Crispy Fried Cauliflower Wingz

This recipe is perfect for your upcoming holiday party! Or tuck it away until the Super Bowl. An indulgence, to be sure, but you deserve it. I've been meaning to work up a recipe like this since the cauliflower "wings" craze hit the interwebs a while ago, but I never got around to it. These are crispy and flavourful, and remain so even when they are no longer hot. The boys doused theirs in Buffalo hot sauce, while the rest of us stuck to a sweet BBQ sauce. Delicious! 

INGREDIENTS
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets

Brine
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked or seasoned salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp poultry spice

Batter
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch
- 1 tbsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups plain soy milk (more if needed)

METHOD

1. The day before: mix together the brine ingredients (I use a blender). Pour into a large freezer bag, then add the cauliflower florets. If your cauliflower is very large, you can make a 1.5 recipe of the brine. 

2. Remove as much air a possible so the brine is making maximum contact with the brine. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, rotating the bag as needed for even brining. 

3. The Day of: drain cauliflower in a colander. Heat oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.

4. While cauliflower is draining, whisk together the dry ingredients for the batter (i.e. flour to white pepper). 

5. Dredge the cauliflower in the flour mixture in batches until coated. Shake off all excess and place on a baking sheet.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar and soy milk. Add enough of the soy mixture to the remaining flour mixture to make a thickish batter. Add more soy milk if needed.

7. Add some pieces of cauliflower to the batter. Turn to coat. Leave the cauliflower in the batter for a few minutes to allow the batter to soak into the dredging flour.

8. Shake off excess batter and transfer to a cooking tray or plate. 

9. Fry in oil, 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Make sure your oil is not too hot or the outside will burn before the cauliflower is cooked.

10. Drain on paper towels and serve while still hot.

NOTE 1: while one batch is frying, add another to the batter so it can soak. Repeat.

NOTE 2: add more soy milk to the batter, if needed. The dredging flour will thicken the batter a bit, so just thin it down again. 

Roasted Curry Cauliflower

Kids, your mom is going back work so things are going to be different around here.  My parents said something like this to me and my brothers when I was 12 year old.  And, with Vegan Son #1 ready to hit twelve in December, we just said it to our kids.  Vegan Mom has gone back to school to pursue her MEd and PhD in Education.  Needless to say, things have changed in our household.  With time at a premium we need to be more efficient in our meal planning.  We need to start thinking about making some meals ahead and freezing them, and creating quick but nutritious dinners.  So many people have commented on this blog about where I find the time to cook.  Well, now I know what they were talking about.  We have 4 kids in 3 different schools, plus gymnastics and swimming lessons.  When my mom went back to work she would leave simple instructions for us kids on how to make dinner.  This is when I first started to cook.  I am hoping to do something similar with Vegan Son #1 and pass down a love of food to the next generation.

This recipe is pretty easy and makes the house smell great.  Spice how you prefer--a pre-made curry powder even.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 cauliflower, cut into large pieces
- 1 sweet onion, thickly sliced
- olive oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of 1/2 lemon

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Put cauliflower and onion slices in large bowl.  Drizzle with some olive oil (1-2 tsp) and toss to coat.  Mix spices together in a small bowl and sprinkle over cauliflower.  Toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread out on the baking sheet.
3. Loosely cover the baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil.  Bake for 15 mins.  Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 mins, or until cauliflower is tender and browned.
4. Drizzle lemon juice over the cauliflower and serve. 

Summer Chowder

The weather has been a bit colder since the calendar turned to August so it did not seem weird to eat a hot soup during the summer. But, even if it was hot I think I would still make this delicious, creamy chowder made of seasonal ingredients. The corn and cauliflower came from a local farm, and the garlic, shallots, and potatoes from my garden.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 small cauliflower, chopped (about 5 cups)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3 cups peeled potato, diced (Yukon Gold is nice), divided
- water
- kernels from 2 ears of corn
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onions and celery for 5 mins, then add shallots and garlic. Saute for another 5 mins until soft and translucent but not golden.
2. Add cashews, 1 cup of the potato, and the cauliflower. Add enough water to almost cover the veggies (i.e. a few should be poking out). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 mins, until veggies are very soft.
3. While cauliflower is cooking, boil the remaining potatoes in salted water until just tender (about 5 mins for fresh potatoes). Add corn and cook for another 2 mins, until corn is tender. Drain.
4. Blend cauliflower with an immersion blender until very smooth (a good 5 mins). Add more water if too thick. Add nutritional yeast, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and corn and mix well. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Tandoori Cauliflower

Aaaaaaannnd, I'm back! Did I get everything done that I wanted to? Nope. But, I got my major project done so that feels pretty good. In my absence I participated in Vegansaurus' project to veganize the wining recipes from Top Chef Just Desserts (just about the hardest thing I have ever had to do in the kitchen), and just tonight I made the Lemon Pies and Salted Caramel Ice Cream for Vegan Mom's birthday. Delicious!

