Like most people I know, my family and I are creatures of habit, especially when it comes to what we eat each week for dinner. I could play with ideas for smoothies, sweet treats, and snacks all day, but by the time 5:00 p.m. rolls around, I go into auto-dinner mode, mentally choosing from one of our six or seven favorites. My list of go-to dinners includes meals like pizza, stir-fry, chili, veggie burgers, and tacos. We always have tacos!

Another dish we’ve been loving lately is roasted cauliflower. I’ve tried all kinds of flavors, everything from curry to barbecue sauce, but we keep coming back to the spicy hot “buffalo” cauliflower. I should say my husband and I keep coming back to it, because these florets are much too hot for my spice fearing 3 year old (she gets her own portion of mildly seasoned roasted cauliflower). One evening last week, I decided to combine our love for tacos with our emerging new roasted “buffalo” cauliflower habit.

The fresh, crunchy, celery studded slaw and creamy cool ranch compliment the hot,peppery cauliflower perfectly, and will keep your mouth from becoming too fiery. The cool ranch dressing is a simple blend of coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and spices. It’s probably the best homemade ranch I’ve ever made come to think of it! I recommend doubling the recipe, that way you can have some for salads another day or for extra drizzling on your tacos.

This meal has a very high probability of becoming one of our weekly favorites, for the following reasons:

• Easy prep! Chop and toss… Perfect for my tired 5 pm brain.
• Relatively few ingredients. Not counting common spices and seasonings, both the slaw and buffalo cauliflower require only 4 ingredients.
• It’s a twist on one of our established weekly favorites, tacos.
• Prep time is only about 20 minutes, and the whole thing is done and on the table in under 45 minutes.
• It’s full of veggies without being a salad. Also, gluten free when made with corn (or other gluten free) tortillas.

Add a little pizzazz to your taco night and make these Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos part of your weekly line-up!

Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Cool Ranch Celery Slaw

Serves 4

Buffalo Cauliflower Ingredients:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp natural, runny almond butter
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp each garlic and onion powder

Ranch Celery Slaw Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cabbage, shredded or finely sliced (I used a combination of red and green)
• 2 stalks of celery, sliced
• 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk, gently shake can*
• 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp dill
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
• dash paprika
• dash of black pepper

To serve: 8 – 10 corn tortillas, warmed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the hot sauce, almond butter, maple syrup and spices until fully combined. Toss with the cauliflower in a large bowl (I used my hands).

Spread cauliflower over a large baking pan lined with silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the slaw.

In medium bowl, whisk together the shaken coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, spices, and salt until well blended. For best flavor, make ahead of time and allow flavors to develop. Toss the ranch with the cabbage and celery.

To assemble, simply layer spicy cauliflower and cool ranch slaw in warmed tortillas. We had extra slaw on the side and celery sticks.

Notes and Tips:

*In this instance, you’ll want the cream dispersed in the coconut milk, not separated, which is why I suggest gently shaking the can before opening.

To save even more time, you can use pre-shredded cabbage and prepared vegan ranch dressing (use about a half cup).

Ranch dressing inspired by Blissful Basil’s Coconut Milk Ranch Dressing