Can vegans eat brains? It’s a question we could only ask at Halloween and we can safely answer it with a resounding “YES!” (as long as the brains happen to be made from plants). Here’s another question: what do vegan zombies eat?

GRRRAINSSS!!!

Last year, we put together a super-spooky video chock-full of healthy Halloween appetizers you can make for your next vegan Halloween party. If you’ve got little goblins (kiddos) running around, you can get them in on the action!

Today we’re using cauliflower and a couple of skulls we bought from Home Depot to make another creepy centerpiece for your healthy Halloween buffet. It’s actually quite simple but it sure makes an impact! All we’re doing is making a baste out of our favorite herbs and spices, painting it on the cauliflower, roasting it in the oven and arranging it in a plastic skull we made a little DIY modification to for maximum effect.

We’ll start by prepping the cauliflower. Pull any stems and leaves away from the core. You can fully remove the core or use your knife to cut away the leaves to expose the cauliflower stem. Don’t worry, it’s not like brain surgery but do be careful not to cut too deep into the cauliflower head or it make break apart. The drama comes from keeping the whole head intact, so try not to give your cauliflower brain a lobotomy!

Set your “brains” aside and we’ll get on with the next step, which is making the “cerebral fluid” we’ll use to baste the cauliflower. Combine the garlic powder, oregano, black pepper, smoked paprika (regular paprika works too), turmeric, cumin, and onion powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the tahini, lemon juice, and just enough water to make it paintable.

Place the cauliflower brains on a parchment-lined baking sheet and generously baste them. Make sure you hit every little nook and cranny. No cerebrums, cerebellums, or medulla oblongatas should be left untouched! Bake uncovered in a 350º oven for 60-70 minutes or until it’s reached your desired level of tenderness. We prefer the cauliflower to have a slightly “al dente” crunch, which also makes it a little easier to arrange (and less likely to fall apart) in the decorative skulls.

While your basted brains are baking, you may need to do a little surgery on your skulls. Dillon broke out a power tool to buzz off the tops. A handheld hacksaw and a little elbow grease would also work. We didn’t mind this extra step because purchasing an anatomical skull with the top of the skull already separated costs a whole heck of a lot more!

All that’s left to do now is create the creepiest arrangement you can! We lined a black tray with some lettuce leaves (because everything seems fancier on a bed of lettuce!), carefully nested the brains in their skulls, then squirted some Sriracha Sauce all over for a bloody effect. It looked completely disgusting, which means it was perfect!

One last note: this recipe isn’t just for Halloween! We created an ooky-spooky presentation for the occasion but we also like to make this roasted cauliflower head as a centerpiece for other holiday meals, minus the skulls of course. We hope you’ll enjoy freaking everyone out with this at Halloween!

Until Next Time! Xoxo Reebs

wellyourworld.com

Halloween Cauliflower Brains

A healthy and terrifying Halloween snack

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Ingredients:

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons water
• juice of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Using a paring knife, remove the leaves and most of the stem of the cauliflower. Leave the head of cauliflower in tact though.

In a small mixing bowl add all reamaining ingredients and whisk to combine.

Using a brush, paint on the marinade over the whole cauli!ower. Place it on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 60-70 minutes, uncovered, or until your desired doneness. We like this with just a little bit of crunch left, al dente if you will!