Vegetable Forward

Cauliflower Rolls

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New England is famous for lobster rolls during summer. Living in New England I was looking for similar rolls in a vegetarian version which can be served while entertaining or picnicking outside. Why not cauliflower which can mimic same flavor as lobster and when it has become trendy to make rice to pizza crust from cauliflower. These vegetarian rolls use same dressing and crunchy vegetables as of lobster rolls. You can keep dressing and cauliflower florets separate and make dressing with yogurt only for a picnic. Rolls can assembled when ready to eat.

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Cauliflower Rolls

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 20-25 small bite size cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Hot sauce, according to taste
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • Oil for frying
  • ¼ cup finely diced red pepper
  • ¼ cup finely diced celery
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 4 Hot dog buns
  • Butter to toast buns
Directions
  1. Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and salt to taste in a mixing bowl. Marinate cauliflower florets in buttermilk for 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Combine corn meal, all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and salt to taste in another bowl. Once cauliflower is marinated, drain the florets and transfer to flour mixture. Coat florets with flour and shake off excess flour.
  3. Heat oil for frying in a frying pan until ready to fry. Fry cauliflower florets in 3-4 batches until golden brown. Transfer to paper lined plate to drain excess oil.
  4. To assemble rolls: Toast the hot dog buns on a griddle with butter. Combine mayonnaise and yogurt in a big mixing bowl and whisk to make it smooth. Add red pepper, celery, onion, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and celery salt. Stir to combine. Once excess oil is gone from cauliflower florets, add warm florets to mayo mixture and stir to combine. If you are not ready to serve roll immediately then wait to add florets until you are ready to serve them. Open the top slit of buns and divide the florets filling among four buns. Serve immediately.

 

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Recipes, Vegetable Forward

Country Fried Cauliflower Steak with Couscous

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Country Fried Cauliflower Steak

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Serves: 4

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
  1. Cut four ½ inch thick steak from cauliflower with stem.
  2. Season flour in a shallow baking dish with ½ teaspoon of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
  3. Whisk eggs and buttermilk in another shallow baking dish. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
  4. Season panko bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish with ½ teaspoon of each garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
  5. 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.
  6. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. 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.
  8. Serve over couscous with roasted red pepper sauce (recipe follows) and side of roasted asparagus or green beans.

 

 

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Couscous with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 cup Israeli couscous, uncooked
  • 3 large roasted red peppers
  • 1 cup or more raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups or more water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
  1. Cook couscous according to directions. Once couscous is cooked, drain and transfer to same pot and stir in olive oil off heat.
  2. 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.
  3. Let couscous cook with sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm with cauliflower steak.

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Condiments, Recipes

Chutney

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Cilantro Chutney

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Fresh coriander or Cilantro chutney
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 1 to 2 jalapeno or serrano chilies or to taste
  • ½ inch piece of ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 3 to 4 teaspoons sugar or to taste
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Water as needed
Directions
  1. Remove thick stems from cilantro and wash it immersing in water. Transfer into colander and wash it under running water. Let most of water drain from cilantro. Put cilantro into blender or food processor bowl. Add salt, sugar and lemon juice. Cut chilies into 2 to 3 pieces and add it. Peel ginger and cut into couple of pieces and add it. Make into smooth paste. If things do not move add little water. Makes about ¾ cup of chutney. Keep it refrigerated.
  2. You can also add roasted peanut and/or shredded coconut.

 

 

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Garlic chutney

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Ingredients
  • 8 to 10 large cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon of roasted cumin seeds
  • 3 to 4 teaspoon red chili powder
Directions
  1. Put everything into food processor and make it into fine paste.
  2. You can also add roasted peanuts, shredded coconut and roasted sesame seeds. This chutney will have coarse texture.
  3. Makes about ½ cup.

 
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Tamarind and Date Chutney

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Sweet and Sour Chutney
Ingredients
  • 10 to 12 whole pitted dates
  • 3 small pieces (golf ball size) jaggery (Indian raw sugar) or ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Water as needed
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
Directions
  1. Put dates, salt and jaggery or sugar in a small microwave safe bowl. Cover with enough water so that dates are immersed in the water. Cover with plastic wrap. Cut a 1 inch slit in the middle to escape steam. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes in the microwave. Remove the plastic wrap and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked dates into blender and add tamarind pulp. If there is little water left in the bowl, add more water to cover dates and blend it into smooth consistency (slightly thinner than ketchup). Taste the chutney and adjust seasoning. Pass the chutney through a fine sieve and serve cold with samosa, fritters, etc. This makes about 1 cup chutney.
  2. You can also add ¼ teaspoon each of chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder to make it more flavorful.

 
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Red Pepper Chutney

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Recently we visited my husband's cousin in Atlanta. His cousin's wife Dipti made this chutney with a meal, which was really delicious. This is her recipe.
Ingredients
  • 1 14oz. jar of mild or hot Piquante peppers or roasted red peppers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Juice of ½ a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder (optional)
  • ¼ cup crumbled jaggery (Indian raw sugar) or dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Directions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender jar or food processor bowl. Process everything until smooth paste. Transfer to a serving bowl. This makes about 1½ cup chutney. This can be served with appetizers or a dip. It can last in a refrigerator up to a month.

 
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Tomato Chutney

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 3 Roma or plum tomatoes, ¼ inch diced
  • ½ jalapeno or serrano chili, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafetida
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Directions
  1. Heat oil in a small soup pot until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add asafetida and turmeric. Add chili and sauté it for 30 to 40 seconds. Add tomatoes and season with salt and sugar. Let tomatoes cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat add cilantro and stir to combine. Can be served as a salsa. Best served with stuffed paratha.

 
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Cranberry Chutney

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Several years ago I had this chutney when I visited west coast. Ever since then I make this chutney during fall. It goes well with potato pancakes, samosas, fritters and many more.
Ingredients
  • 6 oz. fresh cranberries (1/2 of 12 oz. bag)
  • 1 8 oz. can of mandarin oranges, drained
  • ½ bunch of cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, roughly chopped
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ⅓ cup sugar or to taste
Directions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl of blender or food processor. Process it until almost smooth, keeping some texture.
  2. Makes 1 cup.

 
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Kathi Chutney

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Kathi chutney is served with methi ni bhaji na gota (fenugreek green fritters), fafda (chickpea flour crisps), etc. When you buy gota or fafda from a street vendor or farsan (savory food) shop, you will also get this chutney, especially in Gujarat.
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup chickpea flour
  • 1 tablespoon yogurt
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • Pinch of asafetida
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano chili, cut lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
Directions
  1. Combine chickpea flour, yogurt and water in a bowl until smooth paste. Heat oil in a small pot until simmering. Add mustard seeds and let them sizzle. Add rest of the ingredients and sauté it for 30 seconds. Add chickpea flour mixture and immediately stir to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until chutney thickens, for 3 to 4 minutes. Consistency of chutney should be like ketchup. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Serve it warm, if chutney thickens too much loosen with warm water. Garnish with cilantro. Makes about ½ cup.

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