Tuesday, April 8, 2014

How to Make Cauliflower Steaks by Cleo Coyle #vegetarian #vegan




I'm making up for last week's Butter on a Stick post with a slightly healthier recipe. :)

"Cauliflower Steaks" make a nice presentation, and there are many ways to adapt this recipe to your own taste. See my links at the end of this recipe for many more ideas. Today, I'm sharing mine...




Cleo Coyle is author of
The Coffeehouse
Mysteries

How to Make

Cauliflower Steaks





To download this recipe in a PDF document you can print, save, or share, click here.


(1) First preheat your oven, for at least a full half-hour, to 375 degrees F. The high heat is important to carmelization and not all ovens are at the right temperature, even after they ping. 

See my past post: Is Your Oven Lying to You?



(2) Cut the steaks: Position the cauliflower with stem-side up on the cutting surface. If the stem is overly long, trim it a bit. 

Cut the cauliflower in half first, and then cut thick "steaks" as shown from each half. The ends will fall off into florets and that’s fine. You will get 2 steaks out of a small to medium head, 3 out of a large head. 

Note: Extra florets will tumble from the ends. That's okay. They're wonderful to eat raw with a healthy dip, or see my notes at the end for other ways to cook them.



(3) Warm olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet. (If you don’t have an oven-proof skillet, that’s okay, I’ll tell you what to do below.)

How much oil? I use 1 tablespoon of oil per steak plus 1 extra for the pan. You can get away with slightly less oil, but I prefer the extra oil for the best flavor and caramelization during roasting.





(4) Season the oil: After oil is warmed but not too hot, sprinkle on your spices. I use...

½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt, and a...
generous pinch of white pepper. 

Stir lightly to mix the spices into the oil and then add the steaks. Sometimes, I take my florets along for the ride, throwing them in the pan, too, stems up, blossoms down in the oil.



(5) Briefly brown your steaks: Cook your steaks on one side for 2 minutes and then the other. I use two forks to gently flip without breaking. Now place the entire pan in the oven. (If you are not using an oven-proof pan, then use a wide spatula to carefully transfer the steaks to a foil-lined baking pan.)

(6) Roast in your well-preheated 375 degree F. oven for about 20 minutes. You’re looking for a nice browning and a test of a floret to be cooked through “to the tooth” or al dente. Do not be afraid of the browning, this caramelization is where the flavor is, and it's delicious (trust me on this)!



For a PDF of this recipe,
click here.

Variations

Here are some links to more
Cauliflower Steak ideas:






Floret fun...


Enjoy them raw before
dinner with a tasty dip, such as...
Cleo's roasted garlic dip recipe

Try them as a sub for rice in...

Or how about...
Cleo's 20-Clove Roasted Cauliflower
Anti-Cancer and Anti-Vampire :)


and be sure to...




Eat with joy!
~ Cleo Coyle


New York Times bestselling author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Yes, this is me, Cleo (aka Alice). 
Friend me on facebook here.
Follow me on twitter here
Visit my online coffeehouse here.







To view the
Coffeehouse Mystery
book trailer, click here.
 





Now a National
Bestseller in Hardcover

A Coffeehouse Mystery 

*Starred Review* -Kirkus

"Top Pick"  -RT Book Reviews

"...a highly satisfying mystery."
-Publishers Weekly



See the book's
Recipe Guide
by clicking here.



* * * 


Coffeehouse Mystery
Free Title Checklist
(with mini plot summaries)


The Coffeehouse Mysteries are bestselling
works of amateur sleuth fiction set in a landmark
Greenwich Village coffeehouse, and each of the
13 titles includes the added bonus of recipes. 


* * * 


Haunted Bookshop
Free Title Checklist, 




10 comments:

  1. So simple Cleo, but what a beautiful presentation! we sure did enjoy your butter recipes last week though, especially the Peeps:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucy/Roberta - Ha! Yes, Marc and I truly enjoyed putting together last week's "Butter on a Stick" post, but we did feel guilty about the cholesterol. :) Thx for dropping in today and have a delicious week...

      ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter

      Delete
  2. I've been waiting for this one, Cleo! A while back you mentioned cauliflower steaks and I knew I had to have them. Thanks for sharing this great technique.

    XOXO

    MJ

    ReplyDelete
  3. MJ - Like you (and Victoria), Marc and I are big fans of the "Great Pretender" - Caulflower. I was happy to link to your recipe for Cauliflower Rice, a great use of the extra florets in this recipe, and nice visual tips on how to dress for undercover detective work, as well. :)

    ~ Cleo Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

    ReplyDelete
  4. A perfect foil for last week.
    The browning/caramelizing looks delicious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Libby - Thanks for dropping in today. And you're right, the browning/caramelization is absolutely delicious. I'm in the thick of things right now with a lot on my plate (yes, besides food) so a quickie recipe like this is just the ticket, and I love how versatile it is (as those links at the end of the post show). So many ways to adapt it, and...

      Eat with joy and in good health!
      ~ Cleo
      Coffeehouse Mystery.com
      “Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
      Cleo Coyle on Twitter

      Delete
  5. Cleo, I have a head of cauliflower in the fridge. I was going to chop it up and cook it like risotto tonight with my cheddar cheese sauce, but now I think I'll do this. Yum!

    Daryl / Avery

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy it, Daryl/Avery, it's a fun way to make it, very easy to start it on the stove top and finish it in the oven, and I get a kick out of the visual impact as well as the flavor. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful week!

      ~ Cleo

      Delete
  6. Cleo, what do you serve with these? I've always liked raw cauliflower, especially with dip. Yum!

    ~Krista

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it makes a delicious lunch with grated cheese on top (Parm or Romano) and squeeze of lemon, although Marc enjoys it as is--and likes it more as a side dish with an entree.

      You can also treat it like a little pizza and put roasted peppers on there and mozzarella and pop it back in the oven to melt the cheese. So many ways to enjoy it and I agree on the extra florets. They're delicious raw with a dip, so crunchy and good. Thanks for dropping in, Krista, have a great week!

      ~ Cleo

      Delete