Cauliflower Steaks with Carrot Ginger Sauce
Cauliflower Steaks with Carrot Ginger Sauce
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that if you don’t like it people will immediately ask you “ but have you had it cooked well?”. And my answer to that is always, yes, I’ve had it cooked very well by restaurants and chefs, and I’ve also cooked it well at restaurants, for chefs.
Still, my approval remains elusive for the Almighty cauliflower. But, this recipe might’ve changed my mind. I decided to treat it like any other mid 40s male who loves steak would treat a vegetable they don’t like: I treated it like a steak.
Recipe first, b.s. story about why cauliflower is special to me later.
Cauliflower = Eats Like a Steaks:
1 large cauliflower
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt + pepper
Optional spices: turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin
Remove leaves from cauliflower, trim stem while keeping core intact.
Slice into ¾–1 inch thick “steaks” (you’ll get 2–3 good ones per head).
Brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and any spices.
Roast at 425°F on parchment-lined sheet for 25–30 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and tender. (Optional: pan-sear first for deeper crust.)
Carrot Ginger Sauce = All Day Energy
2 carrots, peeled + chopped
1-inch knob ginger, peeled + chopped
2 tbsp rice vinegar or lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
2–4 tbsp water to thin
Salt to taste
Steam or simmer carrots until tender.
Blend all sauce ingredients until smooth and silky. Adjust consistency as needed.
Harissa Sauce:
You can find this amazing sauce here.
THE olive oil that stands above them all!
Finishing a dish with really good olive oil can set it apart. My favorite, which I was fortunate enough to taste on a trip to Portugal, is Amor 'e’ Cego (love is blind).
In any case, find the best olive oil you can, drizzle it over the top of any and all dishes and enjoy!
My lifelong problem with cauliflower Isn’t that it’s a fairly blank canvas: I actually like that, because it opens up the doors.
It’s also not because it’s crumbly and a pain in the butt to break down where I feel like every time I cut the cauliflower I end up throwing all the crumbs away, which equals about half of the cauliflower.
I think it’s because even though it’s crumbly and annoying, and even though it’s a blank canvas, it actually just doesn’t taste like anything to me. Even chicken for all the tucked in polo shirt vibes it gets, still taste like something. But then I discovered, it was because I was cooking it all wrong.
Once I learned to treat it like a vegetable that could handle some abuse, I ended up with beautifully charred and caramelized exterior, properly cooked and tender interior and a vegetable that could take strong, marinades and seasonings. Like many of our emails say, I hope this recipe finds you well.
If you want more recipes like this, it’s as easy as grabbing my free better energy kit here. It has a 22 page pantry guide that includes tons of recipes, a seven day reflection journal to check in where you’re at and a sample day of eating with breakfast lunch dinner, and snack recipes.
And if you’re still reading this, that probably means you’d like to read, so you should sign up for resonate, my twice monthly newsletter, focused on longevity eating here. Insights, recipes and suggestions straight to your inbox. Cheers.
Justin
