rave about 2 Amy's, but I've always been a bit underwhelmed.  Their sauce is too thick and not quite zesty enough for me, and I think the crust is undercooked.   I am always happy with Matchbox and Pizzeria Paradiso, both excellent choices in my book for a quality pie with premium toppings.  However, when I really want pizza, there's only one failsafe place in my book - Il Canale.


Il Canale is a charming pizza restaurant that I stumbled upon last summer completely by mistake (another failure that ended up okay).  I was actually searching for another pizza restaurant, Fratelli La Bufala.  Unbeknownst to me, FLB was only in DC for a hot minute.  When I walked up to the shuttered door on 31st Street, a notice taped to the door revealed that they had moved out due to a lease dispute, and were apparently not planning on returning to the city.  An additional notice said that another restaurant, Il Canale, was to move in soon, and a few weeks later I checked it out.  The Georgetown establishment (I refuse to call it a "pizza joint") boasts my favorite type of 'za - the high-quality Neopolitan variety, complete with a D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) qualification.  Tim Cameron, I apologize for the blatant elitism in that statement, but just work with me on this one - D.O.C. pizza is one of a kind.  


Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are only two places you can find a D.O.C-certified pizza in the District - Il Canale and 2 Amy's.  The certification essentially means that the Italian government deems the preparation and ingredients "authentic" and respectful of the art of Neapolitan pizza making.  Similar certifications are common with wine, cured meats, and fine cheeses, and are not unique to Italy.  For D.O.C. pizza napoletana, the pie must be tossed by hand, prepared with authentic Italian ingredients (for example, San Marzano tomatoes and bufala mozzarella), and cooked in a wood-burning oven.  In fact, it takes less than 2 minutes to cook a pizza this way!  

I had the pleasure of dining last night at Il Canale when Whit's parents were in town.  Every time I go there, I'm reminded of why I love it.  First, it's never full.  This must be the best kept secret in DC!  I arrived a bit earlier than my fellow diners and was chatting with the pizzaiolo and watching him assemble one pizza after another.  That's the other thing about this place - the staff is so friendly.  I think they only have about three waiters on staff because I usually always get the same server, Ben.  The meal itself is 100% Italian from beginning to end.  Your dinner starts with complimentary bread served with a delicious olive oil that has whole roasted garlic cloves swirling around.  Your server may or may not be interested in taking your order, so you might have to flag him down.  Very Italian.  Best of all, food aside, is that this place has the most legitimate rooftop seating in Georgetown.  You could easily fit twenty of your closest friends on the upstairs terrace on a warm summer's night.   


The restaurant has a ton of vegetarian options, and any of the pizzas are customizable (you can ask them to hold the meat, if desired).  I've ordered almost every pizza on the menu and they are all delicious.  Whitney loves the Regina.  I am obsessed with the Ortolana and the Margherita, but last night I ordered the Capricciosa (sans ham) and it was also delicious.  My favorite salad is the Ciliegina, but Whitney's mom ordered the Mediterranea and raved about it.  You also can't go wrong with a create-your-own antipasti platter.  Also, because everybody loves a good happy hour special, Weekdays from 5-7pm - $10 for a Margherita pizza and a glass of house wine or a beer!!  That can't be beat.  You must check out Il Canale!


I forgot my trusty point-and-shoot, so these are from the Il Canale page on yelp.  Head to the website or facebook page to check out more pics!

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