Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks & Cookbook Review/Giveaway

Recipe from and review of the Natural Pregnancy Cookbook by Dr. Sonali Ruder (aka, The Foodie Physician)

I was so pleased when I was asked to take part in the blog tour for my dear friend Sonali’s new book, Natural Pregnancy Cookbook. I’ve been a huge fan of her recipes for years. I was honored that she included a few of my recipes in her previous cookbooks and my yes, my Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Soup makes an appearance in this book, too (page 152!).

Honestly, I haven’t been pregnant in quite some time, and it’s a little late for me to become pregnant, since my youngest is 16 now, but I wish I’d had a fabulous resource like this book when I was pregnant! Not that I didn’t know how to eat healthy … my mom was a Registered Dietitian and I learned a lot from her about healthy eating, but when I was pregnant, I felt like some alien had taken over my body because none of the “normal” rules applied during pregnancy. My tastes changed completely and my body rebelled at things that normally were fine, yet craved things like ice cream like crazy. This book is chock full of tips specifically for pregnancy, with advice including things like how much weight you should gain, how many extra calories you should eat each day, where the weight goes, preferred choices for protein, fiber, and other nutrients you and your baby need while you’re pregnant and even tips for what to eat for morning sickness and how to satisfy cravings with healthier  choices.

Just after all the wonderful tips for healthy eating while you’re pregnant, there are the RECIPES! Sonali is an expert at making healthy food taste fabulous and every recipe in this book reflects her amazing taste. With recipes like “Pump up your milk” pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, berry and ricotta stuffed french toast, roasted sweet potato coins with chipotle crema, tropical shrimp salad, turkey parmesan burgers, and so many more mouthwatering choices, I had a hard time deciding what to make.

But these veggie-filled, gluten free “breadsticks” made of cauliflower, eggs, cheese and seasonings really intrigued me. I love recipes that add more veggies to my diet in a sneaky way (yes, I like to trick my own tastebuds) and these “breadsticks” seemed like the perfect choice for that. I ate the first batch as cheese sticks, and then made the leftovers into a sort of an upside-down pizza by spreading the sauce over the top of several sticks set side-by-side and heating them in the microwave. It was sooo satisfying and easy and yet, so healthy and fun!

And yes, I’m also giving away my copy of this wonderful cookbook because I think it should be in the hands of a pregnant woman … leave a comment below to enter and I’ll choose a lucky winner! Enter by December 10, 2015 for your chance to win.

Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: About 4 - 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
• 1 large egg or 2 egg whites
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or mix of dried herbs (I used thyme, basil and parsley)
• Salt (or Red Robin Seasoning) and pepper
• Marinara sauce for serving (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut it into florets. Place them in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is finely chopped and looks like rice.
2. Transfer the cauliflower to a microwave-safe dish or bowl. Cover and cook in the microwave for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam the cauliflower in a steamer basket or bake it in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes.
3. When the cauliflower is cool, transfer it to a bowl lined with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Bring the ends of the cloth together and squeeze as much liquid out of the cauliflower as you can. I got about ½ cup liquid.
4. Transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl and add the egg, Italian seasoning, ½ cup cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine.
5. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Form the dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches and ¼-inch thick.
6. Bake in the oven 15-20 minutes until cooked. Remove the baking sheet and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the top. Bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
7. Let cool slightly before removing from the pan. Cut into sticks and serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: Natural Pregnancy Cookbook

Other images/text in this post are © Copyright 2015, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

This recipe was shared at Foodie Friends Friday and Tuesday’s Table.