Cauliflower breadsticks

Bread sticks with cauliflower and flour less!
Its an experiment I have been wanting to try since a year. Will it fall apart or even worse will it be a mush? Yesterday was the Dday to test it and here is the end result for you.

Yes, I call it an experiment because I had no idea or back up plan on how I was going to finish one full head of cauliflower all by myself if it went wrong. (Read as apprehensions of a blogger Lol! )

The bread sticks are not rigid like the regular bread stick  but soft yet holds the shape and tastes great.... I must say I am really impressed with the end result.

I did a thorough net search and found various recipes but  most of them were time consuming (grating,squeezing out the water etc)and involving various steps. I found that first steaming florets and then simply squishing with my loving hands worked very well.

 PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:
Cauliflower - 1 large head
Egg- 1
A mix of grated cheese  - Mozzarella, Sharp cheddar or Texmex - 3/4 cup (use half for the dough and reserve half for topping in the end)
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Garlic and parsley powder -1 tsp
A mix of dried herbs -1 tsp (oregano,basil rosemary and thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1.Cut the cauliflower into florets wash well and steam them until 3/4 th cooked in a steamer.
(Note : chop cauliflower in food processor to a coarse consistency or grate it and microwave it or bake it till 3/4 cooked )
2. Leave it in the steamer pot for excess water to drain off and cool.

3.Squish well with ur hand until all the florets are broken and it becomes a grainy consistency few bigger pieces are fine. (if u have already grated in step 1 leave out this step.)
4.&5. Squeeze off all the liquid with a kitchen tea towel.Feeling lazy like me then- spread it on few sheets of  paper napkin to air dry while u attend other chores.

6.Put all the rest of the ingredients with cauliflower  and mix well (with ur hand)
7.Put it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. spread it evenly.Pat the top and sides so it sticks together.
8&9..Bake at 375-400 F for 18 minutes pull it out and spread the reserved cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

I moved my bread sticks to the lowest rack and left it in the oven for another 10 minutes soon after switching off. (if any sogginess is there it would dry out )
 Let it rest  for 5 minutes outside then slice and enjoy with any sauce of your choice.

On the side note :
Moms who are now thinking of sneaking in veggies:
Become a good influence and PLEASE tell ur kids it is cauliflower so they too will learn to make healthy choices instead of telling another nine lies as to why the bread stick is different. Tell me alteast once if your older child has not detected hidden veggies unless they are mindlessly eating and watching t.v !:))))

 That's the ketchup frog on cauliflower crush saga.It says "divine the next day " :))))
Hope you like it.
Meena

Here are other awesome ideas to cook cauliflower from Food Network friends:

The Lemon Bowl: Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken with Cauliflower 
Feed Me Phoebe: Vegan Cauliflower Soup with Red Curry
Jeanette's Healthy Living: Hash Brown Cauliflower and Potatoes
The Cultural Dish: Cauliflower and Leek Soup
Dishing with Divya: Gobi Manchurian
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Smokey Cauliflower Soup with Parmigiano-Reggiano
Red or Green: Cauliflower and Peppers Pasta with Spicy Pesto
Swing Eats: Cauliflower T-Bone Steaks with Olive, Lemon and Parsley
Dishin & Dishes: Curried Cauliflower Chowder
Domesticate Me: Three Cheese Cauliflower Gratin
Weelicious: Vegetarian Tagine
Devour: 5 Reasons to Make Cauliflower Immediately
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Cauliflower Breadsticks
Taste With The Eyes: Spiced Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut, Cilantro, Mint
FN Dish: Reasons to Reconsider Cauliflower (recipes)