Emily Russell | OKC Veggie

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Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or just trying to eat less meat, these recipes are for you. My goal with OKC Veggie is to show people that cooking delicious vegetarian food is achievable, accessible and seriously satisfying. Enjoy!

Emily Russell | OKC Veggie

The Best Cauliflower Pizza Crust

The Best Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Full disclosure—pizza is without a doubt, 100% my guilty pleasure. But I can’t exactly eat pizza all the time and maintain my girlish figure, can I? So, thank god for cauliflower crust. This gluten free crust substitute has gone so mainstream that’s it’s now available in frozen form at practically every grocery store. I’ve tried quite a few of them too, including Trader Joe’s brand (you have to cook the hell out of this thing to get it crispy) and Caulipower brand (good, but sort of high in calories). Today, though, I discovered what’s got to be the best cauliflower crust: Spicy Jalapeño Crust via Califlour Foods.

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First off, the price is right. This box contains two crust for about the same price as one crust in any other brand. A single crust contains just 270 calories, 18 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs and 24 grams of protein. Besides being a bit high in fat, you really can’t beat it. While they also offer Sweet Pepper and Original Varieties, I went with the Spicy Jalapeño because I love a bit of a kick (and I was planning on making a southwest-inspired pizza).

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So here’s what you need to know:

It’s a bit greasy. The ingredients are fresh cauliflower, whole milk mozzarella, egg whites, jalapeño, garlic and red chili flakes. I’m not really sure what in that combo makes it greasy, but I’m guessing it’s the mozzarella. Once cooked, the end result is kind of like a cheese crisp—and I’m definitely not saying that’s a bad thing.

It cooks quickly. The box recommended cooking the crust at 375-400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I went straight for 400 degrees at 12 minutes because, in my experience, cauliflower crust always takes longer to cook/get crispy than other crusts. In hindsight, I probably would’ve only cooked it for 10 minutes; the edges obviously got a bit burnt, but it tasted delicious regardless.

Be sparing with the toppings. The crust is pretty delicate and slightly moist, so definitely don’t go overboard with the sauce. And like I mentioned, it tastes pretty cheesy already, so I would add less cheese than you normally might.

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This crust was a spur-of-the-moment lunch decision, so as far as toppings went I basically used what we had in the pantry/fridge. I started with a spoonful of enchilada sauce, spread on a layer of puréed black beans and topped it with low-fat cheddar & mozzarella cheese, diced red onions and sliced pepperoncinis. Cook the crust first, FYI, then add the toppings and cook in the broiler until the cheese has melted.

Once the pizza was done, I topped it with a bit of fresh cilantro and a few splashes of Frank’s Original RedHot Sauce. It was seriously, truly delicious! I ate the whole thing and was full without feeling stuffed. It cured my craving for pizza, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I’d just consumed “junk food.” Anyway, you should definitely give this crust a try! I can’t wait to give it another go with completely different toppings.

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Recipe: Cheesy Veggie Wild Rice Casserole

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