crispy sesame cauliflower lettuce wraps

There are endless opportunities with this recipe to make it exactly the way you want! I prefer lettuce wraps to get the most flavor out of the sesame cauliflower but you can serve the cauliflower alone as a side dish, on quinoa, brown rice or any desired grain, or in a salad. I love the crunch to the cauliflower. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
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1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets or buy precut
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1 cup almond four (can substitute with cassava, chickpea, regular or wheat flour)
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1 cup water, plus extra (use 1.5 cups if using cassava flour)
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½-1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 tbsp. sesame seeds
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Salt and pepper, to taste
For the sesame sauce:
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¼ cup coconut aminos (can substitute with tamari soy sauce or any desired soy sauce)
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2 tbsp. pure maple syrup (buy local if you can!)
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1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
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1 tbsp. rice vinegar
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1 tbsp. tomato paste
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tbsp. sesame seeds
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, combine the flour of choice (e.g. almond), water, garlic, sesame seeds and salt and pepper. Whisk together. If the batter is too thick/pasty, add water by tbsp. for desired consistency.
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Place cauliflower florets into batter and evenly coat. Transfer cauliflower florets to baking sheet.
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Bake battered cauliflower for 20 minutes. While cauliflower is baking, make the sauce.
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In a small saucepan, combine the coconut aminos (or desired soy sauce), maple syrup, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tomato paste, garlic and sesame seeds. Bring sauce to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
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After cauliflower has baked, remove and let cool. Once cooled, transfer cauliflower to large bowl and cover with sauce. Coat evenly. Leave some sauce in bowl to drizzle over.
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Bake cauliflower for another 20 minutes or until edges are starting to darken. Remove the sesame cauliflower and let it sit for 5 minutes.
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Serve cauliflower on lettuce wraps, or grain of choice (see description for other ideas!). Drizzle the remaining sauce and top with extra sesame seeds.
Notes:
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The sauce was light in this recipe. Double the batch if you like it saucy.
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Add chopped green onions to final dish if desired.
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If you want a little more spice to the sauce, add 1 tbsp. chili paste to the sauce.
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You can change up the protein to your preference: organic tofu/tempeh, chicken, etc.
Recipe adapted and inspired by: The First Mess