Cauliflower Crust Pizza

** Recipe from Eat. Drink. Smile **

* 1 c. cooked, riced cauliflower
* 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic
* 1/2 tsp garlic salt
* olive oil (optional)
* pizza sauce
* shredded cheese
* desired toppings**


To "Rice" the Cauliflower:  Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Add to food processor and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. There is no need to add water, as the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook itself.  One large head should produce approximately 3 c. of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:  Heat oven to 450. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  In a med. bowl, stir together 1 c. cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic & garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. (Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.)  Bake for 15 min.  Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

**Note that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Grilled Spinach Alfredo Pizza

 

** Recipe from Kraft **

* 1 c. Alfredo sauce

* 1 pkg.  (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

* 1 tsp. crushed red pepper

* 1 lb.  refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature

* 2 Tbl. olive oil

* 1 c.  shredded Mozzarella cheese

* 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (4 oz.), cooked, chopped (about 1 c.)

* 4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled  

HEAT grill to medium heat.  COOK and stir Alfredo sauce in med. saucepan on med. heat 4-5 min. or until heated through. Stir in spinach and crushed pepper. Keep warm.  DIVIDE dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into 12" round on lightly floured surface. Brush evenly with half the oil. Place, oiled-sides down, on grill grate. Grill 5 min. or until bottoms are golden brown and lightly charred. Brush with remaining oil; turn.  TOP with spinach mixture, cheese, chicken and bacon; cover grill with lid. Grill 5 to 7 min. or until bottoms of crusts are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Grilled Spinach Alfredo Pizza

** Recipe from Kraft **

* 1 c. Alfredo sauce

* 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

* 1 tsp. crushed red pepper

* 1 lb. refrigerated pizza dough, at room temperature

* 2 Tbl. olive oil

* 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

* 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 oz.), cooked, chopped (about 1 cup)

* 4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

Heat grill to medium heat. COOK & stir Alfredo sauce in medium saucepan on medium heat 4-5 min. or until heated through. Stir in spinach and crushed pepper. Keep warm.

DIVIDE pizza dough into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into 12-inch round on lightly floured surface. Brush evenly with half the oil. Place, oiled-sides down, on grill grate. Grill 5 min. or until bottoms are golden brown and lightly charred. Brush with remaining oil; turn.

TOP with spinach mixture, cheese, chicken and bacon; cover grill with lid. Grill 5 to 7 min. or until bottoms of crusts are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Grilled Pizza

** Recipe from The Crafting Chicks **

Pizza Dough:
* 1 c. warm water
* 1 Tbl. sugar
* 1 Tbl. yeast
* 2 Tbl. oil
* 2 1/2 – 3 c. flour
* 1/2 tsp. salt

Add yeast and sugar to warm water and oil. Wait until it foams and then add the flour and salt. (For a stiffer dough, use 3 cups of flour.) Cover and let rise until doubled in size. Spread dough out onto a piece of parchment for easy transfer, or shape and put directly on grill. Cook for a couple of minutes until the bottom is cooked. Turn over and add toppings to the cooked side (or take off and let the kids add their toppings and put it back on the grill). Finish cooking the second side. If the bottom is done before the cheese melts, move the pizza to the top rack, and let the indirect heat finish the melting.

Basic Pizza Dough

** Recipe from Annie's Eats **

* ½ c. warm water (about 110°)

* 1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast

* 1 ¼ c. water, at room temperature

* 2 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil

* 4 c. (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting

* 1 ½ tsp. salt

* olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 500° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Working with one piece of dough and keeping the other covered, shape the dough and transfer to a pizza peel or round of parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. Top as desired. Slide the dough onto the pizza stone. Bake until the crust edges brown and cheese is golden brown in spots, about 8 to 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining ball of dough or freeze for later use.

Pizza Bites

** Recipe from Annie's Eats **

* ½ batch pizza dough (enough for 1 pizza) ++
* 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)
* Sliced pepperoni

For topping:
* Olive oil
* Italian seasoning
* Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 9" pie plate or cake pan. Divide the pizza dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces. Take one of the dough pieces, top with a cube of cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm, with dipping sauce as desired.

++ See "Perfect Pizza Crust" by Annie's Eats