Epic battles.




Greeks versus Trojans.




David versus Goliath.




Sauron versus (free) Middle-earth.




Batman versus The Joker.




I could go on, but you get the drift.




Here’s personal battle:




Delicious food versus Staying fit.




Are you familiar with that one? Bet you are!




I’m constantly surrounded with food.




I have a dessert-baking disease.




My work involves looking at pictures of food and writing yummy recipe descriptions.




My friends/co-workers/parents/dog ALL love food and if we’re not talking about food, we’re eating it while simultaneously planning our next meal.




I often have the wonderful opportunity to review restaurants and food festivals and eat all kinds of scrumptious things.




So since food is pretty much my entire existence, and I want to live to see my grandchildren, I’ve realised that staying fit is important.




I already do the stuff we all know: portion control, kickboxing, filling up on water, blah blah – but what really helps, I’ve found, is a recipe that’s healthy AND yummy. And I can tell you, my friend – there aren’t that many.




A friend sent me this book recently.







It’s a rather hilarious read with funny chapter names like “PMS (Pissy mood snacks)” and funnier recipe names like the “Denver Bitchlette for two” for instance. Essentially it’s a vegan cookbook with strange ingredient requirements like vegan beef strips and vegan chicken patties.
Seriously?! I would not eat that. Like. EVER.




The philosophy of the book however, is making healthy food delicious, which is something I can totally get on board with.




And in that spirit, I present this.




Crispy cauliflower poppers. Beautifully caramelized. Crunchy in part and chewy in part.







It’s no secret I’m not a fan of vegetarian food. But these are SO good. Each floret has lovely brown, crispy parts.




Slightly sweet and slightly savoury. Entirely yummy.




Dunk in a yogurt dip. Guilt-free, healthy food never did taste this good.







Crispy cauliflower poppers with a garlic-yogurt dip




Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 45-50 mins
Serves: 2




Ingredients:




2 medium heads of cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
salt and pepper




For the dip




200g yogurt
1 tsp garlic paste
sprinkle of dry minced garlic (you can leave this out if you want- I just like my dip really garlicky)
paprika salt (or regular salt, but paprika salt is prettier :P)







Method:




For the cauliflower poppers




1. Preheat the oven to 180º C.
2. Dab the cauliflower florets with kitchen paper to remove any water. Mix the olive oil and honey in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss the florets a few at time into the oil and honey mixture and toss to coat well. I like to use my hands here, so the cauliflower gets nicely coated. Place the florets on a baking tray. Make sure they are spread out. This will ensure each one gets caramelized.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes, turning the florets two or three times during the process.




For the dip




1. Mix all the ingredients for the dip together and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Serve with the cauliflower poppers. Dunk and enjoy!