Spicy Valentine Cauliflower Hearts

Valentine's Day is coming.....so of course that means all the chocolate and caramel and ridiculously delicious treats will be coming too. 

Jo and I thought we would share a healthy Valentine's Day treat that both the kids and adults will love. 

It's a bit of a twist on our Cauliflower Crust Pizza and Cauliflower Pizza Bites. 

We spiced things up a bit this time with a little hot sauce and jalapeno. 

Of course, not everyone likes too much spice so it is easy to adjust this recipe to your own preference!

These are so easy to make - they only take about half an hour from start to finish - and they are uber healthy.

According to Myfitnesspal, 1 heart (1/6th of recipe) is:

96 calories, 7 carbs, 4 fat, and 8 protein.

Spicy Valentine Cauliflower Hearts

Ingredients

1 small head of cauliflower

1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, partly skim, shredded

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

salt & pepper

1/2 jalapeno pepper, very finely diced

sprinkle of hot sauce

1 egg

~1/3 cup pizza sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

Using a food processor grating blade, grate the cauliflower so it looks like rice. This can also be done using a cheese grater. Place in a large mixing bowl. 

Mix in the cheese, egg, spices, jalapeno, and hot sauce.

Stir until very well combined.

Using a 4 inch, heart shaped cookie cutter that is 3/4 of an inch thick, press the cauliflower mixture into the cookie cutter. (Now, I have specified this size cookie cutter strictly for the nutritional info. You get 6 hearts this size out of the recipe. You can, of course, use any size you like - just remember to keep them about 3/4 of an inch thick.)

Be sure to pat down the mixture fairly firmly in the cookie cutter before removing it to make another.

When all hearts are made, bake at 425 for approximately 15 minutes - until heart has firmed up and top is lightly browned (bottom should be lightly browned too). 

Remove from oven and carefully spoon some of the pizza sauce onto each heart. Use the back of the spoon to spread the pizza sauce to the edges of the heart.

Return to oven for another 5 - 8 minutes, until pizza sauce is heated through. 

Serve with extra pizza sauce for dipping.

FYI - you can also make these by using a cookie scoop if you don't want to use a shaped cookie cutter:

Simply scoop them onto the cookie sheet... 

Bake for about 15 minutes at 425, until tops are browned.

You can serve them as is....or brush the top with pizza sauce and place back in oven. 

I made these for my daughter, Kenzie, to bring to an appetizer party she was invited to. She brought them like this with pizza sauce to dip them in.

I really liked the thickness in the cookie cutter. It was almost like eating a hashbrown patty as far as texture goes.

These are super easy, super cute, super healthy, and you can make them as spicy as you like. 

I bought some hot sauce on our trip to Knott's Berry Farm last year and *WOW* was it hot. I literally dipped a toothpick in it and used that amount and I just about died. 

In case you want to fry your taste buds...it is called "Dave's Gourmet Ghost Pepper Naga Jolokia Hot Sauce". I'm just going to call it Melt Your Face Off Hot Sauce. 

Be sure to check out these great blogs for tons more links - Memories By The Mile, Hun... What's For Dinner?, and Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons and Carole's Chatter.