Cauliflower, Sticky Sesame

My fabulous niece, Sarah, shared this one with me!

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Chocolate Covered Katie  

I love this quote from her with advice for someone wanting to move towards vegan - 

My first recommendation is to NOT replace meat with vegan meat substitutes, which can just set you up for disappointment when you expect one thing and get another.  Instead, think of it as an opportunity to explore new recipes and look at vegetables in a whole new light.  ...when you start looking at vegetables as the main event, it opens up a brand new realm of possibilities.

Preheat your oven to 450 F. Grease a baking pan or line with parchment. 

BAKE CAULIFLOWER - SIDE 1

Cut cauliflower into florets, then slice so one side of each floret is flat. Arrange in a single layer in the greased pan. 

• 1 small head cauliflower, chopped (6 1/2 cups florets)

Bake 10 minutes on the center rack. 

THE SAUCE

Whisk together the soy sauce, sweetener, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. 

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce *
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• ½ tsp powdered ginger

* Soy sauce alternative - combine 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce with a tbsp or two of water to replace half cup of soy sauce. 

While waiting, stir together the cornstarch and water until cornstarch dissolves fully, then slowly whisk this into the saucepan as soon as it boils. 

• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
• 1/4 cup water

Turn heat to medium and cook 2 minutes, stirring more frequently once it returns to a boil. Cook until thick. You can also make the sauce ahead of time if desired, and it thickens more as it sits in the fridge. 

BAKE CAULIFLOWER - SIDE 2

Flip cauliflower florets and bake 10 additional minutes. If desired, you can now move the pan to the top rack and broil 1-2 minutes. 

COMBINE AND SERVE

Pour sauce over florets. Sprinkle sesame seeds and optional scallions on top, and serve.

• sesame seeds and scallions, for garnish

Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Carrots, Baked

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  Cindy's Table and Clean Eating

I was looking for a recipe combining cauliflower and broccoli and came across this one.  The added color of the carrots pulled me in!  I altered the recipe a bit.  It called for a bunch of oil and some butter.  It also called for a total of 60 minutes cooking time, which turned out to be too long.

• cauliflower
• broccoli
• carrots
• garlic
• 1 teaspoon basil
• sea salt
• pepper
• garlic salt
• paprika
• broth
• nutritional yeast

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 

Cut vegetables into small pieces.

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Cover dish and bake for 30 minutes.

REMOVE COVER and stir.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and browned. 

This recipe is a keeper, but I need to work out the correct cooking time when omitting oil.

Cauliflower - Sweet and Spicy

Recipe Inspiration Source:  The Fitchen

The glaze makes it!

In progress - coating the cauliflower before baking

This recipe is a keeper!  It's tasty and has quite an interesting kick.  JC, who has claimed on numerous occasions not to like cooked cauliflower, loved it.  Ha!  

Also, I like that the spices give it some color.  I love a colorful plate!

• 4 cups fresh cauliflower florets - I have used frozen in a pinch and it was fine!
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoon sriracha - careful!  If you are sensitive to spicy, use less.
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil - Awwww, do I have to?  
• 1/2 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

This recipe is super easy to make in smaller or larger quantities.  You don't have to be real precise.  In fact, I seldom measure anything when making this.  

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
   
2. In a large bowl combine everything but the cauliflower – maple syrup, sriracha, olive oil, tamari, and pepper. Add the cauliflower  and mix until it's well coated.
3. Pour the cauliflower onto the baking sheet and place in the oven. Be sure to give the cauliflower “room to breathe.” If the baking sheet is over-crowded, the cauliflower will “steam” and it won’t cook right. If you need to, divide it between 2 baking sheets.
   
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.