Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

Serves 6-8

All you need:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 7 cups raw cauliflower florets (about 24 ounces)
• ¾ cup Buffalo wing sauce
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium ripe avocado, pitted and diced
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2-4 Tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, to taste (optional)

All you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degree s F. Line a large baking sheet with foil , then coat with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and garlic powder. Pour in 1 cup of water, then stir until smooth. Add the cauliflower to the bowl, then toss to coat.
3. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, shaking off any excess batter. Spread the cauliflower out so that the florets do not touch. Bake until lightly browned, 18-20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the Buffalo sauce and butter over medium low heat. Stir until the butter melts, then set aside.
5. Once the cauliflower has finished baking, remove it from the oven and pour the buffalo sauce over the top , using the entire saucepan. Toss to coat, using a spatula if the cauliflower is too hot so that you don’t burn your fingers. Return the cauliflower to the oven, then bake for 5 additional minutes, watching carefully so that the sauce does not brown too much on the out side. Serve hot with the Blue Cheese Avocado Dip.
6. For the Blue Cheese Avocado Dip: Mash the avocados in a medium bowl with the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons blue cheese and stir to incorporate, adding extra blue cheese as desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (this can be made a day ahead of time).

Nutrition Pearls:

• This is game day food with a healthier twist! Cauliflower is high in fiber, which aids in
  digestion and also keeps you satisfied longer. Because cauliflower is a low calorie food, you get more bang for your bite when enjoying these on game day. Just be mindful of the sodium, since any Buffalo hot sauce is going to be on the higher in sodium.

Nutrition information per serving (8 servings): Calories: 125; Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 19; Sodium: 782mg; Carbohydrate : 14g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Protein: 5g

Courteous of Kara Hoerr, MS, RDN, CD from the Fitchburg Hy-Vee