Super Bowl Sunday is approaching fast, and that means you're probably already thinking about all the mouthwatering snacks you want to serve at your viewing party. After all, game-day get-togethers are anticipated (mostly) because of the decadent food. The trouble is, most Super Bowl party foods, while delicious, are also incredibly unhealthy. But now they no longer have to be! New cookbook Cali'flour Kitchen is full of crave-worthy recipes that taste great and won't cause you to fumble your diet. The secret ingredient? Cauliflower!
"Cauliflower is one of the healthiest and most versatile foods around," says Amy Lacey, author of Cali'flour Kitchen: 125 Cauliflower-Based Recipes for the Carbs You Crave (Abrams, January 2019, ISBN: 978-1-4197-3596-7, $19.99). "It's a nutrition-packed superfood that can be transformed into your favorite game-day treats like pizza, nachos, and so much more. Now at last, you can serve a delectable Super Bowl feast—and satisfy your carb cravings—without the consequences!"
Lacey is the founder of Cali'flour Foods, a national brand famous for its grain-free cauliflower-based pizza crusts, crisps, flatbreads, pasta, and more. After being diagnosed with lupus and other autoimmune conditions, Lacey used dietary changes to combat her pain, inflammation, and other symptoms. Upon giving up gluten and processed sugar, her health instantly improved. But Lacey wasn't ready to forgo her favorite foods. Instead, she set out to recreate them using cauliflower and began selling her crusts online and in stores, to national acclaim. Now for the first time, she is sharing her award-winning recipes with the world.
Cali'flour Kitchen is designed for people across the dietary spectrum, providing perfect, guilt-free recipes for every carb-heavy craving, whether you're eating vegan, dairy-free, keto, paleo, or a plant-based diet. For those suffering from health issues like diabetes and autoimmune diseases, this cookbook reintroduces those favorites that have long been forsaken, reinventing them to include a full serving of vegetables. With more than 125 quick and easy recipes and photos plus detailed how-tos on creating cauliflower crusts, rice, crisps, wraps, and zoodles, Cali'flour Kitchen is all about indulging without compromising health.
Here are three Super Bowl game-day recipes from Cali'flour Kitchen that taste every bit as tempting as their traditional counterparts while still being healthy! They are sure to score big with you and your guests.
Photo by Clare Barboza
Cheeseburger Pizza
Serves 3
Gluten-free | Grain-free | Keto-friendly
Pickles on pizza? You betcha! If you're a burger lover, you probably already have all the ingredients in the house—just take the bun out of the equation. For the healthiest results, use sugar-free ketchup and mustard and naturally fermented pickles, and to finish your pizza with dramatic flair, apply your mayo with a squeeze bottle. This recipe is inspired by one Guy Fieri came across on his travels via his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
1 Cali'flour Pizza Crust (page 26)
4 ounces (115 g) ground beef
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1/4 cup (30 g) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 small dill pickle, sliced
2 tablespoons slivered red onion
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup (15 g) shredded romaine lettuce
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or get out your pizza pan and put your crust on it.
2. Cook the beef in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break it up, for about 7 minutes, until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat, stir in the salt, and let cool slightly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup and mustard.
4. Spread the ketchup mixture over the crust. Arrange the beef on top and scatter the cheese over the beef. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven to a cutting board and top with the pickle and red onion. Drizzle the mayonnaise on top and finish with the lettuce. Slice and serve.
TIP: Pre-bake the crust for a couple of extra minutes to crisp it up sufficiently to hold the juicy toppings.
Photo by Andrew Purcell
Buffalo Cauliflower
Serves 4
Gluten-free | Grain-free | Keto-friendly | Vegetarian
My hometown of Chico, California, is a huge football town, and we boast Aaron Rodgers as a native. The quarterback attended Pleasant Valley High School, where my kids go. The Super Bowl is a fun time for us to sit back and enjoy this healthy spin on a favorite that skips the deep fryer for some serious cauliflower love.
