I was so exctied the first time I made this healthy take on 'pizza'. Even my Irishman, a devotee of the classic Napoli pizza style said it was delicious.

Although he was also very quick to point out that it wasn't the same as real pizza. Which I agree.

I love using these for a Friday night 'pizza-ish' treat. Love that that it's actually packed with healthy ingredients.

makes: 1 large pizza - enough for 2
takes: 45 minutes
500g (1lb) cauliflower, about 1 small
100g (3.5oz) grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
100g (3.5oz) almond meal
your favourite pizza toppings

1. Preheat your oven to 200C (400F). Blitz your cauliflower using your food processor until it looks a bit like fine couscous. Or chop as finely as possible.

2. Add parmesan, eggs, almond meal and a really generous pinch of salt. Stir until combined.

3. Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper. Tip the cauli mixture onto the lined tray then using your hands smooth into a pizza shaped circle about 28cm (11in) in diameter. I like to make a 'crust' by shaping the edges to be taller than the middle.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pizza is browned and feels springy when touched.

5. Add your toppings and bake further 5-10 minutes or until you're happy.

Variations

extra fiber - Add 1 tablespoon psyllium husks, if you have psyllium powder 1 teaspoon will be enough. The pizza is perfectly fine without the psyllium. The one in the picture is without psyllium. You could also use oat bran, ground chia seeds or ground flax seeds if you feel like more fiber.

dairy-free - just skip the parmesan. If you have some nutritional yeast lying around, a tablespoon or so wouldn't hurt for extra flavour.

nut-free - replace almond meal with bread crumbs, finely ground sunflower seeds or extra parmesan.

martian 'green pizza' - replace cauliflower with broccoli.

do ahead - you can bake the base ahead of time and then just continue from step 5. Will keep in the fridge for a week or so or in the freezer for months. Defrost before baking.

smaller pizzas - feel free to make into whatever size (or shape) you like. Smaller pizzas won't need quite as long, so check after 20 minutes. I often make 2 pizzas so we can vary the toppings.

paleo (grain, legume & dairy-free) -replace parmesan in crust with extra almond meal and replace mozzarella with extra salami.

Prepare Ahead

You could cook the bases ahead and either fridge or freeze then add the toppings and finish the baking just before serving. Will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks but the cauliflower flavour gets stronger with time. Can be frozen.