Nibbles with Nelly
Cauliflower “wings” with hot sauce, BBQ, and siracha
Hello, and welcome to the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary. You asked for it, and we aim to please! These cauliflower “wings” are covered in three different sauces for a complete and total flavor explosion. Serve them up dipped in a ranch-style dressing, adapted from a recipe for cashew sour cream on Oh She Glows, and together, these little beauties are a definite show-stopper! So delicious, not greasy, and perfect for a Sunday afternoon, or any time, really! What’s even better is that they are 100% plant-based, dairy-free, meat-free, and crueltyf-ree.
You can either make the dipping sauce ahead of time, or whip it up while the cauliflower bites are baking. After you follow the instructions Angela provides on her site for the vegan cashew sour cream, you can add some herbs and spices to create a lovely ranch perfect for dipping the cauliflower bites into. We used a bit of dill, with garlic, and onion. You can use fresh or, for a more mild flavor, powdered. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could create your own version off this, adding your favorite go-to herbs and spices, and make it exactly how you like your ranch to be.
Let’s get into those cauliflower bites. Of course, you’re going to want to start with a nice large head of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets. The batter is a conglomeration of a few different tried and true recipes.
1 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened
1 cup flour
1-2 cloves garlic (depending on the size and your clove of garlic; you can substitute garlic powder)
A small handful of chopped onion (again the exact amount depends on your preference; you can substitute onion powder)
1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika (or more if you’re like me and can never have enough)
Cauliflower bites are ready to go into the oven.
Mix up those ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Then carefully dip each little piece of cauliflower into the mixture. Follow this with a quick dip into some breadcrumbs, or panko, and put them directly into an oven-safe glass casserole dish. Arrange them in a single layer, so they’re not too crowded.
Bake at 450 for about 20 minutes.
Take them out, and spread the sauces on. We used a combination of melted vegan butter with siracha, hot wing sauce, and BBQ sauce.
Put them back in the over for another 5 minutes or so.
I can almost hear them sizzling!
Once they’re finished cooking, take them out and let them cool for a minute, so you can handle them without burning your fingers. Serve them on a plate with a little dish of ranch, and I bet they will be gone before you know it. If you are expecting more than just a couple of friends, you might want to double the recipe, just to be sure everyone gets to indulge in these fabulous little gems!
Now that you have the recipe, leave us a comment, and tell us how yours turned out. Did you add some different spices to the dipping sauce? How about your choices for basting? We want to hear it all! Inspire us for our next cooking adventure!
With the threat of wildfires hopefully behind us for another season, we are feeling extra grateful for all of you out there supporting us, and loving us! By “us” I mean everyone at the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary, the two-legged as well as the four-legged friends. By consciously choosing plant-based meals, we are spreading kindness, compassion, and empathy. That’s the stuff dreams are made of! We might not always feel like we’re changing the world, but to that one being who gets a chance at a normal life, we are helping to change their world. And that, my friends, is what it’s all about. Be the change. Be the smile. Eat some cauliflower!
Miss Nelly Rose and friends