There are millions of recipes online for buffalo cauliflower, but what makes this recipe special is the dip! For anyone with migraine, aged cheese can be one of the worst triggers. It's high levels of tyramine and histamine often do not agree with our sensitive brains. But oh how I miss aged cheese! That's when I got the idea that maybe the tangy flavor of goat cheese and cottage cheese might be a good substitute for this "faux" blue cheese dip. It's a wonderful compliment to cool down the heat from the buffalo sauce.
Simply Roasted or Oven Fried?
I tried this recipe two different ways. The first way I used a coating from Pinch of Yum that's 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk with garlic powder salt and pepper. It's oven baked, so a little bit healthier than frying. Still, I found the texture kind of gummy. For me, I preferred a simply roasted cauliflower, topped with Frank's Hot Sauce. For those that don't know, Frank's Hot Sauce (the Original kind) is free from additives and MSG, making it a great flavoring to add to chicken or vegetable dishes. However, it does contain fermented peppers so please only try this if you're migraines are well controlled and you're in the "testing" stage of Heal Your Headache. Many find they do tolerate it well, even if they can't tolerate other aged foods.
Dairy Free Alternative
The faux blue cheese dip has dairy and there's really no great way around that if you're also adding a dairy free to the mix. However, this ranch dressing can very easily be made dairy free and would be another great compliment to the cauliflower. You could replace the butter with either ghee, or lightly toss with the hot sauce by itself.
If you're looking for some migraine diet safe super bowl recipes, I've got you covered.
Wings
Sesame Ginger Wings
Buffalo Wings (use the sesame ginger wing recipe, but toss with ⅓ cup of Franks and 2tbsp of butter)
Crispy Garlic Paprika Wings (omit the parmesan)
Dips
Artichoke Hummus
Caramelized Shallot Dip
Creamy Crab Dip
Salsa Verde
Tacos/ Enchiladas
Steak Tacos
Chicken Tinga Tacos
Beef Enchiladas (you can sub out any meat or vegetable for the beef!)
Buffalo Cauliflower with Faux Blue Cheese Dip
Ingredients
Buffalo Cauliflower
- 16 oz fresh cauliflower florets * You can use between 1 to 1.5lbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅓ cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce * Peppers are fermented. Only use if you're ok with fermentation
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Faux Blue Cheese Dip
- ½ cup Daisy cottage cheese, whipped in a food processor till smooth
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 4 oz fresh goat cheese (chevre)
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons milk
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450. Toss cauliflower with olive oil and garlic powder. Bake for 15-20 minutes until brown/lightly charred. Remove from oven.
- Meanwhile make the dip by combining the whipped cottage cheese, goat cheese, vinegar, green onion, and milk all in the food processor. Pulse to combine, and then season to taste.
- Melt butter and combine with Frank's Red Hot sauce. Pour over the roasted cauliflower or if you like a more bold flavor, toss it all together.
K says
Thanks for that info. I usually have Special K w/ Strawberries (already in the box) that are dried out and I'm perfectly OK with that. So would that compare to the aged peppers?
Ah, I am. Was that the cottage cheese mixture? I have yet to try cottage cheese since I'm not a big fan of the texture and I am unsure if I can tolerate it (had issues with store brand(s) ricotta cheese, so now I homemake it if needed for stuffed shells.
Once again, thanks so much for giving me your time!
Alicia says
You know what, I just did a little more research and it looks like they ferment their peppers - ugh!! I'm going to have to label this recipe for people who are more well controlled. Thanks for helping me catch that. I will say that I double checked with my group, Migraine Strong, and they find that many members tolerate this well, even with other sensitivities to tyramine. If you're further along in the diet, I think it's ok.
For cottage cheese, I blend it in a food processor so it's smooth!
K says
Looks delicious! I had a question about the Frank's RedHot-- Even though it says aged red peppers can that be an issue since 'aged'?
Thanks again and love your recipes, they increase the missing palette due to the fun condition we endure!
Any upcoming alternative for sour cream? 🙂
Alicia says
Unless you are super sensitive to tyramine, it should be ok. If you're really upset by things like dried fruit without sulfites, you might want to be wary of it. Also are you on the email list?? I sent out a faux sour cream recipe not too long ago! 😉