Hellobee

When it comes to cooking, I have 3 basic rules: 1) It must be quick, 2) It must be easy (aka as few ingredients and steps as possible) and 3) It must keep for at least a few days in the refrigerator or be freezer-friendly. I’ve never been much of a cook – I’m a much better eater than I am cook – and I’d rather do anything else but cook in the precious few hours I get between coming home, bedtime and on weekends.

I’m constantly scouring Pinterest and the web for new recipe ideas to mix up our repertoire. For now, Baby Carrot will still try anything, though she may not eat much beyond the initial try, but the bigger challenge is Mr. Carrot – a vegetarian who hates most vegetables and considers cheese its own food group. And as we all do, I’m constantly trying to keep things healthier too. That’s why when I came across this Cheesy Cauliflower Dippers recipe, I had to try it.

I modified the original recipe in a few ways, mostly because I decided to make this during Baby C’s nap, and was both too lazy and too concerned about the noise to put together the food processor. I also didn’t have garlic salt on hand, as the original recipe calls for, so I used fresh garlic and the final verdict was delicious!

Cauliflower Cheesy “Bread”

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-large head of cauliflower
• 1 small clove garlic, minced very finely
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (Swiss, Provolone and Jack would work great here as well)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan (I used a mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmesan for a little extra bite)
• 2 tsps of Italian spices (I used an Italian Spice mix, but individual pinches of oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, etc. would work well also, for a total of 2 tsps)
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Wash cauliflower and break it into small florets.

2. Cover with cold water in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes, give or take depending on the size of your florets).

3. Drain the cooked cauliflower in a mesh colander and mash with a fork in the colander . The cauliflower should be as lump free as possible. (Doing this in the colander helps drain some of the water you’ll be getting rid of in the next step anyway).

4. Once cooled, put the cauliflower into a thin kitchen towel, wrap tightly, and twist the ends of the towel in opposing directions. This will compress the cauliflower and allow the excess water to escape. Repeat this step until water stops seeping out.

5. Put the now-dry cauliflower into a bowl and mix well with 1/2 cup mozzarella (or your cheese of choice), minced garlic, salt, spices and egg. Reserve the rest of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan for later.

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment, and spread the mixture to form a rectangle. Shape with your hands – the rectangle should have a bit of thickness to it, similar to a thin, rolled-out dough.

7. Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the edges have browned and the top begins to firm.

8. Remove from oven once edges have browned, top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and browned.

9. Allow the “bread” to cool for 15-30 minutes – I found this to be important in order to achieve “breadstick”/dipper consistency – and then cut into sticks or shapes to your liking.

We found that these taste almost identical to actual bread, and hold up well for all types of snacking. I can’t vouch to whether these freeze well because they lasted less than 2 days at our house, but they do keep well refrigerated for at least 2-3 days. This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc., and is going to be part of our usual dinner/snack routine from now on!