Date BBQ sauce and BBQ cauliflower salad
Summer! Sunshine and pool time extend a daily invitation to making the livin’ a little easier, and we should definitely take that on board—when we want to— when it comes to cooking. This is the supreme opportunity to make a splash with low to no planning meals–sensational stretches of salads or whatever gets your grill on. And by “or”, I really mean “and”. Sometimes succulent grilled goods are accompanied by crisp, fresh salads; sometimes they’re combined. In the case of this brightly inviting BBQ cauliflower salad, it can be both salad and grilled dish at once, or something at least reminiscent of the two.
I’ve been reflecting a lot lately on how often we find ourselves presented with either/or questions when the reasonable answer is clearly “both”. This couldn’t be more clear-cut than when it comes to food: Chocolate or vanilla? Both. Pancakes or waffles? Both! Healthy or delicious? Does anyone really ever imagine this is an all or nothing scenario anymore? BOTH. Sweet or savory? Both, plus salty, bitter, umami…
While we’re on the topic, “both” isn’t sufficient either, as illustrated by the Sweet or Savory conundrum. Maybe life’s real answers are more akin to All of the Above, All the Shades of Gray, Stop Trying to Make Me Reduce Myself to Tick Marks in Boxes. You know what I mean.
We three spent the weekend in Las Vegas recently, and whew! Talk about ALL the things! We were there for–of all things–chess. The Flamingo was host to the Las Vegas International Chess Festival. It was an opportunity for Felix to participate in his first really big out-of-state tournament, and WOW, was it big. More than big–it was vast, and dizzying, with a round-the-clock buzzing chess bubble taking place against the wild and crazy backdrop of the Las Vegas Strip.
No one who knows our family will be surprised that we’re not drawn to Vegas. It’s a “what-happens-here-stays-here” beast of a place. The infamous Strip is glittery, tawdry, cheap, captivating shows, exorbitant, and dazzling. It’s equal parts depressing and enthalling—well, from a party pooper mama perspective, I mean.
The thing is, I’ve been spending a lot of time consciously trying to observe and evaluate the messaging shaping my child’s world, from our own parenting to the subtle and overt landscapes we occupy. That kind of reflection balloons very quickly into circular thought patterns careening out of control.
Vegas takes all the points of parental concern and inflates them, bandying them in your face with a recklessness that is disconcerting, at least when you’re a worrywart mama. What messages do our lives convey—from simple playground games to lighthearted action films to the larger-than-life dazzle of Vegas —about what it means to be a boy or girl? A human? Tough? Brave? Winning? Successful? Loved?
In Vegas, I found myself repeatedly inserting awkward “this is not representative of real life/respectful behavior/loving relationships” kind of conversations with Felix, the kind that make him roll his eyes. But I know he was listening and thoughtfully processing in his own way. So I kept going, because one day not too long from now, many things of that sort of veun that I say will probably just roll off and evaporate.
“I kind of hate Vegas,” Felix declared at one point, and I felt flooded with relief, touched by a tinge of guilt. I didn’t say the words in quite this way, but the automatic response conveyed something along the lines of “Oh, good, now that you kind of hate it, we can just enjoy it.” Because of course there are things to enjoy, even when your time is spoken for by chess and your movements are limited by blazing heat. Our favorite was the water fountain shows on repeat outside The Bellagio, both for the intricate orchestration of the dancing fountains to music and the fact that it was a free show, one on repeat that never grew old.
All of this of course has next to nothing to do with this BBQ sauce and salad. In fact, this condiment and salad in concert are more of an antidote to our weekend in Vegas. Did I mention that while we were there, we ate all but one of the vegan meal options we could find? That probably sounds like we went on a feasting spree, but what it really means is that between the three of us we ate five of the six options over three nights. We didn’t make it to trying the vegan Haute Dog. We did have vegan sushi burrito bowls, a vegan pizza, some deeeelish vegan enchiladas, tacos, and a taco bowl. Outside of the dinners we bought (which honestly were sooo tasty), our sustenance was a hodge-podge of whatever was cheapest at the local CVS we could walk to, modeled into a mini markets selling the likes of $4 bananas and $14 garden salad packs consisting of lettuce decorated by a few strips of veggies. Needless to say, afterward we needed a detox, though not the kind typically associated with Vegas.
Coming home, we needed antioxidants, nature, and clean eats. We needed our veggies, and a little post-travel coziness, too. This easy homemade BBQ sauce is date-based, and it’s perfect for smothering over cooked cauliflower. Here, I’ve lightly battered and roasted my florets, but you can definitely eschew the flour mixture and simply grill or roast, then stir into warm sauce. The sauce also works great on tofu, and anything else you have a hankering for that BBQ flavor with, but without all the usual sugar and preservatives. I did use some store-bought ketchup (I went with Simple Truth low sugar and sodium), but you can sub in a plain tomato sauce, too.
As far as salad is concerned…you know how it goes. Salads as a rule are SO welcoming, the way more things should be. You don’t need the recipe, but I wanted to throw it in here because the result is so summery, fresh, colorful, and flavorful. Never mind the quantities–go with what feels good, what you’ve got on hand, what you’re in the mood for. Just pile that serving bowl high with goodness and top with sweet and tangy cauliflower warmth. Trust yourself to keep finding your unique balance, and enjoy.
Easy and versatile!
Easy, healthy homemade BBQ sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in warm water 10 or so minutes
- 2 T tomato paste
- ⅓ Cup low-sugar ketchup (I used Simple Truth reduced sugar and sodium)
- 1 ½ T apple cider vinegar
- ½ Teaspoon smoked paprika
- A good shake each of onion and garlic powders
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari sauce
- Splash sriracha (about ½ to 1 teaspoon, according to taste, optional)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth, thinning with additional water if needed.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
43.13Fat
0.06 gSat. Fat
0 gCarbs
11.25 gFiber
0.94 gNet carbs
10.31 gSugar
9.47 gProtein
0.62 gSodium
200.17 mgCholesterol
0 mg
BBQ Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 cup plant milk of choice
- 1 cup flour (I’ve successfully used all purpose, whole wheat, spelt, and brown rice)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch each of sea salt and pepper
- ½ to ¾ Cup BBQ sauce (see recipe above)
- 1 head romaine or other lettuce, or greens of choice
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (toast with paprika and garlic powder if you like!)
- 1 tbsp red onion chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- Any other veggies you want to throw in: I recommend 1 red bell pepper, 1 cup sweetcorn kernels, 1 shredded carrot
- Parsley to garnish, optional
- Vegan dressing of choice, optional; I like this ranch dressing from Nora Cooks.
Instructions
- Prepare the cauliflower:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in plant milk to form a batter, similar to pancake batter consistency.
- Add cauliflower florets to the mixture and stir to coat. Spread in a single layer on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes until crisp and golden, turning halfway (or not–it will still be great!)
- While the cauliflower is cooking, gently warm the bbq sauce in a small saucepan.
- Assemble the salad:
- Add all ingredients for salad to a serving bowl or bowls. Mix all ingredients for dressing and season to taste. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.
- Remove cauliflower from the oven and toss with the warm BBQ sauce to coat.
- Top the salad(s) with cauliflower and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!