Homemade Cauliflower Tots with Beet Ketchup

Originally published by ORANGE Magazine on May 22nd, 2018.

Glorified in indie-cult film Napoleon Dynamite, tater-tots are an American staple. A school lunch is incomplete without them. Thanks to the versatility of cauliflower, tater-tots are getting a veggie-induced makeover. To compliment, swap beets out for tomatoes for a jazzy version of ketchup.

I first had this brilliant iteration of tater-tots at Better Half Coffee & Cocktails, a down-to-earth joint in central Austin. The menu is stacked with American comfort food, paired with creative cocktails and a local wine list. Warning: everyone on staff will be cooler than you.

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower Tots

• 2 heads of fresh cauliflower, cut into florets

• ¼ cup diced onion

• ¼ cup parmesan cheese

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp. salt

• ⅔ tsp. pepper

• ½ cup breadcrumbs

Beet Ketchup

• 1 tsp. olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 large beet

• 1 cup water

• 2 tbsp. white vinegar

• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• ¼ tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Cauliflower Tots

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the water with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-10 minutes.

2. Drain and put in food processor. Mix cauliflower until they become small, chunky pieces.

3. In a bowl, combine onion, egg, parmesan, salt and pepper. Add cauliflower and stir together.

4. Mold mixture into shape of tater tots. The consistency should not be runny. If not, the tots will not retain their shape.

5. Roll molded tots into breadcrumbs to cover outside layer.

6. Bake at 350°F on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.

7. Flip over and bake for another 15 minutes. Depending on the desired level of crispiness, they may require longer baking.

Beet Ketchup

1. Grate beet into small strips.

2. In a pot, cook onions in olive oil until brown. Add beets and water.

3. Continue stirring ingredients until the beets are soft, typically around 15 minutes.

4. Add salt, vinegar, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until ingredients are well incorporated.

5. Pour mixture into blender and blend until the mixture has the consistency of ketchup.

6. Pour mixture into smaller container and keep refrigerated.

7. Dip away!

Thumbnail photo courtesy of @betterhalfbar on Instagram.