Three Veg and Meat Cheesy Cauli Popcorn
Olivia's take on cheesy cauliflower popcorn is best served fresh from the oven, though gobbling them up fast won't be a problem.
This recipe is Vegetarian | Dairy Freeable | Gluten Freeable
Healthy Fats | Low Carb
- 1/2 serve protein per serve
- +150% RDI vitamin C (from cauliflower)
- No added sugars
Make Ahead
You can crumb up a batch ready for baking and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 1 cup (60g) fresh breadcrumbs, such as gluten-free or spelt (see tips)
- 2/3 cup (60g) finely grated parmesan cheese (see tips)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup (75g) sesame salt or sesame seeds
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups (500g) cauliflower, cut into 2 cm pieces
- extra virgin olive oil, for spraying or drizzling
Top tips before you start
Olivia likes to make her own breadcrumbs whenever she sees a reduced-price spelt bread at her local organic supermarket - the older the better, she says! Pop it in a food processor and store the crumbs in a biodegradable freezer bag in the freezer, where they will keep for up to 6 months. If you are going to buy breadcrumbs, take a quick look at the ingredient list to see it isn't too long with 'stuff'.
For dairy-free popcorn, replace the cheese with 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes.
To make the nuggets gluten free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Let's start cooking
- Preheat the oven to 180° (350°F). Line two baking trays with baking paper. Put the breadcrumbs, parmesan, turmeric, garlic powder and sesame in a bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper and mix well to combine. In another shallow bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the cauliflower florets in the beaten eggs, covering well, then in a breadcrumb mixture until well coated.
- Spread the crumbed cauliflower in a single layer on the baking trays and spray or drizze well with oil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden, crisp and cooked through. Serve immediately after.
