General Tso Cauliflower

Last summer we were on a little getaway for our anniversary and stumbled upon a ridiculously good vegan restaurant in midtown Detroit. My husband ordered a general tso cauliflower appetizer and it smelled so amazing I had to try a bite. It was one of their specialty dishes and I could see why!

Seva's vegan General Tso Cauliflower

If you know me personally, whenever something like this happens I will be a crazy woman on a mission to duplicate or find a recipe that works with my dietary restrictions.  That following week I had found a few paleo recipes that looked pretty similar and I was ready to get cooking! This recipe that I used comes from http://www.lindsayinthemorning.com/tag/general-tsos-cauliflower/. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!


Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups raw cauliflower florets
• 4 Tbs gluten free all-purpose baking flour
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 Tbs coconut aminos
• 3 Tbs sherry
• 3 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbs raw honey
• 3 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1/2 Tbs chili paste
• green onions and toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut large cauliflower florets into small pieces. Put them into a large ziploc bag. Add olive oil and shake.  
2. Gradually introduce flour to the bag, shaking as you go.
3. Remove florets from the bag and arrange in a single layer in a glass baking dish that has been drizzled with coconut or olive oil.
4. Put them in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until tender and golden brown.
5. Meanwhile, combine water, coconut aminos, sherry and vinegar in a small saucepan on low heat. Once warm, add the honey, garlic and chili paste. Simmer on medium-low until the sauce thickens.
6. If the sauce refuses to thicken, gradually introduce a few teaspoons of corn starch or tapioca starch.  
7. Once cauliflower is done baking, add about 2/3 of the sauce to the baking dish and carefully stir until coated.  
8. Put back into the oven and broil for 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful here since it can burn quickly so keep a close eye on it.
9. Add the remainder of the sauce and stir.

My gluten/refined sugar/dairy free version!

We typically serve this dish over steamed rice but it would also be a very easy and impressive side dish or even appetizer.