this is the type of meal i don’t have the luxury of eating every single day. truth is, if i’m partaking in any sort of lettuce cup it’s usually packed with tuna or some sort of leftover chicken, and some sliced avocado. nothing really fancy at all! but i’m here to change that - for all of us! so, what makes the difference between a sad lettuce cup and one full of possibility? just a little bit of prep!

every component in this recipe (which aren’t many) can be prepared ahead of time.

cauliflower - cut and stored in a sealed container for up to 4 days
sweet & spicy sauce - mixed and stored in a lidded jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week
sliced scallions - stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1 week
toasted nuts and seeds - cool and store in a lidded jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks

on the day of, simply cook the cauliflower, let it cool a bit. then assemble the cups with all the stored fixings and freshly sliced avocado.

when i’m planning meals for the week, i generally try to go with at least 2 recipes that i know i can prep components of beforehand, that way there’s less cooking the day of. my trick is to have a couple of sauces (like this sweet & spicy one), a pesto, and salad dressing the week of. this makes putting meals together doable without giving up and ordering takeout, or repurposing the same meals over and over again.

this is one of my favorite sauces. it’s sticky, it’s sweet, it’s spicy, and it has a ton of depth. i love roasting veggies that are able to soak in all the flavor like cauliflower and broccoli. they kind of become sponges for the sauce, so when you bite into it you just get loads of flavor! i hope you love these little cups as much as i do :)

happy october, sweet friends!

SWEET & SPICY CAULIFLOWER AVOCADO CUPS | Dolly and Oatmeal

sweet & spicy cauliflower avocado cups | gf

i made these cups with avocado, but you could add anything here really. you could add pulled chicken, roasted chickpeas, cooked lentils, etc.

print the recipe!

| serves roughly 4 |

sweet & spicy sauce

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 tablespoons raw honey
2-3 teaspoons sriracha
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
1 clove garlic, minced on a microplane
salt

cauliflower cups

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
salt
1 head butter lettuce
1 ripe avocado
1 bunch scallions or green onions, white and light green parts sliced thin
toasted chopped almonds
toasted black sesame seeds

method

preheat oven to 450°F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
in a mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, tamari, and garlic. taste, and season with salt as needed.
place the cauliflower in a large bowl, add half of the sauce and toss everything together until the cauliflower is covered and has soaked in the majority of the sauce. spread onto the baking sheet in an even layer, and cook for 25-30 minutes, until tender and browned around the edges. remove from the oven and let cool until ready to handle.
while the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the cups. tear the outer leaves of lettuce from the stalk and wash thoroughly, pat dry. thinly slice the avocado, and add 2-3 slices to each cup.
add the warm cauliflower to the cups, and top with scallions, almonds, and sesame seeds. drizzle the cups with some leftover sauce and serve.