Tuesday, April 13, 2021

How to Make #LowCarb Pizza Crust Using Cauliflower by Cleo Coyle #Glutenfree #Keto


No flour, no yeast, no kidding...

From Cleo Coyle: My husband and I first mentioned this cauliflower crust many years ago in our 13th Coffeehouse Mystery, Billionaire Blend. Recently a few readers asked us to re-share it, so here it is, along with a few new notes and tips.

As for our writing life, Marc and I are finishing up the 19th entry in our Coffeehouse series (more to come soon on Clare's next adventure). We are also counting down the days to the release of our brand-new Haunted Bookshop Mystery: The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait, which just received a lovely review from Kirkus...


Click here or on the image above
to learn more or pre-order.

Marc and I hope you enjoy our upcoming release. It was great fun to write, and we hope you have as much fun reading it! 

If you are new to our Haunted Bookshop world, you can learn more about it by visiting our Haunted Bookshop online. You’ll meet our earnest bookseller Penelope Thornton-McClure and our beloved ghost Jack Shepard, the spirit of a hard-boiled PI who haunts her quaint Rhode Island bookshop.

And if you haven't signed up for our newsletter, click here, or on the coffee cup below. We always have fun composing our newsletters, updating readers on our writing life, sharing bonus recipes, and hosting giveaways. We invite you to join us. (Just click the cup to join up. :))



Now let's make some 
#lowcarb pizza...


Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery
 series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

☕ A NOTE FROM CLEO

While the idea of making a pizza crust from nothing more than cauliflower, egg, and mozzarella cheese may sound crazy to many, for those on gluten-free or low-carb diets (including diabetics), this oddball recipe is a wonderful way to (finally!) enjoy pizza again. 

Versions of this recipe have been around for years (dating back to the early days of the Atkins diet), but they aren't all equal. My own take on this recipe includes a key step in making it work, and I'll be sharing that trick, along with step-by-step photos. And if you're too busy to make it from scratch...

THE PRE-MADE OPTION

Cauliflower Pizza Crust has become so popular that you'll find pre-made frozen versions for sale in grocery stores, but beware of these versions if you're tracking carbs because some of them include wheat, rice, or other high-carb flours. A quick check of ingredients will solve that dilemma for you. As for me...

I can highly recommend an online vender called Cauli'flour Foods (not to be confused with Caulipower, which includes high-carb flours in their crusts).

Cauli'flour Foods is a company founded by a woman who was diagnosed with Lupus and struggled to find anti-inflammatory foods for her diet. That's why you can trust the company to make a pure and truly low-carb version of the cauliflower crust. I have a 6-pack of their Italian Crust variety in my freezer right now. They sell the crusts in multi-packs and also sell complete, ready-to-bake-and-eat frozen "Cauli-flour" pizzas.

Of course, one pays for convenience! So if you have the time and enjoy recipe projects, my recipe (below), will allow you to make your own tasty cauliflower pizza crust from scratch. 


To download a PDF of this
recipe that you can print,
save, or share, click here.

Click for Cleo's free recipe PDF.



🍕 How to Make a Low-Carb
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
by Cleo Coyle


The cauliflower in this recipe lends good fiber and nutrition while the egg and cheese provide protein. This is an incredibly healthful way to eat pizza, especially if you have gluten allergies or you're following a low-carb diet. May you eat with joy and in good health! ~ Cleo

Makes one 10- to 12-inch pizza (depending on size of cauliflower)

Crust Ingredients:

1 medium head of fresh cauliflower (do not use frozen)

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 large egg

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon Italian spice mix blend


Step 1 – Prep oven and pan: First preheat your oven to 450°F. Use parchment paper to line a baking sheet or a pizza pan with holes and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray. (I use Olive Oil spray.)

Step 2 – Rice the cauliflower: Break up the head of cauliflower into florets. Buzz them in a food processor only until they resemble grains of rice. Do not puree!


Step 3 – Cook in the microwave: Pour riced cauliflower into a microwave-safe dish and cook on high for 7 to 8 minutes.

Step 4 – Squeeze out extra moisture: This is a key step. If you do not squeeze the excess moisture out of your "cauliflower rice," the crust will be soggy and the recipe will not work the way you see it in my photos. You can use a tea towel or cheesecloth or a nut bag (used to make nut milk). Put the cauliflower in and squeeze until you have drained off a good deal of liquid. You don’t have to worry about getting every drop, but do the best you can.




