Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer
Gluten-free
Appetizers are an essential part of a great party or social gathering–and these Buffalo Cauliflower Bites demonstrate that deliciously! Someone had the brilliant–and compassionate–idea that cauliflower would make a great base for the sassy, hot sauce used to make buffalo wings. They were right, but you can also substitute broccoli, seitan, or tempeh in this recipe to create a unique appetizer that will have your guests clamoring for the recipe. Healthy, gluten-free, and vegan–you can't beat that! And it's unlikely that you'll have leftovers, but if you do, toss them in salads, in a wrap, or on pizza!
Ingredients
½ cup gluten-free flour (or use all-purpose)
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup almond meal
2 tablespoons onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buffalo hot sauce (like Frank’s Hot Sauce)
½ cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 tablespoon tamari
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
Tofu Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon mirin (optional)
1 tablespoon tahini
Water, to thin, if necessary
1/4 cup crumbled firm tofu
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Carrot and celery sticks, optional
Directions
To make the cauliflower, preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. To make the batter, mix together flour, cornstarch, almond meal, onion powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the hot sauce, water, olive oil, and tamari. Add the wet ingredients to dry and stir to make a thick batter; it should have the consistency of pancake batter.
One at a time or in batches, dip cauliflower pieces into the batter. Lift the pieces out, letting extra batter drip off, and arrange them in a single layer on the baking tray. Roast for about
25 minutes or until fork-tender.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the dressing. Mix together the mayonnaise, miso, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mirin, and tahini. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency, if necessary. When smooth, stir in crumbled tofu. Garnish with scallions and chill before serving.
To serve, arrange cauliflower on a platter with carrot and celery sticks. Serve dressing in a bowl on the side.
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