Roasted Cauliflower + Buffalo Pizza
I’m reflecting on last week today, & I can’t believe we’ve only been back in WA a week. The good news is I always return from trips feeling so invigorated and with this strong passion for getting back in my own house, sort of “re-nesting” by seizing moments to do my favorite things (like cooking meals for me + Jordo), and it usually leads to some pretty gangster dinners that first week home. The downside of my first week back from a trip is I want to be home doing all the fun at-home things so bad, that my motivation to be outside of my house + be somewhere else (like our bar) gets pretty low. It’s the classic “don’t make me go back to work” struggle, ya know? It’s like I want to keep having all the fun of being away + being in vacation mode, that as I walk back into my actual house I’m overcome with a strong desire to inject that level of vacation-good time into our home life because vacation-good time is just a great vibe! I feel like “self care” is the hot button phrase that comes into my mind. Like as I get back home, I’m mentally telling myself that I’m going to “really plan for self care time” to ease back into the work week. My time management is one area I’m constantly trying to improve, and the reality is that all the fun things I want to indulge in as soon as I’m back home aren’t always reality. Takes some strategy + prioritization (constantly trying to get better at both), but tried my best this past week and am pretty proud of myself for carving out some fun time to be in the kitchen, + sticking to it.
The way I can get through the crazy days is looking forward to a night of good cooking. Those home cooked meals that I get excited about are pretty much the most motivating thing in my life. & this week’s major craving - buffalo sauce. Like wanting to eat buffalo wings so bad, but also wanting something cheesy. In comes Roasted Cauliflower + Buffalo Pizza, and it’s all good things. Hot buffalo sauce + yummy ranch dressing + herbs + cheese. Just so many classic flavors stacked together for a somewhat indulgent meatless meal, and we it was nothing but great! This is also my latest trick when it comes to “let’s see what we can do with cauliflower” and turns out it’s great on pizza. It’s such a fun + satisfying pizza, and we made it twice last week.
This week’s addition of just add cauliflower
Cauliflower is literally the best veggie ever and I will die on that hill, and I’ll keep adding it to everything.
This pizza all starts with roasted cauliflower. Slightly charred + tender cauliflower - so good always! It’s a perfect addition to any meal, and in this case my new favorite pizza topping. By roasting the cauliflower first, developing a good roasted color, it holds up so well when it comes to a pizza topping. It’s tender but you can cook some of the moisture out so it doesn’t get too juicy on top of the pizza (which is important). Obviously it’s a substitute for chicken, but buffalo cauliflower was awesome and we enjoy eating it this way.
Homemade ranch
There is just something so gratifying about making a homemade, super fresh version of those grocery store staples. Like ranch. If there is one thing to take away from this recipe + apply elsewhere, it’s this homemade ranch sauce. Thick + herby + so perfectly ranchy. And also very easy to whip together! The key is equal parts herbs + sour cream, and your headed for success. I like using light sour cream + almond milk in this case - the herbs add so much flavor you can 100% reduce the fat.
After making my own (successfully), my take-away is that a super herby ranch is the best way to make it a little less pedestrian. Lots of dill + lots of parsley + lots of chives. I wanted a ranch that was herby - so herby it’s a 50/50 mix of fresh herbs + sour cream. I just minced up all of the herbs along with my garlic cloves at the same time, taking my time to get perfectly minuscule bits of herbs + garlic to mix into a glob of sour cream. A little squeeze of lemon juice to thin it out so it’s not too thick + clunky. If you’re feeling wild + want another kick, add a fresh jalapeño to the mix and mince up with the herbs + garlic (we did and it was great). It’s super yummy, and thick enough to handle being the pizza base. I was a bit skeptical to essentially bake a sour cream sauce with my pizza, but it was perfect. The leftover sauce was the perfect dipper alongside our hot + cheesy slices.
Give it a roasted garlic flare
Pro tip: if you have time to roast whole heads of garlic, and add roasted garlic cloves to the ranch - worth it! Roasted garlic is just so yummy + easy to incorporate, and making a roasted garlic ranch is a fun treat always. think the key is not to skimp and go for a ranch that’s white, but barely because it’s littered with green herby specs. Since it’s an equal
For the ranch dressing (as low cal as it gets)
1 c. sour cream (I used a low fat)
1 heaping cup of fresh herbs - a combination of parsley, dill, + chives
3-4 garlic cloves
1/2 a lemon, juiced
2-3 tbsp almond milk
1 fresh jalapeño (optional)
For the pizza
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (I like to think of doing small + thick slices)
2 tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt + pepper
1 lb of premade pizza dough, at room temp
1 ball of press mozzarella, shredded
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
Frank’s buffalo sauce
Leftover fresh herbs for sprinkling on top
Start by making the ranch. Place the herbs + garlic (and jalapeño if you’re using it) on a cutting board + mince. Transfer to a bowl with the sour cream, lemon juice, + almond milk, and mix. Add in a pinch of salt + pepper and mix. Set in the fridge until you’re ready to bake your pizza.
Preheat the oven to 375. For the cauliflower, toss the florets with the EVOO, paprika, salt + pepper. Lay on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes - until you reach the desired level of roasted color. When the cauliflower has cooked, remove the pan for the oven and let cool at room temp. Increase the heat of the oven to 500 and add a large baking sheet or pizza stone to the oven. Let the pan heat up for at least 15 minutes.
Prep the dough by stretching it to the length of your pan or pizza stone. If using a baking tray, lightly brush the tray with olive oil. Lay the prepped + stretched pizza dough on the pan and par-bake for 3-6 minutes - cooked enough to be relatively sturdy but have no roasted brown color. Spread the ranch over the dough, then the roasted cauliflower, and then the cheese. Finish by drizzling buffalo sauce over the top. Place the pizza back in the oven for 8-12 minutes - until roasted, crispy (no soggy bottom), and can hold up to the toppings. If the pie needs longer than 12 minutes - keep it cooking and just watch carefully. Finish the pizza with a sprinkling of fresh herbs + serve alongside extra ranch sauce, and enjoy. It’s divine!