Buffalo Cauliflower with Vegan Cashew Ranch Sauce

Some find cauliflower to be bland at first, but this brainy-looking superfood is indeed

beneficial to the health of your brain and contains anti-cancer compounds and provides excellent detox support.

The truth is that cauliflower is an incredibly versatile vegetable that doesn’t just belong on the side lines. You can mash it, fry it, roast it, and turn it into almost anything you need, even pizza crust.

Buffalo Cauliflower raises your healthy snacking abilities to new levels. There are a variety of recipes out floating around the web, but our version is one of the cleanest you will find.

Our guess is that right now what you might be needing is an easy healthy party snackto take to your office gathering or ugly sweater party that will cater to both omnivores and vegans alike.

Clean Cashew Creme

Instead of using processed vegan mayonnaise or blue cheese sauce we dip these succulent Buffalo Cauliflower bites into pure cashew creme.

Vegan mayonnaise may seem like a healthy option when trying to eat cleaner, but it is often made with vegetable seed oils like canola that can actually increase inflammation and free radical damage if used in large amounts. Our recipes often use cashews in place of dairy cheese not only to remove common toxic triggers but also because cashews are a one of our favorite superfood ingredients.

Some may want to shy away from nuts for fear of eating too much fat, cashews contain zero cholesterol and most of the fat in cashews is antioxidant-rich oleic acid — a good fat you can also find in olive oil that ultimately decreases blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and toxins in the body among other benefits. Cashews also contain magnesium, the mineral that most people are deficient in, leading to that all too common sluggish feeling.

Coconut Oil

This recipe also uses something we are big fans of — coconut oil! This is another superfood substitute we in the place of butter you typically found in Buffalo Cauliflower recipes. Finding as many uses as possible for coconut oil is a trending challenge for health and wellness bloggers, but the actual benefits of coconut oil are becoming more than just a trend. Researchers are starting to study the benefits of coconut oil as an alternative to antifungal drugs. Coconut oil is another ingredient in this recipe that will provide a clean energy source to help you power through theholiday hustle and bustle.

We predict this recipe will be a new Clean Community favorite as a recipe to share or to keep to yourself as a deeply satisfying snack.

serves: 4-6 people as a side

cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Cauliflower:

1 teaspoon chipotle pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

8 cups cauliflower florets (from about 1 large head)

For the Ranch:

1 1/2 cups cashews

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup parsley

2 tablespoons chopped scallion

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

½ teaspoon mustard powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut up the cauliflower into florets then place in a large mixing bowl.

Mix the spices, lemon, and salt with the melted coconut oil then pour over the cauliflower. Toss well to combine.

Place in the oven, bake for 20 minutes.

While the cauliflower bakes, make the sauce by blending the cashews with the lemon juice and enough water to achieve a “sour cream” consistency. Transfer the cashews to a bowl and stir in the parsley, scallions, garlic, salt, and mustard.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, serve on a tray alongside the dip and enjoy!

Recipe by Frank Giglio

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