Howdy, chocolate truffles!
Yesterday, I tried to make healthy chocolate brownies.
Emphasis on the word tried. If you follow me on Twitter, you might’ve seen my message about the terrible results. Luckily, dinner made up for it:
I am in love with this: Bread-Free Vegan Stuffing.
I make it at least twice a month, and I’ve even started cooking a double batch now (to yield four large servings instead of two). I bought a giant pan just for that recipe.
Along with the stuffing: whole-wheat toast and roast cauliflower with bbq sauce.
Lately I cannot keep my hands away from roasted cauliflower. It’s just so good, especially dipped in the barbecue sauce! Reminds me of chicken nuggets, which is weird because I never really liked those. I just liked the barbecue sauce.
Cauliflower Nuggets
(easiest recipe ever)
- raw cauliflower
- roasting pan
- optional: barbecue sauce (I like Dino Sauce)
Whatcha do: Cut the cauliflower and spread out on the roasting pan. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees (no need to pre-heat) and stick the pan in there for 30-50 minutes. Then set the oven to “high broil” and broil 2-3 more minutes, depending on how crispy you like it. (I usually turn the oven completely off after this and leave the cauliflower inside for another 20 or so minutes.) Serve with your favorite bbq sauce or ranch dressing, for dipping.
Really good with Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing.
{ 94 comments… read them below or add one }
That cauliflower looks awesome!! I totally get the whole bbq sauce thing. I do the same thing with roasted tofu. Also reminds me of chicken nuggets!
Every chef fails sometimes. But nobody’s perfect and we all must learn from our mistakes. I bet the brownies will be even better than you wanted to make them when you finally succeed
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I eat a lot of things that make can make me feel bad afterwards but most of the time it’s worth the risk
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Yes! Cold things. I KNOW I’m gonna feel cold after eating ice cream, but I still do it in the winter (which I might have mentioned in one of your previous posts) because it tastes so good and is worth feeling cold!
Oh, and that protein fudge DOES sound genius, as does your pb version. Chocolate-pb is ALWAYS genius
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aww so sorry to hear about your brownies! but I envy you and all the others for just going out there (in the kitchen
) and experiment even if it means a flop or two along the way! I want to be able to do that too but I have stage fright… but it IS one of my new years resolutions, so…
x sabine
OHHHH and my stomach always seems to act up when I make big green smoothies or veg smoothies. it’s like my body says WHAT WUT? WHERE’S THE CHOCOLATE?? (I am not kidding either, the other day I drank a veg smoothie halfway and got intense stomach pains AND a killer choc craving hahaaha. I’m weird like that)
I tend to go a little hog wild when cake is around, even though I know all that sugar is not gonna leave me feelin’ so hot afterwards.
Me too! Cake is my weakness. It’s the frosting that really gives me a headache. But so worth it!
I love the idea of cauli chicken nugs!
Katie,
You know I’ve been there with the cauliflower. Ouch!
I am missing all thing cruciferous right now – they bother the babe’s stomach. Hope to try your roasted cauli BBQ recipe someday. So easy and sounds delicious!
Yummy! And I have the same problem with eating a huge serving of veggies. I’ve been trying to be better about overeating veggies because it seems that I always live to regret it later! Especially when dessert cravings roll around, yet there is no room in my tummy for anything sweet.
That’s always a sad day!
The protein fudge seems like a great idea! Can’t wait until you get those brownies cookin’!
Aly
Veggies actually do that to me too… they’re just so bulky!! Green monster smoothies tend to it to me, too. And yes, defintely keep us updated on that brownie recipe
Ooo yum! I’m trying the roasted cauli today. I just bought a head of it yesterday and was wondering what I’d do with it!
I definitely overeat broccoli. Once I ate 4 heads in one sitting and I had a fiber bellyache for a good 24 hours afterward!
Woah, 4 heads?Two heads are better than one, but four? lol
I love roasted cauliflower! It totally changes the taste for the better.
Anytime I am about to eat a sugary dessert — I tell myself that I am going to feel ill later on, but for some reason I always decide the pain is worth it!!!
Same with the sugary, syrupy drinks at Starbucks — they make my stomach CHURN while drinking them, but I still get them once in a while because they taste so good! I need to stick to tea when I’m there!
I usually overeat when I sit down to a plate of food that has clearly too much on it… I’m trying to gain weight so I tell myself I have to clean the plate every time! I’ve only recently been reminded that listening to your body is just as important.
I overeat… spinach! (Seriously!) Popeye and I would be great friends. (Although maybe not so much… He always ate canned spinach. Fresh is best!)
So simple but… it sounds so delicious, that recipe! I’ll definitely have to give it a try!
