Sunday, February 5, 2017

It's A Winner!

Tonight Hubby Tony and I had our own private Super Bowl watching party. He put together a menu that included Veggie Quesadillas, a Napa/Tomato/Avocado Salad, Roasted Butternut Squash and Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. Everything was good, but I'm a sucker for anything with Buffalo sauce; in my mind the cauliflower was definitely the highlight!

I didn't have brown rice  or almond flours in the house, but I was able to make both by grinding both whole ingredients in a coffee grinder.  The recipe notes indicated that the bites soften up once they are coated, so we waited until just before dinnertime to toss them with the sauce.  However, I can report that it took me about fifteen minutes to polish off my entire plate of food, and the last crumbs of cauliflower I ate were still plenty crispy.
Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (By Darshana Thacker)
Makes 6 cups

2/3 cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons almond flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 head cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce or barbecue sauce

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (I used a Silpat silicone sheet).

2. Combine the brown rice flour, almond flour, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, and ⅔ cup of water in a blender. Puree until the batter is smooth and thick. Transfer to a bowl and add the cauliflower florets; toss until the florets are well coated with the batter.

3. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, making sure that the florets do not touch one another. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp on the edges. They will not get crispy all over while still in the oven.

4. Remove from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes to crisp up a bit more. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately.

15 comments:

  1. This sounds really good! I'll have to save the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds so tasty, thanks for sharing! Also, where do you buy your almond flour? I've had trouble finding it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just ground up some almonds in a coffee grinder. You have to pulse them carefully, or they'll turn into butter.

      Delete
  3. and what a game that was! I happened in at the 4th quarter when all the action started.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, by half time my attention wasn't focused on the game any more, and I had to pull myself back in.

      Delete
  4. Oh, sounds good! Definitely will give it a try.

    ReplyDelete
  5. GOod on you. I always make my own almond flour and almond meal. It's a billion times better than the over-priced stuff I've tried in the stores. The only reason I did try ready-made was because the writer of a formula swore by it.

    No. It was rancid and the other bag was crap. I returned the rancid one. And went straight back to home-ground. NEVER ever to buy store-bought AGAIN.

    As for you question about our place ... no, we live for what we want. I find too many folks live in their homes, for the next person. Screw that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My grinder is small, and if I had to make massive quantities of almond flour it would take me a very long time. However, since this recipe only called for 2 tablespoons I didn't mind the work.

      Delete
    2. Both my blender and food processor kick ass at making meals and flours. And, if you're really into it, a mill works too. But I'm good with the three options I use now.

      Happy Eating.

      Delete
  6. That does sound good. Cauliflower is one of my favorites. Eat it couple times a week BUT, lately, I've been lazy and going frozen, and roasting with olive oil. I'm guessing I'll have to go fresh for this recipe, but plan to try it soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In my opinion, cauliflower is good ANY way you cook it. I think you're correct that fresh cauliflower would work best for this recipe (unless you thawed and thoroughly dried the frozen kind).

      Delete
  7. Sounds delicious! We also had a quiet Super Bowl night at home but our menu was not nearly as good as yours!

    ReplyDelete