Think that a balanced diet doesn’t include pizza? Think again!
Pizza is a Friday night staple in our household but, when, my husband went gluten-free, I had to do some creative thinking to save pizza night. It was a challenge I was ready to take on!
I’d heard of the idea of using cauliflower as a pizza crust, and I loved that eggs and cheese bind it all together – just think of all that calcium and protein just in the crust! Little did I know just how perfectly crunchy and cheesy that this healthy crust could be – I wasn’t even missing the old stuff!
Top this already protein-packed ‘za with grilled veggies and a super-simple pesto made with Greek yogurt to keep it creamy and add even more protein and calcium. Just like that that, you’ve got yourself one bone-building, protein powerhouse of a meal for your next Friday night pizza night!
Cauliflower Pizza with Greek Yogurt Pesto & Grilled Veggies
Ingredients
Cauliflower Crust
- 12 cups cauliflower cut into florets (about 2 medium heads or 3 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pepper
- 1 ⅓ cups + 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated and divided (about 3.5 ounce)
- 2 large egg whites
Greek Yogurt Basil Sauce:
- ½ cup plain fat free Greek yogurt
- ½ cup firmly packed fresh basil roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt/pepper to taste
Topping
- 1 small zucchini sliced
- 3 Roma tomatoes sliced
- ½ inch thick
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a pizza pan with parchment paper.
- In a large food processor, process the cauliflower until it is fine and the texture of rice. I did mine in 4 batches.
- Place the cauliflower into a LARGE bowl and microwave for 7 minutes, stir, and microwave for an additional 7 minutes. Then, let the cauliflower stand until cool enough to handle, 10-15 minutes.
- Dump the cauliflower into a thin kitchen towel (I did mine in 2 batches) and ring out ALL the excess moisture. Put some muscle into it and really get out as much as you can, as this is the key to a not-soggy crust.
- Transfer the cauliflower back into a large bowl and add the garlic, salt, Italian season, a pinch of pepper and 1 ⅓ cups of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined and then add the egg whites, mixing until well combined.
- Divide the cauliflower into 4 balls (about a heaping ½ cup each) and spread onto on the pizza pan, leaving a ridge for the crust.
- Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- While the pizza bakes, combine the Greek yogurt, basil and garlic in a small food processor (mine is 3 cups) until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides down as necessary.
- With the food processor on, stream in the olive oil until well mixed. Set aside.
- Then, preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Combine the sliced zucchini, tomato and olive oil in a small bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Grill until charred, about 2-3 minutes a side. Place onto a plate and set aside. Keep your grill on.
- Once the pizza is cooked, remove them from the oven and preheat your broiler to high heat for 3 minutes. Take the remaining 4 tablespoons of cheese and sprinkle it onto the pizzas (1 tablespoon each) and broil for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and melted.
- Spread some of the Greek yogurt sauce on each pizza and then top with the grilled veggies and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Place the pizzas onto the grill just until the cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.
- DEVOUR immediately.
Notes
- I find that the thinner the towel is, the more water you are able to squeeze out.
- If you have trouble getting the tomato off the grill, a fork will really help!
- You probably won’t use all the sauce, but it makes a great veggie dip!
