Photos by Mikaela Bisson
It’s the perfect Malibu moment: You’re walking down the pier to Malibu Farm — beacon of hope in a world of cafeteria food.
You order the cauliflower crust pizza you have been craving for weeks. Then, the dream ends, the bubble pops and reality sinks in.
“That’ll be $25 please.”
Just like that, the cost of your perfect pier pizza ruins the dream.
That’s where I come in. This week I am showing you how to make a cauliflower crust pizza that will rival Malibu Farm’s, in cost and taste.
There are a couple different ways to make this pizza. You can cook and dice the cauliflower yourself. Since this column is all about saving time and money, I bought the pre-riced product and a pre-made crust to show you both options. Trader Joe’s was sold out of riced cauliflower so I used riced broccoli, and it was just as yummy.
For this recipe, you’ll need:
– A pre-made cauliflower crust pizza (optional if you want to go the DIY route)
For the homemade crust you’ll need:
- Cauliflower. You can buy either a head of cauliflower and steam and crumble it yourself, or you can buy the riced cauliflower from Trader Joe’s and save yourself A LOT of time.
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 a cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
As far as toppings you can choose whatever you typically like on a pizza! For this recipe, I used:
- Pre-made pesto sauce
- Goat cheese
- Buffalo mozzarella
- Shredded mozzarella
- Chicken
If you are using the pre-made crust, use the instructions on the back to cook it.
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat up a medium sized frying pan with two tablespoons of oil and place the chicken in the pan. Cook it for five to seven minutes per side.
3. Once the chicken is cooked all the way through, begin pulling it apart to make it shredded. Set aside.
4. Microwave 2 to 3 cups of riced cauliflower for four to five minutes, or until soft. Once cooked, let it cool down.
5. Place the cauliflower in a clean kitchen towel and drain as much water as possible through the towel.
6. Put the cauliflower in a medium mixing bowl and stir in the eggs, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
7. Press the mix into a small circle onto a medium cooking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Cook the crust for 12 to 15 minutes depending on how crispy you want the crust.
9. Remove the crust and top with the toppings of your choice! I added pesto sauce, goat cheese, shredded chicken and some extra mozzarella cheese.
10. Put back in the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and browned.
This meal is the perfect fall comfort food, done the Malibu way. Let yourself indulge in some healthy pizza, without the price tag and without the guilt.
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