Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Bites

What do you do when you have a head of cauliflower staring at you when you open your refrigerator?  Sure you can go for the typical mashed cauliflower or cauliflower soup.  But how about a sweet and sticky bit of goodness with a little kick!

These bites would be the perfect addition to the big game this Sunday. Some egg whites and bread crumbs make a great base for whatever sauce you use (Buffalo sauce with some blue cheese crumbles come to mind).

If you want to go the vegan route, you can replace the egg whites with almond milk or aquafaba.  What is aquafaba you ask? Aquafaba is the thick, syrup that surrounds a can of chick peas or white beans that has recently been used in cooking as a substitute for egg whites. I like it better than almond milk since it has a gelatin texture similar to egg whites.

For the sauce you can also use honey rather than maple syrup. I didn’t have honey on hand but it may give you a thicker glaze.  I also added a bit of heat from chili garlic sauce.  If you don’t have that you can use sriracha or leave it out all together.

These bites are hard to put down!  Great over a bed of rice or tucked inside a lettuce wrap, you can create a number of ways to use these nuggets. Enjoy!

Recipe – Serves 2 to 3

1 small head of cauliflower cut into medium size florets

2 egg whites, whipped

1 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs (See NOTE)

1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey

1/4 cup of lite soy sauce

2 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

2 teaspoons of chili garlic sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Set up a breading station with egg whites on one plate and the bread crumbs on another. NOTE:  By adding the bread crumbs a little at a time rather than putting them all on the plate at once you can avoid them getting too wet and not adhering properly. Dip cauliflower in the egg whites, then in the breadcrumbs and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the cauliflower begins to brown and cooked through.

In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients.  Remove cauliflower from the oven and toss with sauce.  Place cauliflower back into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes longer as they continue to brown and caramelize.