Kickin' Cauliflower Wings
So you may have personally run into the same conundrum I encountered today. As I was on my way to restock my celery juicing supplies and all of that super healthy good supply list I was buying, of course. :) I somewhere in my memory, more likely triggered somewhere while I was surfing the www., recalled the taste of Crispy Chicken Wings dipped in some mouthwatering ranch or covered in a sweet n' spicy sauce. So even though I had a million things to do, client sessions, mandatory exercise, and 'me time' infrared sauna session none of which was going to satisfy my emanate craving for the new food inspo in my head so...
If you know me then you know that I am not only going to fulfill the dire craving of my taste buds but that I must also appease my heart and minds greatest mission in life. To hack all recipes creating not just the most mouthwatering rendition but also the healthiest superfoodie flavor bomb version with the latest trend in the health/nutrition worlds dietary recommendation (that being right now a Anti-inflammatory, High-Fat, Low/Moderate Carb, Superfood, Super Herb). I know, I know, the reaction I get to my mission is much different than I get to the one whilst watching my beloved creations being devoured by devout carnivores, sweet tooths or junk foodies alike. And I have to admit I am not beyond serving up my "Cheesecake" (raw vegan that is) or "Chicken" creations before I explain that they have none of the sugar, canola, A1 cow's milk, carbs, food additives or "junk" that hurts your beautiful body that the traditional or outdated recipes do. That being said....feast your eyes on a new twist to the timeless tradition de la Chicken Wings....
Okay, if you are anything like me....you are thinking, just get to the meat of this here creation. (pun intended)
So get your kitchen mitts out and the oven on at 425 ladies & gents, here we go.
I actually pulled this one off whilst i had to jump in the shower and get ready to go to see clients in Clinic. So if you line it up and time it out right, like anything really, it becomes pretty breezy. What I really emphasize to my clients learning how to get back into the kitchen while keeping their full-time schedule of life, is Workflow. Its all about ease of access, organization and finding your workflow in your space. I find it to be akin to the feng shui or zen of creation, something I just love to the point of addiction, setting up spaces (kitchen has always been a favorite) to support the feeling of flow, ease and access with grace.
So now that you have the oven roaring, your spirits soaring (don't forget the tunes) get that Cauliflower washed and chopped into your ideal size for a bushy bitesize delight.
If you do a bigger (say 4-5 bites) your probably looking at 30 minutes of cook time, smaller (2-3 bites) somewhere around 20 minutes.
- Drizzle Cauliflower with Olive Oil
or (Avo/Coconut Oil/Animal Tallow your pick of flavor/dietary preference all are high heat and healthy)
- Place on baking sheet or dish and bake for 20-30 mins
depending on size (until tender but a bit crisp still
While the Cauliflower is baking, shower like I did, or you can choose not run around like a can-do spaz and prep your batter. That including coating which you can make vegan or traditional.
I made the coating for my batter with 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar and an egg (you can use psyllium husk or chia seeds for a healthy yummy vegan binder, I don't suggest egg replacements for the lectins/gums/binders they add)
Measurements should be good for one head of Cauliflower
Mix: Coating (one bowl)
- 1/4 cup Milk or Mylk alternative
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar
- 1 egg or (psyllium husk, chia or starch if nothing else)
Mix: Batter (second bowl)
-1/2 cup Almond Flour
-1/4 cup Coconut Flour
-or sub another Flour, I would stick with gluten-free if you feel if you have any health/emotional or any mental/attention/memory issues-
Seasonings I used in my Batter:
-Garlic Salt
-Onion Powder
-Paprika
-Cayenne
-Spikes Natural Season
-Smoked Sea Salt
-a dash of Cumin
-a bit of Rosemary
-4 cloves fresh garlic (because if it calls for no garlic I add 3 just to be safe, fk vampires) :D
BAM!
Take those baked up pups out, cool them off if you are patient, unlike me.
Turn on a pot of healthy cooking oils (I used a blend of Coconut, Sunflower & Avocado) to Med-High, basically get ready to fry.
-If you don't have a fryer like me, I used a narrow/tall pot to not waste any oil, they fry fast 2-5 minutes a batch-
Coat the Cauliflower in the Liquid mix and then transfer and coat with batter in the dry seasonings, then place in the frying oil where they are basically submerged.
-Fry until golden brown and then place on a plate or cooling rack
Dipping Sauce:
I mixed
-Chipotle Lime Mayo (by primal kitchen)
-My homemade mix of Fermented Cashew Sour Cream turned into Ranch, I can give you my recipe if your interested just ask. Super healthful and yummy to non-vegan/vegans alike
-Chipotle Habanero Hot Sauce *I like the spice*
-add Dash of Coconut Aminos for tiny sweet, if you like a lil sweet n' spicy
-OR-
Make your own sweet n' spicy dip with:
Garlic
Hot Sauce or Worcestershire
Maple
Starch ----or my preference is always Psyllium or Chia for thickening in most cases (psyllium is a tiny sweet and great for you try it out, you won't be disappointed)
Really just Go For IT!!!! You Can Doo It!!
Get creative, go for your favorite flavors and try a few healthy alternatives, play around with it. I promise you will surprise yourself when you trust your GUT!!!! xo