Cauliflower 'Steaks' with Red Pepper Sauce

 Charred cauliflower steaks with a garlicky herb crumb on a roasted red pepper sauce.

CAULIFLOWER 'STEAKS' WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE

Whoever thought of cutting cauliflower into thick slices ('steaks'), seasoning and roasting them has my thanks.

I don't know why we never thought of this before. 

In Scotland cauliflower is mostly cooked in a cheese sauce, mashed or added to a hearty vegetable soup.

These tasty cauliflower 'steaks' are roasted in the oven, with the leaves added for the last 5-10 minutes, then served on a red pepper and tomato sauce and finished with a herby crumb, which I added garlic to.

Oh yes my friends!

BROKE VEGAN

This recipe comes from Broke Vegan by Saskia Sidey.

It recently landed on my doorstep (a review copy from the publishers).

It's a nifty book full of lots of appetising photos and easy vegan recipes that won't break the bank. All made with simple ingredients and lots of fresh veg.

There's no meat-substitutes used in this book. No tofu or seitan or soya mince, but there's plenty of plant-based ingredients that taste great and make really satisfying meals.

I particularly like that some of the recipes come with a few different ideas. 

So for instance, if you were roasting some leeks you could cook extra and make three different recipes, in this case, Roasted Leeks & Potatoes, Roasted Leek & Potato Soup or Curried Leek and Potato Puffs.

Make all three and freeze or chill two of the meals for another day.

There's also five ways to use the cauliflower I'm roasting for the recipe I'm sharing today.

RECIPES TO LOOK OUT FOR

This is such a colourful cookbook with lots of full-size photos next to the recipes, which I always appreciate.

Here are a few of the recipes that caught my eye.

• Mushroom & Cauliflower Bolognese
• Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Curry
• Sticky Sweet Aubergines
• Chickpea Tabbouleh
• Spinach, Pea & Mint Filo Tart
• Spiral Tart
• Canned Fruit Tartlets
• Earl Grey Lemon Drizzle Loaf

COOKBOOK DETAILS

Title: Broke Vegan 

Author: Saskia Sidey

Format: Hardback or Kindle

Recipes: Over 100

Publisher: Octopus

ISBN: 978-0600636984

At the time of publishing this review, this cookbook was on sale for just £6 on Amazon.

Catch up with the author, food stylist and recipe developer over on Instagram - @saksia.sidey

Also check out new food titles from Octopus Books.

CAULIFLOWER

Cauliflower is a good option when you're planning your weekly shop.

It's cheap, has a hearty flavour and it's really good for you. It's low calorie, high in fibre and full of nutrients.

Read more about the benefits of cauliflower in the BBC Good Food article Top 5 Health Benefits of Cauliflower.

8 WAYS TO SERVE CAULIFLOWER

1. Boiled
2. Steamed
3. Roasted
4. Mashed - with lots of vegan butter, salt and pepper
5. Pureed
6. Sauce - in a cheese sauce
7. Grated  - and fried, then served as a rice substitute
8. Steaks - cut thickly and roasted (try these cheesy cauliflower steaks)

CAULIFLOWER 'STEAKS'

Cauliflower 'steaks' can be roasted quite simply with olive oil, salt and pepper or marinated in a sauce first.

In a rush? Just brush a sauce over them.

Saskia's tip is to cut the thickly sliced cauliflower right through the root. This will help keep the slice intact.

She also suggests we handle the 'steaks' carefully, but any pieces that do fall off, just chuck them in with the rest.

RED PEPPER SAUCE

Saskia suggests serving this red pepper sauce cold as a dip in the Summer, but I prefer it served as a hot sauce with cauliflower 'steaks just out of the oven.

The dip or sauce, is full of flavour. It doesn't contain any onion, but lots of other tasty flavours.

It's bulked out with breadcrumbs.

Try it as a dip or warm as a sauce and see how you prefer it.

GARLIC HERBY CRUMB

Saskia made her herby topping with breadcrumbs.

