It is safe to say that I have had copious amounts of Chinese food in the past two weeks. My family has a tradition of eating a Chinese buffet for Christmas and I ate A TON of it that day. I also ate Chinese food a couple of times in Boston’s Chinatown between Christmas and the New Year. So much Chinese in so little time. Chinese is so delicious but now that it is the New Year and the holiday’s are over, it is time to get back on track with the clean eating. But…that doesn’t mean I can’t eat ANY Chinese!!
It’s no secret that American Chinese food isn’t the best for you. But there are ways that you can make it yourself at home and make it much healthier! This Crispy Orange Cauliflower is one way to do so. It is baked cauliflower, not fried, which makes it significantly healthier than the orange chicken you get from Chinese restaurants. It is also vegan and can be made gluten-free, so most people with dietary restrictions can eat it. The recipe for the orange glaze is adapted from Damn Delicious’ Orange Chicken recipe.
This dish is super simple to make and only takes about 30 minutes. It’s so yummy that it will make you forget you’re not eating Chinese orange chicken take-out. Not only is it incredibly tasty, but it won’t make you feel heavy afterwards like most American Chinese dishes make you feel. If you’re craving Chinese food without all the heavy grease, try out this recipe and indulge in this delectable orange-glazed cauliflower. You won’t be sorry!
Currently, I am sitting here in a food coma because I ate the entire head of orange cauliflower to myself. All by myself. I wouldn’t advise doing that if you don’t want to be glued to the couch watching Netflix! But it is a perfect recipe to share with your family and friends who love Chinese but want to eat healthier! Hope you try out the recipe and enjoy!
Chinese Orange Cauliflower
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 Large Head of Cauliflower cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup of Almond Milk
- 3/4 cup of All-Purpose Flour can use gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Orange Glaze
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
- 1/4 cup Orange Juice
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 clove of Garlic minced
- 1/2 Tablespoon Orange Zest
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces
- Whisk together the almond milk, flour, garlic powder, salt & pepper in a bowl to create the batter
- Stir until smooth
- Coat each piece of cauliflower with the batter mixture and place on a greased baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
- Place the cauliflower pieces into the preheated oven for 20 minutes or just until they start to turn brown
- While the cauliflower is baking, mix together in a bowl the vegetable broth, orange juice, sugar, white vinegar, soy sauce, minced garlic, orange zest, ground ginger, & white pepper
- Pour mixture into a medium-sized saucepan on medium heat
- Bring mixture to a boil
- Mix 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon Water
- Pour cornstarch and water mixture into the saucepan
- Stir mixture until the glaze starts to thicken, about 1-2 minutes
- Take off the heat and keep warm
- Take cauliflower out of the oven when finished cooking
- Let cool for a few minutes
- Spoon the glaze over the cauliflower bites and toss until each piece is evenly coated
- Serve with rice, quinoa, or vegetables and enjoy!
Courtney
I must of bookmarked this from somewhere awhile ago, and today I had a head of cauliflower in my fridge that desperately needed to be used. I used regular milk instead of almond milk, but next time I think I’d use maybe half the amount, as my batter was pretty liquidy, and the cauliflower was good but not quite crispy. The orange sauce was super tasty, and way better than the neon orange stuff you usually get from fast food Chinese! I might lower the amount of sugar a tad for my peace of mind next time, ha. I had already eaten half my plate when I glanced over at my laptop and noticed your photos had sesame seeds and green onion in them, so I ran back to the kitchen and sprinkled some on, and I really felt like that took this from “good” to “great.” Thanks for the recipe!!