We've all heard of buffalo wings. Superbowl fans alone are responsible for the consumption of over one billion wings during this annual sports-fest. Those wings used to belong to chickens so that's a lot of suffering involved in producing this spicy party favorite. Social gatherings and holidays cry out for party food, I get it, but if you could get the heat and flavor without the cruelty, wouldn't that feel better? Someone got the brilliant 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 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. Can't beat that! Oh, and if by some crazy chance there are any leftovers, use them for a pizza or salad topping.
(Shown here with Tahini Dressing)
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a two baking trays with parchment paper. To make the batter, mix together coconut flour, cornstarch, almond meal, onion powder, paprika and salt. Add water and stir to make a thick batter; it should have the consistency of pancake batter. Place the florets in the bowl with the batter and gently stir to coat all the cauliflower pieces. With tongs or a fork, lift out each piece, letting extra batter drip off and place on prepared baking tray. Make sure pieces are in a single layer and free of lots of extra batter. Roast for about 20 minutes.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the hot sauce by whisking together garlic, hot sauce, oil and tamari in a bowl. After 20 minutes, remove cauliflower from oven and use tongs or a fork to dip each piece into the hot sauce, placing the dipped cauliflower back on the baking trays. Return trays to the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, turn out onto a serving plater and serve with Cashew Bleu Cheese Sauce for dipping.
To make the Cashew Bleu Cheese Sauce, drain and rinse the cashews and place in the blender with water, lemon, vinegar, and salt. Blend for several minutes until smooth. Add more water if necessary so that everything blends well and leaves no grainy texture. Crumble tofu into a small bowl and mix in nutritional yeast and a dash of salt. Empty cashew mixture into the bowl with the tofu and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve chilled.
To make the Spicy Tahini Sauce, whisk everything together in a small bowl, adding more warm water to thin to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a two baking trays with parchment paper. To make the batter, mix together coconut flour, cornstarch, almond meal, onion powder, paprika and salt. Add water and stir to make a thick batter; it should have the consistency of pancake batter. Place the florets in the bowl with the batter and gently stir to coat all the cauliflower pieces. With tongs or a fork, lift out each piece, letting extra batter drip off and place on prepared baking tray. Make sure pieces are in a single layer and free of lots of extra batter. Roast for about 20 minutes.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the hot sauce by whisking together garlic, hot sauce, oil and tamari in a bowl. After 20 minutes, remove cauliflower from oven and use tongs or a fork to dip each piece into the hot sauce, placing the dipped cauliflower back on the baking trays. Return trays to the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, turn out onto a serving plater and serve with Cashew Bleu Cheese Sauce for dipping.
To make the Cashew Bleu Cheese Sauce, drain and rinse the cashews and place in the blender with water, lemon, vinegar, and salt. Blend for several minutes until smooth. Add more water if necessary so that everything blends well and leaves no grainy texture. Crumble tofu into a small bowl and mix in nutritional yeast and a dash of salt. Empty cashew mixture into the bowl with the tofu and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve chilled.
To make the Spicy Tahini Sauce, whisk everything together in a small bowl, adding more warm water to thin to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.
