Pretty good looking garlic breadsticks huh? Would you believe me if I said they weren't actually bread? They are made with cauliflower! What's more is that they are actually pretty tasty. Now, I'm not one of those people who eats "diet" food and acts like it tastes good. Let's be honest, it tastes like cardboard. But these friends, they taste like real garlic bread. The texture is a little different, but trust me, your waistline won't care. Join me on a little culinary adventure...
Serves 2 to 4 {I doubled the recipe in these pictures}
1/4 of a large head of cauliflower (about 5 1/2 oz/160 g)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 oz mozzarella cheese, freshly grated and divided (low-fat cheese is
fine)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning, divided
1 pinch each salt and pepper
Cooking spray
I also added 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. I like the crunch of baked Parm
Marinara sauce, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper
so that the excess paper hangs over the sides; lightly spray the parchment paper
with cooking spray.
To “rice” the cauliflower, grate it on a cheese grater; you should have about
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) of riced cauliflower. Get ready for a bicep worout. "Ricing" cauliflower is not an easy feat and not a very clean job either. Put the riced cauliflower
into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave (uncovered) until softened, about 6 to
8 minutes, stirring occasionally (don’t add water or anything else); cool
slightly. While the cauliflower cooks, heat the oil in a small skillet over low
heat; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute,
stirring constantly; cool slightly.
While the cauliflower cooks, heat the oil in a small skillet over low heat; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly; cool slightly.
To the bowl with the softened cauliflower, add the garlic, egg, 3/4 of the
cheese (reserving 1/4 for topping later), 1/4 teaspoon of the dried Italian herb
seasoning (reserving 1/4 teaspoon for topping later), and a pinch of salt and
pepper.
Stir to combine and then spread in the prepared loaf pan. When I make these again, I would prefer them to be a little thinner like the ones on Edible Mosaic. These tasted great, but I would like to try them a little crispier.
Bake until the loaf is set and starting to turn golden, about 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper; use the parchment paper to
lift the loaf out of the loaf pan and carefully flip it over onto the lined
baking sheet (so the bottom is on top). Bake until golden, about 10
minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Cut the loaf cross-wise into 8 pieces. Slightly separate
the pieces and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella plus the Parmesan cheese on top along with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon
dried Italian herb seasoning. Broil a couple minutes until the cheese is melted
and golden in spots. Serve hot or warm. (If you let it cool for about 10
minutes after taking it out of the oven, the crust will harden a bit so it’s
easy to hold like a thin-crust pizza.)
Trust me when I say they are delightful. I like to make these types of things and fool my husband. He ate them without even knowing he wasn't carb loading. Fo reals.
