PIZZA!!!! On the Medifast Plan!!!!

***Updated 5/2/13 - Recipe APPROVED by Nutrition Support (with a change of counting the egg beaters towards the lean)***

OMG. Excuse me if this post is dripping with pizza love.

Since I started Medifast back on March 3rd, I've only had one craving. And that's for pizza. I've been 100% on-plan since day one, and have been incredibly happy with my weight loss (20 lbs so far!) and how easy it is to stay on-plan.

But still, I couldn't quite shake that pizza craving.

Especially after attending a birthday pizza party with my son, where greasy, cheesy pies were slung around in front of me for two hours while my son played. I had eaten my Medifast lunch prior to going, in order to 1) not be tempted to cheat, and 2) not have to explain to the other party attendees why I was eating a granola bar instead of pizza.

But I came home with a resolve. I HAD to figure out a pizza that was on-plan. It was the only way I'd be able to make it on Medifast without cheating. Because I'm going to be on this plan for a while while I melt all this fat away!

What I came up with is cheesy, floppy, chewy, pizza-y goodness wrapped up in a Lean and Green wrapper that is 100% on-plan.

I had been researching recipes on-line for a while, all of which used grated cauliflower. I was intimidated by the thought, and convinced that there was no WAY it could taste like real pizza.

Yeah, no intimidation necessary. This recipe is SO easy - easier than the old pizza from scratch recipe that I make for my non-Medifasting family.

I think the reason this pizza crust works is the tools I used to make it. At least in-part. My cookie sheets came with a 1/4 size sheet pan (maybe 1/3rd? I'm not sure!). Anyway, it's a mini cookie sheet that works out perfectly for this recipe, resulting in a thin, chewy crust.

The most important part is to line the pan with parchment paper. Just cut a sheet and plop it on top. Clean-up is a breeze and it ensures that the only place the cheesy crust sticks to is your tummy. :)

Next grate a head of cauliflower. You won't need the whole thing for the recipe, but you will love this recipe so much you'll want to bake and freeze the rest so you can have instant pizza heaven next time you're craving pizza but want to stay on plan.

Add 1/4 cup egg beaters, 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (the stuff I have has 6 grams of fat per ounce - which works out to the lean category). Add a 1/8 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder. Add salt and pepper to taste (I don't count these as condiments - I use just the tiniest amount of each.

Mix with a spoon and spread on the parchment. I spread it as thin as I can get it, since the thinner the crust, the chewier (thicker will result in a soggier crust). Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice a roma tomato, mushrooms, fresh garlic and 3 large basil leaves. Once the crust comes out of the oven, top with a layer of 1/4 cup of the sliced tomato, 1/4 cup sliced mushroom, a sprinkle of basil and the sliced garlic. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella on top. Follow with 1 Tbsp of grated Parmesan.

Return the pizza to the oven under the broiler (500 degrees) until the cheese melts and is bubbly (this happens FAST so watch it carefully!!!)

Remove from the oven, cut into six slices and devour the entire thing!

This entire recipe works out to be one big Medifast Lean and Green meal! YUM!

For your reference, here's the recipe (without all my narration :) ).

Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe

Sorry for the crappy photo - only realized after the fact that my finger was on the flash. By then the entire pizza had mysteriously disappeared... ;)

Crust:
1 cup grated cauliflower (2 green)
1/4 cup egg beaters  (1/8 lean)
3/8 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (6g fat/oz) (3/8 lean category)
1/8 tsp garlic powder (1/4 condiment)
1/8 tsp onion powder (1/4 condiment)

Topping:
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (1/2 lean)
1/4 cup thinly sliced Roma tomatoes (1/2 green)
1/4 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (1/2 green)
3 fresh basil leaves, thinly julienned (1/4 condiment)
1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan (1 condiment)
1 small clove of fresh garlic, thinly sliced (1 condiment)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a 1/4 sheet cake pan with parchment paper.

Grate 1 cup of cauliflower and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/4 cup egg beaters, 3/8 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese. Add a 1/8 tsp of garlic powder, onion powder and crushed basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with a spoon and spread on the parchment. Spread it as thin as possible, avoiding holes in the mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. The crust will be browned and look a bit like a quiche looks on the top.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the tomato, mushrooms, garlic clove and basil leaves. Top the baked crust with a layer of 1/4 cup of the sliced tomato, 1/4 cup sliced mushroom, a sprinkle of basil and the sliced garlic. Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella on top. Follow with 1 Tbsp of grated Parmesan.

Return the pizza to the oven under the broiler (500 degrees) until the cheese melts and is bubbly (this happens FAST so watch it carefully!!!)

Remove from the oven, cut into six slices and devour the entire thing!


Recipe makes 1 serving.


L&G Calculations:
1 Lean
3 Green
3 Condiments