Last month, I did a challenge where I used a lot of pantry ingredients and kept the budget low. I was very pleased with the March 2017 results. I used up a lot of items that really needed to be used. I saved 1/2 of the $200 I had set aside, and saved more than that, since I usually spend more than that in a month on groceries.
I went shopping at Costco, Fred Meyers, Grocery Outlet, Natural Grocers, and a couple of other stores. I bought sale items, such as 99c/ 1/2 gallon milk, bulk items such as 5 dozen eggs and a 4-pack of butter, non food items like kitchen garbage bags, big black garbage bags, vitamins, Tumeric, lots of produce, and more. I worked hard to get the best deals possible from many sources. Now, I’m stocked back up on both food items and other supplies.
This month, I decided to work on my health. As readers of this blog know, I’ve had diabetes for a long time. I was counting up the years, and realized that it’s been 15 years now since I was diagnosed. So, in honor of that anniversary, I decided to focus on finding a few more low-carb recipes this month to encourage myself to keep eating in a way that is interesting and healthy for me. All those potatoes were great for the budget, but I need to eat only a few of them. I’m well-stocked for groceries for the month after my shopping trips, and will just buy produce, things I run out of, etc. for the rest of April. I will also keep eating from my freezers, shelves, etc.
I read several recipes for cauliflower crust pizza. I combined them and came up with something that I liked. Here’s what I did:
I thawed 1 quart-sized ziplock bag of home-frozen cauliflower and pulsed it in the food processor until it was in small pieces. It would probably be about 4 cups of frozen cauliflower if you purchased it.
Following the instructions from a couple of sources, I put the pulsed pieces onto a clean, thin towel and squeezed the water out of it. It was pretty dry.
I mixed: Squeezed cauliflower pulp
2 eggs
salt and pepper (a little of each)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
I put foil on a small cookie sheet, sprayed it with non-stick spray and spread the mixture on it. I baked in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then, I turned it over and cooked for another 10 minutes. I had trouble getting it off the foil so I could flip it, but finally did. Every source recommended parchment paper, but I did not have any. So, I might get some and try that another time.
One source said put cheese on first to keep it from getting soggy, so I did, then spooned sauce sparingly on top. I want more sauce next time. Hopefully, it won’t make it soggy. Then, I put pepperoni, olives, mushrooms and a little more cheese on top, and baked for another 10 minutes.
I really liked it. I could pick it up with my hands and eat it. It was really tasty and good. It was very low carb. In fact, there were not enough carbs in it to hold me over to dinner. That’s a good thing. I love snacks. In fact, I went so low (blood sugars), I got to eat chocolate chips. Double good. I’m pleased. Next time, I’ll just eat a few more carbs with it and it will be a good choice for me. The kids love those $5 pizzas from Little Caesar’s and this will be a good choice for me on the days they want one of those and can talk their daddy into getting them one:)
I’m going to try it again. I will use less salt than I did this time (I used about 1/2-1 teaspoon). It was pretty salty. I may also try it with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese instead of the parmesan, or only use 1/2 cup of parmesan. The crust tasted strongly of parmesan, which I enjoyed. If I wanted a milder flavor, though, I might enjoy mozzarella and Canadian bacon and pineapple. I have quite a few baggies of frozen cauliflower left from when I froze so much last year. I am looking forward to using some of it this way.
Becky. After many years of purchasing papa Murphys pizza I have been trying my hand at homemade. I have to say we do love Papa Murphy and at 10$ on Tuesdays it is a great buy. But……we never seem to finish it and I’m tired of throwing half a pizza away. Sometimes I scrape all the toppings off after a couple of days and add them to eggs for breakfast but still end up wasting g the rest. Lately I have been making homemade crust in the food processor then scraping it into a greased bag. It keeps well refrigerated till I decide to bake it off the next day. I buy pizza sauce at the dollar store. One jar makes3 pizzas. Leftover veggies and meats and just a hand full of shredded cheese makes a really inexpensive pizza and since I can control the size we don’t throw any away. I use regular flour but I’m sure spelt flour or coconut flour would work equally as well. The recipe I use only calls for 2 cups so it would be inexpensive to make
I love to make pizza, too. In the past, I’ve made a LOT of pizza for the troops, and still do at times. I have a really good gluten-free recipe that we enjoy a lot. My kids occasionally crave “real” flour, though, and I don’t keep any in the house. That’s when they get the $5 pizzas, usually, or when we are in a super big hurry after an event, or end up with a van load of kids we were not expecting, but are thrilled to have around. The last time a child cooked for me with wheat flour, I was sick for 3 days because of the flour that wafted over the counter and cross contaminated the kitchen. I don’t want them to stop cooking, feel bad, get anxious or paranoid, etc. so I just haven’t kept wheat flour in the house since then.
I love to put odds and ends on pizzas, too. Hamburger works well as a topping, as do ham bits, etc. I love your idea of storing the dough for a day or two. I have pre-baked crusts and frozen them before, and that saves me time on occasion. I’ve also frozen entire pizzas, half baked, then finish when I pull them out. I get the mozzarella at Costco, and freeze in baggies, to bring that cost down as well.
Thanks for all the tips:)
I’ve made that before, Becky. Surprisingly good, considering it’s made from cauliflower. Now I’ve discovered that cauliflower isn’t the best for me. Made cheesy garlic bread sticks the same way and served the pizza sauce on the side. Maybe this is the solution so you don’t get a soggy crust. Here’s to good health!
Hugs
Jane
So, you just made that crust into sticks? Sounds good. I love cauliflower. I’m sorry you aren’t handling it right now.
There’s a recipe somewhere out there on the internet, but I think it’s basically the same as the crust and you top it with cheese of your choice. I’m still going to eat my cheddar cauliflower when it’s ready for picking,I’ll just have to realize that my metabolism will be slower on those days. Like you, I love cauliflower!
I have had very limited success growing it, though. I did grow some orange once, got 1 head from all I planted, and some purple a couple of times–same story. I’ve often had such clay soil, and probably needed more nutrients. I’m glad it works for you.
Becky, I am so proud you shared this recipe [and how you actually did it]. I so the recipe on the internet, but it
didn’t give many details.. I am pre-diabetic, so need to watch my carbs.. Have been wanting to try this.. I think I will
try it tonight..
I finished it up today for lunch. It held up better than I thought it would. It still tasted good today, warmed in the microwave, with a tomato sliced on top, and eaten with a fork. I’ve never tried it before, so wanted to see how it was. I hope you enjoy it.