Buffalo Cauliflower Bites With Tahini-Lemon Drizzle

Is there any more sacred bar food than a plate of hot wings with the fixins'? I'm afraid not. While many of us spent our college years scarfing down a dozen washed down with countless beers, unfortunately that post-college metabolism hit us eventually, and the deep-fried salt-smothered treat became something of a rarity for the health-conscious eater. 

Cue the buffalo cauliflower. 2017 was pretty much the year of cauliflower-- you can fry it, you can bake, eat it steamed, eat it raw-- but most importantly: please try drenching it in hot sauce. 

I found a lot of recipes with cauliflower buffalo, and I wanted to strike a balance of a healthy dish (aka not just drowning fried cauliflower in a chemical ranch dressing) and a complete lack of fun (oil-free, vegan, gluten-free cauliflower bites.) With a bit of low-fat milk and some flour to texturize the cauliflower plus a light green salad with a kick-ass vegan dressing-- I think I hit the nail on the head. 


WHAT YOU NEED

Cauliflower Bites:
1 large cauliflower head
1/2 cup of milk 
1/2 cup of flour
1 teaspoon cayenne or paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Generous amount of salt and pepper
1/2 cup of buffalo sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon of honey

Salad:
Mixed greens 
1 red onion
2 stalks of celery
1 avocado

Lemon Tahini "Ranch" Dressing:
1/4 cup of tahini
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (grainy preferable)
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
Generous amount of salt and pepper
Splash of water 

Let's get cooking.

Preheat oven to 450 F. 

Chop cauliflower into one-inch bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, combine milk, flour, and seasonings. Add cauliflower and fold with mixture until cauliflower is completely coated. Toss onto oiled baking sheet and throw in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine buffalo sauce, melted butter and honey. Remove cauliflower from pan and toss in buffalo sauce mixture until everything is evenly coated. Put cauliflower back on pan and bake for another 20 minutes, until crispy golden brown.

For dressing, combine all ingredients in bowl and stir until texture is consistent-- like a thick ranch dressing. Add water little by little, if necessary.

Chop all vegetables and toss with lettuce. Toss salad with vinaigrette and top with buffalo bites. Add a drizzle of dressing and drizzle of hot sauce over cauliflower.

Enjoy! And don't forget to hydrate!