Recipe: General Tso' s Cauliflower (serves 2)

GENERAL TSO' S CAULIFLOWER

"My friend Briana and I became addicted to General Tso's Cauliflower at a now-closed restaurant on New York City's Lower East Side, and one cold and boring winters day, decided to try to re-create the recipe at home. After several hours, we emerged flour-covered but wholly satisfied with these crispy, sweet-and-sour bites. It's now one of my favorite ways to win over non cauliflower lovers."



"You can double this recipe and serve it as an appetizer for a group, or keep it as is for an easy, healthy dinner (the lycopene-rich tomato paste, combined with the liver-detoxifying cauliflower, is exceptionally good for making skin glow). If you opt for the latter, I recommend serving the dish over rice, quinoa, or even caulifilower rice, if you're up for an all-caul dinner. If you're making this with a partner, have one of you prepare the cauliflower while the other whips up the sauce."

Makes 2 servings

3/4 cup rice flour, divided use
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Generous pinch fine-grain sea salt
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon peeled, minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 green onion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet (or 2 , if you have them) with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of rice flour, 1/2 cup of water, the garlic powder, ground ginger, and salt. Dust the cauliflower with the remaining 1/4 cup rice flour, then dredge the florets in the wet rice flour mixture until well coated, shaking off any excess Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart. Bake for 25 to 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown all over (the smaller the florets, the faster they'll cook). Transfer to a large bowl. Keep the oven on and the lined baking sheet handy.

Heat the sesame oil in a small pot over medium heat When it shimmers, add the ginger and garlic, and saute, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, tamari, rice vinegar, broth, and coconut sugar, whisking to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one-quarter, about 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and toss to coat well. Transfer the cauliflower back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or untill the cauliflower is dark brown but not burned.

Serve topped with the green onions.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Source: Healthier Together: Recipes for Two - Nourish Your Body, Nourish Your Relationships: A Cookbook by Liz Moody