Panko Baked Cauliflower Wings
Sometimes I crave naughty food! I'm talking deep fried stuff.. but it is no fun for my stomach and I always feel awful after eating anything like that! So I made it my mission to create healthier versions of naughty food without the tummy ache! These cauliflower wings are crispy and tasty without being deep fried- or fried at all for that matter. I like to eat oil free food as much as possible, but usually spray a little oil on these when they go in the oven, to get that extra crisp- but you don't have to! Cauliflower is an awesomely nutritious cruciferous vegetable and these 'wings' are a great to enjoy it as part of a cheeky- not so cheeky, meal!
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 2)
• 1 head of cauliflower broken in to big florets • 1/2 cup (roughly) chickpea flour (A.K.A Gram Flour) - keep extra incase you need to make more batter. • 1 cup (roughly) of Panko breadcrumbs (keep extra incase you need more) • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce • 1 tsp of Garlic Granules • I tsp of Chinese 5 spice • drop of Water
• A spray of oil (optional)
METHOD
1. Make the batter in a bowl by mixing the chickpea flour with the garlic granules and chinese 5 spice. Stir the dry ingredients together. Then add a drop of soy sauce and a small drop of water and stir together to form a batter. It should be half way between thick and runny - kind of gloopy. If it is too thick, add a drop of water (just a teeny weeny bit at a time until the 'gloopyness' is achieved!) 2. Pop the Panko breadcrumbs in a bowl. Prepare an empty plate next to the breadcrumbs. Now, one by one, take the cauliflower pieces from the tin (preferably with a fork and not fingers- this will be messy!) and lower it, first in to the batter, and then in to the breadcrumbs. Once a piece is coated in breadcrumbs place it on the empty plate. Keep going until all pieces are coated. - Depending on the size of your cauliflower pieces, you may run out of batter- just make a second batch if that happens. 3. Place your coated cauliflower pieces on a baking tray with a spray or small drizzle of oil (or skip the oil if you prefer) and pop them in the oven on a mid- high temperature. I almost always use 200 degrees to cook just about everything! 5. Keep checking in on the cauliflower over the course of 30 mins. Turn them a little so they cook evenly. When they look golden and yummy, take them out. 7. Enjoy your cauliflower wings with a dip of your choice and maybe some chips or home made sweet potato wedges. YUM.