This recipe is inspired by vegetarian episode of Guy's Grocery Games show on Food network.
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower
1 cup AP flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1¼ teaspoons black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
Canola oil for frying
Directions
Cut four ½ inch thick steak from cauliflower with stem.
Season flour in a shallow baking dish with ½ teaspoon of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Whisk eggs and buttermilk in another shallow baking dish. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
Season panko bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish with ½ teaspoon of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Dredge each cauliflower steak one by one in flour, eggs and then panko bread crumbs, pressing bread crumbs on steak to adhere. Keep the steaks on a wired rack baking sheet.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil for frying steaks in a large frying pan or a Dutch oven until ready for frying. Fry cauliflower steaks one by one on each side until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to wired rack baking sheet. Bake steaks for 10 to 12 minutes until cauliflower is cooked through.
Serve over couscous with roasted red pepper sauce (recipe follows) and side of roasted asparagus or green beans.
Cook couscous according to directions. Once couscous is cooked, drain and transfer to same pot and stir in olive oil off heat.
In a blender make smooth sauce by combining peppers, cashews, tomato paste, and 2 cups water. If sauce is too thick, add more water. If sauce is too thin, add more cashews. Season with salt and pepper and blend for few seconds. Pour the sauce over couscous and stir to combine.
Let couscous cook with sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with cauliflower steak.
Same ingredients as blueberry cake except ground freeze dried blueberry and blue food color
⅓ cup ground freeze dried peaches (fine powder)
12 to 15 drops of yellow food color
For Icing:
½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
12 to 15 drops of yellow food color
For decorating:
1 to 1 ½ cups blue berries
1 peach, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 teaspoon water
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan by spraying non-stick spray or baking spray.
Make blueberry cake: Combine flour, ground freeze dried blueberry, baking powder, salt in a medium mixing bowl.
In a measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda until well combine, 1 minute.
In another medium mixing bowl whisk together sugar and oil until sugar is dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ⅓ of flour mixture and ⅓ of buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine with sugar and oil, 1 minute. Repeat the process for two more times. Stir the batter with spatula to combine everything.
Repeat steps 3 to 5 for peach cake.
First pour blueberry batter into baking pan and level it with offset spatula. Next pour peach batter and level it. Since the batters are thick, they remain separate. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool down in pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert cake on a cake stand and let it completely cool, at least 3 hours.
Whisk together ingredients of icing in a stand mixture.
Once cake is cool, ice the cake. On top of icing, on one triangle arrange blue berries and another triangle arrange peach slices. Warm apricot jam with water in a microwave for 30 seconds. Brush blueberries and peach slices with apricot glaze. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Keep left over cake refrigerated and serve within 2 to 3 days.
Notes
You can also other freeze dried fruits to make this cake. To make fine powder of freeze dried fruit, use spice or coffee grinder.
1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into 2 inch florets
½ cup fine corn meal
½ cup corn starch
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Neutral Oil for frying
3 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
Buffalo sauce:
¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
½ cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons honey
Ranch dressing:
¼ cup yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ranch seasoning powder
1 teaspoon chives, sliced thinly
Directions
In a small mixing bowl, combine buttermilk and hot sauce. Transfer cauliflower florets to a large mixing bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture over florets. Stir gently to coat florets with buttermilk. Let florets marinate for ½ to 1 hour.
Meanwhile prepare Buffalo sauce by heating hot sauce and honey in a small sauce pan. Once hot sauce is bubbling, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk to combine until all butter is added. Cover sauce and set it aside.
In a small mixing bowl combine ingredients of ranch dressing and transfer to serving bowl.
In small mixing bowl, combine corn meal, corn starch, salt and pepper. After cauliflower florets are marinated, drain buttermilk. Sprinkle flour mixture all over florets. Gently stir florets to coat evenly with flour mixture.
Heat oil in a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Shake off excess flour from florets and fry them in batches of 6 to 7 until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess oil on paper towel lined plate.
Once all florets are fried and drained, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Pour Buffalo sauce over florets and stir to coat with sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with scallions and cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately with ranch dressing on side.
2 to 3 tablespoons brown or white rice flour or corn starch
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 small shallot, finely minced
2 to 3 cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 hot dog buns
Spice mix:
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil into a small pan, about 2 minutes. Add fennel seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Add shallot and red pepper flakes. Sauté those until shallots are translucent, 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté them for 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté it for a minute with shallot and mushrooms. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
While shallot mixture is cooling, drain and rinse black eyed peas. Mash them into food processor until almost mushy.
Combine spice mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Add mashed peas and shallot mixture. Add 2 tablespoons rice flour, yeast and Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything well. Try to form a small ball, if mixture does not stay together, add one more tablespoon of flour. Divide the dough into four equal parts.
