Orange Cauliflower

Chinese takeout is probably in my top 5 favorite food categories. Sweet and spicy glazed chicken, fried rice, I mean what is not to love! And one dish loved by me and pretty much everyone nationwide, is Orange Chicken. This recipe was actually developed over 30 years ago by Panda Express’s executive chef, Andy Kao, inspired by his experience with sweet and sour dishes from the Hunan Province.

Now, Panda Express sells over 100 million pounds of Orange Chicken every year! Needless to say, its a crowd pleaser. So… all of that being said, I wanted to take a stab at making my own Orange Chicken but wanted to adapt it with cauliflower so I can enjoy it on days I am trying to be meat-free and also wanted to make the dish feel a little “lighter.” I coated the cauliflower in almond flour, then just use cooking spray and baked it in the oven, as opposed to a heavy batter and deep fried method. The result will still be crunchy, sweet, spicy and delicious, just with slightly fewer calories!

Let’s get started! For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, broken down into bite size fleurets (should end up with about 4-5 cups)

Seasoning mix for cauliflower*:

1/2 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp salt & 1 tsp black pepper

*you will also add this same spice mix into the breadcrumb/flour mixture for the coating so plan to double the quantity needed listed above

Breading station:

3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup milk (oat or almond milk are fine)

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Orange Sauce:

2 large oranges + zest from 1 of the oranges

5 cloves of garlic - minced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp oyster sauce

3-tbsp sriracha (can go less or more depending on your spice preference)

2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (this is the cornstarch slurry)

Serve with:

Fried rice

Brown Rice

Noodle of choice

Bed of greens

Or nothing! Delicious on its own :)

It may feel like a lot of ingredients, but this recipe really does come together quickly and in most cases, a lot of the ingredients are likely pantry staples you already have! Now that you have the ingredients prepared, this is what you need to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 420 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with your favorite cooking spray.

2. Prep the cauliflower by dicing into bite size fleurets, roughly 1 inch each. Season the cauliflower with the seasoning mix detailed above - spread evenly over the cauliflower.

3. Combine the panko and flour together in a wide bowl, and season as well with the same seasoning mix we used on the cauliflower.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Dredge each piece of cauliflower in the yogurt mixture, shake off the excess, then dredge into the flour/panko mixture. Shake off that excess, and lay out on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat this step with all of the cauliflower.

6. Put the baking sheet into the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping the cauliflower halfway through. The coating should be crispy and nicely browned once ready.

7. While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the orange sauce. In a pan or pot large enough to accommodate not only the sauce, but the cauliflower as well, sauté the minced garlic and ginger on medium heat in neutral oil until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

8. Add all remaining orange sauce ingredients, minus the cornstarch slurry. Allow the sauce to gently bubble for about 5-7 minutes.

9. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and allow the sauce to gently bubble another 3-5 minutes, until it has thickened and is glossy.

10. Add the crispy, baked cauliflower into the sauce and toss gently until all pieces are fully coated.

11. Serve over rice and top with diced spring onion and sesame seeds. (If nut allergies are not a concern, I also recommend topping with chopped cashews)

This dish has all the comforts of your favorite Chinese takeout, while being meatless and lightly battered, with no deep frying or heavy coating. And you really don’t miss any of that! As someone who is a meat lover, the cauliflower in this dish does its job and leaves you totally satisfied. What would you serve this with? Give it a try and let me know!