You can make pizza crust out of veggies??

I have always been really interested in zucchini and cauliflower pizza crusts but haven't ventured to try them until now. Pizza has to be one of my favorite foods. Saucy, doughy, cheesy goodness smothered in whatever other toppings you desire, I can never resist it if someone buys it. Especially night shift at work, then it's really bad. Or like today when my aunt bought Ledo's for lunch while I was there visiting her, my cousins and their kiddos.

It has been a week filled with pizza. My guy and I have a new goal to try every Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives restaurant in the Baltimore area. When we finish with Baltimore, the plan is to move on to DC. For those of you who don't know, the show airs on the Food Network and basically is exactly what it sounds like. Host Guy Fieri visits restaurants around the country recommended by viewers and tries the restaurant's most popular dishes. So far we have been to the Blue Moon Cafe (Captain Crunch french toast! Every bit as good as it sounds), Chaps Pit Beef, and Joe Squared.

Joe Squared has two locations in the city, one in Station North and the other at Power Plant Live! We decided to visit the Power Plant location. With over 20 pizzas to choose from plus an option to make your own, there's no way you won't be able to find something you like. They also offer salads, risottos, and other fare if pizza is not your thing.

We ordered the Bacon and Clam:

And the Chicken, Corn, and Apple:

This was seriously some of the best pizza I have ever had. The combinations were so unique, and they are all on thin crust so you don't get too much dough in each bite. If I had to pick a favorite of the two it would probably be the Bacon and Clam. I'm partial to white sauces and this one had a roasted garlic cream that was fantastic. They also didn't skimp on the clams or the bacon. The chicken pizza had a little bit of an unexpected kick to it but it wasn't overpowering. Apple is also really great as a sweet ingredient to cut the saltiness of the rest of it! This place is amazing and if you really love pizza you should go check it out!

Okay back to tonight's dinner. I opted to try zucchini crust because I love zucchini and it seemed like it would be something that would be really easy to shred. I wasn't disappointed. All you need is a cheese grater and two fairly large zucchinis. Both were shredded in under fifteen minutes. I love anything that is easy and doesn't take much time! Then you microwave it for 6 minutes and once done wrap it in a towel to squeeze out all the water. This step was optional but I highly recommend it! No one wants a soggy pizza crust.

To hold it all together you mix it with 1 egg, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, oregano, and salt and pepper. Then you place it on a baking sheet, preferably one lined with a silicone baking mat. Do this! I did not own one and decided to get one today and it made getting the pizza of the baking sheet so much easier! Here's the link to the one I purchased, cheap and easily found at your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond:

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/real-simple-professional-silicone-baking-mat/1014715754?Keyword=silicone+baking+mat

Once you've mixed your crust you spread it out on your baking mat and bake it for about 20 minutes. It should look something like this:

After baking simply pull it out and slap on your favorite toppings! I followed the recipe and used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce, red onions and corn. It also called for bacon but in the interest of trying to eat healthy I left it off. Here's the finished product:

So the verdict on the taste? Yummy! I was really concerned it was going to fall apart but it held up well. Yeah you don't get the chewy goodness of dough but I really didn't feel gipped. It had great flavor. And look at that golden delicious cheese! If you would like to try the recipe it can be found here:

http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/07/zucchini-pizza-crust-with-chipotle-bbq.html

What are some of your favorite pizza joints or recipes??