Cauliflower Shawarma

Ingredients
6 oz. cauliflower florets
Handful of grape tomatoes, sliced
1 shallot or red onion
2 tsp baharat spice blend
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp. vegan mayo
1 lemon
1 tbsp. harissa paste
1 tbsp. tahini
2 oz. shredded red beets
4 oz. mixed greens
2 multigrain flatbreads
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop the cauliflower florets into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the tomatoes. Peel and thinly slice the shallot.

Transfer the cauliflower florets to a baking sheet and toss with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, the baharat spice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until tender and browned in places, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Peel and mince the garlic. Add minced garlic, vegan mayo and a pinch of salt to a small bowl. Mix garlic aioli well. Whisk together harissa paste, tahini, just 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper in a separate medium bowl. Add shredded beets and toss until harissa beet slaw is evenly coated.

Combine the greens, remaining apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gently toss the salad. Place the multigrain flatbreads in the oven or toaster to warm for 1 minute.

Spread the garlic aioli on the flatbreads. Top half of each with the roasted cauliflower, sliced tomatoes, sliced shallot, harissa beet slaw, and greens. Fold in half to make two sandwiches and serve with the remaining green salad.

Tamarind Cauliflower with Gingered Fried Rice & Cashews

Ingredients
8 oz. cauliflower florets
3 garlic cloves
1 oz. fresh ginger
1 Roma tomato
2 scallions
4 oz. green beans
2 bird's eye chiles
8 oz. brown rice, cooked
1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1/4 c. cashews
1/4 c. tamarind sauce or paste

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add the cauliflower florets to a baking sheet and coat with 2 tsp (4 tsp) vegetable oil. Season with a pinch of salt and roast until tender and browned in places, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut the tomato into wedges. Chop the scallions into 2 inch pieces. Chop the green beans into ½ inch pieces. Mince the bird’s eye chiles.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Once hot, add just half of the minced garlic and just half of the minced ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is just toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato wedges, chopped scallions, and green beans, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the brown rice to the skillet and cook until slightly toasted and heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tamari and cook for 1 more minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Divide the gingered fried rice between large serving plates.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat, with 1 tsp vegetable oil and the cashews. Cook until toasted, about 2 to 4 minutes; then add the remaining minced garlic, ginger, and as much minced chile as you’d like. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tamarind sauce, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until slightly thickened, less than 1 minute.

Add the roasted cauliflower to the skillet. Cook, tossing often, until cauliflower is well coated and sticky, about 1 to 2 minutes. Top the gingered fried rice with tamarind cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower & Garlic Soup

Ingredients
1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into florets
1 head of garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne, to taste
4 c. vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast

8 oz. silken tofu (optional)
chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the top of the head of the garlic, revealing a small portion of each clove. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Toss the cauliflower in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the cauliflower and garlic for 30 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and celery. Cook for a few minutes. Add paprika, cayenne and salt.

Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add roasted cauliflower and garlic (squeeze the paste out of the bulb. Bring to another boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add coconut milk and nutritional yeast, silken tofu, if using. Stir and simmer over low heat until well combined.

Remove from heat and puree in Vitamix or with immersion blender until smooth. Serve with chopped parsley.

Serves 4.

NOTE: This soup really results in a cheesy almost rarebit-like flavor. If you thickened a bit by reducing liquid, this could be a delightful vegan cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese! 

1 serving = 365 calories

Red Curry Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)

a bunch of scallions, thinly sliced with white and green parts separated

2 tbsp. Thai red curry paste

2 tsp. lemongrass

1/2 tsp. ginger

extra firm sprouted tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 c. vegetable broth

1 15-oz. can of diced tomatoes in juice

3/4 c. coconut milk

1-2 c. of green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed

Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower and white parts of green onions and saute for five minutes, or until veggies start to brown. Add curry paste, ginger and lemongrass and saute until fragrant, about a minute more. Add broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add coconut milk, tofu, and green beans and simmer five minutes more, or until beans are tender. Stir in lime juice and remaining green onions.

Buffalo Cauliflower

It's always the guilty pleasures that I miss as a vegetarian... like Buffalo wings and hot dogs. Here's a pretty awesome substitute for the former. 

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 c. flour

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 c. Frank’s Red Hot (or similar)

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/3 c. ketchup

2 tbsp. honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together flour, buttermilk, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The batter should be thick, similar to brownie mix. Coat the cauliflower in the batter. You may want to coat each individual floret, or add to the batter and gently toss to coat. Bake in one layer, on a cookie sheet or shallow pan for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a little crispy.

Meanwhile, combine Frank’s Red Hot, butter, ketchup, and honey in a saucepan and heat on low until well mixed.

Once the cauliflower is baked, remove from the oven and coat with Buffalo sauce. You may find it easiest to put the cauliflower in a large bowl and toss to coat. Put the cauliflower back in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery. 

Curried Cauliflower Pickles

Ingredients
2 heads cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
1 qt. apple cider vinegar
1/2 qt. white wine vinegar
1 qt. water
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 lg. knob of ginger, peeled and cut into large pieces
6 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 bay leaves
small handful of thyme
2 tbsp. whole cardamom pods
large pinch of red pepper flakes
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
2 tbsp. whole corriander seed
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. salt

Directions
Combine all ingredients, except for cauliflower, in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. When the liquid come to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Bring the liquid back up to a boil, add the cauliflower, let boil for one minute, and then remove from heat. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, place the cauliflower in jars and cover with the liquid (do not strain out the spices). Refrigerate. The pickles will be ready in one week and will only get better with age. Once opened, consume within four weeks(ish).

NOTE: If you want to seal the pickles for long-term storage, follow recommended pickling instructions for cauliflower.

Cauliflower Poppers

So, I found this VERY SIMPLE recipe in a Weight Watchers cookbook and tried it (because this girl loves anything with 0 points). It's AWESOME and has become a family favorite!!!

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
1 small head(s) cauliflower
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder, or more to taste
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut cauliflower florets into bite-sized pieces (there should be about 4 cups). Place cauliflower in a medium bowl and add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper; toss well to coat. Spread cauliflower on prepared baking sheet and bake until cauliflower is tender, but not mushy, stirring halfway through, about 10 minutes. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.