I have wanted to begin sharing recipes with my readers. The problems are multifold.

One- I haven’t cooked much in years.
Two- I cook for one person.
Three- I don’t measure anything.

Okay I do if I’m baking. But cooking is an art really. I eye everything. And…..

Four- I don’t have the patience to photograph as I go and when I’m finished I just want to eat. All that said it has been difficult to share my recipes in ways they could be duplicated and shared with others.

But yesterday was my roommate’s daughter’s Birthday- everyone coming to our house to celebrate. They were having pizza and birthday cake of course. Neither of which I can partake but both of which I’ve been craving terribly.

So there was only one possible option. Cook a cheesy cauliflower pizza crust I’ve been meaning to experiment with. I came across a recipe for cauliflower cheese sticks on Center Cut Cook I wanted to adapt a little. Now please note I am not lactose intolerant and will eat aged cheeses. I keep to the SCD approaved cheeses. But please substitute if necessary another alternative.

I intended to top it with Arrabiata, Italian sausage, spinach and cheese. But time constraints led to just topping with sauce and cheese. Recipe is below.

Now my go-to dessert of choice is banana ice cream with a little coconut milk. Some nights I add peanut butter or pumpkin puree even blueberries depending on my taste buds. But in lieu of Birthday cake I thought I’d make myself a quick treat. In my Vitamix I placed 1 frozen banana ( I preslice and freeze my ripe bananas to have on hand at all times.), 4 cherries (also frozen), 1 heaping spoonful of cashew butter, and a 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Blend until frozen ice cream consistency and devour. At least That’s what I do.

Cheesy Cauliflower Pizza

Ingredients

• 4 cups cauliflower “rice”
• 1 egg (slightly beaten)
• 1 tablespoon garlic herb butter (optional)
• 2-2 ½ cups Aged Cheeses (I use a mix of Parmesan, Romano and Asagio but feel free to substitute with your favorite cheeses.)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ tsp Italian Seasoning
• Arrabiata Sauce and toppings

Method

1. First things first begin by turning 1 head of cauliflower into “rice.”  As always wash and clean your veggies. There are several ways to “rice” cauliflower. You can use a food processor, chop it by hand to “rice” consistency, or you can use a grater.  The average head of cauliflower should yield about 4 cups of “rice.”

2. Next cook the “rice”. I make my cauliflower rice ahead of time by grating it. Then I freeze or refrigerate it until needed. You can prepare the rice in various ways. Steam in a pan with 1 inch of boiling water, cover with a lid, and allow it to steam for 4-5 minutes. I place mine in a microwave safe dish and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. Or a steamer will work. Whatever suits you best.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

4. Use a fine mesh strainer and drain the cauliflower. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. (this will come in handy on the next step.)

5. Use a clean dish towel, and then place a handful of the cauliflower “rice” inside. Create a pouch and squeeze as hard as you can to remove any excess water. Make sure you do not skip this step or burn your hands. Be careful! But it is vital in order for the cauliflower rice to have the right consistency.

6. Next dump it into a large bowl. And repeat till all cauliflower rice is rung out.

7. Add 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup Romano cheese and 1/4 cup Asagio chees, 1 egg slightly beaten, 1 Tablespoon garlic herb butter, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir the mixture well.

8. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease lightly. I rub mine with olive oil.

9. Pour the mixture in the center of the pan and use a spatula to smooth it out as form into about an 8 1/2 x 11 inch rectangle.

10. Place in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and firm. Now I recommend you flip it over after about 25-30 minutes to get a crisp edge on both sides.

11. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.

12. Now cover with sauce, toppings of choice and remainder of cheese.

13. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

14. Enjoy! No really I insist. Otherwise it is too much trouble.

Then this morning I made another breakfast treat. First I cooked up some spicy Italian Sausage. The I added broccoli, kale, spinach and roasted butternut squash to the pan and cooked until tender. I topped my has off with a fried egg, yolk runny in order to bind all the ingredients and coat my belly. Unbelievably delish breakfast. Went perfect with my coffee with coconut milk.