Moment of Truth Thursday - Week 3 + Pizza Crust!

Now that I think about it... maybe it wasn't the WISEST decision to make amazing Cauliflower Crust Pizza the night before an official weigh-in.  Buuuuut, I had just purchased my nooch (nutritional yeast) and I've been excited about this crust recipe for the last 24 hours straight :)  So I did it... on a weeknight. (Doesn't that pizza pic -------> look amazing?!?!)

I think what sets me apart from some of the other healthy bloggers out there is that I am doing this while maintaining a full-time job and motherhood.  I am really really busy... and because of that, a lot of my posts are going to be about ideas for quick healthy meals:  hopefully which translate well into your busy life too! That said, this crust sounded so amazing, I had to take the time to make it, and ASAP.   Overall it took me about 40 minutes from start to finish. 

First I gathered my ingredients:

Then, I put the cauliflower in the microwave for the 8 minutes, while I combined all the other ingredients.  I did make one change... I adjusted it for high altitude (baking at a mile high sucks!!) by adding in 2 Tbsp of whole wheat baking flour.  I also used the entire cauliflower (not just half) b/c mine was really small and it didn't look like it was going to make enough for a "whole" pizza.  So next time, I might just double the entire recipe.

Here's a pic of all the crust ingredients (except for the cauliflower) and a pic of the crust spread out on a non-stick pan.  I don't have a cool silicone baking mat, YET!

Oh, wondering how I made something so relatively involved on a weeknight, with Babycakes?  I let her in my Tupperware drawer... it wasn't pretty, but she had a BLAST!

After the crust cooked for 15 minutes and started browning on the edges, I put on the pizza sauce and toppings.  Evidently I don't know how to make pizza because Dear Hubby reminded me that usually the cheese goes on first, then the toppings.  But, I hid all the toppings under a blanket of cheese.  Oops. 75% of the pizza was for DH, layered with pepperoni and pineapple.  My 25% was mostly orange bell peppers (I'm obviously obsessed!) and pineapple, with 3 pepperonis (serving size is normally 14 pepperonis, so just a few calories for a nice protein punch!).  And we loved the sauce (Classico)... very Papa-Johns-esque.

Here it is topped with cheese after it baked and got all melty and yummy:

And the best news of all, my vegetable-hating-hubby actually LIKED it.   And not just the "being nice" kind of liking (he doesn't do that), he actually liked it. Woot Woot!!

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cauliflower (yield 2 cups after grated/food processed)
• 1 egg
• 2 oz finely shredded cheese of choice (use a medium-softness cheese like mozzarella, cheddar, colby jack, pepper jack, etc)
• 3 TB nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp minced garlic (from the jar or fresh)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground sea salt
• toppings of choice (see directions)

directions

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. grate raw cauliflower using a food processor or by hand with a grater. i am lazy and so i used my food processor–i pulsed until it reached a finely grated consistency.
3. microwave cauliflower for eight minutes and then let cool.
4. while cauliflower is cooling, prep your toppings of choice. choose a sauce (like marinara, pesto, barbecue, or alfredo), a cheese or two (feta, mozzarella, asiago, goat cheese) and your favorite toppings (sausage, chicken, pepperoni, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, artichokes, onions.. okay, i will stop now!)
5. once cauliflower has cooled to almost room temperature, combine it in a bowl with the remaining ingredients (aside from the toppings, of course.)
6. spray a nonstick baking sheet or line with a silicone mat. (sooooooo need to get one of these!) spread mixture evenly on the pan so it forms a 9″ x 16″ rectangle.. give or take.
7. bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are slightly browned.
8. layer sauce and toppings on baked crust.
9. place pizza back in oven until all the cheese is melted (if using cheese) and toppings are warmed through; about five minutes.
10. slice & eat immediately. enjoy!

So, now on to the weekly weigh-in.  Hopefully you will be easy on me knowing what I ate last night (above) and thankful that I shared this amazing healthy recipe with you.  :)

Previous Weight: 174.8 lbs (Week 2 Weigh-In)

Current Weight: 173.8 lbs

Change in Weight: -1.0 lbs

TOTAL Weight-loss since starting the blog: -5.4 lbs

Not as much as I would've liked, but here's some positives from the week:

• I started a running program: Pooch to 5K!
• I made a pizza crust using cauliflower - a vegetable that I bought yesterday for the first time in my 8 years of marriage.
• I made some new "healthy blog" friends and signed up for the Blend (Blogger + Friend) Retreat in May... soooooo excited!!
• I took some beautiful pictures of Babycakes - first time in months
• Even though I didn't lose as much as weeks prior, I still lost weight... and am heading in the right direction towards my goals.
• Mini-Milestone - today I was TIED with my husband for weight to the tenth of a pound... getting so close!!

What are your favorite pizza toppings?  When was the last time YOU bought a cauliflower?  Do you cook "involved" meals during the work week?