 If you are one who has the occasional meatless Monday, you are going to want today’s recipe. I came up with this recipe because my son has PKU, which is a metabolic disorder. His body can’t metabolize proteins the way ours can, so I am always on the look out for low protein foods to incorporate into his diet. Meats are totally out of the question for him, so when I learned that you could substitute cauliflower when making popcorn chicken, my mind was racing with all the possibilities. My family recently came across this great company that has it’s own line of unique spices.  I grabbed the Taste#5 Umami Rush blend. It has all the good flavors I like. (tomato, garlic, onion, mushroom, lemon, balsamic, just to name a few.) I went to Taste #5 Umami’s website to check out how people are already using this seasoning.  It can be used on everything! Looking at all of the combinations, I knew it would make a great seasoned crust for some popcorn cauliflower.  I got to work experimenting, and here is what I came up with:
Ingredients
- 1 c. bread crumbs (or 2 slices bread in a blender)
- 1/4 c. flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbs. Taste #5 Umami Rush
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 head cauliflower
- 1 - 2 c. canola oil
Instructions
- To begin, wash the cauliflower and cut into bite sized florets. Pat dry, and set aside
- Place oil in a small frying pan. Make sure it is at least a 1/2 inch deep. Turn stove on medium low and get the oil nice when you are preparing the cauliflower. (TIP: The oil temp should be about 375°. When the oil is ready, it should dimple. If it starts to pop, roll or smoke, it is too hot.)
- Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl. If you don't have breadcrumbs on hand, you can quickly make some by placing 2 slices of bread into a blender. Blend until completely broken down. This should equate to approximately 1 c. of breadcrumbs. Add the flour, salt, and Taste #5 Umami Rush seasoning to the breadcrumbs. Mix and set aside.
- In another small bowl, beat 2 eggs.
- Now you are ready to prepare the cauliflower. First, dip the chopped florets into the beaten eggs. Transfer them to the seasoned breadcrumbs, and roll them around until completely coated.
- Place each coated floret in the hot oil. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until the florets are a nice golden color. Using tongs, carefully turn each floret over and cook another minute and a have. I have found that with the right temperature, it should take about 3 minutes to get a nice texture both inside and out.
- Place some paper towels on a plate. When florets are done browning, remove them from the pan, and place on the paper towels. This will soak up some of the oil, and allow them to cool a bit before serving.
- Serve Umami Popcorn Cauliflower as a replacement for chicken on salads, sandwiches, or serve them plain with your favorite dipping sauces.
I have made this recipe multiple times a week since we created it. To tell you the truth, I still don’t think my kids believe it isn’t chicken. Â They love to dip them in ketchup, ranch, fry sauce, and our famous spicy honey mustard sauce. Â If you are looking for meatless dishes, that also satisfy your biggest meat lovers, give this recipe a try. 
Visit Taste#5 Umami’s website here to get your juices flowing for all the other possibilities theses yummy seasonings provide. Let me know what you come up with!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Taste #5 Umami. The opinions and text are all mine.