Cauliflower pizza

Sometimes, all you want to do is kick back on the sofa and cosy up in front of the TV with your favourite comfort food. However, this pizza will change your life. I mean, what’s not to love about turning something bad on its head and making it completely healthy and gluten-free? These are my favourite toppings, but feel free to play around with your own combinations.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the base

• 1 medium cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 20g buckwheat flour
• 2 tsp mixed dried herbs
• Pinch of Dukkah Spiced Seed Mix or dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp Lucy Bee coconut oil, melted
• Himalayan salt and ground black pepper

For the tomato sauce

• 1 tbsp Lucy Bee coconut oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp mixed dried herbs or 3 fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Topping suggestions

• Buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil
• Goat’s cheese and watercress
• Kalamata olives and crumbled feta
• Smoked salmon and rocket (add just before serving)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a flat baking tray (a non-stick pizza baking tray is ideal) with baking parchment.

2. Blitz the cauliflower in a food processor until it resembles rice grains. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the beaten eggs, buckwheat flour, herbs, spiced seed mix or chilli flakes, and some seasoning. Knead the mixture to a dough-like consistency.

3. Roll out the dough evenly and thinly on the lined tray, making either one or two bases. A good technique is to spread out the dough, place cling film over the top and, using a rolling pin, roll out. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted coconut oil over each base. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until crispy.

4. Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and sauté until golden, then add the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes uncovered until the sauce almost resembles a paste, taking care as the sauce may stick to the pan.

5. Spread the tomato sauce over the cooked bases and add your choice of toppings. If the toppings need cooking, cook in the oven for a further 15 minutes.

From Coconut Oil: Nature’s Perfect Ingredient. Recipe text © 2015 Lucy Bee Limited.