Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower

I love spicy chicken wings, in particular Buffalo and Szechwan.  There’s a restaurant near us that has a great happy hour and in the summer we love to walk up there, sit on their patio and enjoy some appetizers.   And either Buffalo or Szechwan wings usually end up on our table.

But as delicious as those wings are, I know they’re loaded with fat and calories and not something I should eat on a regular basis.  That got me to thinking about cauliflower.  It has such a neutral flavor that I started wondering if I slathered them in Buffalo sauce they could be a good substitution for wings.  I decided I would take on the challenge and give it a try.

To make this, I roasted the cauliflower until it was really browned (for extra flavor)  and then tossed it in Buffalo sauce that I had mixed with a touch of melted butter.  I was very pleased with the result.  The cauliflower got a really nice texture to it from being roasted and the texture was not that far off  from that of a chicken wing (minus the crispy skin).  Served up with crunchy celery sticks and blue cheese dressing it was a healthy way to enjoy the flavors of Buffalo wings without any guilt!

•     1 head cauliflower
•     1 tbsp olive oil
•     salt and pepper
•     1 tbsp butter
•     1/3 cup buffalo sauce
•     celery sticks
•     blue cheese or ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut cauliflower into smaller florets.  Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread out on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Roast in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until browned.

Melt butter and combine with buffalo sauce.  Place roasted cauliflower in a bowl, pour sauce over and toss until well coated.

Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing.