Cauliflower Steak over Cauliflower Turnip Purée

I have been making a conscious effort to incorporate more vegan dishes into my regular dinner rotation. Exploring with vegetables is so fun, and what better veggie to explore with than cauliflower? I hope you give it a try!

Ingredients:

2-3 heads of cauliflower (depending on size. If small heads, make 3)

1 medium turnip, cubed

4-5 cloves garlic

1 can coconut milk

Water

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup techina paste

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp silan (date syrup)

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped into thin slices

Pomegranate seeds

Toasted buckwheat

1 Tbsp dill, chopped

1 tbsp parsely, chopped

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Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375.

Start by cutting the leaves off he root of the cauli. Be cautious and do not break the head, we want it whole and intact. Cut two 1-inch slices through the cauli. Set aside and place the remaining florets into a pot. Repeat on the second (and potentially third) head. To the pot, add the chopped turnip, the garlic, coconut milk and fill with water so that it almost covers it. Bring to a boil. Once it boils, cover and let simmer while preparing the rest.

Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add one cauliflower steak at a time and sear for ~4 mins per side, flip and repeat for each steak. Remove onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle the cauli with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 25-30 mins, until crispy and cooked through.

In the same frying pan, add your leeks. Sauté until crispy- resist the urge to mix around too much.

In a bowl, mix the techina, 1/4 cup of water, silan and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Once your boiling cauliflower is soft enough that a fork pierces it, preserve 1/2 cup of liquid and drain the rest. Add in the dill and parsley and blend together with an immersion blender. Add preserved liquid until it reaches a thick but smooth consistency- I used about 1/4 cup.

Now start plating! Spread the purée over the bottom, stack 1-2 cauliflower steaks, sprinkle the pomegranate seeds, techina dressing, buckwheat, leeks and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!