Cut about 1 foot of plastic wrap piece. Put one part of dough on to plastic wrap and form into about six inch hot dog shape. First wrap plastic wrap tightly around hot dog, then twist both ends of plastic wrap as tight as you can. Tie each end with a piece of twain. Poke few holes with a toothpick. Repeat the process for remaining three hot dogs.
Boil water in at least 5 quarts of pot. Transfer the wrapped hot dogs to boiling water. Lower the heat so water is simmering. Let hot dogs simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from water and let them cool down, at least 30 minutes.
Heat remaining oil into a large nonstick skillet. Brown the hot dogs on medium heat all around, about 5 minutes. Be gentle while turning hot dogs so they do not break. Serve them on your choice of buns and condiments.
3 Slices American cheese, roughly torn into few pieces
2 tablespoons corn starch
½ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Pico de gallo:
2 Roma tomatoes, ¼ inch diced
½ red onion, ¼ inch diced
½ serrano or jalapeno chili, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Juice of ½ a lime juice
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Directions
Drain and rinse pinto beans. Set aside.
Heat oil into a small pan, about 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle, 30 seconds. Add onion and garlic and sauté them until onion is translucent, 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté it for a minute with onion. Add pinto beans and dry spices. Season with salt and stir to combine. Let beans cook with spices for 5 minutes. Let beans cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer beans to food processor bowl. Add 2 tablespoons masa harina, cheese and an egg. Pulse until beans are almost mashed. Try to foam a small ball, if mixture does not stay together, add one more tablespoon of masa harina. Divide the dough into four equal parts.
Cut about 1 foot of plastic wrap piece. Put one part of dough on to plastic wrap and form into about six inch hot dog shape. First wrap plastic wrap tightly into tube shape, then twist both ends of plastic wrap as tight as you can. Tie each end with a piece of kitchen twain. Poke few holes with a toothpick. Repeat the process for remaining three hot dogs.
Boil water in at least 5 quarts of pot. Transfer the wrapped hot dogs to boiling water. Lower the heat so water is simmering. Let hot dogs simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from water and let them cool down, at least 30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
While hot dogs are cooling, make cheese sauce. Heat evaporated milk in a sauce pan until almost boiling. Combine cheese, corn starch and spices in a bowl. Once milk is heated, add cheese mixture. Heat on low heat until cheese is melted. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Combine ingredients of pico de gallo in a serving bowl.
To grill hot dogs, brush them with canola oil. Grill hot dogs until brown all around, about 3 minutes. Spread butter on hot dog buns and toast them. To serve, put hot dog in a bun, pour about 2 tablespoons cheese sauce and add about 1 tablespoon pico de gallo on top.
1 large cauliflower, washed and cut into large florets
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour or more
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic power
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper or to taste
Nashville hot oil:
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon salt or to taste
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar or to taste
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Combine ingredients of dry rub in a small mixing bowl. Transfer cauliflower florets to a large mixing bowl or a large zip lock bag. Sprinkle the rub over cauliflower and stir gently to coat spices evenly over cauliflower. Let it stand for an hour at room temperature.
Make hot oil: Combine dry spices, salt and sugar in a heavy sauce pan. Sauté over medium heat until spices are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Whisk in oil and butter and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Combine and whisk eggs, buttermilk, water, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper in a large mixing bowl. In another large bowl combine flour, corn starch, remaining salt and pepper.
Dip each cauliflower floret in buttermilk and coat with flour. Repeat the process.
Heat oil in a frying pan until hot enough to fry. Fry florets in batches of 4 to 5 until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess oil on a wire racked pan or paper towel lined plate.
Transfer florets to a large mixing bowl. Pour hot oil over cauliflower and stir to coat with sauce. Serve cauliflower florets over white bread with pickles.
Notes
Try to keep cauliflower florets as large as possible. Smaller ones tend to break easily while dipping in buttermilk and coating in flour. Instead of shallow dishes, mixing bowls work better for dipping and coating florets.
Make pie crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wafer crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a mixing bowl with hands until wet. Press the crumbs into the bottom of 9-inch pie dish and on the sides. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let crust cool.
Make custard filling: Bring half and half and ¼ cup sugar in a medium sauce pan. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk to gather egg, egg yolks, corn starch and ¼ cup sugar until smooth.
Once milk is hot, pour quarter of milk into egg mixture and combine. Pour another quarter of hot milk into egg mixture and whisk to gather. Transfer egg mixture to sauce pan with remaining hot milk. Cook on medium-low heat, whisking continuously until mixture thickens and bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. Cook for one more minute and off heat add butter, vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Transfer custard to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching top of custard to prevent skin foaming. Let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for couple of hours.
Make whipped cream: Combine heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract in stand mixture bowl or mixing bowl. Whisk cream in stand mixture or with hand mixture until peaks forms.
Slice three bananas into ¼ inch slices and arrange evenly on bottom of pie crust. Smooth half of custard filling over bananas.
Repeat step 5 and then spoon whipped cream in rustic peaks, covering top layer of custard filling.
