There is much to be said about living in the country. There is the privacy to walk around naked. I’m not saying I do, necessarily. I’m just saying I can. There is also the beauty of nature, the sound of bees, the singing of the wind in the trees.
Our lovely land is tucked away in the bushes, behind a road hidden in a maze of country roads, dirt paths and trails. It’s not the sort of place you happen upon, you really have to know there is a house back there. Needless to say, we never get surprise visitors who were just in the area. We love it. The neighbors are a few acres away but helpful and friendly when we do happen to cross paths.
Of course, every rose has its thorns. There is a long dirt road leading to our property. When it rains the Atlantic Ocean gracefully picks up herself and moves to right on our little dirt road. We’d give her back but she’s that annoying guest who stays long past when the party’s over. Or rather, she is the uninvited, drunk party crasher who takes over the game of Charades with obscene, inappropriate, uncomfortable gestures. But, I digress. It is challenging to get past this puddle sometimes. If we all traveled by boat, that’ll be great but if you have a car, fuggedaboutit! (For my Jamaican friends, Nobody canna cross it. Only who can understand it, cross it! But, the bus can swim.)
It rained heavily our very first summer on the property and we were quickly introduced to Ms. Atlantic. Since I neither owned a boat nor could swim, I decided to ride it out. In honor of our new country home, I went on a bread baking binge. By the time the idea of this recipe rolled around, there was scarcely enough flour to make the batter much less the breading. Trapped between water and a near flour-less pantry, I improvised. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. I crumbled some cornflakes and used that for the breading instead of the flour. It was divine.
The result was an oxymoron. No, I really didn’t just call you a moron. Promise. I mean the result was a study in contrast. It was a tender-crunchy bite. Let me explain.The cauliflower was tender but the outside was crispy and crunchy. It was a surprise wrapped in a surprise. You may choose to go my route using the crushed flakes or use all flour. The texture is different in either application but wonderful either way you choose.
I won’t pretend this tastes exactly like chicken. It doesn’t, nor was it intended to. What it tastes like is a sweet, tart, spicy, crunchy morsel. The combination of spices, pepper and agave nectar is pretty hard to beat.
Most vegans don’t use honey, because it comes from bees. There is a lot of debate regarding the ethical implications of consuming honey. Perhaps I’ll discuss that in one of my podcasts. To avoid the issue entirely, or to land squarely on one side as it is, I use agave nectar instead of honey.
Agave Nectar is the go-to vegan substitute for honey and is used similarly. It is a thick, sweet syrup from the agave plant. The agave plant looks like a cactus, but is really a part of the lily family. You should know that tequila is made from the nectar of the same agave plant in Tequila, Mexico. Bottoms-up, vegans.
Give a try and tell me what you think. It’s perfect for game day. Let’s Cook Together! In fact, dahling, if you are in the Orlando area, you can this and other amazingly delicious Irie bites delivered to your home with our Irie On The Go lunch delivery program. Find out how, here.
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