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.

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Meaty soy curls marinated in barbecue sauce and cooked until lightly charred with thick cuts of tomato, pickles and spinach on a toasted bun with homemade thousand island dressing and crispy onion rings.

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Onion Rings
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 tbl creole seasoning, divided
1 tbl hot sauce
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 large onion, thick slices
safflower oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt

Combine the milk, 1 tbl of creole seasoning, hot sauce and vinegar in a bowl. Remove the large outer rings of the onion and soak in the mixture for at least an hour.
In a shallow pan, heat 1 inch of oil to 360.
Drain the onion rings from the milk mixture and dredge in a mixture of flour, salt and the remaining 2 tbl of creole seasoning. Coat evenly and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Shredded Barbecue Sandwich
serves 2 
1 cup water
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup roughly chopped yellow onion
2 cups dried soy curls
salt and pepper
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
tomatoes, greens and pickles, for garnish
2 buns, toasted

Combine the water, barbecue sauce and yellow onion and either zap in the microwave to warm up or bring to a boil over the stove.
Add the soy curls and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to soften the soy curls and let marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
When ready to eat, saute the mixture in olive oil over high heat until lightly charred and crispy.

Thousand Island Dressing
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tbl ketchup
1 tbl minced dill pickle
1/8 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

Combine all of the ingredients and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.