Orange Cauliflower: A #HartPartyof1 Series

Good morning, readers! Happy (almost) 4th of July! As has been the theme with most of my cooking lately, I make whatever is about to go bad and last night was no exception! Upon food storage inspection, I had 2 heads of cauliflower, 1 jug of orange juice, a freezer full of vegetables and a pantry with instant brown rice - what can all these ingredients come together to make? ORANGE CAULIFLOWER!


Now you may be wondering, what on earth is orange cauliflower and why did she make it? Think a certain Asian-inspired fast-food chain featuring a panda bear and their most famous and popular chicken dish. Got it? Replace the chicken with cauliflower and BAM! Orange Cauliflower.


Orange Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
4 egg whites
3-4 Tbsp corn starch, divided
Canola oil, for frying
Salt, to taste
1/2 C orange juice
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
Pinch red pepper flake
Pinch freshly cracked black pepper
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 inch fresh ginger, grated or 1 Tbsp ground ginger
1/4 C water
2 C frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/2 C frozen sweet corn kernels
1/2 C frozen peas
Prepared bown or white rice, for serving


Heat a deep pot with 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat. The oil should be 350 degrees when you begin to fry.


In a bowl, whip egg whites with 2 Tbsp corn starch until frothy. Toss cauliflower florets in batter to coat and set aside.


Once your oil is at optimal temperature, fry the cauliflower in a single layer until golden brown. For me this was about 5 minutes/side. Flip and continue to fry for another 5 minutes. Remove the done cauliflower to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.


After all your cauliflower is fried, begin your sauce.


In a big saucepan (remember you are using this pan to coat all your cooked cauliflower!) stir together orange juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, pepper flake, pepper, garlic and ginger. Allow the ingredients to simmer for 5 minutes.


Add in the frozen veggies and allow to cook through.


Now that everything's heated, make a slurry of 2 Tbsp corn starch and 1/4 C of water and add to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to thicken. If the mixture is still not thick enough, add another 1 Tbsp of corn starch to the pan. Also if the sauce is too thick, add in a little bit of water.


After the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, toss in the cauliflower and coat.


Serve up a bowl of rice and top with the cauliflower and enjoy your Asian-inspired feast!


The sauce is tangy and sweet, the cauliflower has a great crispy coating and tender inside, and this meal was filling! I was able to get 4 2-cup servings out of this recipe meaning, lunch for 3 days! Yay for one cooking session being used for multiple meals!


After work I will be making Chimichurri Sauce and my famous Red, White, and Booze Punch in preparation for 4th of July! Have a safe and wonderful Independence Day, readers!