Spicy Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Oh, mama.

It's hard to describe the sheer deliciousness of this dish.

I can, however, tell you that it makes this mother's heart happy to see her children devour every last morsel of a vegetable that isn't exactly famous for pleasing picky palates.

I've been seeing a few versions "Buffalo Cauliflower" floating around the internet lately, especially on Pinterest. I've clicked on several of them, but they all seem to have a considerable amount of butter or some other kind of fat in them. When I read reviews, one of the most common responses is something like this: "Looks good, but what about an oil free version?"

While I am not 100% oil free, I am working towards that goal, so I do look at all recipes now with a different perspective. Anything I recreate is going to have lesser amounts of oil. I will still use some, but it definitely won't have a major role in any dish I make. Actually, if you want to make my recipes, just omit the oil and you'll be fine.

One of my favorite pre-vegetarian meals was buffalo wings. I love the flavors, the spicy sauces and the sticky fingers. I DON'T miss the meat stuck in my teeth or the tummy aches that soon followed, not to mention the number of birds that went into that meal.

I made this recipe to be a delicious vegetable dish, and I struck from my mind the thought that this is supposed to be a substitute for Buffalo wings. I used an enormous head of cauliflower and roasted half the old fashioned way (I have a couple kids that don't like spiciness as much as I do) and the other half I made spicy for the Dannys and me. The spiciness of the Sriracha is a perfect combination with the creamy sweetness of the coconut milk, while the garlic gives it a tantalizing aroma that makes the whole house smell delicious. There isn't a single bite left behind! I served the family a little piece of chicken breast, salad, and a big mound of the cauliflower. For myself, I had just the salad with it. Two hours later, I still feel satisfied!

Spicy Oven Roasted Cauliflower

 

Preheat oven to 375

 

You will need:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces. Separate into two equal portions

1/3 c coconut milk

2-3 t Sriracha (or more to taste)

1 t garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

 

In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, Sriracha, and garlic powder. Toss half of the cauliflower in the mixture till evenly coated. Spread on a large cookie sheet that has been lightly oiled, sprayed with non-stick spray, or covered in parchment paper.

 

You can either double this recipe or you can roast half of it tossed with a little bit of olive oil (1-2 T) plus seasoning of choice. I used salt and pepper and garlic powder. Spread this on a second cookie sheet.

 

Using two oven racks, place pans in oven. After 10 minutes, check on it. Give a little stir to ensure even browning. After another 5 minutes, see if it needs another stir and swap the pans on the racks. Check every 5 minutes or so and remove from oven when the cauli is GBD. I am sad to say that mine didn't make it to the golden part because my kids were salivating over the aroma of the roasting cauliflower and assuring me that they didn't need them to be GBD, they just wanted to eat it. They stood over the pan and ate a bunch of very hot cauliflower before it even had a chance to make it to their plates! I, on the other hand, sat down and savored every last bite. This is some good stuff!

 

Enjoy!