This recipe screams macaroni and cheese but is dairy and gluten free! Steamed cauliflower is smothered in a hot sticky cashew cream and then baked with marinated cherry tomatoes to create a crispy crust.
Ingredients:
Serves 4 moderate appetites but two of us polished it off quite easily!
- one recipe of marinated tomatoes (recipe follows)
- one large cauliflower, stemmed and broken into bite sized pieces
- one recipe of cashew cheese (recipe follows)
The Tomatoes:
- one container of organic cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
- 3 Tbsp. of olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- a pinch of red chili flakes
- one clove of garlic, minced
- lots of freshly cracked pepper
Toss the halved cherry tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour. Stir a few times as they marinate to make sure the tomatoes are well coated.
The cauliflower:
- Steam steam the cauliflower until tender. Set aside while you prepare the cashew cream.
Cashew Cheese:
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- 1/2 cup of raw cashews soaked in water for at least 2 hours
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. tapioca flour (or starch)
- 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 Tsp. lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp. of sea salt
Combine all of the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Make sure that the cashew pieces are incorporated into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat whisking as it warms to create a thick gooey cheese. It’s o.k. if it looks a little lumpy!
Add the steamed cauliflower to the cashew cheese and then spoon into a small casserole dish. Tuck the marinated tomatoes into the cauliflower. I used the leftover marinade as a salad dressing!
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until it is warmed through. Turn the oven onto broil and bake another 5 min. or so until the top browns and crisps up a little. Top with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast before serving.
