Bridget is a licensed nutritionist for a reason. She just never stops sending us recipes, and her cooking is full of imagination flavor and health. Bridget is one of Spira’s Karma-Yogi. She helps us keep our facility spotless as well as giving front desk support to the teaching staff. She finished Spira’s 200 Hour Teacher Training last year and she is currently enrolled in Spira’s mentorship program. Bridget is also a mom and a Licensed Nutritionist.
Tarragon Chicken Pizza with Cauliflower Pizza Crust from Bridget
Nutritious, delicious pizza with a vegetable base that can be made ahead of time?! Yes, please! This crust is simple to make and does take a bit of time to make, but worth it so I suggest you make a couple and freeze them to have ready for a quick meal. Certainly feel free to add toppings of your choice. I’ve tried this crust with traditional toppings-tomato marinara, mushrooms, broccoli, and anchovies-but I preferred the tarragon chicken as it’s a really nice companion to the cauliflower crust. Make it vegetarian by using mushrooms in lieu of chicken. Enjoy!
2 lbs cauliflower florets, riced OR frozen riced cauliflower
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup soft goat cheese
1 tsp dried oregano, optional
Pinch of salt
Toppings:
Olive oil, about 3 Tablespoons
Whole grain mustard, 2 Tablespoons
Garlic, 1 clove minced
Coconut or avocado oil, 1 Tablespoon
Tarragon, about 1 Tablespoon roughly chopped
Mozzarella, 1-1.5 cups shredded
Chicken thighs, 4 cut in to 1 inch pieces. Leftover chicken works great too
Salt & Pepper
The procedure:
Preheat your oven to 400F.
To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved. Skip this step if using already riced cauliflower.
Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.
THIS IS THE SECRET: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, and then SQUEEZE all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust that you can pick up and it won’t fall apart.
In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!
Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about 1/3″ thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.
Bake for 45-60 minutes at 400F. The crust should be firm, and golden brown when finished.
While the crust is baking in a small bowl mix together the olive oil, mustard, and garlic. This will be your sauce.
Sauté chicken thighs in oil with salt and pepper until cooked through about 5-8 minutes, take off the heat and toss in the tarragon. If using leftover/already cooked chicken just mix it with the tarragon.
Assemble your pizza by spreading the mustard sauce on the cooked crust, sprinkle the cheese, and top with chicken. Bake in the oven another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!
*Time-Saving Tip: I recommend making a double-batch of cauliflower pizza crusts. Make one for now, and save one for later. After baking the crusts and adding the toppings, wrap up the whole pizza in foil, and FREEZE it for a quick meal to enjoy another night! Simply thaw and bake at 400F, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
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