Cauliflower has been having a moment for some time now. It's definitely one of those vegetables that I despised as a child and now appreciate and love as an adult.
Like so many mom's, I am constantly juggling to balance work, life and family on the daily. I created this recipe for my family when I needed something good to cook up quickly! It's an inspiration of some of my favorite Middle Eastern, Mediterranean flavors all on one dish. It's aromatic, healthy and delicious. And my kids love it! Which is always a HUGE accomplishment when I can please their picky stomachs.
My cauliflower steak is fairly easy to make and can be done and on the table in 40 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced through the middle into 1 inch steaks
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ½ onion, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons of good evoo
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef (you can also use ground lamb)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon all-spice
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle black pepper
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or sliced almonds, toasted
- One 10-ounce container Baba’s Tzatziki Dill Cucumber Greek Yogurt
- Handful of fresh parsley or mint, chopped
Directions
Step 1: Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut off cauliflower stems, then place cauliflower cut side down. Starting from the top, slice the cauliflower into 1 inch steaks. Depending on the size of the cauliflower, it should make 3 to 4 steaks.
Step 2: Line a baking pan with tinfoil (for quicker cleanup!). Arrange cauliflower on the baking pan, drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown and tender, about 20-25 minutes, flipping after the first 10 minutes.
*Baba's tip* To make sure your cauliflower is fully cooked, stick a toothpick through the thickest part of the vegetable. If it pokes through easily, cauliflower is cooked.
While your cauliflower is baking, make your spiced meat. Add olive oil and onions to your non-stick pan on medium heat.
Step 3: Sauté for 5-7 minutes until translucent and soft. Sprinkle salt, mix and remove onions from your pan and set aside.
Step 4: To the same pan, over medium high heat, add the ground beef. If you are using a non-stick pan you won’t need to add extra oil because the meat is fatty and will produce its own oil as you cook it (if you feel you do need some oil, add a tablespoon of evoo).
Step 5: Separate the beef with a blunt end spoon as you are cooking it. You want the beef to look minced. Cook about 7 minutes or until the meat is browned.
Step 6: Now add your sautéed onions, minced garlic, spices, salt and pepper. Mix and cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your liking. The idea is to have a very aromatic meat.
Step 7: To assemble, add Baba's Tzatziki in a shallow serving pan, top it with the cauliflower steaks. Add the ground meat on top of the cauliflower, followed by toasted almonds. Garnish with parsley or mint. You can definitely eat this on its own or we also like it with white rice. Sahtain!