Don’t worry if you’re keeping to a healthy alkaline diet but you need to serve family and friends a fun Super Bowl meal. These easy-to-make recipes are 100% alkaline-friendly, vegan, and will please every one of your guests. Start with the spicy cauliflower dipped in vegan ranch dressing, then serve the black bean chili for the main dish, and follow up with the almond butter fudge squares for a rich, chewy dessert.
Crispy Cauliflower Bites with Vegan Ranch Dip
- 1 small head cauliflower
- ¾ cup spelt flour
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups chickpea crumbs (available in most good grocery stores)
For the sauce:
- ½ cup vinegar-based hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
For the dip:
- 1 ½ cups vegan mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons dried dill (2 tablespoons if fresh)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons prepared smooth Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Make the sauce by gently heating all sauce ingredients in a small pan just until the vegan butter is melted. Mix well, remove from the heat, and let cool.
Make the dip by adding all the sauce ingredients to a blender or small food processor. Process until smooth and chill for at least 1 hour.
Break the cauliflower into florets or pieces about the size of a walnut. Line a large baking sheet (18” x 12”) with a silicone liner. Prepare 2 bowls: in one bowl add the spelt flour, almond milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder; add the chickpea crumbs into the second bowl. Place the bowls next to the baking sheet.
Add the cauliflower in small batches to the wet mixture. Mix them around with a fork to coat them with the mixture. Using tongs, take the florets one at a time and roll them in the chickpea crumbs and place them individually on the baking sheet. Continue until the baking sheet is full but none of the florets are touching. Bake the cauliflower at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes. Take the sheet out of the oven and with a silicone brush, brush the top each floret with sauce (the sauce is very spicy so just brushing the top is usually enough “hotness”). Using the tongs, turn each floret over so the sauce side is on the bottom. Put them back in the over for 2 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool slightly before serving them with the dip.
These can be made a few hours before serving and reheated for 5 minutes in a 350 F oven.
Serves 4-5 as an appetizer. This recipes doubles easily, but don’t bake the cauliflower more than a few hours before serving or it won’t be as crunchy as possible. The sauce and dip can be made a day or two in advance.
Vegan Black Bean Chili
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 6 cups cooked black beans, drained
- 1 can organic crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 2 teaspoons (or more) chili powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable broth if oil-free)
- salt to taste
- sweet potato chips
- cilantro, chopped for garnish
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the broth or oil until shimmering. Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until the mixture begins to soften. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. The chili should bubble gently, not boil.
Taste for spiciness; chili powders vary greatly in their hotness. If desired, add more chili powder a teaspoon at a time until the desired spiciness is reached. It’s easier to add spice gradually than end up with a too-spicy chili.
Cover the chili and let it “rest” on your stove’s warm setting, or put it in the oven on warm for 30 minutes more. Serve with sweet potato chips and chopped cilantro for garnish.
Serves 6 generously.
Almond Butter Fudge Squares
- 1 ½ cups almond butter (both creamy and chunky work well)
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- ½ cup finely chopped roasted unsalted almonds
Put all the ingredients except the chopped almonds in a food processor. Process until the mixture holds together in a ball. Scrape the mixture into an 8” x 8” pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth the surface of the mixture with a silicone spatula and sprinkle the chopped almonds evenly over the surface.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the freezer for an hour. Remove and slice the fudge into squares with a very sharp thin knife. Place the pieces close but not touching in rows on a large piece of parchment paper. Starting at the shortest end of the paper, roll the paper carefully so that you end up with a “tube” shape. Place the roll into a large freezer bag and freeze for at least an hour. When you are ready to serve the squares, unroll the paper and place the squares on a chilled plate. Serve them very cold or frozen (they won’t freeze hard) with lots of napkins!
Makes 24 bites.
