fake | Delightful-Delicious-Delovely

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Mashed cauliflower is even easier than mashed potatoes & can be varied just as many ways. This is a simple side dish with lots of flavor. And better yet – you can regrow fresh leeks with just the end you were going to throw away & a little water. Find out how HERE.

Vegan Mashed Garlic Cauliflower with Caramelized Leeks

INGREDIENTS

3 leeks – tough green part cut away & the rest chopped & WASHED (leeks are dirty) and drained well

RESERVE THE END TO REGROW! See how HERE.

2 TBS olive oil

1 tsp brown sugar

Pinch of salt

1 head cauliflower – stem & leafy part cut away

2 cloves chopped garlic

S&P

Stock or vegetable bouillon

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan. If your leeks are really wet, dry them a bit in a kitchen towel then saute them in the oil over med-low heat. Add the sugar & salt & saute for about 20 minutes or so. Stir them a lot & be sure they do not burn. They are done when they look about like this:

Meanwhile – boil the cauliflower in enough stock (or water with some bouillon) until very soft – maybe 15 minutes. You might want to saute the garlic for about 30 seconds to a minute in olive oil or butter but I used it raw.

Reserve about a cup of the cauliflower water & drain the cauliflower well. Using a manual masher or a mixer puree the cauliflower like you would with potatoes. Add the garlic and S&P to taste. You may or may not need the reserved cauliflower water. This depends on the moisture already in the cauliflower & your particular preference as to texture. If you want them to be richer, blend in some butter, cream or cream cheese (or vegan alternatives).

Top with the caramelized leeks & devour!

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

Follow @celisemccarthy

To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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OK, now for the matter of these faux wings. I love spicy food & chicken wings are something I always find myself envious of when I see others eat them. I also love sriracha – but ONLY this brand:

(Image stolen from Google)

This company produces a sauce that is the very definition of sriracha. But, alas, they have been victims of Irwindale residents near their plant complaining of the spices in the air & it has resulted in lots of problems for the company. Recently, I have been finding it VERY HARD to find this sriracha – anywhere. I was extremely distressed because this is not only a frequent ingredient in my recipes but it is an absolute MUST in my Bloody Marys!

Well, at my local Bangluck Market – I found a whole selection of other brands of sriracha. Of course, I bought the one in the prettiest bottle. See there – behind the holy basil?

I used it in a Bloody Mary & had to throw the cocktail away. This sriracha isn’t spicy & has a sickly sweet flavor. Do not fall for these low rent srirachas! You have been warned!

These guys are pretty easy to make and delicious. I ate them two ways – right off the plate as an appetizer or over rice as a meal. Ymmmmm!

Sriracha Cauliflower “Wings”

INGREDIENTS

1 small head of cauliflower cut into “drumettes”

2 TBS butter (or vegan butter) – melted

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

S&P

For the glaze

1 chipotle pepper & 2 TBS of its adobo sauce – minced

1/4 cup sriracha sauce

2 garlic cloves – minced

2 TBS butter (or vegan butter)

1/4 cup (or less – to taste) honey – or agave nectar

1-2 TBS soy sauce

juice of 1 lime

Garnish: chopped cilantro and/or sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400.

Whisk the melted butter with the olive oil, onion powder & garlic powder. Add a little S&P.

Toss the cauliflower drumettes in this & roast for about 15-20 minutes (check mid-way to be sure your florets are not getting to mushy) – or until just beginning to brown at the edges. Parchment paper makes this a far neater process. If you don’t have any, treat your cooking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil.

While the cauliflower cooks, melt the butter for the glaze in a sauce pan & then whisk in the other glaze ingredients. Bring it to a boil & then simmer it over medium heat until it thickens a bit. Set aside.

When the cauliflower is ready – toss it with some glaze & roast another 5 minutes. I then turned the broiler on and WATCHED THEM VERY CAREFULLY (and turned the pan a few times) to get a bit of a blackening effect. This is totally an optional step.