Cauliflower Steaks With Walnut

In Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons, potato chips are used as a metaphor for how a dish should taste — Joshua’s goal when creating dishes is to make them so tasty you can’t help but take one more bite. And then another.

This is how I feel about this dish, which is not a Joshua McFadden creation, but which very much reminds me of his bright, vegetable-centric style of cooking. This one comes from another whiz in that genre, Yotam Ottolenghi, and I find it irresistible: slabs of cauliflower sear stovetop before finishing in the oven while capers sizzle in a pan with olive oil, before mixing with walnuts, currants, and parsley to form a salsa. If you wish, you can stir together Greek yogurt with fresh lemon and any remaining parsley to form an herby schmear to spread across the serving dish, a bed for the burnished steaks to nestle into, a creamy base to balance the sharpness of the salsa.

I first made this recipe about this time last year, when I found myself really feeling the heaviness of winter, as the soup, stew, and braise fatigue neared its peak. It was such a welcomed change to the nightly sheet pan of roasted vegetables and whatever bubbled away in the crock stovetop. I’m finding it equally uplifting and tasty right now, as addictive as a tin of Pringles — once you pop, you can’t stop … or something like that?

PS: All the Cauliflower recipes right here: Cauliflower

Here’s the play by play: Gather your ingredients.

Heat capers in olive oil till they begin to sizzle, about 5 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in crushed red pepper flakes, toasted walnuts, parsley, vinegar, currants, and lemon zest.

Caper-walnut salsa! This stuff is soooo good.

Cut cauliflower into steaks — you can get about threes slabs per head (depending on the size).

Sear the cauliflower steaks in a little bit of oil — if the cauliflower isn’t laying flat, use two pans. (I normally do; I should have here.)

Flip the steaks.

Transfer pan to the oven — I add all the little bits of cauliflower and greens that fall off during the cutting.

Meanwhile, make a lemony-yogurt sauce.

If you don’t think you’ll use the rest of that bunch of parsley you bought for the salsa any time soon, you can chop it all up and stir it into the yogurt sauce.

Sauce, done.

Smear sauce across the plate.

Top with the seared cauliflower.

Spoon the caper-walnut salsa over top.

From last time… see how the steaks are more evenly brown? That’s thanks to using two pans.

Description

Adapted from this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe featured in Bon Appetit . I made a number of changes, so reference the original if you are curious.

For the salsa:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried currants
• 1 tablespoon vinegar, such as white balsamic, sherry or red wine, plus more to taste
• zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt to taste

For the cauliflower:

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• Kosher salt

For the yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt, I like Fage 5%
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon, from about 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• parsley, optional

1. Make the salsa. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a small pan or rimmed baking sheet, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool, then use your hands to break the walnuts into small-ish pieces. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.
2. Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and currants. Let cool. Then, stir in the walnuts (leaving as much papery skin behind), parsley, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt. Taste. If it tastes too sharp, add more olive oil by the tablespoon. (I almost always add 2 more tablespoons of oil.) If it needs more salt, add to taste.
3. Make the steaks. Trim cauliflower stem on the bottom to create a flat base. When I first made this, I trimmed away the greens, but now I like to keep the outer greens attached — they taste good roasted. Remove them if you wish. Cut straight down through the center, then make another cut 1.5 inches away from the center on each side — you’ll likely get 2-3 steaks total. I used to save the cauliflower pieces that broke away for another day, and you definitely can do this, too, or you can sear and roast them right along with the steaks in the pan.
4. Heat oil in one or two large skillets over medium-high. Add cauliflower steaks and any florets/greens that broke away, if you wish. (If the steaks don’t fit in a single layer, you should use two pans or you won’t get a nice sear.) Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.
5. Make the yogurt sauce: Stir together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. If you have leftover parsley from the bunch you purchased, and you think you might not use it anytime soon, chop it up finely and stir it in. Taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6. To finish: smear the yogurt sauce over a large platter. Top with the cauliflower steaks. Spoon the caper-yogurt sauce over top. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop/Oven
• Cuisine: Vegetarian

Description

Adapted from this Yotam Ottolenghi recipe featured in Bon Appetit . I made a number of changes, so reference the original if you are curious.

For the salsa:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried currants
• 1 tablespoon vinegar, such as white balsamic, sherry or red wine, plus more to taste
• zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt to taste

For the cauliflower:

• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• Kosher salt

For the yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt, I like Fage 5%
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon, from about 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• parsley, optional

