Recipe of the week: Homemade pizza

I love homemade pizza, it's so much better than store bought or delivery.  It is time consuming I admit that...one way to cheat is by buying Trader Joe's already made pizza dough, you still have to roll it out but it's still less time than making your own.  When I make my own I use this recipe, I've been making it for years and it comes out every time.   I've made bbq chicken pizza with this crust, caprese pizza, pineapple jalapeno, mushroom olive and onion, the possibilities are endless.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!


Tonight I made two pizzas one with just cheese, I used mozzarella and parmesan.  I used jarred pizza sauce from Trader Joes.  The other one I made was a Greek pizza, same sauce, spinach, sliced red onion, artichoke hearts cut into pieces, tomatoes, kalmata olives, mozzarella and feta cheese, baked in deep dish stone pie pans at 450 degrees for 12-17 minutes.  (The Greek pizza took a full 17 minutes).  Enjoy.


Plain cheese.....(I served this with extra marinara sauce and big salad)

Greek....(I served this with tzatziki and hummus)

Recipe of the week: Cauliflower crust pizza

I made this recipe the other day and liked it a lot.  It's certainly not the same texture as pizza crust but it doesn't have flour or gluten.  I topped mine with olives, fresh basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan.  This makes one pizza, enough for 2 people, or one if you're really hungry!  A Votre Sante!

Cauliflower crust pizza

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of red pepper
olive oil (optional)

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of toppings


To "rice" the cauliflower:
Take pieces of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves.  Add pieces to the food processor and pulse until it looks like rice.  Do not over-do pulse or you will puree it. (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate it with a cheese grater).  Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.  There's no need to add water, the natural moisture in the cauliflower is enough to cook it.


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a pizza pan or cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

To make the crust:
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and 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 at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven. Add sauce, toppings and cheese. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese or put in the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes.

Recipe of the week: pizza crust

I figured since I posted pictures of the pizza I made last night, I should share the recipe for the crust.  I've been making this crust for many years.  It always comes out good.  I make all kinds of different pizzas.  Plain cheese, bar-be-que chicken, pesto pizza with vegetables.  We had a pizza night and I doubled the batch and then made small balls of dough so each person could make their own individual pizza and we cooked them on the grill.  As always, I recommend you play with your food and make it fun.  Let me know what you think.  A Votre Sante!

Pizza Crust

2 3/4 to 3 1/2 cups unbleached flour or a combo of unbleached and whole wheat
1 pk dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tea sea salt
cornmeal (optional)

In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 cup flour, yeast and salt.  Add warm water and oil.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.  Scrape constantly.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, using a spoon stir in as much of the remaining flour as possible.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.  (6-8 minutes)  Divide in half and cover and let rest 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with cornmeal.  Roll into 13" circle.  Transfer to pan.  Top with sauce and toppings.  Bake 15-20 minutes at 425.