This recipe originally appeared on Veggie Fixation.

With the Superbowl coming up next Sunday, I feel like junk food is a top conversation piece. You don’t really hear about health foods being synonymous with football all that often. But I’d like to change that! Just one innocent vegetable can take a classic Superbowl food and turn it into something more nutritious. CAULIFLOWER.

Vegan cauliflower buffalo wings have been all the rage lately. Here in Los Angeles, they are popping up on menus at bars and restaurants all over town, seemingly each one spicier than the last. Celebrity vegan chef, Jason Wrobel, even made a buffalo-style cauliflower recipe on the season premiere of his Cooking Channel show “How to Live to 100.”

In my experience of making Vegan Buffalo Wings for friends, family and clients, they are always a HUGE hit! Plus, they are super easy to make, baked instead of fried and packed with life-extending nutrients.

Cauliflower contains cancer fighting compounds that stop the formation of cancer cells and eliminate carcinogens. It is an excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C, and like other cabbage family related vegetables, is a great source of fiber, potassium and B vitamins.

I like to use a prepared hot sauce, which takes down the overall health factor of this recipe a little. (I just love Frank’s Red Hot and really wish they’d make an organic version!) If you make your hot sauce from scratch, using only fresh, health promoting ingredients, it takes it right back up to supremely healthy!

Spicy Cauliflower Vegan Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

1 cup non dairy milk, or water

1 cup flour (regular or gluten free all purpose, whole wheat, spelt, brown rice)

2 Tablespoons starch (potato or tapioca recommended)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 Tablespoons hot sauce

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1 cup hot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot)

1 Tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil

Oil spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Combine the milk, flour, starch, garlic powder, and first tablespoon of hot sauce in a bowl and whisk until well combined.*

Coat the cauliflower pieces with the flour mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, sprayed with a little oil, then spray the tops of the cauliflower. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

While the cauliflower is baking, prepare your buffalo sauce. Melt butter or heat olive oil in a small sauce pan, then add the hot sauce and heat through, but do not boil.

When cauliflower is done baking, transfer to a large bowl and toss it in the heated buffalo sauce.

Serve alongside fresh cucumber carrots and/or celery sticks, and vegan ranch dressing like the one posted on The Sunny Raw Kitchen.

*If you want a thicker breading, keep the dry and wet ingredients separate. Dip the cauliflower in wet, then dry, then back to wet, then into dry again.

Also by Christine: Gluten Free Lentil Loaf with Cashew Gravy

Love Your Heart Hummus

Love this article? Keep up-to-date on the latest from Peaceful Dumpling: Subscribe to our Newsletter!

__

Photo: Christine Oppenheim