Meatless Monday: Steak, It’s What’s for Dinner

That’s right, steak, but the vegetarian variety. I’m talking Cauliflower Steak.

I only recently caught wind of this dish, but recipes for Cauliflower Steak have been kicking around the internet for a few years now. I recently read a bunch of the recipes I found, got the drift and came up with one of my own. It was the perfect thing to make during our latest cold spell.

One head of cauliflower yields two good “steaks,” two smaller ones, and some broken florets. All will roast nicely, but if you are serving dinner for four, you might want to double the recipe to make things easier. Any leftovers will warm up just fine.

Oven- Roasted Cauliflower Steak 

Ingredients

• A large firm, head of cauliflower.
• One large, red onion.
• Olive oil.
• Salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs.
• Juice of one freshly squeezed lemon.

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Remove the leaves at the base of the cauliflower.
• Trim the stem close to the head in a straight cut. 
• Stand the head on its end.
• Starting in the center, cut into four thick slices. You will end up with two large “steaks,” and two smaller ones. Inevitably, a few florets will break off. Save these. 
• Halve the red onion and cut into thin slices.
• Sauté the onion in olive oil in a heavy duty skillet, a large cast iron one if you are lucky enough to have one.
• When the onion is tender, add the steaks and florets. 
• Sear the steaks for four minutes.
• Turn over carefully with a spatula and sear the reverse side for four minutes.
• If you are NOT using a cast iron skillet, carefully transfer the cauliflower to a lightly oiled baking dish.
• If you ARE using a cast iron skillet, you will be able to place the skillet directly into the oven for roasting.
• Sprinkle the cauliflower with salt, pepper, and your favorite spices. [I used 1-1/2 teaspoons of Penzey’s Balti Blend, a salt-free exotic mix of spices including coriander, charnushka, and chilies.]
• Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Carefully turn over.
• Roast for an additional 15 minutes.
• Pour the lemon juice over the steaks.
• Roast for 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and serve. 
• Be careful. A black cast-iron pan will be very hot and will stay hot for some time.

This satisfyingly “meaty” entrée. If you serve it with a hearty protein-rich quinoa on the side, you will have a complete meal.

Cauliflower is a vegetable in the Brassica family.  A very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese, it is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus and very low in calories.

Have a great week. Stay warm. Eat well. 

On Mondays I often blog on food, food issues, or gardening in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Meatless Monday: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro

Last Monday, at the conclusion of my post on Farro (Triticum dicoccum), I promised you a recipe if you came back today. And here it is — my original recipe for 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro

(Serves Two)

INGREDIENTS

1 Acorn Squash

Olive Oil (for brushing on the Squash)

1/2 cup Farro

1/4 cup Pecan pieces

Handful of dried Cranberries

1/2 teaspoon of a flavorful Spice Blend 

[I used Penzey’s Balti seasoning which is a blend of 18 spices] 

2 ounces of Cabot’s Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded 

PREPARATION

Cook the Farro. 

• This will take 45 minutes if preparing Farro purchased in bulk. [I used Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro, a slight cheat. The Farro comes from Italy, pre-cooked using steam to preserve the nutrients while saving time for the consumer. Total prep time with this product is only 15 minutes.] 
• After the Farro has cooked, remove the pot lid, throw the Pecans and Cranberries on top of the Farro, and replace the lid. Let everything rest for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the Spice Blend.

Bake the Squash.
Preheat Oven to 350°F

• Cut Acorn Squash in half; remove the seeds. 
• Brush the inside of the Squash with Olive Oil.

• Turn halves upside down onto a metal pizza pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove the Squash from the oven.
• Turn the halves right side up and place in individual ramekins or together in a casserole dish for baking. Be careful when doing this; the Squash will be juicy, and the liquid is very hot.

Stuff and Finish.

• Fill the Squash cavities with the Farro mixture.

With and without cheese.

• Top with the Cheese.
• Bake 15 more minutes. Cheese will be melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Farro is a very nutritious meal. According to the information on the package, one serving of Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro contains 10% of required daily fiber, 1% calcium, 5% iron, and 5 grams of protein. The Pecans and Cheese add more protein, and Acorn Squash is particularly rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce makes an excellent accompaniment. Cranberry Sauce is one of the easiest things in the world to make. You can read all you ever wanted to know about cranberries and how to cook them here. Cranberries are also one of the easiest foods to store for future use. When they go on sale in October, buy a few extra bags and throw them into your freezer where they will keep indefinitely.

Happy Monday. Have a great week. You might want to stay away from those IKEA meat balls today and everyday… 

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”