This is a recipe I have been meaning to share since the summer. It is adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape, which is both a cookbook and a TV show. You can watch the show here, but I will warn you that he comes off as a culturally insensitive clod, and he whines a lot when he goes to southern India and can't eat any meat. The part in the ashram is just downright embarrassing. I used the BBQ and a clay baker to finish off the dish, but you could also put it in the oven at 450.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 cup soy yogurt
- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp tandoori spice blend
- salt to taste

- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 onions, cut into rings
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 -2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp tandoori spice blend

METHOD
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then cook cauliflower florets for 2-3 mins, until just tender. Drain and rinse with ice cold water. Leave to drain.
2. While cauliflower is cooking/draining, whisk spices (including the salt) into the yogurt, then toss with the cauliflower in a bowl. If you have time, let this sit for a few hours in the fridge, covered.
3. Heat the BBQ to about 500 degrees and transfer the cauliflower to a clay baker. Cook, uncovered (but with BBQ lid down), for 15-20 mins, or until the cauliflower is tender.
4. While the cauliflower is baking, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute onion rings for 10-12 mins, until a golden brown. Add tomato paste and water and cook for a few mins more, then add spices (add a splash more water if need be). Cook for one min, then put on top of the cauliflower. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve.

Creamy Chunky Cauliflower Chowder

Say it! Say "chow-dah!" I don't think this is actually a chowder (when does soup become chowder, anyway?), but I wanted to go with an alliterative title. The temperature dipped down to 2 degrees the other night which suddenly put me in the mood for soup. Of course, now it's about 22 degrees, so that mood has passed. If it is still warm where you are, file this recipe away for later. It is creamy and chunky and perfectly satisfying. The boys loved it as well, which is great because they often balk at soups (or any dish where they can't identify the individual components or separate them out). The chowder has a slightly cheesy taste from the nooch and miso that is well-balanced by the leeks and roasted pepper.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp margarine
- 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 leeks, white and light green part, thinly sliced
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 medium red potatoes, skins on, diced
- 4 cups water
- 1 roasted yellow pepper, skinned, seeded, chopped
- 1 recipe cashew cream
- generous tbsp yellow miso
- generous tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil and margarine in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and leeks and saute for 12-15 mins, or until reduced down and golden.
2. Add cauliflower and potatoes and water (salt the water if you want). Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15-20 mins, until cauliflower and is very tender.
3. Remove half of the veggies with a slotted spoon. Add the roasted yellow pepper to the remainder and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
4. Add removed veggies back to the pot along with the cashew cream. Add miso, mustard, and nutritional yeast and mix well. Season to taste, heat until just bubbling, and serve.

Autumnal Mash

Thanksgiving is fast approaching for us Canadians (next Monday), so tonight I experimented with a few dishes to prepare for our holiday meal with family. This dish is easy to make and tastes great (and is a great way to get kids to eat squash), and is also easy to blog. I am spending tonight working on my cookbook, so I will leave the more complicated dish for tomorrow's post.

INGREDIENTS

- equal parts of:

- peeled and cubed potatoes

- cauliflower florets

- peeled and de-seeded squash, chopped

- water

- margarine

- salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Place all veggies in a large pot (quantity will vary depending on how many people you are planning to serve). Cover with water, cover pot with a lid, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 mins, or until veggies are good and soft. Drain well.

2. Add a large spoonful of margarine to the pot, then mash well with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Veggies in a Clay Baker

Not really a recipe tonight, more of an idea/method. I love cooking stuff in cast iron pans on the BBQ, and in clay bakers like the one seen here. This particular pig is happy that no one is eating his body. Tonight I filled him up with cauliflower and broccoli, about an inch of water, and placed in on the grill for about 20 mins.

Cheesy Creamy Casserole

You may have noticed a few new things on the blog. I have put in a video bar that links to PETA's "Meet Your Meat," and to Morgan Spurlock's "Supersize Me." Actually, watching "Supersize Me" is what started me on the road to veganism. After seeing the film I started reading the books of the people he interviewed: John Robbins' Diet For a New America; Marion Nestle's Food Politics; Eric Scholsser's Fast Food Nation. There was no turning back from there. In the spirit of "Supersize Me," I also have started posting fast food "nutritional" info (although I know I will largely be preaching to the choir). It always blows my mind that vegans are seen as dietary weirdos, but eating a burger with 55 grams of fat is considered normal.

