Irresistible Cauliflower Pizza Bites: A Plant-Powered Delight!

It's cauliflower to the rescue again!

Pizza tastes amazing, but unfortunately, it doesn't usually make us feel amazing. It's partly due to the fatty cheese and meat on traditional pizzas, but it's also the flour-based pizza crust.

Whether it's white, whole wheat or even a gluten-free mix, flour is more dense and higher in calories than whole grains. The processing also makes it easier to digest so it raises our blood sugar faster than whole grains.

Of course, whole grain flour is more nutritious than refined white flour, but it is still calorie dense and gets digested quickly. For this reason, I wanted to make my pizza bites without flour.

Instead, I use cauliflower, a cruciferous veggie with minimal calories and loads of nutrients. The cauliflower mixed with other vegetables and seasonings creates a mouth-watering pizza flavor in each bite.

This appetizer is health-promoting, and you'll enjoy every bite! The richness comes from whole fats, including cashew and flax seed, along with nutritional yeast for a veg-cheesiness!

These plant-based Cauliflower Pizza Bites are best warm out of the oven. Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, you won't want to stop at just one.

Cauliflower Pizza Bites

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes 2 dozen pieces | Ready in 45 minutes | Stores 5 days in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup ground flax seed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 lb cauliflower, chopped into florets (1 small head)
• 4 oz yellow onion, chopped (1 small)
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup quinoa, ground
• 1½ tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• ½ tablespoon garlic granules
• ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 oz bell pepper, chopped (1 medium)
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine ground flax seed, lemon juice, and water in a small bowl. Set aside to let the flax gelatinize.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the cauliflower in a large food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower is chopped to small pieces. Then add the onion, cashews, nutritional yeast, quinoa, oregano, thyme, garlic granules, red pepper flakes, and the flax-lemon mixture. Pulse until the cauliflower is processed into very fine pieces. This can take a couple minutes.
4. Now add the chopped bell pepper and cilantro or parsley. Pulse the food processor until the mixture has a fine, even consistency.
5. Remove the S-blade or transfer the mix to a separate bowl to keep your hands safe. Now take a very small handful of the mix (about ¼ cup), roll it into a short log, about 1-inch wide by 1½-inches long. Place the bite-size piece on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the mix. The batter will be moist, so be gentle with it.
6. Bake for 15 minutes on the center rack of the oven. Then move the pan to the top shelf and back for 15 more minutes.

CHEF'S NOTES

A large food processor (holds 12 to 14 cups) is recommended because it’s easiest to process this batter if the food processor is only about 1/3 of the way full. If the processor doesn't seem to be chopping the ingredients well, then you may have overfilled it. If you use a smaller food processor, then it’s best to make the batter in a couple of batches.

The bites will be golden and crispy on the outside, but soft and creamy on the inside. Best served immediately. Enjoy with marinara sauce or sugar-free ketchup.