Roasted Cauliflower Pizza with Garlic Goat Cheese

Lately I've seen a few recipes for pizza come up in my google reader with cauliflower as the crust. Seriously?  Why in the world would anyone replace delicious carby crust with cauliflower?! I know carbs are the enemy and whatnot, but let me tell you as an 85 lb. (and counting!) weight loser, it's not! Diet and exercise, counting calories, and a colorful, plant based diet at the answer! I have my pizza, and eat it too.

After receiving 3 heads of cauliflower in the CSA share last week, I decided to take the cauliflower pizza idea, and make it the topping. To make it flavorful and healthy, I used a 50/50 unbleached white flour/whole wheat flour pizza crust, and roasted garlic infused goat cheese as my base. Roasting vegetables gives them so much flavor, the cauliflower turns a little nutty and the garlic becomes sweeter and less pungent. A sprinkle of parmesan, some fresh thyme and scallions finished the pizza and let me tell you it was phenominal! I paired it with a garden salad and it was a healthy (but delicious) pizza night! For Christmas, we received a pizza stone, and it really does make a huge difference. This is the first time my homemade pizza has bubbled up like the best pizzaria's pizzas do, and yes, that's a life "win" for me!

Roasted Cauliflower Pizza with Garlic Goat Cheese

Veggie by Season original

Crust:

3/4 c. warm water (about 110*)

1 packet instant yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. unbleached all purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. olive oil

Toppings:

1 head of garlic

2 tsp. olive oil, divided

1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower, cut into florets

Kosher salt

Black pepper

4 oz. goat cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

2 fresh sprigs of thyme

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400*

Cut top 1/3 of garlic bulb off, place garlic on a square of tin foil, drizzle with 1 tsp. olive oil.

Pinch up sides and create an ball around garlic. 

Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour.

While garlic roasts, prepare crust.

Add water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer, swirl around to gently mix.

After yeast begins to bubble, attach dough hook to the mixer and add flour, salt and oil.

Turn mixer on low and knead dough for 8-10 minutes, add additional flour if necessary, dough should be slightly sticky, but pull away from sides of the mixer. 

Flour surface, form dough into a ball and rest, cover with a damp towel.

Add cauliflower to a baking sheet, toss with 1 tsp. olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper, place in the oven with the garlic and roast for 20 minutes.

When garlic is finished, cool and squeeze out 4-5 cloves into a dish, add goat cheese and mix well. 

Remove cauliflower from the oven and set aside while you prepare the crust, Raise oven temperature to 475*.

Stretch dough out and form a circle, top with goat cheese mixture, cauliflower, Parmesan, thyme, scallions and crushed red pepper flakes.

Place on a pizza stone and bake for 20-24 minutes, until crisp on the bottom and golden brown on top. 

Serve.

Warm Millet Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Creamed Mushrooms

I feel so behind the times admitting this, but this was my first time cooking with millet. It reminded me very much of cous cous, but it's a grain, so it's popular in the world of gluten-free diets. In the little research I did, I found that it's mostly used as bird feed, so... yum! Another CSA box, another stalk of Brussels sprouts to work with. While I occasionally get stressed about finding new and exciting recipes to feature using them, and yes I realize this is totally a First World Problem, it's awesome when I finally find something I know we'll love!

I used the Whole Foods recipe bank search and stumbled upon this salad. It's very hearty and filling, I just added a few strips of dijon grilled tempeh for some protein (they're not pictured). This did seem quite dry at the end with just 1/4 c. half and half, so I added a bit of vegetable stock to moisten it. I also subbed fresh thyme for the sage as it's what I had on hand, and finally, a large handful of shredded Swiss cheese, because everything's better when it's topped with cheese!

Warm Millet salad with Brussels Sprouts and Creamed Mushrooms

adapted from Whole Foods

1 c. dry millet

2 c. vegetable stock

1 tsp. butter or olive oil

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quatered

1/2 red onion, thickly sliced

3 c. sliced mushrooms (I used cremini)

1/4 c. half and half

1/4 c. vegetable stock

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 c. shredded Swiss or Gruyere cheese

Kosher salt and black pepper

Heat a medium pot over medium-low, add millet and toast for 2-3 minutes.

Add 2 c. stock, turn to high, bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low, cover and cook millet until all liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. 

Turn heat off and leave covered on the stove.

Add butter to a large saute' pan over medium-high, add Brussels sprouts and onions, season with salt and pepper.

Saute' for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add mushrooms and continue to stir, after mushrooms have let go of their liquid and begin to caramelize, add half and half and thyme, stir and turn heat off, taste and adjust seasonings. 

Transfer millet to a serving bowl, toss with lemon juice and fluff with a fork, add up to 1/4 c. stock if millet seems too dry.

Add vegetable mixture, stir gently to combine.

Top with shredded cheese.