The dilemma that makes fried spud lovers break out in a cold, clammy sweat?
"Would you like tater tots or fries with that?"
It's a tough choice -- a tater tot's crispy, crunchy exterior vs. a french fry's fluffy interior. Indecision will not save you from ridicule: The Twitterverse wants to know: Are you #teamtots or #teamfrenchfries?
But, hey, if you're trying to shore up your waistline after too many tots and fries or cut back on carbs, the only answer to the question is give me The Kansas City Star's Crispy Cauliflower Bites, please!
In fact, these crispy oven-baked morsels made in a mini muffin tin are so reminiscent of tater tots you might not even miss the tater -- especially if you dunk them in ketchup.
Preparation tips: If cauliflower feels like it has a lot of liquid after processing, place cauliflower in a kitchen towel and squeeze away excess liquid.
Riced cauliflower is now available as either fresh or frozen at many grocery stores and it is great to use in this recipe. For best results, choose a riced cauliflower with kernels similar in size to rice.
Crispy Cauliflower Bites
Nonstick cooking spray
½ medium head cauliflower OR 1 (12-ounce) package riced cauliflower
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a mini muffin tin generously with nonstick cooking spray.
Remove the leaves from the cauliflower. You can use the inner core for this recipe. Coarsely chop the cauliflower and place in the work bowl of a food processor with the steel chopping blade. Pulse the food processor until the cauliflower is finely chopped. Do not overprocess or the cauliflower will turn into a puree.
Place the finely chopped cauliflower into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir to blend well. Place a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into each mini muffin well. Pat down to form a nugget. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Carefully turn each cauliflower bite over and continue to bake for 12 to 15 additional minutes or until bites are crispy brown on both sides.
Serve hot or warm for best flavor.
Makes 24 cauliflower bites.
Each bite (made with all-purpose wheat flour) contains approximately 30 calories, 2 g protein, 2 g fat, 1 g carbohydrate, 22 mg cholesterol, 86 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.
Carbohydrate choices: 0.
Food on 12/06/2017