Cold Veggie Pizza and Sundried Tomato Dip/Spread: The 17 Day Diet

We went to a benefit this weekend for a friend that has cancer and I volunteered to make something.  These turned out wonderfully and are very delicious and healthy!!!

1/2 of a sheet of crust

For the crust:
6 cups of riced raw cauliflower
1 1/2 cup of egg whites
1 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (you might have to go to a health food store for this)
3 cups of Kraft Fat Free Mozzarella
1 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
1 1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
seasoning of choice I used basil and an Italian herb mix

To "rice" the cauliflower: I did this with my Cuisenart with a grating blade. I have read that you can use the "s" blade or hand grate with a cheese grater.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. On parchment paper lined 18"x26" baking sheet (I recommend this instead of spraying the pan because I tried that and it stuck!), press mixture flat  as thin as you can get it without having holes.  Sprinkle with herbs.

Bake crusts for 20 min and carefully turn over and bake for another 10-15 min


Sundried Tomato Spread/dip

1 32oz container of any brand of greek yogurt strained in cheese cloth overnight to make yogurt cheese
1 cup of oil packed sundried tomatos drained and blotted to get most of oil off
1/4 of basil paste


put all ingrediants into a food processor or blender until it looks like this:



This makes much more than you will need for the size crust I made but it makes an excellent spread for sandwiches or a dip for veggies!  Tastes like a creamcheese spread instead of yogurt.

To assemble the Veggie Pizza

I found cutting the crust with a pizza cutter first to be the easiest way.  I just approximately 2"x2" squares.  Spread each piece with the Sundried Tomato Spread and then top with your favorite toppings.  I did red onions, orange peppers, artichoke hearts and blanched asparagus tips.

My Sundried Tomato Lasagne Recipe that was in the GR Press

Sauce Ingrediants:
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium white onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, pressed through a garlic press or minced
1 tsp of brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 lb of bulk sweet Iitalian sausage
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup of roasted sweet red peppers (pimentos)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Sauce
Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven, large sauce pan, or saute pan on medium heat. Add diced onions, garlic, and brown sugar. Cook onions until translucent. Add balsamic vinegar and cook 1 minute longer to de-glaze the panAdd sweet Italian sausage and break it up into little pieces and cook through. Put sun-dried tomatoes and pimentos in a food processor or blender and puree.Add puree mix and crushed tomatoes to sauce pan.
Optional: add 1/2 tsp salt to taste. Bring just to a boil and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While oven is heating and sauce is simmering, prepare the
Ricotta cheese mix.
2 eggs, slightly beaten.
32 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp of parsley
1 cup of pine nuts (pignolias)
extra virgin olive oil
Brush the inside of a small skillet with oil olive. Heat on medium heat for 1 minute. Turn to low and add pignolias. Stir constantly until they start to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.In a medium bowl, slightly beat two eggs, fold in ricotta, Grana Padano, parsley, and pignolias until well mixed. Set aside.
2 oz of fresh basil.
9 0z package of thin, flat lasagne noodles (uncooked)
3 cups of pre-shreded Italian 5 cheese blend (Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan)
1 tbsp parsley
Brush interior of a glass 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Ladle one cup of sauce into dish and spread around the bottom. Layer 4 uncooked lasagne noodles , then 1/2 Riccota mixture, whole basil leaves, 1/3 of sauce, 1 cup of 5 cheese blend. Repeat.Layer 4 more noodles, last of sauce, last of 5 cheese blend. Sprinkle with parsley.Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.