Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Bites
Sweet, spicy, baked cauliflower bites topped with an amazing Asian-inspired sticky sauce!
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 whole large egg whites, lightly beaten
- 1 cup fine ground panko crumbs, or regular breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce or sriracha
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- chopped green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add egg whites to a large ziploc bag; add cauliflower florets to the bag, close it, and shake it around until everything is well combined.
- In a separate ziploc bag combine the panko crumbs, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; add the cauliflower florets to the bag, close it, and shake it around until everything is well combined and coated.
- Transfer the cauliflower florets to the prepared baking sheet; bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat; combine the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and garlic and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl combine cornstarch and water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the soy sauce mixture and whisk to combine; remove from heat.
- Remove the cauliflower florets from the oven and either add them to the sauce OR pour the sauce over the florets. Mix and toss until well combined.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
- Serve.
Notes
- Beat the egg whites until foamy; it will help with the breading.
- For better adhesion, don't use coarse breadcrumbs. Finely ground breadcrumbs work better in this recipe. Also, you can use regular breadcrumbs or panko rind crumbs.
- If you don't like spicy foods, leave out the sriracha and use a mild/sweet sauce, if possible.
- You can use agave instead of honey.
- Serve as an appetizer or serve it over rice for a complete vegetarian meal.
Nutrition
Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 892mg | Potassium: 539mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 70.7mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2.4mg