NOTE for troubleshooting: You will start with 3 to 4 cups of Cauliflower Rice out of the food processor. After cooking and squeezing out the extra moisture, you should have somewhere between 1 and 1-1/2 cups remaining. My photo below shows you how the dried cauliflower rice looks, almost like a ground grain.



Step 5 – Create the dough: Pour the cooked and "squeeze-dried" cauliflower rice into a bowl and mix with the lightly beaten large egg, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon Italian spice blend.


Step 6 – Form crust: Drop the dough onto your prepared parchment paper and use clean fingers to shape into a thin disc about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. (Yours might be a little larger or smaller, depending on the size of your cauliflower head and amount of cauliflower rice it yielded.)


Step 7 – Bake for 8 to 16 minutes in your well-preheated 450 degree F. oven. You are watching for the crust to become completely dry and golden brown. Depending on your oven, the type of pan you are using, and the size of your pizza crust, the cooking time will change. Check it at 8 minutes and if the crust is not completely dry and golden brown, continue cooking it for up to 16 minutes.

(Whenever I use my pizza pan with holes, for example, more heat comes through the pan and the crust cooks much faster, so check your crust often to prevent burning.)



Step 8– Top your crust and finish baking:
Allow the crust to cool a bit (5 to 10 minutes). Then top with your favorite pizza sauce and cheeses.





Finish in the oven with another 8 to 10 minutes of baking. (Again, your particular oven and pan may require more or less time to melt the cheese, simply make a note of it for next time.)


Step 9 – Reheating: This pizza reheats like a dream. Store it in the fridge and when you want to reheat, place slices in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.






Updated Below with 

Our Latest Releases...


Eat (and read) with  joy!

New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries and
Haunted Bookshop Mysteries

Cleo (Alice) with her husband, Marc


Visit Cleo's online coffeehouse here.
And follow her at these links...





"Wildly Entertaining" 

~ Criminal Element

Bulletproof Barista

To Buy:


KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Scads of red herrings, peeks behind the show-biz curtain, and bountiful appended recipes will leave fans smiling contentedly."


BOOKLIST

"This twentieth Coffeehouse mystery (after Honey Roasted) brings together the history of the shop, ripped-from-the-headlines plot elements, [and] the drama of on-site filming."






The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling works
of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark 
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the 
20 titles includes the added bonus of recipes.  


Get a free Title Checklist of
Cleo Coyle's Books in Order
Click here 
or on the image below.






Don't Miss Our New
Haunted Bookshop
Mystery...

  

Jack & Pen 
Together Again!


"Amazing and Unique" 

~ Fresh Fiction



"DELIGHTFUL" ~ Kirkus Reviews


To Buy:

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Barnes & Noble

+ Many More Buy Links









👇


Cleo is now working on her next book and 
Newsletter!


Don't miss her book news, bonus recipes, and fun 
prize package giveaways!

TO SIGN UP...








6 comments:

  1. Renee Wilson-BriggsApril 13, 2021 at 8:59 AM

    I love the Coffeehouse series, and I am looking forward to reading my first Ghost mystery next month. Pretty cool crust recipe. My daughter is gluten sensitive so I am going to give this recipe a try. Thank you, Cleo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad to know you're a Coffeehouse Mystery fan, Renee, and excited to see you'll be entering our Haunted Bookshop world for the first time. Marc and I had a great time writing The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait. The story is lots of fun, and we hope you enjoy it!

      ~ Cleo

      Delete
  2. I've always wanted to try making this crust. Your photos and tips are great. Thanks you. I am a fan of both of your series and can't wait for the new Haunted Bookstore. Everyone needs a ghost like Jack in their life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the guilt-free aspect of this crust. It feels like you're eating pizza when you're actually consuming vegetables. Now if I can just figure out how to make a cauliflower donut.

      As for Jack, Marc and I feel the same way. :) We're happy to know you're enjoying our work and looking forward to Jack's new case. The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait will be out May 4th, and we hope you enjoy it!

      ~ Cleo

      Delete
  3. We're having homemade pizza tonight, but with the real deal crust.
    Having a friend with severe celiac disease, I appreciate the need for good alternatives.
    Well done, as always, with good tips for success.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Libby, and I'll bet your homemade pizza is going to be eaten with plenty of joy. Cheers for your kind words and taking the time to drop by. It's always a pleasure to see you in the Kitchen!

      ~ Cleo
      Sign up for Cleo’s free Newsletter

      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      HauntedBookshopMystery.com
      Friend or Follow Cleo Coyle on Facebook

      Delete