Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn

I always thought I didn't like cauliflower (or broccoli). Turns out I don't like frozen cauliflower and broccoli, but love them fresh. I'm not sure why this matters, but it really does. Taste, texture, totally different in my opinion. I had a little bit of cauliflower left over after making cauliflower alfredo sauce so I had to find something to do with it so of course I made popcorn with it. For someone who thought they didn't like cauliflower, I couldn't scarf it down as fast enough.

Recipes comes from here.

Ingredients:
Fresh cauliflower florets, bite-size
butter-flavor cooking spray
seasonings

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Spread your florets in a single layer on parchment-lined cookie sheet and spray with the cooking spray. Sprinkle the veggies with the season of your choice. I used this lemon pepper spice mix from the Dollar Store that I love. It's magical on vegetables. But you could use garlic powder, turmeric, or even grated parmesan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until it's crisp and brown.

Eat as a healthy snack or as a side dish.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Cauliflower Recipes:
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Basic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

A Basic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Ever since I made cauliflower pizza crust I've been slightly obsessed with vegetables replacing other not-so-nutritious foods. I've seen cauliflower alfredo sauce on pinterest for a long time and finally got around to trying it. As my dad says, alfredo sauce is a heart attack in a jar. But is so good. However, what if there was something that tasted nearly as good (I can't honestly say this sauce is better than the real cheese and cream based sauce, but it is damn tasty) and was also good for you? Well, here it is.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
6 cups fresh cauliflower florets
2 cups vegetable broth
5-6 cups water, divided
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup grated parmesan
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Pour the vegetable broth and 4 cups of water into a stock pot. Add cauliflower floret and bring to a boil. Allow to boil until cauliflower becomes fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the cauliflower cooks, melt butter in a small skillet and saute garlic over medium heat until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Cook pasta and reserved pasta water.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a food processor. Add garlic, milk, parmesan, salt, pepper and 1 cup of water. Puree the mixture until spoon. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add some more water until you get the desired thickness.

Served over pasta, a veggies, or chicken. I've also thought about using it in white lasagna.

Now, while this sauce is good, it is kind of one note. Everyone who ate it said it was tasty, but it needed that little something extra. Fortunately, this is such as easy problem to fix because this recipe provides such a wonderful base. If you're looking for a little extra flavor, add lemon pepper (this is my favorite but I'm obsessed with lemon pepper lately), rosemary, or thyme. I love a sauce that can be so easily transformed.  

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Cauliflower pizza crust is the best thing ever invented and I don't even like cauliflower. I made this recipe more out of curiosity than anything else. Dough out of cauliflower? Really? Yep, really. I have no desire to ever go back to regular pizza crust, it's that good--and healthy! No more guilt about eating pizza! Huzzah! But in the spirit of full disclosure, the crust doesn't get as crisp as regular pizza crust. You can pick up the pizza slices, but it's better to eat it with a fork.

Now, I didn't tell Eric the crust was made from cauliflower (he would have decided he didn't like it before even trying it). He said the pizza wasn't his favorite, but that's more my fault than the crust's fault. I made the crust too thin for his liking and used too much sauce (however, I love lots of sauce). But he never guessed that the crust wasn't made from flour. Both his parents really liked the pizza too--his dad requested more pepperonis though (I guess I need to work on my pizza making skills).

Recipe adapted from here. My recipe makes two cookie sheet pizzas.

Yummy!

*************Update 1/17/15**************

After experimenting with this recipe I now prefer the one below. However, the original recipe is still at the bottom of the bag.

New Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked cauliflower rice
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Pizza toppings

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and grease with cooking spray.

Cut the cauliflower into florets and place into food processor. Process until the cauliflower looks like rice or grains. Transfer cauliflower rice to the a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on High for 8 minutes.

Allow rice to cool until rice is cool enough to handle. Place rice in a tea towel or paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. (The more liquid you remove, the crispier your crust will be).

In a bowl, mix together rice, egg, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Combine well.

Using your hands, flatten the dough on the cookie sheet. You want to make a fairly thin crust.

Bake for 12 minutes or until crust browns.

Remove from the oven and put pizza toppings on pizza. Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Old Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked cauliflower rice
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 eggs
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder

pizza sauce, cheese, and desired pizza toppings (all toppings must be cooked beforehand)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

To make cauliflower rice you need one whole head of cauliflower. Remove the stem and leaves then coarsely chop the florets.

Coarsely chopped

Put the florets in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower looks like rice or grain. My head of cauliflower yielded about six cups. I froze the leftovers.

Uncooked cauliflower rice

 Microwave the 3 cups of rice for 8 minutes on high power.

While the rice is still hot, mix it with cheese and eggs until well combined. (Don't worry, it doesn't cook the eggs). Stir in spices.

Spray your cookie pan with cooking spray. Using your hands, flatten the dough on the cookie sheet. You want to make a fairly thin crust.

DO NOT use tin foil on the cookie sheet! I quickly learned my lesson. Even with cooking spray, the crust sticks.

 Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust browns on top.

All pretty and browned

Remove from the oven and add your sauce, cheese, and toppings. Turn the oven to broil and place the crust back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

I can't wait to play some more with this recipe. I want to try to make the crust on a pizza stone to see if I can make it a little crisper. I might even experiment some more with the rice-egg-cheese ratio. To make the ultimate healthy pizza, I'm going to combine this recipe with my ricotta, basil, and sun-dried tomato pizza. I also can't wait to make garlic sticks out of it, try it with different spices, and make broccoli rice!

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Cauliflower Recipes
Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn
Basic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce