Turmeric Sunshine Pasture-Raised Chicken Wings with Crispy Cauliflower (One Pan, Oven Baked)
Look at that crispy and colourful goodness, ready in just under an hour!
It has been trendy in the health food scene this past decade to substitute chicken wings with cauliflower, but I believe they are both beneficial for human health when sourced consciously. Wings are often factory farmed, deep fried in rancid industrial vegetable and seed oils (often sitting out and reused… yuck), and doused in additive and artificial flavour-riddled hot sauces promoting sluggishness and food comas, which is why we’ve erroneously been raised to believe wings are a “junk food”. Not these wings, though! Raised ethically on pasture just like the old days, and fed no corn and no soy, their composition, energetics and constituents are extremely different and much more nutritious than conventional wings.
The dark meat of chicken wings, as you may know, is much more nutritious and protective than white meat like chicken breast (though I certainly enjoy both!). It’s far richer in minerals like iron, zinc and selenium, as well as vitamins A, K, and the B-complex. Dark meat is higher in fat which is a great thing when consuming ethically pasture raised organic meat. Most nutrients are stored in the fat, so by choosing high quality sources of animal protein and going for the fattier cuts, you actually benefit from it. The drumstick portions contain lots of cartilage, meaning lots of nutritious, protective collagen will seep out onto the pan when baking (soaked up by the cauliflower or any other veg you cook them with). The skin also contains lots of collagen that will boost your physiology.
What’s more is that they’re seasoned with metabolism-boosting, immune supporting and anti-inflammatory organic spices: turmeric, paprika, and a hint of chipotle. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory all-star that I try to consume almost every day, and the dulse flakes will support you with protective iodine and more. It is the mineral-rich sea salt that opens up all the real flavours.
Here is how to make one of my favourite one-pan meals for a quick, nutrient-dense and filling lunch or breakfast that not only tastes epic, but will leave you feeling great. You could consider this “paleo” or “keto”, but really, I just call it delicious. I recommend making a big batch so you can have quick protein-rich (blood sugar/hormone/mood/energy balancing) leftovers for breakfast throughout the week!
Ingredients
Simply toss in the spices, then spread out on the pan to bake. Here I decided to pile them up on the tray a bit so they turned out less crispy. Depends on what you prefer.
1 lb pasture-raised chicken wings/drumsticks, thawed
1 whole organic cauliflower, cut into florets
1-2 heaping tsp organic turmeric powder
1 tsp organic paprika powder
1 tsp wild dulse flakes
pinch of organic chipotle powder or organic cayenne powder (optional, for a little spice)
fine sea salt, to taste
1-2 tbsp good olive oil (or other high quality cooking fat, such as grass-fed beef tallow, nitrate-free lard, virgin cold-pressed coconut oil, duck fat, or authentic avocado oil)
organic black pepper (to garnish)
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a large baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper.
In a large bowl, toss the wings and cauliflower florets to coat in the spices, dulse, olive oil and sea salt. Spread them out on the baking sheet (the more space you can get between them and the flatter they are on the tray, the cri$pier they’ll get). Add more spices if necessary - you could use a sieve, or just sprinkle it on.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy. Wings vary in size, so just keep an eye on them. Flip everything on the pan halfway through if you like. Remove, cool, and crack a healthy dose of organic fresh black pepper all over everything. Enjoy!
Tips
The black pepper at the end will supercharge the turmeric (curcumin + piperine). I highly recommend this combination (if suitable for you).
Instead of cauli, you could use sweet potato fries!