Tonight's meal was an attempt to use up the broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge in a way the boys would like. They loved it.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- large handful baby spinach

Sauce

- 1 pkg firm tofu

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- 1/3 cup raw cashews

- 3/4 cup roasted red pepper (I used bottled peppers)

- 1-2 tsp salt

- freshly ground pepper

- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 1 tsp mustard

- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder

- 3 cups soy milk

Topping

- 1/2 cup bread crumbs

- 1/3 cup ground almonds

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Steam broccoli and cauliflower for 5-6 mins, until softened but still firm.

2. While veggies are steaming, make the sauce. Place sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to bubbling, whisking constantly.

3. Mix together steamed veggies, chickpeas, and spinach with sauce and pour into a large casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and almonds. Bake for 40 mins, until bubbling and top is browned.

Potato Cauliflower Mash

OK, I admit that the picture for this is pretty weird (and so is the name), but it is really tasty. Let's face it: potatoes and cauliflower are friends. Combine these two with onions and garlic and you have a delicious combination that comforts you from head to toe. Not only that, the boys love it.

INGREDIENTS

- 3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

- 1 large onion, diced

- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

- 2 cloves garlic

- dollop of margarine

- salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Place potatoes, onion, cauliflower, and garlic in a large pot and fill with enough water to almost cover the veggies. Bring to boiling and simmer for 20 mins, until all veggies are soft. Drain well.

2. Mash veggies well with margarine and salt. I use a electric beater to really blend it all well. Serve.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

We had two unused heads of cauliflower in the fridge, so I whipped up this soup for lunch. I was aiming for a creamy yet hearty texture, and this really fit the bill.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 leeks, thinly sliced (just the white parts)
- 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
- water
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- plain soymilk
- salt and pepper to taste
- dried herbs for garnish (I used parsley, but I think chives would be nice)

METHOD
1. Saute onions, celery, and leeks for 15 mins on med-hi in a big stockpot. Seriously. This recipe makes a lot of soup.
2. Meanwhile, peel all the cloves in the head of garlic. Place in a pouch of aluminum foil with a splash of oil. Roast on a med-hi BBQ for about 15 mins.
3. Add in cauliflower florets. Add in water until it sits just under the veggies (i.e. not covering them). Cover and simmer until cauliflower is soft and easily broken up with a spoon.
4. Add in garlic cloves and blend in the pot with a hand blender. Blend in soymilk until desired consistency is reached (I used about 3 cups). Blend in nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each bowl with dried herbs when serving.

Cauliflower in a Cashew Sauce

We had family over this weekend, so we cooked up an Indian feast. As always, I made a large pot of dhal and some tandoori tofu. Both were big hits with our non-vegan guests. I also made this Cauliflower in a Cashew Sauce--awesome.

INGREDIENTS

- 3 onions, peeled and quartered

- 1 small can tomato paste

- 2/3 cup raw cashews

- 3 tsp garam masala

- 3 garlic cloves, crushed

- 2 tsp chili powder

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 2 tsp salt

- 4 tbsp soy yogurt

- 4 tbsp oil

- 2 1/2 cups water

- 1/2 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

- 1/4 cup golden raisins

- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

- 2 cups mushrooms, cut in quarters

METHOD:

1. Put first 10 ingredients (onion through yogurt) into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Heat oil in a large pot or wok on medium. Fry lixture from blender for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and mix well.

3. Add water, raisins, and half the coriander. Cover and cook until cauliflower is tender (about 15 - 20 minutes).

4. Add mushrooms and cook for another 10 mins. Garnish with reminaing coriander and serve

Indian Feast, Part 2

Cauliflower and Potato Curry
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 medium sized potatoes
- 1/3 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 fresh green chili, chopped
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tomato, chopped

METHOD:
1. Peel potatoes and cube. Parboil them with the cauliflower for about 6-8 mins. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a wok, or large pan. Fry chili for 1 min, then add potatoes and cauliflower and fry for 5 mins.
3. Add spices, tomato, and water. Cook until veggies are tender (10 mins or so). Garnish with chopped cilantro if you have it.

Tandoori Tofu
I use a commercial tandoori masala spice mix for this one, but I suppose you could make your own. I take tofu that has been frozen and thawed, slice it into thick slabs, and marinate in the following:
- 1/2 cup of plain soymilk (you are really supposed to use yogurt, but the only soy yogurt I can find here is expensive and pretty nasty.)
- 2 tsbp oil
- 2 tsp tandoori masala (or more, if you like)
The thawed tofu will soak up the liquid. Then, grill on a vey hot and well oiled grill for 5 mins per side.