Who needs chicken when you can have cauliflower? If you love chinese takeout, you must try this recipe. This orange cauliflower recipe is the perfect substitue for orange chicken. You can serve this with rice or with stir fried veggies like I did.
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 2-3 Servings
Ingredients:
1/2 a large cauliflower broken in to bite size pieces
The Cauliflower Batter
1 cup of flour (I used rice flour but regular all purpose flour works fine)
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of ground ginger
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1-1/2 cup of cold water (make sure you use cold water to prevent lumps)
oil for cooking
additional salt and pepper to taste
The Sauce:
1 cup of orange juice (I used fresh squeezed but you can use what you have)
1/2 tsp of orange zest
1 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs of brown sugar (you can also use regular sugar, maple syrup or agave nectar)
1 large garlic clove minced
1-1/2 tsp of fresh grated ginger (use more or less depending your taste)
2 tbs rice vinegar (you can always use regular vinegar if you don't have rice vinegar)
2 tbs of cold water
1 tbs of corn starch
The Veggies:
I just used all of my leftover vegetables. I used broccoli, red pepper, green pepper, onion, snow peas and zucchini. All together it was about 3-1/2 cups of fresh veggies. You can always use whatever you have or like.
Preparation:
First mix the together the sauce ingredients by placing all of the ingredients into a small pot and whisk well.
Bring the pot to a medium heat and allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer while stirring for about 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and and add salt to taste. Set the sauce aside while preparing the remaining ingredients.
Next prepare the cauliflower batter by combining all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Next place a large skillet over medium heat and add oil about 1/2 an inch deep into the pan.
Place the cauliflower into the batter making sure it is completely coated, then carefully place each piece into the hot oil. (You will need to make these in batches to be sure not to over crowd your pan)
Cook the cauliflower for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
Drain on a paper towel then place into a large bowl and pour on the sauce and toss to make sure all of the cauliflower is evenly coated. Use any remaining sauce for your veggies.
To prepare the veggies just bring a large skillet to medium heat and add in 2 tbs of oil (I used sesame oil) and cook for about 5 minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved. Once it's done add salt and pepper to taste and stir in your desired amount of orange sauce.
Mixing the ingredients for the batter.
Here is the mixture after adding water. Be sure to use cold water to prevent lumps.
The yummy orange sauce.
The sauce will thicken in just minutes.
They only need a few minutes on each side.
Before the sauce.
