Healthy Recipe, Oven-Roasted Buffalo Wing and Cauliflower Platter

A platter of Buffalo wings can be well within the bounds of a healthy diet this Super Bowl Sunday if you’re watching your carbs. And with a few tweaks to the traditional formula, you can turn this finger-licking high-protein snack into a balanced meal. Roasting them in a high-heat oven rather than deep-frying eliminates much of the excess fat, while keeping the skin nice and crisp. We lightened it up further by reducing the butter in the sauce and replacing much of the mayo in the Blue Cheese Dressing with Greek yogurt and buttermilk.

Roasted cauliflower florets take equally well to this treatment, and you can add a separate pan of them to the oven along with the wings. They’ll keep you from devouring more than your fair share and make you a champion host should a vegetarian be among your guests. Serve them alongside the dressing to tame the flames, along with celery and carrot sticks, and other crudites if you like. RECIPE HERE. Serves 4 to 6. -- Susan Puckett

Blue Cheese Dressing

·         ¼ cup Greek yogurt

·         ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

·         2 tablespoons mayonnaise

·         ¼ cup buttermilk

·         1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

·         1 tablespoon chopped green onions or chives

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wings, cauliflower, and accompaniments:

·         3 tablespoons vegetable oil

·         1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

·         2 ½ pounds chicken wings, tips removed drumettes and flats separated

·         1 head cauliflower, separated into florets (5-6 cups)

·         2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

·         1/2 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s)

·         Celery and carrot sticks

1.      Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, blue cheese, and mayonnaise. Stir in the buttermilk, vinegar, green onions or chives, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours if not using immediately.

2.      Prepare the wings and cauliflower:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and set two oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

3.       Have ready two large bowls and two sheet pans (lined with foil if desired, to save clean-up). In one of the bowls, place 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the wings to the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

4.      In the other bowl, place the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil and seasonings. Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss to coat. Set aside.

5.      Spread out the chicken wings in a single layer on one sheet pan and the cauliflower on the other. Place a pan on each of the oven racks and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the cauliflower begins to blacken in places.

6.      Remove the cauliflower from the oven and pierce the meatiest part of one of the wings to see if the juices run clear. If not, continue roasting the chicken wings for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until cooked through and crispy.

7.      Arrange the wings and cauliflower together or on separate platters, along with the celery, carrots, and blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.