Gluten Free Vegan Cauliflower buffalo bites
Filling, tasty, and nutritious.
Try these spicy cauliflower bites. I served mine in a gluten free pitta, with lemon avocado smash, a sweet homemade salsa, Greek yoghurt, spinach, and cucumber.
I was never a fan of cauliflower. It’s bland looking, and looks like it’s rough but it’s kind of…..juicy? I just found it confusing. However, I have always known that it’s good for me, so a few years ago I decided to add it to my diet as I prefer to not eat the same foods daily. This keeps my diet super varied and ensures I’m experiencing a wide-ranging profile of vitamins and minerals.
Cauliflower over the last decade has grown massively in popularity. Before, it was a boring vegetable people rarely looked at if it wasn’t smothered in cheese, but it has moved up the list of non-starchy high carb alternatives due to its nutrition density and many uses. For this recipe I used them as “chicken” bites, but it is commonly used as a substitute for rice, and people also use it for steaks, sauté it with other veg, as pizza crust or part of a salad, in a stirfry, and as a base for creamy sauces and purees.
As well as its versatility, the reason it has become so popular is through the plethora of health benefits and its low-calorie content. It comprises calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins C, K, B6, and folate. All vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy body and mind. It contains choline which is a key B vitamin crucial in brain development, and it may help delay or even prevent age-related memory loss.
Cauliflower has been shown to help with overall health, and reduce the symptoms of, prevent, or even treat a variety of ailments and diseases. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and inflammation. Cauliflower is also packed with vital antioxidants that can help fight cancer, and due to the nutrient content can help keep bones and muscles strong and healthy.
Is cauliflower okay for me to eat?
Generally, cauliflower can be consumed by anyone. However, if you have any issues with your thyroid, hormone balance, digestion, or heart; consider first speaking with your GP before incorporating this vegetable into your diet.
This recipe serves 2
To make the bites, you will need:
· Roughly 80g cauliflower florets
· 1 tbsp avocado oil
· 75 ml milk (I used cashew milk because it’s nice a creamy)
· 1 heaped tsp of flour (I used gluten free)
· ½ tsp garlic powder
· 1 tsp smoked paprika
· 1 tsp dry thyme
· Pinch of turmeric
· Pinch of salt
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven on 170 degrees
2. Steam cauliflower florets for 10 minutes and while they are steaming mix all of the herbs and spices in bowl. Also add milk to another bowl
3. Line a large plate with kitchen roll. This will be used later to soak up extra oil from the cauliflower before it goes into the oven
4. Clean your cauliflower florets in cold water and have them all ready as the next part of this is quick
5. Pre-heat your pan and add your oil once the pan is hot
6. Dip your first floret into the milk, into the dry herb mix until it is well covered, and add it to the hot oil carefully. Keep going with this and turn the florets often as garlic powder can cause them to burn. Keep an eye on them and take them out and place them on the kitchen roll as soon as they begin to brown. To do all of the florets this may take around 15 minutes
7. Once all of the florets are done, bake them in the oven on a lined with foil tray for 15 minutes
The finishing product of this will look a little bit like “chicken” bites, with the outer layer nice and crispy.
***If you are thinking about a major diet change, please consult your GP first and do your research***
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