I do the same thing! My doc says i should gain some weight before i run again, so i’ve been getting super bloated at mealtimes lol.
I love spinach, but i’ve only once overdone it lol.
That’s why I like raw desserts! They’re calorically-dense so I can get in lots of calories and not feel bloated… and then I can save room for my beloved veggies
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Like raw fudge
lol
That meal looks delicious! I love roasted cauliflower. I can easily over do cabbage, but I do it anyway. It is just so darn good. Sorry about the brownies. I tried to make a crockpot veggie pasta sauce that was clearly never going to make it to that status…so veggie soup it was. Tasty, but not what I needed it to be.
Sadly, the brownies can’t even turn into anything else. They forever erased my misconception that chocolate cannot be bad.
Lots of sweets/ ice cream can definitely have an ill effect on my tummy, but I eat them anyway!
My old boss used to make these Greek Walnut Cookies at Christmas time and they were sooo flippin delicious, but yet something in them made my lips itch…. but it was always so worth it each holiday!
I love the cauliflower idea! I will definitely be putting this in the meal plan. We have done breaded and fried cauliflower, the only way I eat cauliflower and it is soooooo good, but so not healthy. I am trying to go gluten free and dairy free so this is a great alternative to the fried breaded way!
The cauliflower looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!! I feel a little queasy after too many veggies or pb…..roughage or oil I guess!
Can’t wait for the brownies! =D
Thomas Edison stated that when he was trying to make the light bulb, that he hadn’t failed 2000 times — he had found 2000 ways not to make a light bulb. Even though it seemed hopeless, he kept trying, and he achieved!! Never give up girl! I know you can do it.
Awwww that quote was just what I needed to hear! Although there is no way I’m gonna keep at it for 2000 tries of brownies lol…
On second thought, it might make for a lot of yumminess in my house!
Your fudge from yesterday looks awesome! I guess now I have no excuse not to buy Coconut butter.
I always overeat frozen green grapes… they are so good I can eat a whole bag at once!
I always overdo it on the veggies, that’s for sure! Whenever I have a large plate of veggies, I always try to make sure and pair it with a carb so my stomach doesn’t hate me.
I love roasted cauliflower!!
YO THAT HAPPENS TO ME WITH VEG all the time!! i make such HUGe portions and im like.. ‘Care, your gna have the major poops later’.. but i just cant help it
Yeah, I’ve overdone it on brussels and other veggies to the uncomfortable point too… too funny! I had to wipe a little drool up from your chocolate PB fudge… mmmmmm!
I HAVE to try that stuffing of yours! It looks SO good!
I am a cookie monster! When I make vegan cookies, I just know I’m gonna eat too many and feel sick afterwards! Worth it though!
Overdoing it on the veggies is something I never regret!
I try not to eat things I know will make me feel bad later because its just so not worth it. Occasionally though I do have far too much ice cream (I can handle small portions, but more and I sometimes get sick due to the dairy) or veggies (same problem as you!).
The cauli nuggets look bomb!
Oh it’s nice to see someone else who has veggie portion sizes to match mine
Does eating too many coconut melties and roasted veggies count? If so, then yes, I’ve definitely been there with my tummy not being a happy camper. There’s only so much coconut butter the tummy can handle, quite unfortunately!
Ah, too true
Ah I definitely DO eat beyond full sometimes (a lot! lol). Usually veggies, so yummy!
but then I do feel bad sometimes, cause I know it isn’t great for my tummy…
but anyway your fudge looks amazing! coconut butter is the best
oh so yummy
Sounds yummy, I wonder if I can get my kids to try it?
LOL if you give it a funny name, they probably will! My mom called cauliflower “mongo pongo.” I still have no idea why, but we loved it.
I LOVE cauliflour…I’ll have to try this! Yes I get like that with sugar…once I start I can’t stop! Which is why I try to limit it as much as possible.
I really don’t know if I like cauliflower or not, but this post made me pick some up at the grocery. I’m gonna try it your way, anything in bbq sauce is my friend!
That’s how I always was with ketchup, as a kid. My mom says we should’ve bought stock in Heinz
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“cauliflicken nuggets”! hehe now thats something i never thought about. i sometimes chop cauliflower up in tiny little bits to roast with some nutritional yeast, then pretend im eating popcorn
I’m liking the chicken nugget analogy a lot better tho! and with a side of butternut squash fries, i don’t think one could find a healthier meal!
oh and the cookie dough ball post is up
http://www.snackingsquirrel.com/2011/01/cookie-dough-balls.html
xoxo <3
Roasted cauli is so good! But I agree, roasted veggies allow you eat more, more easily than raw ones, but whether it’s raw or roasted or sauteed, fiber is….filling!
