You know what I hate? Lengthy narratives when I JUST want to get to the recipe.

So I’ll keep this short: in November, I came dangerously close to a stroke, and that’s necessitated some major dietary changes.

Here’s one – a quasi-pizza with fewer processed carbs and less sodium. Was it crispy like a flour crust? Nope. But the integrity held, and it also reheated well on day 2.

The crust is the tricky bit, so top it at will. Go wild.

This can be fully gluten free, depending on the cooking spray. Omit the proscuitto for a vegetarian dish, and use vegan cheese (and flaxmeal in the place of eggs) for a vegan pizza (maybe add a little flour of your choosing, along with a pinch of baking powder, as a stabilizer). It’s a versatile recipe.

Cauliflower Pizza with Roasted Vegetables and Proscuitto

(serves 4)

• 1 bag of frozen cauliflower rice, uncooked
• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup onion, sliced on the vertical
• 1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 ounces mozzarella
• 2 large egg whites (whole eggs will work, too)
• 1/2 ounce grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup sliced Roma tomatoes
• 2-3 slices proscuitto (without added nitrates) 
• 2/3 cup fresh baby spinach

Preheat oven at 450 – and if you’re not hurried for time, heat a baking stone for about an hour.

Drain the mozzarella in a colander for 1-2 hours prior – if you’re in a rush, place the cauliflower in a dish towel and wring out as much moisture as possible. Combine cauliflower, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, half of thebasil, black pepper, salt, garlic, half the mozzarella, egg whites, and Parmesan in a bowl. Press cauliflower mixture into 1 large circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently spray the top with cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

While the crust is prebaking, saute the mushrooms, and add the onion and bell pepper, and cook until the onion slices are translucent.

Once the crust is baked and slightly cooled, top it with the cooked vegetables, as well as the tomatoes, spinach, basil, and proscuitto. Top with the remaining mozzarella and return to the oven until the cheese is bubbling and starting to slightly caramelize.

I miss actual pizza, but this was actually pretty good, pretty easy, and vegetable intensive.