Cauliflower steaks browned to perfection, served over a luxurious curried cauliflower puree. Fresh cilantro mint chutney is the perfect compliment and coconut quinoa is perfect for sopping up the left over sauce!
The cauliflower (Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- one medium head of organic cauliflower
- coconut oil for frying the cauliflower
- 3 Tbsp. of avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 tsp. true cinnamon
- 2 tsp. of freshly grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 whole cardamom pods, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. ground)
- 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric root, peeled and grated
- a pinch of red chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. of tomato paste
- 1/4 cup of raw cashews
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. sea sat
- 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower. Cut off the stem so that the bottom is flat.
Cut the cauliflower in half through the centre of the stem.
Trim the outer lobes off of each half to form two flat cauliflower steaks that are about 11/2 in. thick. The trimmed outer lobes will be used to make the sauce. Boil the trimmed parts in enough water to cover until tender. Drain and set aside.
The Sauce:
In a saucepan, saute the chopped onion and garlic in the 3 tbsp. of avocado oil until translucent. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, chili flakes, black pepper, ginger and turmeric. Stir to combine.
In your blender, combine the cooked cauliflower, the onion mixture, the tomato paste, cashews, 1/3 cup of water, lime juice and salt. Puree until smooth. Taste to adjust seasonings. Spoon the sauce into a small sauce pan. Set aside while you cook the cauliflower steaks. You will want to get the quinoa going at this point as well! (recipe follows)
To cook the cauliflower steaks heat plenty of coconut oil in a large fry pan or a griddle. Place the cauliflower onto the heated griddle and sprinkle a little bit of salt on top.
Fry over medium-high heat until the bottoms are nicely browned. Flip, salt the steaks again and continue to fry until the other side is nicely browned and the cauliflower is tender all the way through when pierced with a fork. This should take 8-10 minutes per side. I like to add a few sprigs of cilantro to the griddle to crisp up to serve on top. Make the cilantro mint chutney as the cauliflower cooks. (recipe follows)
Cilantro Mint Chutney:
- one large bunch of organic cilantro (stems included)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
- juice of one lime
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 fresh, chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
In a blender combine all of the ingredients. Add a small amount of water to get the mixture going. Blend until smooth.
Coconut Quinoa:
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1 can of full fat organic coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
Combine quinoa, coconut milk, water, salt and maple syrup in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Allow it to sit for 15 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
To Serve:
Heat the butter cauliflower puree. Spoon a dollop of the puree onto each of two plates. Arrange the cauliflower steak on top. Drizzle with cilantro mint chutney to serve along side of the coconut quinoa.
