Diet for a Tiny House: State Fair-Inspired Fried Cauliflower Tacos
08-31-2015
Author: Blog Editor in Diet for a Tiny House
Five o’clock was rolling around. A cauliflower was taking up too much room in the fridge. Outdoors and in, it was HOT -- in the high 90s and there was no way I was going to turn on the oven or even boil water. I was reminiscing about the food at the Minnesota State Fair that is in full swing during the last week of August. I remembered the deep-fried onion blossoms and the fried cheese curds. What does that have to do with this blog entry? Because all of these things resulted in today’s recipe.
How about a wrap made with State Fair-inspired batter-fried cauliflower, plus hummus from the Middle Eastern food stand, along with baby spinach, tomato, and those spicy little red South African Piquante (Peppadew) peppers from the International Pavilion?
I may be a bit crazy but it just might work, I says to myself.
Fortunately as RVers, we always have a handy outdoor grill for hot days and tasks like this. Nick fired it up as I prepped the ingredients. We were both amazed with it -- it turned out to be a delicious taco with all the right flavor and textures -- sweet and salty and savory and crunchy. We were transported to St. Paul, Minnesota from our perch in LA, just like that.
Basically the recipe is this. The cauliflower is dipped in egg and dredged in flour that has been seasoned with garlic, chili powder and smoked paprika (a wonderful, smoked paprika is sold at Trader Joe’s). Once fried, the cauliflower has the “mouth feel,” of a fried fish sandwich -- juicy, savory from the smoked paprika, and crunchy -- while the other vegetables and hummus are perfect complements. Drizzled with additional Thousand Island or Ranch dressing, this one’s a winner.
Equipment Needed:
If you’re working out of a kitchen, just use your stove for the cauliflower fry, but in an Airstream or RV if it’s hot, or you just don’t want to do the inside cleanup, you will want to use an outdoor propane camp stove to fry the cauliflower. You’ll also need a wok or a deep pot for frying, one large plastic bag for the batter, a bowl for the eggs, tongs to turn the pieces in the hot oil, a kitchen knife and cutting board for the vegetables, paper towels, and measuring spoons and cups.
State Fair-Inspired Fried Cauliflower Tacos
Serves 3-4
-------------
Ingredients
-------------
For the Tacos:
4 small flour tortillas (I used Tortilla Factory’s Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas)
1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
1 heirloom or other ripe tomato, cut into slices
1 container of hummus
1/2 cup Peppadew Piquant peppers from a jar or roasted red peppers, cut into slices
Prepared Ranch and/or Thousand Island dressing
For Fried Cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower, florets only, all approximately the same size (divide the larger florets into two or three pieces)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary mix)
Ground black pepper
Oil for frying - peanut, corn, safflower, or canola
---------------
Instructions
---------------
Wash and cut up the cauliflower into equal-sized florets.
In a medium-sized bowl, break eggs and beat with milk until blended.
In a plastic bag, combine the flour and spices.
Working with about 4 florets at a time, dip them in the egg, shake off excess egg, then toss them into the bag of flour and shake until coated. Place on a plate. Do this until all the cauliflower is coated.
Have a plate ready with paper towels. Fill a wok or deep pot with oil to about 1 1/2 inches and turn up the flame on the stove to high. When the oil starts to shimmer, drop a few of the cauliflower florets into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove with tongs to the plate. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the pieces will be undercooked. Work in batches until they are all done.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and peppers. Open the bag of baby spinach. Open the hummus and bring out the dressings.
To assemble, place a tortilla on a plate, slather tortilla with hummus. On top of the hummus, make a layer of spinach, tomatoes and peppers. In the middle line up a few of the deep fried cauliflower florets. Drizzle with dressing. Fold up and enjoy!
