Saturday, March 24, 2012

Cauliflower Crust Pizza - 446 Cals

When I started a calorie-reduced diet, one thing I really missed was pizza. My current daily calorie budget is 1,211. I don't have enough to spend on pizza when each slice has hundreds and hundreds of calories... and goodness only knows I would never have just one slice. I started seeking alternatives. I found recipes, experimented, and altered. Here's what I've come up with for excellent pizza. (Please note that this crust is firm but not crispy... if I find a way to get it crispy, I'll update!)

Ingredients:
Fresh cauliflower - 1 cup grated

Kraft Mozzarella Cheese, 2% - 1 cup, separated into 1/2 cups

Medium Egg, 1 each
Ground Oregano, 1 tsp
Ground Parsley, 2 tsp
Pam brand olive oil cooking spray

Ragu Pasta Sauce, Tomato and Basil Light (no sugar added) - 1/2 cup (less if you'd like)


Method of Madness:
1. Using a cheese grater, rice 1 cup of cauliflower. Then, microwave for 2 minutes. DO NOT add water, and DO NOT cover!

2. Add 1/2 cup of mozzarella, egg, oregano, and parsley to the cooked, riced cauliflower. Stir well with a fork. This is the crust!

3. In a non-stick pan, spray a liberal amount of Pam brand olive oil cooking spray. Place pan on burner and turn heat on medium-high. Put mixture in the center of the pan. Using a plastic spatula, press crust mixture evenly in pan.

4. Once the bottom has firmed to your liking (without burning), slide crust onto a plate and then flip over in pan to cook the other side.

5. Add sauce and top with cheese/additional toppings. Cover to melt cheese.
6. When the cheese is melted, check the bottom of the crust to make sure it is firm throughout. Carefully slide pizza onto plate. CONSUME! :-D You can also share this with someone and enjoy 1/2 of the calories... though for dinner, I like the whole yummy thing!!



Calorie Breakdown: 
Cauliflower Pizza
(edit name & serving)
446 calories
 

Mozzarella Cheese, 2%
1 Cup
280 calories
Sauce, Pasta, Tomato & Basil...
1/2 Cup
60 calories
Riced Cauliflower
1 Cup
30 calories
Herb, Oregano, Leaves, Dried
1 Teaspoon
2 calories
Herb, Parsley, Dried
2 Teaspoons
2 calories
Egg, raw
1 Each
70 calories



7 comments:

  1. I am going to try this for dinner tomorrow. :D I'm excited!

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  2. Great! Let me know how it goes and if you have any suggestions for improvement!

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  3. Oh GOSH you have me licking my chops now! I love your pictures! You are totally getting into this blog/recipe thing....... I LOVE IT! :)

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  4. You know, I meant to mention this, but you could ALSO make pizza with wheat tortillas too, and they're yummy. :)

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  5. Thanks Jen! :-) Amber -- I have tried that before, but it doesn't fill me up enough.

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  6. Just a suggestion: maybe you could provide a nutrition/calorie breakdown at the end of your recipes? : )

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  7. I actually meant to include that information. Thanks for bringing it to my attention that I omitted it!!! I just updated the post and added the breakdown. :-)

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