And cruciferous veggies like cauli, brock, kale, brus sprouts, etc. are even extra filling for me!
Things that taste good going down but I know I will feel bad later…hot mustard! Omg i love!!!!! it! But between the sodium and the heat, my tummy isnt always as thrilled as my taste buds were.
Have noticed you making your rounds more the past few days, btw
I have definitely overdone it with roasted brussels sprouts, roasted caulfilower, butternut squash or fresh grapes! but they’re sooooo good its hard not to!
I guess, judging by the comments, cabbage/b sprouts are problematic for everyone (me included!). Too bad, because they taste so yummy!
Definitely trying that fudge with almond butter (rather than peanut) soon! Sorry your brownies did not turn out right – annoying when that happens.
This all looks so good.
I am sorry if I make a disappearance from your blog-well commenting on it. My school found my blog, and immediately contacted my parents. I am now on medical leave from school and working with a psychologist. So-I might not be as active here.
Oh wow. Katherine, you are in my prayers and thoughts. Truly. *Sending lots of chocolate hugs and well-wishes to you*
Thank you. I am trying to look on the bright side and see this as a time to get over this stuff and get better-mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I’ve been inspired. My cauliflower is in my oven as I type
Extreme yay-ness!
hehehe
Raw nuts make me feel really icky! It’s awful because I LOVE them. I think it could be related to the fact that I used to be allergic to nuts. In fact, four months ago I had peanut butter for the first time in about 12 years. Luckily, peanut butter doesn’t make me sick any more, but I think I would still eat it even if it did
Too much coconut butter makes ME feel icky… why oh why are we attracted to things that aren’t always the best for us… like moths to a flame?
It’s terrible, isn’t it?????
I just tried something that I think you would like! I posted a “carob fudge batter” recipe on my blog the other day (based off this recipe: http://www.anediblemosaic.com/?p=4722) , and I just tried it with chocolate!
Here’s what I did:
2 tablespoon dark chocolate chips (I used 60%)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)
dash vanilla extract
2 tablespoons almond milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Stevia (I didn’t add any, but you could)
Melt the chocolate chips, stir in the remaining ingredients, and refrigerate for about an hour.
My mouth is very happy right now
That sounds fantastic. My mouth is very jealous of yours right now!
It’s a good thing we don’t eat flames then. Or moths…..
lol
Blech. Sometimes I catch my dog trying to eat them. It’s really funny; he’ll jump up and down. Once, he actually managed to catch a fly. Maybe I shouldn’t be talking about that on a food blog, though. People might get grossed out…
I love roasted cauliflower, too! I’ve eaten it covered in BBQ sauce and nooch and it’s amazing.
I get a stomach ache every time I eat brussels sprouts – probably because I can’t contain myself so I eat a bunch of them – but I do it anyway because they are so freaking delicious.
Yes, the poor b sprouts seem to not get along with anyone’s tummy… but they’re so nice to our tastebuds. Oh the dilemma!
I make the same sort of recipe with my cauliflower, but I cut mine into thin strips (it’s actually really time consuming to try to cut the little buggers), I’m going to try your way. Love your easy to make recipes. BTW, is there an easy way to find the recipes on your blog that are not under the recipes tab? Your old blog (chocolate covered vegan) used to have a list down the right side that made it easier to find.
LOL I have way way too many recipes now to list them all on the side. But if you’re looking for a particular one, or a particular ingredient, you can always use the search bar and search in quotations. (For example: “collard greens”) Or you can leave a comment and I’ll try to find the link for you. I really wish there were an easier way to organize them all; my most recent ones aren’t even under the recipe tab yet
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sheer genius here
PS: do you blog ahead of time and then schedule your posts? I think I remember you mentioning this once
Yup! I’m usually either out running or eating breakfast when they publish.
Holy vegetables!! That plate looks delish! Great idea pairing the roasted cauli with bbq!
Oh my word, I always have way too much of a dish I make which is essentially cooking garlic, carrots, zucchini, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, lentils (and anything else that’s lonely in the fridge) in a lemon juice. It’s just so good!
Good luck with the fudge, you’ll get there!
Oh good lord, I love the cauliflower idea! I’ve had it roasted a few nights in a row – sautéed in garlic and smoked paprika before throwing it in it in the oven – maybe tomorrow I’ll have a smidgeon left to try the BBQ sauce idea!
Loads of veggies will do the same for me sometime but I just can’t seem to *not* eat a hige bowl of them! A little discomfort’s worth the deliciousness if you ask me. And those vitamins of course!
Other than that, milk and soy milk give me tummy troubles. :/ I can only handle a certain type of milk and in small doses with cereal- never straight up.
