It’s so nice to have healthy snacks ready and waiting when that 3PM hunger pain hits. Hummus or guacamole with carrots sticks is always a favorite of mine, as is a nice lentil salad or roasted chickpeas. Healthy snacking ensures I don’t gorge myself at dinnertime and keeps me feeling satisfied throughout the day.

We had a spare head of cauliflower in the refrigerator and I wanted to use it for something before it went bad. I often make egg cups for a grab-and-go breakfast item, so I thought, why not do something similar but with more veggies? I’d seen cauliflower muffins on Pinterest before; though I figured they wouldn’t actually turn out that great, I decided to give it a go.

And lo and behold, it worked! The end result was moist with sort of an eggy texture, and the muffins were just peppery enough without going overboard. I think the combination of Italian seasoning, garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes was absolutely perfect. Next time, I might try this with broccoli + cheddar cheese instead of cauliflower + mozzarella!

INGREDIENTS

Yields 2 dozen regular-sized muffins or 4 dozen mini muffins.

• 1 head cauliflower, riced (about 4 cups)

• 1 yellow onion, minced

• 1 green bell pepper, minced

• 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

• 1 T. Italian seasoning

• 1 t. garlic powder

• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

• 4 eggs, beaten

• Lots of fresh cracked black pepper

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) You can buy riced cauliflower in a bag, but I had a head of cauliflower on-hand so I used that instead. Chop it into pieces, then add to a food processor and shred/purée until the cauliflower has a rice-like consistency. Add to a large bowl.

3) Add all of the remaining ingredients to a bowl and stir well to combine.

4) Use a spoon to scoop the mixture into a muffin tin. I used a silicone muffin container for easy clean-up + to ensure the muffins don’t stick.

5) Cook for 40 minutes or until the tops of the muffins start to brown and the muffins feel firm (feel free to poke them with your finger to make sure they’re sticking together). Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes.