Buffalo Cauliflower Bites w. Yogurt Gorgonzola Dip



My husband and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day in a big way, with fancy dinners and jewelry. But we do make sure to carve out some nice family time. This year, we asked our son what he'd like to do for dinner and he chose the local, family-friendly pub; it's a favorite of his because they have video games, not because the food is so exceptional (it isn't).

We hadn't been there in a while so I was struck by a new menu item: Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings." Any regular readers of this blog already know I'm sort of obsessed with this cruciferous veggie. Cauliflower is packed with goodies like vitamins C and K, as well as folate (so crucial during before conception and in early pregnancy to prevent birth defects), potassium, and manganese; it's also loaded with fiber, promoting digestive health plus satiety. Plus, cauliflower is an incredibly flexible ingredient, so it works as a fabulous low-carb, low-calorie substitute for rice, as an addition to pasta, or even as a faux popcorn!

The "wings" at the pub were yummy, but deep-fried and heavy. I knew I had to make my own at home. I did a quick search and found this version from Peta; it seemed like a great place to start. With a few little changes, it turned out fantastic and truly satisfied that buffalo sauce craving I sometimes get. Hey, I ain't too proud to admit that!

(adapted from Peta.org)

Ingredients
serves 2-4
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup flour*
1 tsp. ground, dried garlic (or garlic powder)
small head of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)
2T melted butter or coconut oil

*I used gluten-free Pamela's baking mix because it's made with rice flour, which is probably the ideal flour for this dish (I didn't have plain rice flour handy). As with tempura, rice flour lends a crispy and light breading to the cauliflower. 



Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.


The mix I used includes almond flour, so that's what those brown specks are.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, flour and dried garlic. Dip each floret into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Place the florets on a large, parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the hot sauce and melted butter together in a small bowl. (I increased the amount of butter from the original recipe because I wanted the bites to be a bit crispier.) Once the cauliflower is baked, brush the sauce on both sides of the florets, making sure they are entirely coated. Put cauliflower back in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the florets are a bit browned and slightly crunchy.



These are spicy, kids! Make sure you serve them with some celery sticks and Yogurt Gorgonzola Dressing. I'd suggest making the protein- and probiotic-packed dressing without adding salt: the blue cheese** is pretty salty and so is the hot sauce. You can always add salt later, if you feel you need it. If you're looking for a vegan dipping sauce, here's a ranch dressing you might like.



Despite the photo above, I'd recommend using a fork to dip these bites—since these cauliflower bites are boneless (can you imagine if they weren't?! nightmare-worthy!) they aren't as sturdy for dunking as real wings.

The last step in this recipe: DIG IN!


**If you're pregnant and concerned about the blue cheese in the dressing, the CDC recommends choosing only pasteurized blue-veined cheeses, so check your package.


Comments

  1. These sound awesome, girls!! Love the kick and spice!!

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  2. Thank you, Ally!

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  3. Hot damn -- I still miss buffalo wings after 9 years as a vegetarian (and I crave the sauce all the time -- I put Red Hot on popcorn a lot, but somehow not the same), and I can't wait to try this! Thanks, FBS!

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  4. Yummy! These were a big hit. I too used a GF flour and it worked great!

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  5. I am so excited to make these! Adding cauliflower, rice flour, hot sauce, and gorgonzola to the shopping list right now. These should be perfect for a fun Thursday night dinner, by then I should finally be out of leftovers from the holiday weekend! :)

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  6. LOL, I adore leftovers! But, yeah, these will be a fun respite :-)


    Hope your Purim was fun!

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  7. So glad you liked them! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and post a review.

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  8. I'm an omnivore, but i don't want to have to eat deep-fried meat, just to get my Buffalo fix ;-)

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  9. Love this idea! Just saw it on GroO New York's Facebook page and had to come over... so great! ;0).

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  10. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and post!

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  11. Oh i love buffalo chicken, i'll try it!

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  12. I love this spicy healthy dish! I recently acquired a taste for hot stuff and I'm looking for healthy recipes to satisfy my spicy addiction.

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  13. The buffalo cauliflower and Gorgonzola dip was so delicious and simple to make. We had it with dinner last night and I woke up this morning craving the delightful spicy cauliflower and tangy Gorgonzola cheese. Guess what I had for breakfast?!

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  14. Shonagh @ An Offal ExperimentMarch 3, 2013 at 7:07 AM

    You seriously had me fooled with the picture on pinterest... I thought, why are chicken wings tagged with meatless monday??? This cauliflower and hot sauce lover is definitely going to give this a try. I just fell in love with oven roasted cauliflower the other day.

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  15. These are amazing! I am so happy to have this recipe! Now when I want greasy wings I will just make these. A lot of substitute foods are not good...this one is!!!!!!!

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  16. So glad it fulfilled your craving!

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  17. Ha, I was surprised at how much the plate of florets ended up really looking like a plate of wings! Hope you enjoy it when you try it out :-)

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  18. Hope this works for ya :-)

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  19. Let us know how you like it!

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  20. Oh YEAH! These look incredible! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'll be making these asap. *print*

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  21. Yay, thanks!

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  22. Brilliant recipe! I'm obsessed with buffalo sauce on anything, but feel guilty when its on deep fried wings. Can't wait to try.
    GIna
    ZestFloridaFoodie.com

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  23. Found you through the Sunday Supper Movement Facebook page and boy am I glad I did.... this dip looks amazing!

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  24. thanks so much, hope you enjoy :-)

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  25. can't wait to try this treat-I also love the buffalo wing craving at times!! thanks!!

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  26. hope you like them!

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  27. Does regular flour work>?

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  28. Thank you for posting this buffalo wing recipe.

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  29. It looks so yummy that i am gonna make it today... thanks a lot .

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  30. Hope you like it! Come back and let us know :-)

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  31. Ladies this was BEYOND delicious and so easy! 5 Stars! I've had to share your recipe with over 5 people because it came out so great! Thanks for sharing :-)

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  32. thank you so much for trying it! And I really appreciate your taking the time to come back and let us know you liked it!

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  33. It was delicious!

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  34. I am drooling!! I just want to dig in! Nettie

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  35. What a wonderful idea to eat more vegetables! And cauliflowers are so good! Thanks for this lovely idea!

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  36. I LOVE using cauliflower in this way. What a delicious recipe.

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  37. This is such a great idea. I need to try this soon!

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  38. (Buffalo Cauliflower Bites w. Yogurt Gorgonzola Dip) These sure sound wonderful. I am going to make some for my brothers the next time we all get together.

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  39. I love this idea, I will be making these soon

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  40. How fantastically delicious do these sound! Yummy!

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  41. I have always wondered what to serve alongside chicken wings for vegetarians. Now I know. Brilliant idea.

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  42. I like rice flour for breading, too. Like you, I prefer the light crunch it gives.

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  43. yum I love the idea of a yogurt sauce!!!

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  44. This is such a creative recipe! I really want to get more cauliflower in our diets. This fun recipe is a great way to start!

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  45. I am finding so many cauliflower recipes on your site. Can't wait to try them.

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  46. This is a great recipe. I always make this when we have a crowd and everyone is surprised how good it is. Love this.!

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  47. I love using cauliflower this way. Looks very delicious.

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  48. This is a show-stopper and am sure the star on any appetizer table! Love this!!! Pinned for trying later, too!

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  49. My husband and son are big fans of blue cheese so these little bites are right up their alley!

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  50. I made these, and they are super delicious! Easy and fun too! Perfect for any party! Thanks so much for this recipe!

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  51. I have got to try these, they look amazing!

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  52. These are perfect right now for football season! :)

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  53. These sound amazing and thank you for sharing with us.

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  54. These look amazing! Perfect for the holiday season, and apps. :o)

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  55. These heated cauliflower bites would be perfect for the big game coming up. I will have to watch the heat though...The Hubby has a "wuss mouth". But I bet they are delish no matter the heat.

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  56. I'm definitely going to be making these cauliflower wings! I love cauliflower in so many recipes. Can't wait to try this out!

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  57. I love cauliflower in so many recipes! I must try this!

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  58. Yum! Tried these last night, made vegan. I will be making them again, thanks!

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  59. These are perfect for game day snacks!

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  60. I'm so addicted to that buffalo flavor! I really can't wait to try these!

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  61. I love this recipe!!! It turned out great!

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  62. YUM! These look delicious and a much healthier choice over fried wings!

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  63. These look so delicious and healthy!! I'll be trying these this football season

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  64. I have made a big point of not eating fried food anymore - this is a great alternative to buffalo wings (which I love!!)

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  65. I can't wait to try these! These are my kind of snack and perfect when you want to stick to low carb foods!

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  66. Loving this Meatless version of Buffalo wings! :D

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  67. Adding this to my tail gating recipes!! LOVE me some hot wing sauce!

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  68. I love the healthy spin on these, and that yogurt gorgonzola dip! YUM!

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  69. These are a great alternative when I am going meat free but still crave chicken wings!!

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  70. So much flavor!!!! The dip sounds fantastic for so many dishes too!

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