This is definitely a “junk food made healthy” sort of meal. Sweet & sour sauce, though totally delicious, is basically pure sugar—but hey, everything in moderation, right? Combine the sauce with ingredients like baked cauliflower and spicy sautéed green beans, and you’ll be in for a not-so-bad-for-you, seriously yummy meal.

This baked cauliflower is absolutely killer. It’s crispy without going overboard, and it would honestly be great tossed in any sort of sauce (like buffalo…hot damn). To make a full meal out of this tasty cauliflower, we combined it with quinoa and spicy green beans. And you won’t believe how quick the whole thing comes together!

INGREDIENTS

1 c. canned pineapple juice

3/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 T. no sugar added ketchup
2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 T. cornstarch dissolved in 2 T. water + 1/3 c. cornstarch
2-3 drops red food coloring
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
3 T. vegetable oil
1 bag of steam-in-the-bag fresh green beans
2 T. chili paste
Quinoa or rice, to serve
Chopped green onions, to garnish

STEPS

1) Add the pineapple juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup and soy sauce to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and add the drops of food coloring. Allow to simmer, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.

2) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Add the cauliflower florets and vegetable oil to a plastic bag and shake well to combine. Add the remaining 1/3 c. cornstarch and shake again to coat.

3) Grease a large baking sheet and pour the cauliflower onto the sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to brown. Switch to the broiler and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until crispy (just watch the cauliflower so it doesn’t burn.

4) While the cauliflower is baking, cook the quinoa/rice according to package directions and chop the green onions. Steam the green beans in the microwave, then add to a large pan over high heat with the chili paste. Toss well and sauté until the green beans start to slightly blacken.

5) Time to assemble! Add the quinoa/rice and green beans to a bowl. Top with the cauliflower, drizzle with the sweet & sour sauce and sprinkle with green onions. If you prefer, you can toss the cauliflower in the sauce prior to assembling your bowl.