Hello my friends! Today is the first day of June and I’m absolutely loving the June gloom here in San Diego. The back door is open, the dog is snoring and I still feel that lovely, cool ocean air. The last bits of spring lingering before the heat stumbles upon us.
We’ve been playing with cauliflower this week and enjoying a multitude of flavor combinations during the Big Cauliflower Challenge. I’m sure many of you have seen the plethora of recipes for cauliflower bites and wings on the internet, created using traditional, down-home American flavorings. Although this style of cauliflower is one of my personal favorites, I just had to change things up.
My updated Kung Pao Cauliflower is a crowd favorite with a sweet, vegan nod to traditional Chinese Kung Pao. This version includes an ooey-gooey, Garlic and Cashew Kung Pao Sauce that coats every cauliflower floret with just the right amount of spice. Did I mention it’s 100% plant-based with no gluten, soy, egg or dairy!
Our Kung Pao Cauliflower is shown over a bed of Forbidden Rice but might be nice over a bed of black quinoa. You can find Black Heirloom Quinoa from Alter Eco Foods here.
Here’s to all of you creatives out there looking for an interesting twist on a week’s worth of meals. ENJOY!
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 Tablespoons fine almond flour
- 2 Tablespoons oat flour (I typically buzz gluten-free oats in my grinder)
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1/8 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- ¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from cooked chickpeas)
- 1 Tablespoon organic Sriracha sauce
- 2 teaspoons coconut aminos or gluten-free tamari
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 8 dried red chilies
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
- 3 Tablespoons coconut amino or gluten-free tamari
- 1 ½ Tablespoons coconut vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Mirin (rice wine)
- 1/3 cup veggie broth
- 2 teaspoons kuzu or arrowroot starch
- 2 scallions, chopped (include both white and green parts)
- 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- 2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 3. Prepare cauliflower by cutting it into bit-size florets.
- 4. Using a medium-size bowl, combine almond flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, salt, aquafaba or water, Sriracha sauce, coconut aminos (or gluten-free tamari) and sesame oil.
- 5. Dip cauliflower florets into the batter. Tap excess batter off and place on lined baking sheet. Make sure the florets are evenly spread apart. Its best if they are not touching.
- 6. Place coated cauliflower florets in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes. Turn florets over at the half-way point, about 15 minutes.
- 8. Using a large non-stick skillet (Iron skillets are my favorite), over medium-high heat, add sesame oil and dried chilies. Cook until chilies have begun to turn brown but not burnt. 3-5 minutes.
- 9. Reduce heat to low and add cashews, garlic and ginger. Toss to coat and continue cooking until cashews are lightly golden.
- 10. In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup of veggie broth and 2 teaspoons kuzu root (Option: substitute arrowroot powder or non-GMO corn starch for kuzu) Mix until starch is dissolved.
- 11. Add liquid and starch mixture, Sriracha sauce, mirin, coconut vinegar and coconut aminos (or gf tamari). Give a good stir. The sauce will begin to thicken. Add chopped scallions. (Broccoli is also a nice addition at this point)
- 12. Remove cauliflower form oven and place in skillet with sauce. Toss to coat all florets.
- 13. Serve over warm Forbidden rice and top with chopped scallions and black sesame seeds.
- 14. ENJOY!
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free
- All recipes and images are protected under copyright laws and owned by Kris Kelly and Goofy Foot Foods.