1. Make the salsa. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a small pan or rimmed baking sheet, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool, then use your hands to break the walnuts into small-ish pieces. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425° for roasting cauliflower.
2. Heat oil and capers in a small saucepan over medium, swirling often, until capers burst and are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour oil and capers into a small heatproof bowl. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and currants. Let cool. Then, stir in the walnuts (leaving as much papery skin behind), parsley, vinegar, and lemon zest; season with salt. Taste. If it tastes too sharp, add more olive oil by the tablespoon. (I almost always add 2 more tablespoons of oil.) If it needs more salt, add to taste.
3. Make the steaks. Trim cauliflower stem on the bottom to create a flat base. When I first made this, I trimmed away the greens, but now I like to keep the outer greens attached — they taste good roasted. Remove them if you wish. Cut straight down through the center, then make another cut 1.5 inches away from the center on each side — you’ll likely get 2-3 steaks total. I used to save the cauliflower pieces that broke away for another day, and you definitely can do this, too, or you can sear and roast them right along with the steaks in the pan.
4. Heat oil in one or two large skillets over medium-high. Add cauliflower steaks and any florets/greens that broke away, if you wish. (If the steaks don’t fit in a single layer, you should use two pans or you won’t get a nice sear.) Cook, gently lifting up cauliflower occasionally to let hot fat run underneath, until steaks are deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn steaks and season with salt. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until cauliflower stems are fork-tender, 15-20 minutes.
5. Make the yogurt sauce: Stir together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. If you have leftover parsley from the bunch you purchased, and you think you might not use it anytime soon, chop it up finely and stir it in. Taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6. To finish: smear the yogurt sauce over a large platter. Top with the cauliflower steaks. Spoon the caper-yogurt sauce over top. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop/Oven
• Cuisine: Vegetarian

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/03/06/cauliflower-steaks-with-walnut-caper-salsa/

Do you procrastibake ?

I meant to do many things this week, but instead I baked. I baked slow-rise refrigerator focaccia. I baked slow-rise, sourdough focaccia. I baked fast-rise, yeasted, freshly milled flour focaccia. I baked slow-rise, yeasted, freshly milled flour focaccia.

And when I tired of the focaccia genre, I made these bake-sale winningest gooey oat bars from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen Every Day . I baked them late at night, stashed them in the fridge, and awoke the next morning ready to face the potentially troubling task of slicing, which turned out to be a cinch thanks to the rest in fridge. Ben and I each had a bar with our coffee — an especially good match — then I sent him to work with (nearly) all that remained. By 10am, I was receiving text-message requests from his coworkers for the recipe.

These bars are a snap to throw together: a buttery shortbread crust comes together in seconds in the food processor, which then bakes alone while you stir together the gooey topping, a mix of melted butter, sugar, eggs, oats, chocolate, and coconut. Once crust and topping unite, the pan returns to the oven for a quick final bake.

Deb says these bars taste like “brown butter and caramel… like an old-school magic bar, but possibly even more delicious.” This is all true, except for the “possibly” bit — these are so much better than magic bars.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by your to-do list this weekend, I suggest you bake instead. You can bake bread or cookies or muffins or these gooey oat bars, an effort guaranteed to earn you street cred with any neighbors, colleagues, or friends you share them with or, at the very least, bring you complete and utter bliss when you hanker for that afternoon pick-me-up.

Happy procrastibaking, Friends.

Here’s the play-by-play: blend flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.

Add butter.

Purée until big clumps form.

Press it into a 9×13-inch pan. (Love this 9×13-inch USA Pan. )

Bake until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, melt butter till it begins to brown.

Gather your remaining ingredients: eggs, sugars, oats, chocolate, and coconut.

Stir the sugars into the butter.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Whisk till blended. (I get asked about this whisk a lot. This one (the large, not the small) is similar.

Add the coconut, oats, and vanilla.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

I like these Guittard dark (63% cacao) chocolate chips.

Stir to combine.

Pour over the baked crust. Return to the oven.

Bake until lightly golden.

Cut the bars — this is especially easy if you let the bars set up in the fridge.

Dust with powdered sugar. Store in the fridge.

The best afternoon treat: gooey oat bar + espresso.

From Smitten Kitchen Every Day :

Description

From Smitten Kitchen Every Day , these bars are heaven to me: good with morning coffee, great with afternoon espresso, friendly for adults and children alike.

For the crust:

• 1 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200g) cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar

For the topping/filling:

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (145g) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups (105g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like a dark chocolate chip, 63% cacao or so) , chopped white or dark chocolate, candy bars, dried fruit, or a mix thereof (with the dried fruit, a mix with chocolate is best or the sweetness of the fruit will be overwhelming)
• powdered sugar, to finish

1. Prepare your pan: Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper (if using a cake pan, hang the parchment over the sides so the bars are easier to remove). Lightly coat the sides with nonstick spray.
2. Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks, and add it to the bowl, then run the machine until the mixture forms large clumps—that’s right, just keep running it; it might take another 30 seconds for it to come together, but it will. Transfer the dough clumps to the prepared baking pan and press them evenly across the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until very pale golden.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Melt your butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown bits form at the bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugars and salt. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and stir in the oats, coconut, and chocolate, fruit, and/or candy. Pour over the parbaked crust, spreading evenly.
4. Bake the bars: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is firm and golden and the bars are set or, at most, barely jiggle if shimmied. The bars are much easier to cut cleanly from the fridge, but they are gooiest when warm. Dust with powdered sugar before serving or selling for the prettiest finish.
5. Do ahead: Store in the fridge for many days.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American