Happy Monday!

I don’t know how the weekend went so fast, but it was MUCH needed. Though it was technically a short week last week due to Monday being off and Wednesday being a snow day, it felt like the longest week ever. I’m ready for another vacation. While I was home on Wednesday, I got to experiment a bit with some really good  BBQ recipes. Example – cauliflower.

Yes, you read that right.

No, it isn’t gross. 

No, you shouldn’t tell picky eaters what it is until after they eat it.

They were like cute little  boneless wings, all crispy and delicious. If I made them again, I’d definitely tweak a few things… so here is my recommendation!

BBQ Cauliflower “Wings” (Paleo, with vegan option!)

prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 45-50 min total

Ingredients

For the cauliflower:

• 1 small head of cauliflower florets, trimmed into bite-size but still somewhat large pieces

• 1 cup of tapioca flour

• 2 tsp salt, divided

• 2 tsp garlic powder, divided

• ½ tsp chili powder

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 2 eggs (vegan option: 1 tbsp flax meal, pinch of salt and 3 tbsp hot water, stirred thoroughly)

• 3/4 cup almond flour

• 1/4 cup cassava flour

• 1 tsp dried parsley

For the BBQ sauce:

• 2/3 cup organic ketchup

• ¼ cup sriracha sauce

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• ½ tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ¼ tsp cayenne powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. In three separate mixing bowls, add your tapioca flour with a tsp of salt to one bowl, your eggs (or flax egg mixture) to another, and then your almond flour, cassava flour, tsp of salt and parsley to the last one. Make sure the contents of each bowl are mixed thoroughly.

1. Dredge your cauliflower first in your tapioca flour, tapping to dust off any excess, but not too hard so that all the flour comes off. Next, dip into your egg/”egg” mixture, thoroughly coating. Lastly, dredge your piece of cauliflower in your almond flour/breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased/lined baking sheet spaced evenly apart, and repeat for the rest of the cauliflower pieces. Once finished, bake until golden brown, about 35-40 minutes.

1. Meanwhile, as your cauliflower is baking, add your ketchup, vinegar, sugar, maple syrup, paprika, garlic, cayenne and onion powder to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer and thicken for 15-20 minutes. Test for salt/pepper needed, and add to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

1. Once your cauliflower is cooked, remove from heat and add to a large mixing bowl.  Set your oven to broil. Generously brush your sauce over the cauliflower bites in the bowl, gently stirring to coat. Once coated, add back to your baking sheet, spreading into a single layer, evenly spaced.

1. Broil until cauliflower starts to crisp again. Remove from heat, and serve.

Enjoy!

-S