Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

These little spicy bites of cauliflower are awesome! Pinterest wins again.
The other night I laid in bed, late and wide awake. I found myself scouring the food & beverage section of Pinterest looking for new ideas and saw Buffalo Cauliflower over and over again. As someone who loves buffalo sauce and cauliflower, I added this to my list of things to make. Roasted instead of deep fried and tossed in a small amount of olive oil instead of butter, these bites are a perfect snack, appetizer or side dish that you can feel good about eating over and over again.

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Tender pieces of roasted cauliflower tossed in hot sauce and served with crisp sticks of celery, carrots and vegan ranch. Here I included several recipes for ranch that I love to make including traditional, avocado or cilantro ranch.

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
serves 3
1 large head cauliflower, cut into medium florets
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
3-4 tbl hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the florets with 2 tbl of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes then place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until crispy and browned.
Toss with the remaining 1 tbl of olive oil and hot sauce, to taste.

Ranch Dressing
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tbl unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
2 tbl chopped fresh parsley

Combine the mayo, milk, vinegar, garlic, onion, dill, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the parsley by hand. Chill for 15 minutes to allow for the flavors to meld. If it's too thick for you, add more almond milk to thin it out.

Avocado Ranch
1/2 ripe avocado
1/4c vegan sour cream
1/4c vegan mayonnaise
1 tbl unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/8 tsp each: salt, dried parsley, onion powder
pinch of each: dried dill, dried garlic powder

Combine all in a food processor and blend until completely creamy. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to set back up.

Cilantro Ranch
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
3 tbl fresh minced cilantro
1 tbl lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all in a blender and season to taste. Chill for at least 15 minutes for serving to allow flavors to meld.

Roasted Cauliflower with Chili, Lime & Cilantro

This dish is simple but bold in flavor. There are many chili powders available in the Mexican section of your grocery store so chose one that you like best. A quick toss with some olive oil, lime and cilantro takes cauliflower from plain to your new favorite vegetable.
I served this dish with a quick mash up of pinto beans, sauteed red onion and garlic.

Roasted Cauliflower with Chili, Lime & Cilantro
serves 3
1 large head cauliflower, small florets
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbl Mexican chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
l lime, halved
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the cauliflower with all of the ingredients except cilantro. Squeeze the lime juice on the cauliflower and place the limes on the roasting pan.
Roast for 35 minutes, tossing once in between until tender with crispy edges.
Re-squeeze the roasted limes over the vegetables and toss with cilantro. Taste to season with more salt and pepper if necessary.