If you’ve already had cauliflower steak, then you definitely need to add these two original, fun and super easy recipes: cauliflower nachos and cauliflower bites.
With just one cauliflower, you can make two different and unique appetizers with a touch of tex-mex flavor!
Cauliflower Nachos
That’s right: you can recreate classic Mexican-style fries with cauliflower as a part of the dough. How do you do it? First, wash a cauliflower well and divide it into florets.
Then divide each floret into two parts. One part is for Cauliflower nachos and the other part is for the cauliflower bites.
Finely chop the tops in a blender or food processor and then quickly sauté them in a pan without adding any oil – just to dry them out a little.
Once cooled, add to a mixture of ¾ oz flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, one teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon grated parmesan (or cheddar cheese), 1 egg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Feel free to play with the spices, adding as little or as much as you’d like!
Once this mixture is ready, spread it on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment. It needs to be thin enough to cover the entire sheet.
Brush the surface with a little olive oil and bake in the oven at 300°F for about 40 minutes (or at 400°F for 20 minutes).
Once golden-brown, let cool in the oven, turning the heat off.
Then cut the cauliflower nachos into diamond shapes or fairly large triangles. Transfer them to a baking pan (it’s okay if they’re slightly overlapping), and garnish with plenty of grated cheese (i.e. fontina or cheddar cheese) Bake again in the oven until the cheese is melted and stringy at the same temperatures indicated above.
Cauliflower Bites
These bite-sized finger food appetizers can be made in many ways – use whatever spices your heart desires!
Use the same mixture you use for the nachos recipe. Then just add some flour and make cauliflower meatballs. Fry them like this or dip them first in breadcrumbs for a crunchier texture.
To do this, prepare a mixture of breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Add paprika or curry powder to taste.
Instead of breadcrumbs, you can use panko breadcrumbs – it’s a lighter version of breadcrumbs that tends to have a crunchier texture and tends to increase in volume as it cooks.
Dip the cauliflower meatballs in a beaten egg followed by breadcrumbs. Fry them in hot oil.
For a lighter version of the recipe, bake the cauliflower meatballs in the oven.
Sauces to pair with these two recipes
Two spicy, delectable recipes like these require special consideration for sauce pairings.
Guacamole is perfect, for example – especially for the nachos and make it is very simple.
Just crush two fairly soft avocados with a fork and add the juice of half a lime, 4-5 cherry tomatoes cut into pieces, half a chopped onion, a few drops of tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt. Remember to leave the core of the avocado in the middle of the sauce to keep the guac from oxidizing and turning brown too quickly!
Another interesting sauce to pair with cauliflower bites is made with Greek yogurt: super fresh and light! To make this one, mix the yogurt with a pinch of salt and pepper followed by a little lemon juice.
Add a tablespoon of mustard, chives or even chopped mixed herbs like mint and basil.
What about cocktail pairings?
For your tex-mex appetizers, we suggest a cold light beer with lemon wedges or tequila-based cocktails like a margarita or a Long Island iced tea. Maybe some rum in a mojito?
Then there’s the option of spicy drinks with fresh fruit like mango, passionfruit, ginger, lime, and mint.