Superbowl Sunday: Buffalo Cauliflower

So, apparently it’s Superbowl Sunday, or as we refer to it at my house, [Insert Your Favorite Chick Flick] Sunday. I don’t care about sports. I don’t care about football. I don’t even pretend to care about football for boys I think are cute. But, I do care about food. Especially junk food.

In my former (read: non-vegan) life, I relished Superbowl Sunday if only for the chance to eat buffalo wings, Doritos, and cupcakes frosted in the colors of whatever team I had arbitrarily decided to root for. My first few years of being vegan, I just opted out of the whole event. But last year, I changed my mind. I have always asserted that a plant-based lifestyle is not one of lack or restriction. And if I ever want to convince people to join my team (see what I did there?), I’m going to have to give them Superbowl food.

Buffalo wings have long been a favorite of mine. My mom grew up in upstate New York, so it’s practically in our blood. My college roommate, Claire, and I used to get 10¢ wings and tater tots at the sketchy bar near campus. But how to turn something as literally meat-centric as wings into delicious plant-based food? What I realized is that it’s not really about the wings; it’s about the sauce. After doing a little research, I discovered several recipes for buffalo cauliflower. Cauliflower has a firm texture with a mild flavor that serves as the perfect vehicle for tangy, spicy buffalo sauce. It’s a flavor touchdown! Okay, that was bad...

Buffalo Cauliflower
adapted from PETA

1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce

Heat the oven to 450°F.  Combine the milk, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Coat the cauliflower florets in the batter, and place in an ovenproof dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Turn once halfway through. Pour the hot sauce over the cauliflower, and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot from the oven.