So, even if there’s no way you’re ever going to eat a cauliflower-based food, stick with this one for the sauce, which would go equally wonderfully on chicken nuggets or fried whatever-meat. The sauce is so wonderful, though, that even cauliflower tastes great, so why not do something healthy for a change?

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• cooking oil spray
• 2 large eggs
• 2 scallions, finely sliced (for garnish, so if you’re totally going to forget to use them, like I did, don’t bother)

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup cold water
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup honey
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon gochujang (put it in EVERYTHING!)

To begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment, and set one aside. Spread the panko crumbs in an even layer in the other sheet, and spray with cooking oil.

Bake 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. (If using gluten free bread crumbs, remember that most of them somehow never brown, so you’ll just have to pull them after a few minutes anyway.)

While the panko browns, whisk your eggs well in a small bowl and finish any chopping for the cauliflower. Once the panko is done, dip each piece of cauliflower into the egg, shake off excess, then roll in the panko and place on the other lined sheet pan. This actually took kind of a while, just because there were so many pieces.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked and the crumbs are a darker brown.

While the cauliflower cooks, make the sauce. First combine the water and cornstarch in a small dish and stir until completely dissolved. Combine the honey, garlic, soy sauce, and gochujang in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a simmer.

Add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Let simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly to thicken further.

Drizzle the sauce over the baked cauliflower, and garnish with sliced scallions.

whoops, invisible scallions

The sauce is sweet, savory, and just warm (not hot) from this amount of gochujang – it’s really great! As expected with breaded things, the leftovers get less great with refrigeration, but not bad after one day, and that sauce makes up for A LOT.

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

Slightly adapted from Kirbie’s Cravings.

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• cooking oil spray
• 2 large eggs
• 2 scallions, finely sliced

Sauce:

• 3/4 cup cold water
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3/4 cup honey
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon gochujang

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment, and set one aside. Spread the panko crumbs in an even layer in the other sheet, and spray with cooking oil. Bake 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.

While the panko browns, whisk your eggs well in a small bowl and finish any chopping for the cauliflower. Once the panko is done, dip each piece of cauliflower into the egg, shake off excess, then roll in the panko and place on the other lined sheet pan. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked and the crumbs are a darker brown.

While the cauliflower cooks, make the sauce. First combine the water and cornstarch in a small dish and stir until completely dissolved. Combine the honey, garlic, soy sauce, and gochujang in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir it in. Let simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly to thicken further. Drizzle the sauce over the baked cauliflower, and garnish with sliced scallions.