Cauliflower Falafel-ish Bites

I don't know about you, but I get really excited when I save money.  Most of the time vegetables are sold per pound, but every once and a while they are sold by unit.  When this happens I turn into a kid playing find waldo.  I starting digging through the produce to find the biggest vegetable they have and I do not stop until I have checked every item!  Well, this happened at the supermarket the other day with cauliflower.  Now, I have HUGE cauliflower.  Mike has a great cauliflower soup recipe from his mom that he made last night- recipe to come.  And, I made these cauliflower falafel-sh bites.  I packed them for lunch with a salad yesterday, but today I might make them as a tostada with my gluten free corn wraps.  I love anything crunchy and tostada means toasted in Spanish.  Yum!

Cauliflower Falafel-ish Bites

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of cauliflower (for my HUGE cauliflower it was like 1/4!) to make about 2 cups of cauliflower rice when put into a blender 
• side note: I just bought a frozen cauliflower rice mix from sam's club and I can't wait to try it.  But, first I need to finish off this huge fresh cauliflower.  
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup panko gluten free breadcrumbs (you can substitute regular bread crumbs)
• 1 egg or egg substitute*
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (you can substitute with any grated cheese)
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp chopped parsely
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F
   
2. Place cauliflower crowns in blender and pulse until rice consistency.
3. Add all other ingredients and pulse until equally mixed.
4. Roll the mixture into ping pong size and flatten them with the palm of your hand on a parchment covered pan sprayed with olive oil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes then flip and cook on the other side for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  

Nutrition Nugget Time 

Here are some cool substitutes for eggs.  I think eggs can be a healthy part of diet.  In college, I helped with a choline study that showed fetuses and newborns had more brain development when their mothers consumed more choline rich foods during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.  Guess what egg yolks are high in.  You guessed right, choline :).  I also have seen studies that showed poorer outcomes in heart disease patients who consumed a diet higher in cholesterol.  Guess what egg yolks are high in.  Yup, cholesterol.  So, the moral of the story is everything in moderation.  So, why not try one these substitutes when you've already had a lot of eggs that week.  It could help you eat well to live well.  

  

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/955371/baking-without-eggs