Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites

Want to be the star of your next holiday gathering or game day party? Serve something mildly healthy. People loooove having lighter options to balance out all the gooey cheese and bacon wrapped everything. The trick is cooking a dish that tastes better than those other indulgent appetizers. My go-to healthy party foods are veggie hummus flatbread and toaster oven veggie nachos. But that pair's about to be a trio because I've fallen deep in snack love with these irresistible Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites. Breaded vegetables that are crispy outside and tender inside, spicy buffalo sauce and a lightened-up Greek yogurt blue cheese dip! Yeah, you're going to fall in love too. You've probably seen recipes for cauliflower buffalo "wings" before. As a fan of all things spicy + vegetables (hello maple roasted Brussels sprouts with sriracha) I have been dying to try them. But if you're like me their high level of sticky-finger-messiness has been stopping you too. That's why I made these bites a little differently. The broccoli and cauliflower florets are dipped in buffalo sauce and olive oil, tossed in bread crumbs and then baked (not fried). As they bake the sauce combines with the breading to form a spicy crispy crust. This way you get to enjoy a "wing" that's all kinds of Y-U-M but won't turn your fingers, shirt or sofa orange. 3 Tips For Your Veggie Bites: Make things easier by using a bag of pre-chopped broccoli and cauliflower florets (so worth the extra $). The convection setting on your toaster oven will make the crispiest bites (just reduce the temperature and cook time). You can double/triple the recipe for a larger crowd or cut it in half for a spicy party of one. What I love most about these buffalo broccoli and cauliflower bites is how they work for any occasion, not just parties. Whether it's game night with friends or watching a movie with your sweetie, they're a fun snack you can always feel good serving. Print Save Buffalo Broccoli and Cauliflower Bites Recipe Embed Ingredients For the Bites: 12 ounces fresh broccoli and cauliflower florets, about 3 cups 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 ounces buffalo wing sauce, about 1/3 cup 3 ounces dry bread crumbs, plain or seasoned 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika For the Dip: 1/4 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/8 teaspoon celery salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese Directions Preheat toaster oven to 450°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with a silpat. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and buffalo wing sauce. Add broccoli and cauliflower and stir until completely coated. In a shallow dish combine the bread crumbs, parsley and paprika. A few pieces at a time, shake excess sauce off florets and dredge in crumbs until coated. Place on prepared baking sheet. Lightly mist coated vegetables with cooking spray just before baking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until florets are golden brown, crispy and can be pierced with a fork. Serve warm with yogurt blue cheese dip. To prepare dip whisk together the yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar, celery salt and pepper until combined. Stir in blue cheese crumbles. Notes Convection Toaster Ovens: Reduce temperature to 425 and bake 12 to 16 minutes. For spicier bites increase paprika to 1/4 teaspoon. Recommended Breville Smart Oven Convection Toaster Oven Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Whisk Dreamfarm Clongs via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2iArAVQ Food Fanatic

Ebi Katsu Don

Ebi Katsu Don is a variation of rice bowl dishes commonly served in Japan. Topped with Panko-breaded Prawn and half cooked egg and onions, it's simmered in a sweet soy sauce base. The rice bowl dish called Katsu don is usually topped with panko-breaded pork, and it became a very popular ritual for Japanese students who are undertaking university entrance exams to enjoy the night before. "Katsu" is a homophone of 'win' and 'cutlet'. It's used for anything with Katsu such as 'Katsu Don', or a 'Katsu sando' (sandwich). I personally prefer Ebi katsu to Pork Katsu. There is a popular Japanese take away shop in Brisbane and they used to have both Ebi and Pork, but now they have only pork. So I have decided to make and share the recipe for Ebi Katsu Don, because I had to start making it for myself. Japanese people eat a lot of seafood and there are always fresh prawns and other shellfish available. I found it difficult to find sashimi grade fish here, but there are plenty of prawns in Australia. I recommend using Japanese Panko crumb. Japanese Panko is different from the breadcrumb commonly used in western cooking. 'Pan-ko' means bread flour, 'pan' means bread and 'ko' means flour. Japanese panko is made out of white bread without any crust. That's why Japanese panko has a whitish light colour. The Japanese panko's bread is processed into more flakes, unlike the finely crumbed western style breadcrumb. Also, because Japanese panko use only light and fluffy Japanese bread, it makes it really crispy when it is deep-fried. It is really delicious when the airy and crispy deep fried Ebi absolves delicious sweet soy sauce base. To serve this dish, there is a special donburi 'pan' in Japan. It is very shallow and it only makes one serving. When all ingredients are cooked, it is placed onto the steamed plain rice in the bowl. Of course, for people living outside of Japan, it is hard to get special 'pan'. You can cook it in a small frying pan. Hope you enjoy this authentic Japanese donburi recipe.  Print Save Ebi Katsu Don Recipe Embed Ingredients For the Battered Shrimp: 4 jumbo raw shrimps, also called prawn 1 egg 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 50 milliliters water 1 cup panko breadcrumbs For the Sauce: 1/2 onion 3 eggs 1/2 cup dashi stock 1 tablespoon mirin 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce, usukuchi, a.k.a. light soy sauce, preferred For Serving: 3 cups cooked rice Directions Remove the shell and deveining the prawn Mix the egg, flour, water and mayonnaise in a small bowl to make a batter Coat each prawn into the batter then place into the panko crumbs and coat. Heat frying oil in a deep frying pan to 350°F. Fry prepared prawn till crispy and golden brown on both side and set aside. Slice the onion thinly. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and set aside. Pour Dashi stock in a shallow frying pan and bring it to boil over high heat. Add sliced onion and turn the heat down to medium. Add Mirin, Sugar and Soy sauce and cook it for a few minutes till the onion is cooked. Place the Ebikatsu (a.k.a. fried shrimp) in the saucepan with the sauce, and pour the eggs over them. Cook further for couple of minutes until the eggs are half cooked and slightly runny. Remove from heat and serve over two bowls of rice. Recommended Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls OXO Good Grips 9-Inch Whisk Le Creuset 6.75 Qt French Oven Le Creuset 4.5 Qt Round French Oven via Food Fanatic http://ift.tt/2irucmD Food Fanatic