It turns out it helps to know a little something about football when you’re living in the US.
Take our most recent trip to LA. We crossed paths with all kinds of friendly people who asked us where we were from. My answer is still the generic “Canada” (I gave up on Ottawa some time ago since most Californians have never heard of the place).
My husband, possibly preferring to keep it simple, tells people we are from San Francisco. Not so simple.
Everyone (and I do mean virtually everyone) from the coffee shop baristas, to the families standing in line with us at Universal studios, to the bikers on ventura highway, had the same thing on their minds: FOOTBALL. Now normally this wouldn’t be a problem — we love sports and welcome chewing the fat about it. There’s just one little hiccup in this case: we know precisely nothing (zero, zilch, nada) about football — including the small fact that our newly declared “home team” was about to play a critical wild card game that would decide their seasonal fate. So we smiled. A lot. And then we smiled again.
And when we were all done smiling, I got down to business.
I hit up a few strangers at the Safeway and got the lowdown on the 49ers chances; I interviewed unsuspecting parking lot attendants and talked strategy with bank tellers and dog walkers. I got everybody’s story. I sent emails to football loving friends and yes, even watched the wild card game.
Fast forward two weekends and the 49ers are still in it. We’re heading out to a local pub to catch all the action this Sunday. Our first public football viewing experience. I feel so integrated.
To help celebrate the fun, I’m sharing a healthier twist on a pub classic that I’ve been wanting to make for over a year!! These spicy buffalo cauli bites are sure to be a hit whether your catching your favorite sports team in action or cuddling up with a good book or movie this weekend.
We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. (And Go Sens Go).
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings” with Homemade Ranch Dressing
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings with Homemade Ranch Dressing
For the Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings”
- 1 large head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped into florets (creates about 4 cups)
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) almond milk (or milk base of choice)
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) water
- 3/4 cup (187.5 mL) flour of choice
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) onion powder
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) garlic powder
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) of your favorite buffalo hot sauce*
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) melted coconut oil or butter
- 4 Tbsp (60 mL) well-shaken buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp (5 ml) rice vinegar or fresh lemon juice
-
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) garlic powder
-
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) honey
-
Sea salt and coarse pepper to taste
-
finely chopped fresh dill or chives
Serves 2-4
Nutrition & Cooking Notes:
- *If you’re like me and have never been a big fan of the taste of Frank’s buffalo hot sauce (I know sacrilege; who doesn’t like Frank’s, right?) you can make your own buffalo sauce by following this link (a delightful whole foods recipe – thank you Domestic Fits). I also like Bella’s all natural brand of hot wing sauce available at Whole Foods.
- The convention is to serve buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese which is certainly an option. We decided to go with cucumber here and lighten things up on the dressing side with some homespun ranch.
- The batter really enhances the taste of these little buffalo bites. When I first saw the recipe circulating around the blogosphere, I thought it was just cauli florets dunked in buffalo sauce (still intriguing) but the batter has the effect of ‘beefing’ up the taste of the cauliflower such that it creates a more substantive bite not dissimilar to a wing in that respect (maybe even heartier according to my son who was pleasantly surprised by the texture).
- Though the taste and texture of these bites are very pleasing, I can’t really say that they ‘crisp up’ in the conventional sense like a chicken wing. But still delightful in their own right.
- These bites are best enjoyed warm right from the oven!
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 F.
- Prepare ranch dressing by whisking ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together milk, water, flour, onion and garlic.
- Dip each floret in the batter consecutively, allowing the excess to drip off before placing the pieces on a large parchment-covered baking sheet.
- Bake battered florets for about 25 minutes until the batter has ‘gelled’ somewhat and the florets are fragrant.
- In the meantime, whisk buffalo hot sauce with melted coconut oil or butter in a small bowl.
- Once the battered cauliflower florets have baked, carefully brush the florets with the sauce, making sure they are entirely coated.
- Place sauce covered florets on a fresh piece of parchment paper and back into the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the florets are just beginning to brown.