I love roasted cauliflower! Usually its sweets..I KNOW they dont make me feel good, but usually at the time I have a huge craving and would rather pay for it with a tummy ache later!
I always end up eating the skin from my acorn squash even though I always regret it later!
I ALWAYS O.D. on veggies but like you I love em!! Everyone at work always laughs at me because out of all of the things we have in our kitchen that we serve (espresso chip ice cream, french fries, grilled cheese sammies, you get my drift) I choose to take a big ole’ bowl and pile it high with mushrooms and cauliflower. Every day. No kidding. I get so many weird looks but hey, I like what I like
Hmmm, IDK about “eat”, but drink…that’s a different story
Merlot can mess with me at times, but it’s just SO GOOD!
Hi Katie! Thanks so much for the cauli-niggets recipe! I made them tonight for dinner, and they were so yummy! I’m allergic to gluten and don’t eat meat so I haven’t had real chicken nuggets in years, and even though I don’t miss them per se, these were definately satisfying! And I love that its a great way to get another serving of veg!
I’m so excited you made them! Haha I feel the same way… maybe it’s just something about the “dipping” process that makes you feel like a little kid?
definitely veggies for me too – i WANT to eat them but i can’t!! and sometimes oatmeal, too, if it’s my second bowl of the day
When i eat a lot of ice cream i feel that way!!
I made some low-fat brownies the other day…about 145 calories in each compared to 400!
I am sometimes guilty at overindulging in foods that I know will make me feel yucky afterwards. I try really hard not too, although sometimes it just happens!!!
i hear ya on the veggies! just the other night i had a TON of broccoli with my dinner. it was sooo good- steamed perfectly, with a little butter on it. mmm! But I felt so uncomfortable after- not fair! veggies are good for us and it makes me not want to eat a whole bunch of them in one sitting haha
Why do things that are bad for you taste so good?! Ok, not that veggies are bad, but you know what I mean!
Hi Katie,
I really really want to try this recipe! Please excuse my ignorance, but what does the broil setting do? I am in the UK and my oven doesn’t seem to have one.
Jess
Hmmm… broiling it makes the tops extra-crispy. So it won’t be the same without a broiler, but it will still be uber-delicious, just in a different way! Maybe try setting your oven as high as it goes for the last 5 minutes of baking, to get it crispy? (But watch that it doesn’t burn!)
Thanks Katie- I’ll try that next time! I just baked it without broiling and it was pretty yummy, if a little soft in the middle still (:
Jess
Samoas sound most delicious, but soy-free tofu sounds most interesting!
I can relate with the veggie-fix. I eat so many veggies, my family has to serve themselves out first and set aside leftovers for my dad’s work lunch BEFORE I serve myself out (this is if the veggies were made for the entire family, rather than just for moi-self). I usually fill half of my plate with veggies (and it’s stacked waaaaaaaaaaay high). If it’s a veggie that contains lotsa water (zuchini, cauliflower, brocollie), then I will get “full” faster, but inside I really am still hungry, so I keep on eating the yummy flavored vegs. I can’t help myself! I’m just one veg-nut!
I once read somewhere that, unlike foods such as potato chips, vegetables can’t be addictive. Clearly the author had never tried roast cauliflower!
Let me just tell you, I have been obsessed over the cauliflower nuggets and have been eating them by the boat load (usually with BBQ sauce). Well, I made the ‘crazy goood ranch dressing’ yesterday. And roasted some cauliflower. Today I packed the cold cauliflower and a serving of the dressing to snack on at work and… O.M.G!!! I am in heaven. The nuggets are awesome anyway and the butternut fries with blueberry ketchp are good, but this combo? Just…YUM! Im going to have to make this stuff by the metric ton. Thank you, CCK!
Making this right now. I read a ton of blogs and I really love yours! Your writing and photos make me happy
Aww Tracie, thank you so much!
I LOVE roasted cauliflower! It’s seriously like a treat for me to eat it at dinner. I like to steam mine for about 60 seconds and then toss it around in salt, pepper, olive oil, and a good tandoori masala, then roast it and dip it in a homemade ranch dressing. I am trying to cut out dairy all together, so I’m thinking of trying your vegan ranch with this…and that vegan stuffing sounds phenomenal! Thanks for all the amazing vegan ideas. I’ve never eaten a lot of meat outside of seafood, which my body still requires a few times per week, but I was also heavily reliant on eggs and dairy to fill that void. Your blog is helping me a lot! I’ve had some challenging health issues as of late and have to really rethink what is going into my body. If only I could have chocolate all day long…
I love roasted cauliflower! Never would have thought to serve it with barbecue sauce.
Oh my! This roasted cauliflower is great! Thank you! Love your recipes!! Keep them coming… : )
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