The advantage of cauliflower is that if all else fails, you can always cover it with melted cheese and eat it.
-William E. Simon
Ya’ll, I have a seriously problem…I CAN’T STOP eating cauliflower.
No really, I eat it at least 3 days a week in several different ways…cauliflower fried rice, roasted vegetables with extra cauliflower florets and my new favorite…cauliflower steaks!
Have you tried cauliflower steaks yet? If you haven’t you are definitely missing out. They are hearty & pair well with any dish that you would traditionally pair a meat protein with. The fact that they are a great meatless option that take less than 20 minutes to make doesn’t hurt either!
Because I am all about finding the perfect balance of a “healthy-ish” diet (aka creating alternatives to my favorite unhealthy foods to make them suitable to eat everyday), these cauliflower steaks have become a staple in my house. My go-to recipe so far was inspired by my favorite italian salad & makes the perfect Meatless Monday dish. I give you Roasted Cauliflower Caprese Steaks!
How to make these delicious caprese inspired cauliflower steaks:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Next is the hardest part of the entire recipe and you will laugh when you realize how “hard” it really is.
You will be de-coring your cauliflower. To do this, remove any leaves that are easily accessible. Then cut a circle into the bottom of the cauliflower and remove the majority of the hard core without making the cauliflower fall apart.
Next lay your cauliflower with the core side down and cut 3-4 cauliflower steaks. You will want them to be between 1.5-2 inches thick. If you have some smaller steaks than others thats okay!
Place your steaks onto a non-stick baking sheet. Next drizzle olive oil over top the steaks, flip them and repeat.
Once your olive oil is evenly divided among the steaks, you can add on your spices in 1 of 2 ways:
- Into a small bowl add salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and thyme. Mix the spices together and then sprinkle the mixture overtop your cauliflower on both sides.
- If you want one less dish to wash, sprinkle each spice individually overtop the steaks making sure to coat both sides.
When your oven is ready, place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven and roast your cauliflower steaks for 15 minutes until steaks are tender. (There is no need to flip your steaks)
While your steaks are roasting, it is time to prepare the caprese part of the dish. To do this cut 3-4 thick slices from your tomato & mozzarella.
When your steaks have 5 minutes left to roast, quickly remove them from the oven & place 1 slice of mozzarella and tomato onto each steak. Place your steaks back into the oven for the final 5 minutes of the cookie process.
Now it is time to assemble your cauliflower steaks:
To do this, first take 1/2 Tbsp worth of pesto and “smear” it across the plate. Place a cauliflower steak overtop the pesto. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the steak.
Finally, take 2-3 leaves of basil and roll them up width wise. Thickly slice the roll to create long strips of basil.
Place the basil onto the cauliflower steaks & garnish with freshly cracked salt and pepper. Serve & enjoy!
These caprese cauliflower steaks are the perfect Meatless Monday dish because they are packed with protein, healthy fats & will make you think you are eating a rich Italian dish in under 210 calories!
ENJOY!
- 1 large cauliflower, head
- 1 large tomato
- 4 oz mozzarella
- 2 tbsp pesto, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp balsamic glaze
- 1/2 tsp oregano, dried
- 1/2 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- fresh basil
- extra salt and pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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Core cauliflower and remove any remaining leaves. Next slice cauliflower in 1.5-2 inch this "steaks".
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Place steaks on a non-stick baking dish.
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Grab olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. You can either each amount directly onto both sides of the steaks or add them to a small bowl and brush them on.
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Place baking sheet onto the top rack of your oven and roast for 15 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
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While cauliflower is roasting, slice 4 even pieces from the tomato and mozzarella.
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When there is 5 minutes left in the roasting process, remove baking sheet and add mozzarella and tomato to each steak. Place back in oven and finishing cooking.
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Onto each plate add 1/2 tbsp of pesto. Next add cauliflower steak.
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Top each steak with freshly sliced basil. Crack fresh salt and pepper on top.
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Finally drizzle balsamic glaze over the steaks. Serve & enjoy!