Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (without breading)

Serves 2
 
1 head cauliflower, separated into small florets (or 1 bag of frozen cauliflower)
1/3 cup buffalo sauce
1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
dash of black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Spread the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden (bake longer for frozen florets).
3. Combine sauce, buttery spread and spices.
4. Place cauliflower in a medium bowl and add the buffalo mixture. Toss to evenly coat florets.
5. Transfer the cauliflower back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 15 minutes to absorb the sauce.
6. Place with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites (with breading)

Serves 2
 
1 head cauliflower, separated into small florets (or 1 bag of frozen cauliflower)
1/3 cup buffalo sauce
1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
dash of black pepper
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs or panko crumbs

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Spread the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden (bake longer for frozen florets).
3. Combine sauce, buttery spread and spices.
4. Place cauliflower in a medium bowl and add the buffalo mixture. Toss to evenly coat florets.
5. One at a time, place a sauce covered floret into the bread crumbs and roll around to cover thoroughly.
5. Transfer the cauliflower back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 15 minutes to absorb the sauce and let the bread crumbs provide a crispy coating.
6. Place with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Review

I am absolutely in LOVE with this recipe. I'm a huge fan of spice and buffalo tenders used to be a favorite of mine before I became vegan. Buffalo cauliflower bites are a nice alternative and a good way to work another vegetable onto your plate without that "ugh, I have to eat a vegetable" feeling. With the breading they are crispy on the outside, but still tender on the inside. I literally crave these now!

Alterations

Don't be afraid to come up with your own substitutions! I've changed it up several times, using vegan mayo instead of the buttery spread to give it a creamier taste when I'm not using a dipping sauce, or changing up the spices that I had to give it more or less of a "kick".


Leave a comment if you want to try this recipe or share some alterations that you have tried!

 
I feel like a broke record when I write these updates, repeating how I can't believe how much time has passed and how big Liana is getting. Mothers always say "they grow so fast" and "these are the days you'll miss when they're older." And I know exactly what they mean. I see mums bring their newborns into my work and I think, "I remember when Liana was that small" and I miss it. I loved how tiny and fragile she seemed. I loved watching her sleep and kissing her face all smooshed up against my chest. I loved her tiny newborn clothes and waiting for her first smile.


I would never want to rewind or slow down time, though. Babies grow so rapidly and are constantly learning new things. Liana literally keeps me on the edge of my seat with what to expect next. I've seen her first smile, her first laugh, her first time rolling over, standing up on her feet, cooing, reaching for objects she wants, and resting her hands on her feet to attempt to sit up on her own.


Next will come actually sitting up on her own, responding to cause and effect games (like peek-a-boo), getting her first taste of solid food, developing an understanding of associations, sleeping in her own room, etc. I can't wait to experience her "firsts" with her and watch her little personality blossom.


Currently we are working on getting her to sit up on her own. Liana still does tummy time to strengthen muscles (by having to lift her head/neck/shoulders), improve coordination (by grabbing for toys in front of her), and promote mobility (by trying to get objects out of her reach or turn toward a noise). I also give her plenty of time to practice actually sitting. I will help her by holding her hands for balance, putting a pillow behind her (which she usually tries pulling her self away from so she can sit up even more), or resting her hands on her feet while she sits leaning forward (i have a clip of this for her next video!).


I love trying to show her new things, but I'm trying to be patient and let her figure certain things out on her own. I am starting to offer her more toys so she can choose what she wants to explore and play with. She always looks so thoughtful and I can tell when she is really trying to figure something out because her eyebrows will scrunch together and she won't lose focus unless I literally pull her away. She focuses a lot when she plays with the toys on her new exersaucer.


After sitting up on her own, I think our next feat will be letting her sleep in her own room (eek!---sad mummy day) and letting her taste real food! Those will probably be between 5-6 months though. But I am so excited!

Check out a clip of Liana's laughing fit this week:

As you may know, and for those of you who don't, I work at Whole Foods Market. This means that I am constantly exposed to healthy foods, recipes, and nutrition advice. Health Starts Here is a program that is publicized by the Healthy Eating Specialists at each Whole Foods Market location. I've recently decided that I am going to try my hardest to eat healthier and get in better shape. It has been easy to say I want to do this, but actually doing this is a completely different story when I'm working 10 hours a day or taking care of a 3-month-old on my "days off". So in tribute to the Health Starts Here program, I am going to start a FoodieFriday series where I try and re-create at least one of their recipes each week and share them on here with pictures and my review! I hope you enjoy them!

Summer Strawberry French Toast

Serves 4
 
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 banana, mashed
4 pitted dates, soaked in hot water, mashed to a paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
8 slices Health Starts Here 6 sprout rye bread with carawa

1. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the strawberries and cover. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Combine the banana, dates, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond milk in a bowl. Whisk until incorporated.
3. Dip the slices of bread in the batter mixture and let it soak through.
4. Cook in a skillet or frying pan for about 2 minutes on each side.
5. Top with strawberries and enjoy!


I'm a fan of maple syrup and would have added this too if I had some on hand, but instead I went for my mom's homemade jams. Yum! Also, the original recipe called for cinnamon raisin bread, but the store was out when I went so I grabbed a different Health Starts Here bread. I'm sure most breads will work wonderfully. I would also like to try this replacing the strawberry syrup with blended raspberries! Mmm.

My review:

This recipe was very straight forward and easy to make and it smelled delicious. Substitutions are easy to make, as I did with the bread and could be done with the berry topping. I didn't taste much of the banana batter on the finished product and think it would have been better if I let the bread soak longer in the batter. If the banana was more present, these would be perfect!


Comment if you want to or have tried this recipe before and let me know what you think!


Click here for more recipes and to learn more about the Whole Foods Market Health Starts Here program.

Something funny Liana? Oh Daddy's telling jokes again....

Ashton's Joke of the Day