Cauliflower and Mushroom Bang Up

Meat, while not necessarily easy, is what most folks think of when they hear "Man and Food." I get it; I really like marinating, rubbing, brining and cooking meat any number of ways (especially pork). Since that's the obvious, I'm attempting to branch out. I read a few versions of this breaded and baked Cauliflower w/ Bang Bang Sauce online, so I figured I'd fiddle with it and make my own version.

A few quick notes on the ingredients: Most of the versions I read on Allrecipes or Yummly used 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, but I like to avoid that if I can. I substituted the greek yogurt in the picture, and just ate the little packet of almonds that was attached. Also, none of the versions had mushrooms, but I love mushrooms and had some on hand so I figured "Why not?" Last, a little plug for Aldi supermarket. Anytime I need ingredients for an experiment, I go there. Cheap. Don't spend too much if it might not come out perfect.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil your baking pan or lay down parchment paper.

Step 2: Whisk the eggs into a wash and make the cauliflower bite sized. Pull the stems from the mushrooms.

Step 3: Dip veggie pieces in the egg wash then coat with panko bread crumbs. It gets difficult if too much egg wash gets into the panko, but you can clump it on if needed.

Step 4: Place the pan on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until the outsides get crispy and brown.

Step 5: While the veggies bake, mix up 2 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce, 2 Tbsp honey, 1 Tbsp Hot Sauce, 1/4 cup yogurt. This sauce is a little spicy, a little more sweet. I'm thinking I might add some Paprika or Black Pepper for more bite next time.

Step 6: When the baking is done, plate the veggies and drizzle with the Bang Bang. Keep a little on the side to dip in if you like.

 All in all it came out pretty tasty. I did eat the whole plate, but I have to admit, the mushrooms overcooked some and were somewhat mushy. The cauliflower still had a wee bit of crunch and great texture. Good snack or appetizer, but not really a meal.

As this blog is still under some construction, I'll have the recipe up on a separate tab soon.