Chicken wings are firmly on my list of favourite foods, spicy buffalo ones occupying the top spot. This recipe is a vegetarian version of them.

I was inspired to cook up something like this after my recent visit to Ottawa’s Pure Kitchen which serves amazing cauliflower wings (I fell in love at the first bite). After browsing the internet and a few stabs at the recipe, here is what I came up with and it is very good, if I say so myself. I made it about 5 times since then and one of the key things to remember is that the batter must coat the ‘wings’ nicely and stay put through baking. My second attempt was a fail as the batter was too thin and pulled into a sad puddle at the bottom of the baking sheet. No bueno.

The ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 egg
• 1 cup white flour (whole wheat is OK too)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp sweet paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

The steps

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and generously grease it with oil
3. Mix egg, flour, milk, corn starch, paprika, salt and pepper into a thick batter
4. Dip each cauliflower floret into a batter – you will have to get your hands dirty and make sure that each piece is well coated with the mix
   

   Batter has to be quite thick in order to ‘stick’ to the cauliflower

5. Bake cauliflower for 10 minutes, then flip to another side and bake for another 10 minutes
   

   Flip half way through 

6. While your ‘wings’ are baking, combine buffalo sauce and coconut milk
7. When cauliflower is baked, dip each floret into prepared buffalo sauce mixture and put it back on the sheet
   

   Dip each ‘wing’ into the buffalo sauce mixture

8. Bake for another 10 minutes
9. Your ‘wings’ are ready to serve

Bonus recipe: Ranch Dip (adapted from barefeetinthekitchen.com)

The ingredients:

• 1/2 cup kefir
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 handful fresh dill, chopped
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste

The steps:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together and serve

Bonus picture: Failed attempt at the dish (batter was too thin):