Meatless Monday

As a vegetarian, the question that I am most often asked from the incredulous meat-eater is "Don't you get tired and bored of your food?" It is surprising to most people that anyone could actually enjoy a completely meatless menu. Frankly, I never even think about it. Like anybody else who cooks, I am always searching for new recipes and ways to make our meals exciting, but I do so within the sphere of vegetarianism. We are not vegans. We do eat eggs and dairy products, but the health concerns of consuming too much of these foods does weigh heavily on our eating choices as well. That said, every so often I search for a treat that will appease both The Husband and me that will satisfy our palettes  while still maintaining our integrity.

There is a wonderful restaurant that came out of South Florida called Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. Anthony's has always been a family favourite whenever we visit the Southern Home simply because it serves delicious food. Nothing fancy. Pizza and chicken wings. But it is to die for. My boys always need to make a stop there when they come down, as do most of my friends. The Husband and I are quite content with a veggie pizza and the wonderful salad. But last year, Anthony's introduced a new menu item; a roasted cauliflower pizza. Oh my! To say that we were in heaven is an understatement. It was nothing short of nirvana and it got me to thinking how I might duplicate this at home. 

Cauliflower is a funny vegetable for some. It is an either love it or hate it food, but in this house it falls definitively on the favoured side. Here is my attempt at Anthony's masterpiece. It wasn't the same. I couldn't even attempt to figure out what they put into the crust and I only have a standard oven not a coal-fired job, but it was pretty damn close. 

Our crust was a pre-prepared whole wheat fresh dough purchased at our local grocer. Any crust will do.

1. Cut a head of cauliflower into florets and place in a large bowl with 7-8 cloves of smashed garlic. (as much or as little as you want, but I should tell you that the garlic makes the flavour.)

2. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well. 

3. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 425 degrees for 1/2 hour.

4. Once crust is spread out on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil. 

5. Add the cauliflower/garlic mixture. 

6. Sprinkle with a mixture of seasoned breadcrumbs and freshly grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. 

7. Add shredded mozzarella and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. (I am not a huge cheese lover, so I take it easy on the mozzarella. As well-all of our cheese was lactose free to accommodate me.)

Et Voila.....