Oven Baked Cauliflower Wings

Today I decided to look outside of the box. With my BBQ today I want more vegetables. Regardless that this is made in the oven you could do it in the BBQ but I will let you figure that one out. Everyone is getting so creative with their vegetables and so I thought I would try this one. Knowing that cauliflower is a sturdy vegetable I knew it could stand up to heat and the elements without becoming soft and soggy. Well with that let us get started.




You will need a head of cauliflower to start. Clean the cauliflower as you usually do by  taking off all the leaves. Toss them into the compost. Keep the cauliflower in large enough pieces to grab with your fingers and enjoy. My pictures will show you my process.

You will need a batter to coat your cauliflower. Mine was made with what I have in my refrigerator and pantry you make due with what you use. Please do not get caught up in the ingredients milk is milk and flour is flour tit for tat.

Preheat your oven for 400 degrees and pop it up to 450 the last 15 minutes

Coating Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk
1 cup wheat flour
Seasoning to taste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Hot sauce to taste or not

Mix all your ingredients into a small bowl.

Now our the coating ingredients to a large bag and add your cauliflower. I use my colander to coat the cauliflower so the excess will drip off and why waste a bag. Mix evenly regardless.



As you can see by the picture to the right. I coat them with the batter and then coat them with the Panko Crumbs in the same colander.




Let talk cooking sheets. I have used my Grandma's old cookie sheet. Yes it is worn but still cooking great. Place your coated crumbed cauliflower pieces on the cooking tray






Not touching but able to bake evenly. Bake them for 20 minutes until they are golden brown. Flip them over half way through the cooking process.

















Alright the end result was delicious but I so love Chicken Wings but this
would be a great alternative for your meatless party goers. Do try it !

Cauliflower Potato Soup

Cauliflower Potato Soup well any soup at this time of year is great. The vegetables combined with the natural thickener potato is so delicious.

My family is a soup family. We love to get a warm soup and some homemade bread during the colder month's.

Soup just makes you feel comfortable and safe.




Ingredients 

1 whole cauliflower
2 carrots
1 half yellow onion
2 tablespoons Italian parsley
2 quarts chicken broth
One stick of butter
5 tablespoon flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup half and half
Pepper to taste
4 medium potatoes

 

In a large soup pot melt half your stick of butter.

 

 
Add the onion cook until it starts to turn brown




Add the carrots cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Turn the burner down to low cover it and let it simmer for say 10 minutes or so.

After it has simmered pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

Make sure you skim all the stuff off the sides of the pot waste nothing





I let all this simmer for about a half hour before I go to the next step. Keep an eye on the soup and stir when needed.

In a medium saucepan melt the other half cube of butter

Mix the flour and milk then whisk to combine in a separate bowl

Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter whisking constantly




Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half

Add mixture to the simmering soup







Add the potatoes. Allow the soup to  simmer for 1 hour or until you potatoes are soft not mushy. Fork tender. Stir every 10 to 15 minutes.


After the hour your soup should be ready to eat!




Notes to self

I use Italian Parsley because it just has a better not so tart taste like regular parsley
I use a food processor to chop the carrot and half of the cauliflower See the picture
I do not salt my food when cooking I think it should be left to the eater.

I just love each process of cooking.  I do not jump from step to step. I stop long enough to think does this need a little extra time to get its flavors together on there own prior to adding the rest of the stuff this holds true for most things I cook.