CAULIFLOWER
3/4 cup (85 g) almond flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
1 (2-pound/910-g) head cauliflower
Extra-virgin olive oil cooking spray
BUFFALO SAUCE
1/2 cup (120 ml) hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's
2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter
BLUE CHEESE DIP
1/2 cup (70 g) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
FOR SERVING
Celery sticks
1. MAKE THE CAULIFLOWER: Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large zip-top bag, combine the almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. Cut the cauliflower into quarters through the core, then cut out the core and leaves from each quarter in one cut. Trim any remaining core and leaves. Break the cauliflower into approximately 2-inch (5-cm) florets. Add the cauliflower to the egg mixture and mix to thoroughly coat.
4. Transfer to the bag with the flour and shake until the cauliflower is well coated.
5. Transfer the cauliflower to the prepared baking sheet with a little space between the pieces and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is starting to brown, then flip the pieces and bake for another 10 minutes, or until well browned all over.
6. While the cauliflower is in the oven, MAKE THE BUFFALO SAUCE: In a small saucepan, combine the hot pepper sauce and butter and cook, stirring, over low heat until the butter is melted.
7. MAKE THE BLUE CHEESE DIP: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until the cheese is well incorporated.
8. TO SERVE: Place the roasted cauliflower in a serving bowl, pour the buffalo sauce on top, and toss to coat. Serve immediately, with the dip and celery sticks.
Photo by Clare Barboza
Beef Nachos
Serves 4
Gluten-free | Grain-free | Keto
My oldest son, James, won't touch vegetables, but he's a nacho-holic, and beef nachos are his favorite. With a Cali'flour Pizza Crust as a nacho base, I no longer need to nag him to eat his veggies! Make the salsa a little wetter (by adding juices from the tomato can) than if you were spreading it over pizza. For added kick, make the chips with a Spicy Jalapeño Crust (page 26). You can also make your nachos with ground turkey or pork.
GUACAMOLE
2 avocados
1/2 small tomato, chopped (optional)
1/4 small red onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
NACHOS
1/2 recipe Cali'flour Chips (page 34)
1/2 cup (55 g) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (60 g) cooked ground beef
1/2 cup (120 ml) Red Salsa (page 45)
1 small jalapeño chile, sliced (optional)
2 scallions (white and green parts), chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sour cream
1. MAKE THE GUACAMOLE: Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop out the avocado flesh and put it in a medium bowl. Using the back of a fork, mash the avocado until as chunky or smooth as you like it. Mix in the tomato (if using), onion, salt, and cilantro. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and season with more salt and/or lime juice if needed.
2. MAKE THE NACHOS: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
3. Place half of the chips in the bottom of a medium cast-iron skillet. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of the cheese, followed by ¼ cup (30 g) of the beef, then ¼ cup (60 ml) of the salsa and half of the chile, if using. Repeat the layering, then finish with the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.
4. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with the scallions and cilantro. Dollop the sour cream on top and add the guacamole to the sides for dipping. Serve immediately, straight from the skillet.
"You can still enjoy your favorite Super Bowl splurge foods when you make them with cauliflower," concludes Lacey. "You'll get all the flavors you love minus the ingredients you don't need. There's no better way to kick off game day and do what's right for your health!"
Amy Lacey is the author of Cali'flour Kitchen: 125 Cauliflower-Based Recipes for the Carbs You Crave. She is the co-founder and CEO of Cali'flour Foods. Her Cali'flour products have been featured in Food & Beverage Magazine, GQ, and OK! magazine; were named one of "Whoopi's Favorite Things" on The View; and won Clean Eating magazine's Clean Choice Award two years in a row. Amy has also been featured in Entrepreneur magazine and on CNBC. For more information, please visit www.califlourfoods.com.
Cali'flour Kitchen: 125 Cauliflower-Based Recipes for the Carbs You Crave (Abrams, January 2019, ISBN: 978-1-4197-3596-7, $19.99) is available from bookstores nationwide and major online booksellers.
