Deep Creek Eats - Vol. 4: Buffalo Cauliflower
I LOVE TO COOK! I love to cook. And I love to eat. Quarantine has given me the opportunity to do a lot of both of those things. I have tried a lot of recipes I might never had made if we were not in this situation. I've experimented with curry, prawns, homemade pasta, homemade pierogis, all things avocado, and on and on. I've had some successes, and I've made some dishes that resulted in eating cereal for dinner. I have also learned a lot about my husband and his tastes. HE LOVES CURRY. But he does not love cauliflower...
My brother in law is the chef at one of our favorite Deep Creek restaurants, Moonshadow. When they first opened their doors in Accident, Maryland way back in 2013, there was something on their menu that I had never heard of, thought of, or tried in my life. Buffalo Cauliflower. Moonshadow has been known for their unique culinary offerings, at least unique as our area gets. Pre-quarantine, friends of mine came to Moonshadow and posted on Facebook about their experience, an enjoyable one. There was a comment on their post that said "Moonshadow? What, are you a liberal now?" If Buffalo Cauliflower makes me a liberal, well, then I'm still "a liberal" because I believe that vegetables are just as delicious as meats and can easily fill the spot of any meat when prepared thoughtfully.
Since Eric doesn't like cauliflower, and he goes to work everyday, it's become a lunch dish for me. My Insta followers asked for a lunch recipe, and this is one I hope they're going to love!
The first time I made a buffalo cauliflower recipe, it called for a batter. I didn't think that's how Moonshadow was making their yummy dish, but the reviews on that recipe were positive so I gave it a try. It was... just okay. Not what I was looking for. So for my second attempt, I avoided batter at all costs and opted for a marinade and then roasted those yums until they were perfect. The approach I've crafted is not only super delicious and low-cal, but it also minimizes dirty dishes which is something I have had WAY TOO MUCH of during this quarantine.
The Recipe:
Grocery List 1 head of cauliflower
1/2 a cup of Franks Hot Sauce (I use the buffalo specific sauce)
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil (I subbed avocado oil)
1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher Salt to Taste
1 Gallon size Ziplock-type bag
Preparation
Separate cauliflower into florets and place into Ziplock bag
Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish
Stir in Franks, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt
Power mixture over cauliflower, seal, pushing air out of the bag as you do
Shake and move the cauliflower around in the bag (Shake and Bake style) to evenly distribute the sauce mixture
Place the bag in the fridge of at least an hour, you can leave it in as long as you like! I roast mine in batches and sometimes leave it in the bag for a few days. Spicy!
Roast It
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil (more mess saving!) and evenly coat with non-stick cooking oil.
Place cauliflower on the sheet, do not overlap
Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes until bottoms of cauliflower have developed a nice brown color but not so long that the top browns too
Serve It
I love mine over a heaping bed of spring greens and drizzled with ranch dressing. You may like your served on a plate with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks ala buffalo wings. Maybe you put them in a wrap with some ranch, cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce and tomato like a buffalo chicken wrap. There is no wrong way to enjoy these babies! Just do it, and soon!