- Remove from oven, allow your ‘wings’ to cool slightly before serving with ranch dressing.
Kelly! My family made these for super bowl yesterday and we all went crazy over them- yum!!! Thanks for the recipe!
thank you so much for letting me know KoKo! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed… you know, I noticed quite a nice little spike in the popularity of this post over Super Bowl weekend :) xx
Kelly, let me say this first: your comments and your posts always make me smile. Such a bright presence in my world. Second, I love how these wings sound and look. What a great healthy adaptation of the classic. Thank you for sharing all that you do!
So glad to see you getting into American football!! :) Perfect year for it with SF in the playoff. Great idea for game day grub! It’s got to be finger food and this is some fabulous finger food!
Nice to meet you Susan! I don’t know a soul in San Francisco, do you want to be best friends? (haha, just playing around) — sometimes I think it’s best not to know too much about a game; that may be the secret to enjoying it :)
Fabulous fabulous idea!!! I have got to make these little guys. I love that you dove right in to figure this whole football 49ers thing out. I’ve lived here in the SF area for over 25 years, and still don’t really understand it a great deal, but I’m watching every game now as if I’d followed them all along :-)
Haha, Ottawa is indeed the capital of Canada and that’s all I’m going to say on that point ;-). Hope you enjoy these spicy little bites if you give them a try Sissi! xo
What a fun idea Kelly – I’m going to have to give this a try – my kids love Buffalo wings.
Kelly, I am shocked. Isn’t Ottawa…well… the capital of Canada? It sounds like one the jokes we Europeans make about US ;-) Your cauliflower bites look and sound fabulous. I love cauliflower, so I’m bookmarking them and hope I will not forget to try your creative recipe!
I never understand why it’s called football since it plays with hands…but it never stop me from loving all the game food. These cauliflower wings look fantastic.
Oh you ROCK…and you never fail to make me smile :) I have seen something like these before and I always though…what an awesome idea. I could probably eat my weight in cauliflower and you even made your own super healthy ranch dressing…again YOU ROCK!!! I’ll admit we are definitely into our football (The Giants are the best…just saying) and don’t worry if you don’t know it all. I really only know anything about the Giants…most of us stick loyal to our states ;) I love that you are jumping right into the fun and I am so totally going to make these…and then eat them all by myself :)
Ah, that is so awesome Kelly! Good for you guys gettin’ right into it! I know absolutely zero about football, too. Because we all know that hockey is where it’s at, right ;-) But when in California….do as the Californians do- haha!
This looks SO good. I absolutely will be making these….I don’t know why but I always get jealous when I see spicy buffalo wings and stuff like that. Perhaps because I never tried them even when I ate meat…so I feel as though I’ve missed out on such a popular item. But not anymore, thanks to you! I can’t wait to make these!!
First of all, you’re HILARIOUS. Unsuspecting parking lot attendants and safeway strangers — I would have loved to have seen that! :) “I feel so integrated” LOL. Funny girl. But can we talk about these cauliflower florets that could not look more like chicken wings?!! I laughed my head off when I finally figured out it was cauliflower (yes, despite the title it took me a moment) I’ve never seen this before. How great! I just love the idea and cannot wait to try them. So nice to have a tasty option that is not as greasy and calorific as wings (though I do love my wings). Enjoy the weekend fun, your hockey (and your adoptive game of football too!)
When I saw the title of your new post, I said to myself “they do learn pretty fast”, that’s what I call amazing adaptation to a new environment…
I am all for the 49ers, and would appreciate if you don’t tell my Brazilian friends and family that I love American football more than soccer now. There, feel better getting rid of this weight…
Very nice take on a super-heavy classic (which I don’t even like that much, too greasy for my delicate self)…
Enjoy the game, I will be thinking of you all… (but we will probably not watch the game live, I am married to a guy who likes to wait 2 hours to start from the TiVo, so he can fast forward the pubs. Yes, I do still love him)