The cauliflower flatbread is a tasty and unusual preparation, a great way to cook cauliflower and make it more appealing to children and to anyone who does not particularly love this vegetable. To make it, you just need to finely chop the raw cauliflower, forming a sort of flour: this way, the cauliflower will retain its nutritional qualities more intact than other cooking methods (e.g., boiling), as there is no dispersion in water. The final texture will also certainly be more enticing, as the cauliflower flatbread, if spread thinly in a baking sheet, will be crispy and tasty, also thanks to the use of spices of your choice (for example, I flavored this flatbread with slightly smoked paprika and ground cumin, but you can also use other spices or a bit of grated Parmesan). Perfect as an appetizer, the cauliflower flatbread can also be an excellent healthy and tasty snack.
You might also like these recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 149.09 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 17.46 (g) of which sugars 1.53 (g)
- Proteins 5.35 (g)
- Fat 7.49 (g) of which saturated 1.55 (g)of which unsaturated 0.82 (g)
- Fibers 2.15 (g)
- Sodium 332.24 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 95 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for a 13×9 inch cauliflower flatbread
If you are celiac, you can replace all-purpose flour with cornstarch (maizena) in the same quantities. Make sure the package says “gluten-free.”
- 9 oz cauliflower (weighed already cleaned)
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 tbsp water
- 5 oz all-purpose flour (for the gluten-free version I used cornstarch)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
- 1 pinch ground cumin (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Baking Pan 13×9 inches
- Parchment Paper
How to prepare crispy cauliflower flatbread
To make the cauliflower flatbread, start by cleaning the cauliflower: remove the leaf and the end of the stem, then extract the florets (1). Weigh 9 oz. Wash them, dry them, and put them in a food processor or a chopper (2).
Blend until you get a fairly fine mixture (3). Being moist, it tends to stick to the sides of the mixer, so you’ll need to stir it with a spoon from time to time and then run the mixer again to blend it evenly. Set it aside.
Crack the egg in a bowl and add salt, pepper, and other spices (4). Mix well with a spoon, then also add the water (5) and blend it with the egg. Finally, add the blended cauliflower (6).
Mix thoroughly with the spoon, then also add the flour or cornstarch (7). Keep mixing well until you get a homogeneous, but rather fluid and grainy mixture (8). Take an approximately 13×9 inch baking pan, line it with parchment paper and brush it with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (9).
With these doses and a baking pan of this size, you will get a thin and crispy cauliflower flatbread; if you use a smaller one, you will instead get a higher and softer flatbread. Pour the mixture into it and level it well with the back of a spoon (10).
Bake the cauliflower flatbread in the preheated oven at 356°F (fan-assisted) for about 30 minutes. When it is golden on the surface, take it out of the oven (11).
Serve the cauliflower flatbread immediately, as an appetizer or as a tasty and healthy snack.
Storage
The cauliflower flatbread should be served as soon as it comes out of the oven because it tends to lose its crispness over time. If you have any leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days and reheat them in the oven or in a pan before eating.
Tips and Variations
I seasoned the cauliflower flatbread with paprika, cumin, and nutmeg, but turmeric or curry also go great. If you don’t like spices, you can give the dish a more “Italian” touch by adding 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan to the mixture.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What if I don’t have a fan-assisted oven?
To achieve a similar result with a static oven, it is advisable to raise the temperature to 392°F.
