Cauliflower Crust Garlic Breadsticks

Cauliflower Crust Garlic Breadsticks                                                                  

Ingredients 
Makes 10 breadsticks

Cauliflower crust

1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (should yield 3 cups of cauliflower rice)
1 free-range organic egg, lightly beaten
½ cup / 1.7 oz  shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
½ teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Toppings

2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
A pinch of dried Italian herb season
Marinara sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper so that the excess paper hangs over the sides; lightly grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a small pan over low heat; add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute max. Turn the heat off and set aside.
In a food processor rice the cauliflower florets (it should be evenly chopped but not completely pulverized).
Transfer cauliflower rice to a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for 8 minutes, until cooked.
Place the cauliflower rice in a tea towel and twist it to squeeze as much moisture as you can (I usually squeeze out over a cup of liquid). This is very important. The cauliflower rice needs to be dry, otherwise you’ll end up with mushy breadsticks.
Transfer the cauliflower rice to a mixing bowl, add egg, mozzarella, Italian herb seasoning, garlic oil, salt and pepper and mix well.
Spread cauliflower mixture in the prepared loaf pan.
Bake until the loaf is set and starting to turn golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.
In the meantime, line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
When the “loaf” is cooked, use the parchment paper to lift out of the loaf pan and carefully flip it over onto the lined baking sheet (so the bottom is on top). 
Bake for further 10 minutes until golden.
Take it out of the oven and preheat the broiler. Sprinkle cheese and Italian herb seasoning on top of the loaf.
Broil a couple minutes until the cheese is melted and golden in spots.
Let cool a couple of minutes before cutting into (10) sticks.
Serve hot or warm or cold (if you let it cool the crust will harden and it will be easy to hold.)