Breadsticks. Now that I have your attention, imagine enjoying them whenever you wanted without worrying about the empty calories, high carb content, or general low nutritional profile. Here’s a breadsticks recipe that erases such worries away.
When it comes to making low-carb “dough” that acts as a flatbread or pizza base, cauliflower has emerged as the shining buttress of choice. The hearty vegetable breaks down to a rice-like texture that can be mixed with eggs, cheese, and spices to resemble a wetter, spreadable dough. When cooked, you wouldn’t care to detect the difference – it’s that good. This breadsticks recipe is a lot like that of a cauliflower crust pizza dough only it churns out a lot thicker and a lot cheesier nibbles. Enjoy aside hummus, a tomato sauce, or ranch dressing dip.
In this recipe, cauliflower doesn’t just replace the white flour found in traditional breadsticks; it adds a boost of nutrition to an otherwise nutrition-starved food. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. It is also a great source of choline, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, and biotin. In a 100-gram serving of cooked cauliflower there are 23 calories, 142 milligrams potassium, 2.3 grams dietary fiber, 73% of the RDA of vitamin C, and 10% the RDA of vitamin B6. Cauliflower is known to reduce the risk of cancer, boost cardiovascular health, fight inflammation, improve brain health, support digestion, aid in weight loss, balance hormones, and build stronger bones.
Biting into each breadstick, you get more than just a delicious burst of flavor in your mouth – you get a health kick. To augment those effects, be sure to choose the other ingredients wisely. Opt for pasture-raised eggs and goat milk mozzarella-style cheese over their mass-produced, mainstream counterparts as well as a Pecorino (aged sheep’s milk cheese) instead of regular cow’s milk Parmesan.
Low-Carb Cauliflower Breadsticks Recipe
Makes 10 to 15 breadsticks
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1/2 cup + 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan (or Pecorino) cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the cauliflower head into florets and add to a food processor. Pulse the cauliflower until the cauliflower resembles rice. Transfer the cauliflower rice to a nut milk bag or thin cotton towel and wring out the natural juices of the raw cauliflower. This step will help to prevent soggy breadsticks.
Place the cauliflower rice into a large bowl and add the one-half cup mozzarella cheese, one-half cup Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Fold the mixture together until well combined.
Spread the mixture onto the parchment paper so that it resembles a rectangle and is about one-half inch thick. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Top with the remaining one cup mozzarella cheese and one-half cup Parmesan cheese. Turn the oven to its broiler setting set at high and cook for another one minute, or until the cheese has melted and lightly browned.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the mixture cool down for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing it into breadsticks. Serve and enjoy!
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