About Blog Author Wendy Gorski: I'm a full-time traveler with my husband Nick, and we live in a 2011 Airstream travel trailer. In 2012, we sold our 4,000-square-foot house with its gourmet kitchen and bought our 100-square-foot tiny Airstream house. In this blog, I'll share recipes, tips, thoughts, and experiences as we careen across the country in search of adventure. All my recipes will be primarily plant-based, fast to cook, easy to clean up, and delicious!
How about a wrap made with State Fair-inspired batter-fried cauliflower, plus hummus from the Middle Eastern food stand, along with baby spinach, tomato, and those spicy little red South African Piquante (Peppadew) peppers from the International Pavilion?
I may be a bit crazy but it just might work, I says to myself.
Fortunately as RVers, we always have a handy outdoor grill for hot days and tasks like this. Nick fired it up as I prepped the ingredients. We were both amazed with it -- it turned out to be a delicious taco with all the right flavor and textures -- sweet and salty and savory and crunchy. We were transported to St. Paul, Minnesota from our perch in LA, just like that.
Basically the recipe is this. The cauliflower is dipped in egg and dredged in flour that has been seasoned with garlic, chili powder and smoked paprika (a wonderful, smoked paprika is sold at Trader Joe’s). Once fried, the cauliflower has the “mouth feel,” of a fried fish sandwich -- juicy, savory from the smoked paprika, and crunchy -- while the other vegetables and hummus are perfect complements. Drizzled with additional Thousand Island or Ranch dressing, this one’s a winner.
Equipment Needed:
If you’re working out of a kitchen, just use your stove for the cauliflower fry, but in an Airstream or RV if it’s hot, or you just don’t want to do the inside cleanup, you will want to use an outdoor propane camp stove to fry the cauliflower. You’ll also need a wok or a deep pot for frying, one large plastic bag for the batter, a bowl for the eggs, tongs to turn the pieces in the hot oil, a kitchen knife and cutting board for the vegetables, paper towels, and measuring spoons and cups.
State Fair-Inspired Fried Cauliflower Tacos
Serves 3-4
-------------
Ingredients
-------------
For the Tacos:
4 small flour tortillas (I used Tortilla Factory’s Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas)
1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
1 heirloom or other ripe tomato, cut into slices
1 container of hummus
1/2 cup Peppadew Piquant peppers from a jar or roasted red peppers, cut into slices
Prepared Ranch and/or Thousand Island dressing
For Fried Cauliflower:
1 head of cauliflower, florets only, all approximately the same size (divide the larger florets into two or three pieces)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary mix)
Ground black pepper
Oil for frying - peanut, corn, safflower, or canola
---------------
Instructions
---------------
Wash and cut up the cauliflower into equal-sized florets.
In a medium-sized bowl, break eggs and beat with milk until blended.
In a plastic bag, combine the flour and spices.
Working with about 4 florets at a time, dip them in the egg, shake off excess egg, then toss them into the bag of flour and shake until coated. Place on a plate. Do this until all the cauliflower is coated.
Have a plate ready with paper towels. Fill a wok or deep pot with oil to about 1 1/2 inches and turn up the flame on the stove to high. When the oil starts to shimmer, drop a few of the cauliflower florets into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove with tongs to the plate. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the pieces will be undercooked. Work in batches until they are all done.
Thinly slice the tomatoes and peppers. Open the bag of baby spinach. Open the hummus and bring out the dressings.
To assemble, place a tortilla on a plate, slather tortilla with hummus. On top of the hummus, make a layer of spinach, tomatoes and peppers. In the middle line up a few of the deep fried cauliflower florets. Drizzle with dressing. Fold up and enjoy!
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About Blog Author Wendy Gorski: I'm a full-time traveler with my husband Nick, and we live in a 2011 Airstream travel trailer. In 2012, we sold our 4,000-square-foot house with its gourmet kitchen and bought our 100-square-foot tiny Airstream house. In this blog, I'll share recipes, tips, thoughts, and experiences as we careen across the country in search of adventure. All my recipes will be primarily plant-based, fast to cook, easy to clean up, and delicious!
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