Cooking with Shonte': Cauliflower Steak

Cauliflower Steak

Have you ever thought about Roasting an entire Cauliflower and serving it as a steak?!! It's wonderful and delicious. I created this recipe when I lived in Alaska and my neighbors grew a bunch of cauliflower so they would give us all their surplus Being a young 25-year-old who barely ate their vegetables lol.  I had no clue how to prepare it. Cauliflower rice was not popular then like it is now so I decided to roast it entirely, baste it in butter, and season it. Whew, it was the bomb. You can serve this as a main dish with some rice or cauliflower rice lol, or you can serve it as a side item. This is mildly healthy because I use so much butter, but It helps with the flavor explosion in your mouth. Live a little, we have MBC and you can use the “C” card for this one. If you want a healthier version just use vegan butter or only oil. I hope you enjoy this. It's super quick and fun to make!!

Ingredients:

• Whole Cauliflower
• Half a stick of melted salted butter (vegan butter is ok as well 2-3 tablespoons)
• ½ tablespoons salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of  Mrs. Dash Table blend or Greek seasoning (optional) Greek seasoning brand I prefer is Cavenders.
• Fresh parsley or dried parsley ( 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil
• ½ cup of water

Tools

• Baster
• Cast iron skillet or roasting pan
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Aluminum foil
• gloves

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Rinse whole cauliflower in water to remove any dirt or debris
• Trim the leafy parts off the cauliflower but don't remove the bottom stem or it will come apart, the key is only to see the white of the cauliflower
• Place the cauliflower in the cast iron skillet or roasting pan. Drizzle cauliflower in olive oil and melted butter, then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Mrs. Dash/greek seasoning. Put on gloves because this part is messy, and rub all the seasonings into the cauliflower crevices
• Put ½ cup of water at the bottom of the roasting pan, then cover cauliflower with aluminon foil, and poke holes in the foil to help aerate.
• Roast cauliflower for 40-50 mins or until cauliflower is tender with a fork. *Baste the cauliflower during the roasting process every 5-10mins to maintain moisture and infuse all the flavors into the vegetable. Add more water and butter to the bottom of the pan if you run low on liquids to baste with.
• Remove the aluminum foil from the cauliflower after it is tender, and roast the cauliflower uncovered for another 5-10 mins to brown and crisp the exterior
• Allow the cauliflower to cool, cut into thick slices, baste it in its juices on the plate and garnish with parsley. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired
• Enjoy!! Best served hot!!

*Baste-pour juices or melted fat over meat or vegetable during cooking in order to keep it moist and flavorful.

Recipe written and created by Shonte’ Drakeford, Lead Chef of Project Life MBC