Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Fully loaded Cauliflower Crust Pizza!
Mushrooms, peppers, jalapenos, ground beef, kalamata olives, and cheese.

I'm reposting this recipe and deleting the old one. This technique is much better than what I used to do. The difference here is that you're cooking the cauliflower for a few minutes in a pan and you're baking the crust on both sides. The inspiration for the new recipe came from the awesome Chef John. Please watch his video here, it's very entertaining.

Cauliflower Pizza crust:

Ingredients:
1 medium sized head of cauliflower (will yield about 2 cups once processed)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 egg

-Preheat oven to 400
-To prepare crust, cut cauliflower into florets then finely chop it in food processor.
-Steam cauliflower in a pan with a splash of water for 6 minutes.
-Place in one of these or in tea towel and squeeze all the liquid out of it. I got at least 1 cup of liquid, 2 cups of finely ground cauliflower. Squeeeeeeeeze with all your might! :)
-Place cauliflower in a bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix well with your hands.
-Spread mixture onto parchment paper like this:

It's about 8 inches in diameter

-Bake in 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown:

-Increase oven temperature to 450 while you top your pizza.

-FLIP THE CRUST OVER BEFORE ADDING TOPPINGS! Add toppings then bake for an additional 7 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.

Egyptian Kushari

This famous Egyptian dish takes a few easy steps and the result is a hearty meal that is a sure crowd pleaser!

Kushari has a rice and lentil base and is then topped with pasta, tomato sauce and fried onions.

This recipe serves 4-6 adults:

Ingredients for rice and lentil base:

1 cup green/brown lentils

1 cup basmati rice*

water

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

*Traditionally kushari is made with Egyptian rice but trust me this rice has alot more flavor and will offer a much better texture in the end ;)

Ingredients for sauce:

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, finely grated

olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

Pasta layer:

1/2 lb boiled elbow pasta

Onion layer:

2 large onions thinly sliced

1 TBs flour

1/2 or 1 cup oil for frying (I used coconut oil mixed with olive oil)

How to make rice and lentils:

-Place washed lentils in small pot, add water water (til water is 2 inches above lentils), add cumin. Bring to boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are soft to the bite but not mushy.

-After lentils are cooked, strain water from lentils while reserving the water. You'll need it again in the next step.

cooked lentils should look like this and not be too mushy!

Don't forget to save the water when straining lentils.

-add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Combine rice and lentils then add 2 cups of reserved lentil water. If you need more just add regular water. Add 1 tsp salt, bring mixture to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

To prepare sauce:

-In a small sauce pan, heat 1 TBs olive oil then saute garlic until it starts to brown. Add the sauce and rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

To prepare onions:

-After slicing your onions pat dry them with a paper towel or napkin then combine with flour. 

-Heat oil and start to fry the onions in small batches until they are golden brown and crispy.

What the onions look like after mixing with flour.

Fry the onions in small batches for best results.

The end result is golden brown, crispy and delicious onions.

Finally, assemble your plate like so:

This dish is fun for guests to assemble, it's very filling, and did I mention how delicious it is? :) Enjoy! 

Chicken Kofta (Ground Chicken)

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken (this ground chicken was from www.simplynaturalhalal.com)

1 small onion finely chopped

1 clove garlic finely grated

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped

2 TBs bread crumbs (optional)

1 TBs dried parsley (or you can use a couple TBs of fresh chopped parsley)

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

1 TBs butter (optional)

-Combine all ingredients and shape into patties, refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes or until ready to cook.

-Heat griddle pan, melt butter for extra flavor. Apply patties and grill until cooked! :)

-Serve with fresh pita bread and salad or with rice.

Please let me know if you try it and how you liked it in the comments section! :)