Ahh I’m so excited about this recipe! Another last-minute-dinner that exceeded expectations, it ‘s a simple dish that feels fancy and tastes amazing. Cauliflower steaks are a great way to change things up; they’re hearty and also the perfect vehicle to load allll the pesto into your mouth. Need I say more?
You can use whatever pesto you’d like, but I really love the unique flavor of the one I made here. It’s nutty and so good that I truly forgot to add cheese (and then realized it doesn’t need it!). The whole meal comes together within 20 minutes and you can rinse and repeat for days if you’d like. Toppings are totally optional, I used things I had lying around. (And let’s be real, the sauerkraut was mainly for color.)
INGREDIENTS:
cauliflower
olives
pepitas
parsley
saurkraut
pesto:
(makes around 1 cup)
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup pistachios
1/4+ cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
handful of parsley + cilantro
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
water, if needed
RECIPE:
Heat the oven to 400.
Cut off stem of cauliflower (as much as possible) and slice into thick pieces. Heat a cast-iron pan (or another oven safe pan) to medium. Splash olive oil in the pan.
Sear the cauliflower steaks a few minutes on each side, adding salt + pepper, until golden and crispy. Throw into the oven for another 15 minutes or so, until done (can be pierced by a fork).
While cooking, make the pesto by blending all ingredients in a food processor. You could try a blender, but it’s a little trickier. Start with 1/4 cup of olive oil and add more if it needs to be thinner. You can also use water to thin it out as well. The consistency is your preference.
When done, assemble on plate with steaks first, pesto second, and then topped with chopped olives, pepitas, parsley, sauerkraut and drizzle of olive oil. The toppings are totally customizable!