Easy Buffalo Cauliflower (The Lazy Way!)

It's cooling down where I live. Seasons will be changing once more. I always crave warmer foods at this time especially. One thing you might enjoy is this recipe for a lazy way to make Buffalo Cauliflower (vegetarian "wings"). It's easy because there is no breading involved. Enjoy!


Easy Buffalo Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Step one-Cauliflower:

2 good-sized heads of cauliflower, cut up into flowerettes, not to big, not too tiny

When preheated, bake cauliflower pieces spread out on 2 baking pans, lined with parchment paper (use pans that have 4 sides for containing liquid - these are called jelly roll pans, or cake pans, or 9x13 pans) for about 20-30 minutes until browned slightly on the edges. Please watch carefully.

Step two-Buffalo Sauce:

While the cauliflower is in the oven for step one, combine separately, in a bowl large enough to contain the cauliflower and sauce (with room to stir well):

3/4 cup, or less, hot sauce (homemade/store bought)- like Frank's Red Hot (has peppers & garlic)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon granulated dried garlic (or more)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, but tasty)

Step three-Combine:

Place partially baked cauliflower in the bowl with sauce. Stir well to coat evenly. Using the same baking pans, divide the cauliflower again to evenly put onto the 2 pans. Bake another 10-15 minutes or so, until heated through.

Things that go well with this dish:
Celery sticks
Lisa's Raw Ranch Dressing
or
Creamy Salad Dressing with the Ranch options

You can always use this "Easy Buffalo" sauce for other vegetables besides cauliflower too! Comment if you tried this for another vegetable with tasty results! =)

Spicy Peanut-Free Sauce for Tofu, Pasta or Potatoes

This is a sauce recipe that I've used for quite a few meals. Mostly I've used it for a pasta and tofu dish similar to a much loved dish Pad Thai.

This makes a peanut-free version using almonds. But I have sometimes been short of the amount of almonds I need, so the recipe below shows the variation I used today. You can use mostly almonds and then make up the difference with other nuts or seeds. No big deal.

(By all means, if you use peanuts/peanut butter in your home, feel free to go ahead and use that instead. The recipe will still be delicious. Whatever nut or seed butter you use, please use unsalted varieties without other added ingredients. I like using whole nuts and seeds for a fresh, more raw sauce.)

If you have some tofu, bell pepper, some pasta, maybe some snow peas, you can make a great meal with this. The tofu can be cubed, then baked or broiled.

This recipe makes enough to dress a pound of pasta with veggies, etc on the side.

Spicy Peanut-Free Sauce

2/3 cup whole raw almonds OR 1/3 cup almond butter, unsalted (or other nut/seed butter)      
(I used a combination of almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds)
2 Tablespoons brown rice syrup (or 1 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (can be soy-free with coconut aminos instead)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar (can use apple cider vinegar)
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon tahini or sesame seeds
1 fresh garlic clove or 1/2 teaspoon dried granulated garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili paste (or a mildly spicy curry paste) OR 1/4 teaspoon or less crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons water, pasta water or vegetable broth

Throw this all into a good blender. Blend until smooth, only takes a couple of minutes. After you take this out of the blender, place the sauce into a bowl, then rinse the blender with about 1/4 cup of water and add it to the sauce. Don't forget this step! Otherwise it will be way too salty and extra thick. Mix together in bowl. Now it's ready to add to a pasta or potatoes or just about anything. You can even use it as a dip. This may taste a little salty on its own, but after you put it on pasta, etc, it should even out.
SaveSave

20 Years and Counting...

 

 I just wanted to acknowledge an important milestone for my journey as a vegetarian. Twenty years does seem like a long time, however, we all know that time can go by so quickly. It was in late November and early December of 1996 that I began my vegetarian journey.

     So far, I have no plans to go back. I rather enjoy all that I have learned in these years in regards to plant based foods. I enjoy learning about other ethnic cuisines and foods that I can experiment with in different ways.

     I am still learning so much in regards to food. I suppose that one never stops learning in life really.  I hope that my writing can encourage others on their journey.

     Blessings, everyone!

Summer Vegetable Bake - Ratatouille Style

Summer Vegetable Bake - Ratatouille Style

Place in a baking pan, the following puree, made with a blender:

1 onion, in quarters
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, in pieces
2 garlic cloves
3 cups of chopped tomatoes (canned ok)
salt/seasoned salt (as desired)
pinch of red pepper
black pepper (optional, as desired)
basil, fresh or dried (as desired)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. After puree is made and placed in baking pan, layer on top the following in a decorative pattern:

 4-5 medium tomatoes, sliced
1-2 zucchini, sliced
1-2 yellow summer squash
1 eggplant, sliced (optional, not pictured)

Bake for 2 hours covered, then uncover and bake another 30 minutes. Adjust temperature and times as needed.

Yummy Popcorn

When invited somewhere and asked to bring a snack to contribute to a table for an informal evening, I often bring popcorn. After a friend showed me a recipe from a Bragg's bottle of apple cider vinegar, I knew I had to try it at home. Whether you pop your popcorn in a kettle on the stove or air pop, this is a good way to enjoy!

Yummy Popcorn

Start with popped popcorn, then add in amounts as desired:

melted coconut oil (unless you popped on stovetop)
soy sauce (Liquid Aminos, coconut aminos, Nama Shoyu, etc.)
apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar
nutritional yeast
seasoned salt or other salted/no-salt blend you like
mustard powder
garlic, fresh crushed and minced or dried
cayenne pepper

Other optional add-ins:
curry powder
basil
oregano
parsley

Sweet Garlic Soy Sauce

I cannot take credit for this. I have had this recipe for a long time and do not know where it came from. If anyone knows of the original inventor of this recipe, please let me know. It is so good!

Sweet Garlic Soy Sauce

Whisk together in a small saucepan:
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1/4 cup water

Then add:
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup shiitake mushroom broth* or water

Put on stove to heat until boiling, keeping a close watch. Then simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture thickens.

Stir in:
1 clove garlic, crushed first, then minced

Turn off heat and let thicken further. Serve any temperature. Can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator in a glass jar. Goes well with nori rolls and spring rolls.

*Note: I routinely rehydrate shiitake mushrooms when I make spring rolls or nori rolls, so I often have this broth freshly made. One time I decided to use it for this and it added so much flavor that I kept it in the recipe.

Showers of Blessing

March 17, 2007

During the night, we had our first rain in months. Maybe we are at the end of the dry season, we will see. We have a woman who comes and helps with cleaning. Later in the morning I could hear her singing the hymn, “Showers of Blessing” at the top of her lungs. Earlier I had asked her about the rain and if she was cold (it cools down considerably when it rains here). Yes, she is cold. 

Later I check the temperature. It’s 82 degrees. That is chili for Ghana. Maybe today it won’t hit higher than 90 degrees in the house as usual lately. It continues to rain lightly here this morning. Everyone will rejoice today and try to stay warm as the rains have come to wet this dry, dusty, thirsty land. 

                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*I wrote the above when we were living in Ghana, more than a year before I started this blog. I was working on condensing files on our computer, when I found this today. What a breath of fresh air!

The photo was taken at Till's Beach near Cape Coast. For us, it was a much welcomed retreat while we lived in Ghana. I love this shot. Good memories!