BBQ Tofu Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

The crust on this pizza is a nice alternative to standard flour crust. The texture is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, most resembling a latke made with cauliflower. If you wanted to make this recipe gluten free, simply replace the panko with GF breadcrumbs, or don't use any at all.

Slow simmered chunks of tofu in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, crisp red onions, hot jalapeno rings, fresh cilantro and a mix of cheeses on a crisp crust made of cauliflower and bread crumbs.

BBQ Tofu Pizza

1/2 lb pre-fried tofu, cut into 1/4 " pieces
1 cup sweet BBQ sauce
1 (2lb) head of cauliflower, stem removed and cut into small pieces
4 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese
1/4 red onion, sliced very thinly
1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
4 tbl chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, cut into thinly sliced rounds

In a small pot over medium heat, combine the tofu chunks and bbq sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower chunks. Bring to a boil and cook until completely tender, around 10 minutes. Drain and transfer the cooked cauliflower to a bowl. Add 2 tbl of oil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mash until fairly smooth. Add the breadcrumbs and 1 tbl of chopped cilantro and combine.
Preheat the oven to 425.
In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbl of oil over medium high heat. Add the mashed cauliflower mixture and press down into a thin, very compact layer. Saute until the bottom is crisp and golden brown, 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Use a plate large enough to cover over the cauliflower layer and flip the crust over onto the plate, so the crisp side is now facing up. Slide the crust back into the saute pan.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese on the bottom. Layer with bbq tofu, onion slices and jalapeno rings. Top with the cheddar cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the bottom of the pizza has crisped and the cheese has melted.
Slide the pizza out on a plate and garnish with the remaining cilantro.