They have a little kick, but you can amp this up if you prefer something a bit spicier.

I added garlic, which wasn't in the original recipe. It's up to you, add it or stick to the original.

This tasty crumb would taste great sprinkled over spaghetti too.

MORE VEGAN CAULIFLOWER RECIPES TO TRY

Here are a few more cauliflower recipes to try, once you have made these cauliflower 'steaks.

• Cheesy Cauliflower & Potato Bake with Spinach
• Creamy Cauliflower Macaroni Cheese
• Creamy Cauliflower Soup
• Easy cauliflower soup with white beans
• Hearty Spiced Cauliflower & Carrot Soup
• Home-Style Potato & Cauliflower Curry
• Savoury Cauliflower Rice

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cauliflower steaks, cauliflower, roast caulifflower, roasted cauliflower

Dinner

British, vegan

Yield: 6

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Cauliflower 'Steaks' with Red Pepper Sauce

Charred cauliflower steaks with a garlicky herb crumb on a roasted red pepper sauce.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

Cauliflower 'Steaks'

• 2 large cauliflower (each sliced into 3 fat steaks with the root attached and save the leaves)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper

Red Pepper Sauce

• 2 red peppers, halved and deseeded
• 2 large tomatoes, halved
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 150g bread, ripped into pieces
• salt and pepper

Chilli, Lemon & Herb Crumb

• 50 ml / 2 fl oz/1/4 cup olive oil
• 150g / 5 oz / 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp chilli flakes
• 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp chopped herbs (thyme, parsley or rosemary would be good)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 220c / 200c fan / 425f / gas mark 7.
2. Line 2-3 baking trays with non-stick baking paper or foil (1 tray for the peppers and tomatoes and 1 or 2 trays for 6 cauliflower steaks).
3. Start the sauce first. Place the peppers and tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season and roast for 35 minutes, until the peppers are blistered, charred and soft.
4. Once the peppers are in the oven prepare the cauliflower.
5. Lay the cauliflower steaks on 1 or 2 lined baking trays in a single layer.
6. Coat with olive oil, be careful they are delicate.
7. Season well with salt and pepper.
8. Once the peppers have been cooking for 15 minutes, add the cauliflower to the oven.
9. Roast the cauliflower for 20 - 25 minutes, gently flip over the steaks halfway through, until they are charred and tender. Add the leaves 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking time.
10. While the veg is roasting, heat the oil for the crumbs in a large frying pan and toss in the breadcrumbs and fry for 3-4 minutes until crisp and golden.
11. Turn off the heat, then stir in the chilli flakes, lemon zest and herbs. You can also add garlic if you like.
12. Leave the crumbs to cool.
13. Take the peppers and tomatoes out of the oven (after 35 mins) and remove the skins. Add the peppers, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, bread, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender and whizz until smooth.
14. This can be served cold as a dip or heated and served hot as a sauce.
15. When the cauliflower is cooked remove it from the oven and plate up.
16. Spread the sauce on a serving platter or individual plates and top with the cauliflower steaks, then sprinkle the flavoured crumbs over everything.
17. Serve with green vegetables.
18. Enjoy!

Notes:

The original recipe was 3 separate recipes. I combined them so the timings would work for serving everything at once and hot, but you can make them as individual recipes.

I added garlic to the crumbs, but this wasn't in the original recipe.

The sauce was originally served cold as a dip but as it's the middle of the winter, I served it hot as a sauce, which works really well and it's better to serve it hot for dinner.

I wouldn't use as much oil, but I gave the correct measurements according to the recipe.

The crumbs can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

The sauce can also be used as a dip and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

You can make less cauliflower steaks, if 6 is too many and keep any leftover sauce/dip and crumbs for another meal.

Calories

392.41

Fat (grams)

19.56

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.94

Carbs (grams)

46.49

Fiber (grams)

9.33

Net carbs

37.16

Sugar (grams)

11.36

Protein (grams)

11.69

Sodium (milligrams)

555.58

Cholesterol (grams)

0.53

Created using The Recipes Generator