Bar Food ReVamped!

I had a little trouble coming up with a theme for this month's challenge so I asked my family what recipes they would be interested in seeing. My future mother-in-law happened to be at happy hour at the time of my text and she provided me with the idea of re-creating bar food or small appetizers. Bar food!? What a great idea! Who doesn't love happy hour appetizers; buffalo chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, spinach dip...are you drooling yet!? So this month I wanted to bring some of these favorites to you, with of course a healthy twist! The first appetizer I chose to revamp was spicy buffalo wings sans the meat. So welcome Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Nuggets! Now, I know you are thinking you have already seen this recipe, but think again! This recipe doesn't call for flour and takes it light on the hot sauce (or shall I say sodium ;)). After these were finished, I threw some nuggets on romaine lettuce with tomatoes, onions, and a lightened up ranch dressing (using greek yogurt) for a yummy salad.

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Nuggets

1/2 head cauliflower; steamed until fragrant and soft
1/2 c panko; or any other preferred breadcrumbs
1 egg white
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's red hot sauce)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Steam cauliflower and add to bowl; mash with fork until grated consistency.
3. Combine mashed cauliflower with egg white, seasoning, and bread crumbs; mix well.
4. Using your hands, form small patties and place on parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Cook patties in oven 20-25 minutes; flipping patties after 10-12 minutes.

** So I only used 1 egg white and they were a little crumbly when I tried to flip them, so next time I would try 2 egg whites. Also adding cheese could add a different flavor component as well.**

I'm always interested in any changes you make to the recipes to fit your flavor profile, so feel free to share!

Sneak Peek Skinny Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

When I think of warm weather and spring, I think of fresh and colorful meals on the patio. In April, I plan to focus on fresh, bright, and delicious salads by creating at least one new salad a week and posting the results.

But, since April is a couple weeks away, why not give a sneak peek salad. I don't know about you, but I am a fan of the veggie platters full of variety and a cool ranch dip to satisfy those taste buds. So why not at all of our favorites into one salad?

Skinny Broccoli Cauliflower Salad

2 heads broccoli chopped
1 head cauliflower chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 red onion
1 green pepper
3/4-1 cup light ranch dressing
1 package part skim mozzarella or cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella)

1. Chop your veggies and toss into a bowl with 3/4-1 cup ranch dressing. Mix together and add pepper and/or red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

It's a simple as that and it makes enough to last for a week worth of lunches. This recipe allows you to add your favorite veggies or eliminate those you don't find so flavorful, so be creative!