Cauliflower Pizza Crust- Low Carb Project

I took a few hours "off" on Monday to do research on that wacky Cauliflower Pizza Crust I had tried a few weeks (months) ago.  It had been a delightful way to get to eat pizza without having any grains.  Or too many carbs.  I found a nice video.  A friendly, helpful woman made the crust on one video and baked that same crust with toppings in a second video.  I didn't bookmark the video.  Duh!

She demoed "ricing" the RAW cauliflower (which stinks, and by this, I refer to the actual smell) on a box grater.  The resulting "riced" cauliflower can also be turned into a Faux Rice to be consumed with saucy food.  But I wasn't interested in Faux Rice.

Then she measured out TWO CUPS of the riced cauliflower (not one), one cup of the shredded mozzarella and the one egg.  Mixing it well.  I used my fingers to squish it into a "dough".   I really "squished" hard and often until it came together into a mass.  Then I pressed, lightly, the "dough" into a parchment paper lined 9 inch square baking pan.  Pressing with the back of my hand.  Leaving no holes or voids.  Then I baked it for 13 minutes in a 450 oven.  The surface had light brown spots.  Next time I plan to add a few of the spices (oregano, basil, parsley and fennel are the choices) and let the crust bake longer.  It was still a bit too damp after 13 minutes.

I let the crust cool while I assembled G's pizza using the Alton Brown Pizza Recipe I experimented with on Monday.  The dough, after being removed from the refrigerator for a few hours, warmed up and expanded a bit, but not much.  It was very soft and squishy and very easy to shape into a circle that covered my pizza peel.  It baked quickly.  I wasn't sure it would be good, but G LOVED it.  And that is the crust he wants from now on.  He doesn't want the one from the grocery store.  Too Bready.  Because I allow myself to eat ABSOLUTELY NO BREAD, I have no idea what the crust tastes like or feels like as it's being chewed. It looked like a thin crust pizza.

I started assembling the toppings for my little 9 inch square pizza.  I added thinly sliced pepperoni instead of the hand sliced thick stuff I use for G.  I added some sliced onion and mushrooms and less than the 2 cups of cheese the woman added in the video ( I may have added a cup).  I baked the pizza until the cheese was melted and browning.  It could have used more spices.  It could have been cooked longer.  But it was very much a pick up a slice and hold it in your hand kind of eating experience.  I would have liked it better with the spicy pepperoni.  That thin sliced stuff is bland.  My daughter was here last night and"observed" the process and suggested I add bacon to the toppings.  Lots and lots of bacon.

Since my daughter's gall bladder surgery she has waited to try her favorite gas station's Deep Dish Bacon Pizza. (Yes, the best pizza in our town comes from a gas station.)  She reports having it recently.  2 slices.  And it was "heaven" without any downside.  I also suggested she buy a few packages of Trader Joe's Teriyaki Turkey Jerky.  Which she tried and absolutely LOVED.  I am encouraging her to add more protein to her diet.

The temperature today is supposed to reach 80 and the sun is already heating up.  All the rain from the last two days is increasing the humidity.  I think I will need the AC by noon.  I plan to do "inside the house" things today, venturing out only to see if the cukes and zukes have produced anything, checking on my green beans and tomatoes and then returning to the house.  I woke up feeling "not so good" but couldn't be specific to what I feel is wrong.  Perhaps, I am just hungry and need to eat a larger breakfast.  Or drink a large glass of water.  Who knows.