Kale & Pistachio Pizza on Cauliflower Dough

Disclaimer: I love pizza. Any and all endorsements in this post will be biased based on this love.

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Finished product (on the right).
Check out the next blog post for the stuffed mushroom recipe.

Technically, I am the surrogate mother of the pizza that Juliet (of The Broken Plate) and Hersh's Pizza unknowingly created. Juliet posted this delicious recipe for cauliflower pizza crust awhile ago, and I tried and loved it. It brings a slight flavor of cauliflower, but not an overpowering amount. Additionally, it is much healthier than eating bread dough. As far as Hersh's, I tried them for the first time last week (and seriously, if you are in Baltimore, it's a must!) and my partner ordered their kale & pistachio pizza. It was amazing.

Note: this recipe makes a pizza the size of a 9" x 13" pan. If you half the recipe, you can make a pizza the size of a pie pan.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
Crust
Two (2) cups of grated cauliflower
Two (2) eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Toppings
One (1) cup of whole pistachio nuts, shelled and crushed -- the measurement of one cup was taken while they were still shelled
One (1) cup of cooked kale -- about one bushel at the grocery store
One (1) cup of mozzarella cheese
Two (2) cloves of garlic, minced
Two (2) tablespoons of butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Grate cauliflower into a large bowl.
Mix beaten eggs and cheese into the cauliflower.
Lay out flat in a greased pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes. -- Just make sure it gets nice and brown, possibly crispy at the edges.
Set crust aside once it is done.
Melt the butter and garlic. Spread lightly on top of crust.
Top with mozzarella, pistachio crumbles, and cooked kale.
Put back into the oven for five to ten minutes, depending on how crispy you'd like the toppings.

Let cool & chow down!

Taco Soup

Two things simultaneously happened in my life a week or so ago. A wonderful reader of this blog (Hi, Whittany!) requested that I post a soup/stew recipe at the same time that I discovered Juliet of The Broken Plate posted a Taco Soup recipe on her blog. My making of taco soup was meant to be.

This recipe is completely vegetarian, but if you'd like a meaty version, check out Juliet's recipe here. It is delicious and can be served with tortilla chips for an amazing meal.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 1-4 hours

Ingredients

One (1) package of "veggie crumbles" -- this is the vegetarian version of ground beef. I used the Morningstar brand.
One (1) package of Hidden Valley Ranch mix -- this is the only part of the recipe that is not vegan, but there are vegan versions of this out there, if you'd like to make a vegan-friendly taco soup.
One (1) package of taco seasoning
One (1) box of vegetable stock -- you can also use that fake chik'n stock for more flavor, but I didn't this time
One (1) can of black beans
One (1) can of sweet whole kernel corn
One (1) can of tomatoes with chile -- think Rotel or a comparable brand
One (1) red onion, chopped -- someone please tell me a way to chop onions without it looking like I'm watching the saddest part of a Lifetime movie!
Three (3) tablespoons of salsa -- feel free to add more, depending on how much space you have left in the CrockPot.

Directions

Like soup? This is your new best friend.

Toss the veggie crumbles and the onion into the CrockPot with a little bit of vegetable stock.
Turn the CrockPot to "high."
Once it thaws out and starts smelling good, pour the rest of the vegetable stock in.


Pour the contents of the ranch mix and the taco seasoning into the CrockPot. Mix well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mix as you go.
Put the lid on the CrockPot and let cook. After about 10 minutes, turn to "low."
Let cook at least one hour, but up to four hours or so. You know how CrockPots are; the longer it's cooked, the more flavorful it usually is.
Spoon into a bowl and enjoy!

Tip
Feel free to garnish with cheese, sour cream, or anything else you'd like!