Considering today is St. Patrick’s Day, it only seems appropriate to create a traditional cabbage dish. But, we’ll make this one with a kick. A homemade Sriracha kick!

Most people have grown quite fond of the popular chili sauce and may even have the iconic rooster clad, green capped, plastic bottle in the kitchen as we speak. The secret to our homemade sauce is using local dates that are soaked, then blended into a sweet syrup replacing the need to use the typical processed sugar or honey that chili sauces notably include.

Chili peppers can be found year round in Tucson, making our Sriracha-inspired sauce both convenient and inexpensive to re-create. Since all peppers, sweet and spicy are listed on the “Dirty Dozen” list containing high amounts of pesticide residue, buying organic is always suggested and easy to do at any of the several farmers markets around town.

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While visiting the Heirloom Farmers Market at Rillito Park, I found an abundance of cabbage and cauliflower available which make up both the main ingredients in today’s dish. After filling a canvas bag with just under 2 pounds of peppers from Dream Flower Garden, I was eager to get home and start cooking.

As a green onion-infused brown rice steams, cauliflower is tossed in the freshly prepared Sriracha sauce and spread over a sheet of parchment paper to oven roast. The aroma – along with an urge to create a Sriracha everything – fills the air. Freshly made garbanzo beans quickly get covered with sauce and spread across a sheet of parchment to roast, transforming these savory beans into crunchy, bite-sized, spicy snacks. The cabbage leaves, after steaming for a couple of minutes, get a heaping of rice and Sriracha roasted cauliflower before becoming rolls.

Many thanks to Rattlebox Farm, Sleeping Frog Farm, Tonopah Vegetable Farm, Garden’s Best Farm, Dream Flower Garden and Incredible Snacks for all of our ingredients.

If a quality hot sauce is what you’re looking for, but without all the fun of preparing it, my Vegan Vixen referral goes to Food for Ascension Cafe, who make their own hot sauces using only local and organic ingredients. Be sure to let them know the Vegan Vixen sent you!

Sriracha Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs hot and sweet peppers*
• 1/3 cup white vinegar*
• 3 medium tomatoes*
• 1 whole peeled lemon*
• 6 garlic cloves*
• 4 tbsp of blended date syrup*
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos*
• Sea Salt to taste

Instructions:

Blend all ingredients on high. Bring liquid to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes and transfer to glass to cool.

Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower and Garbanzo Beans

Instructions:

Rinse and pat dry bite size pieces of raw cauliflower and toss generously in sauce. Spread on baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 400º for 30 minutes.

Rinse and pat dry cooked garbanzo beans and toss generously in sauce. Spread on baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 400º for 30 minutes.

* Indicates Organically grown

How To Assemble the Perfect Cabbage Roll

Steam larger cabbage leaves for two minutes making them easy to roll. Add cooked brown rice and cauliflower filling. Fold both ends and roll. Serve and enjoy!