Za’atar Cauliflower Steak

When the foodie community’s cauliflower craze was setting in — as evidenced by a seemingly endless variety of new cruciferous veg variations and imitation recipes using the bland white vegetable — I was not the first to jump on the bandwagon. However, a few recent tastings have transformed my opinion. 

When I was home for the holidays one winter, my mom made a creamy cauliflower soup that involved only a few simple ingredients, which allowed the cauliflower to shine. After roasting the cauliflower and adding it to a veggie soup base, the mixture gets transferred to a blender, where the magic happens: the conglomeration turns into such an amazingly creamy concoction that most blind-testers would be hard-pressed to acknowledge that the soup doesn’t contain any cream. The velvety consistency is purely cauliflower. A few roast cauliflower pieces are reserved and added to the creamy base to give it some satisfying, chewy texture. Lesson #1: although not the most flavorful vegetable, cauliflower, when blended, makes for one heck of a creamy base for all sorts of recipes (soups, sauces, plant-based cheese alternatives, you name it).

Fast forward to the last day of my 3-day teacher training with Vegan Fusion (to obtain my Level 4 Plant-Based Chef certification), where one of the students prepared roasted, herbed cauliflower “steaks.” Again, my skepticism was high and expectations were low. I like my imitation meats to have some substantial protein. The protein in cauliflower is not comparable to the protein in something like one of my seitan steaks or a veggie burger (though I was surprised to find that a medium head of cauliflower boasts 11g protein, along with 12g fiber and a whole lotta potassium). Again, however, I was utterly won over by the finished product. These “steaks” turned out to be packed with flavor and surprisingly filling. They were also just very satisfying with a topping of juicy roasted tomatoes, nutritional yeast, chopped macadamia nuts, and other garnishes. 

So, one recent morning, when my fridge was exploding with delectables that needed to be eaten (soon) — including an almost-sorry-looking cauliflower — I surveyed the goods and tried to get the creative juices flowing. Are you ever stuck on what to make because you want your meal to be a perfect combination of hearty (filling, especially after exercise), nutritious, satisfying (I mean, if you’re going to spend time cooking, it might as well hit those comfort food vibes!), and practical (using up on-hand, perishable ingredients)? This was my dilemma. Once I spotted that cauliflower in the back of the fridge, I remembered the “steak” I’d recently eaten and my mouth started watering. But cauliflower steaks for breakfast? Heck, why not, and with the addition of a simple tofu scramble, this would surely fit the bill and hit all of the meal qualities mentioned above.

I quickly got the oven preheating, sliced up that cauliflower, took a shower, dressed, and began to make a mess in the kitchen. During that time, I couldn’t stop thinking about flavor combinations. I felt like incorporating za’atar — a delightful Middle Eastern spice blend — which I used to enjoy as a seasoning on eggs. Now, I didn’t have macadamia nuts and didn’t want to break the bank, so I thought, what is similar (protein/fat-rich/tasty) that goes well with za’atar?

Tahini instantly came to mind. I confirmed this in the Vegetarian Flavor Bible, which provides flavor-pairing recommendations from reputable sources, including renowned chefs (a priceless resource for any vegetarian/vegan cook). Tahini was listed under “za’atar,” and za’atar was listed under “tahini.” Lemon juice and garlic were also listed as well-known combinations with tahini, so I set about making a quick sauce of tahini, lemon juice, za’atar, garlic, salt, and water to thin it down. The result was impeccable and I could already tell this creamy sauce was going to be perfect on my cauliflower steaks. While it was baking (with some sliced tomato to add moisture), I whipped up a 5-min tofu scramble: non-pressed tofu browned in soy sauce and a little olive oil, and seasoned with za’atar, garlic flakes, and of course, nutritional yeast (an essential component to any plant-based scramble). After flipping the “steaks,” I turned the broiler on to give them a nice char, and 5 minutes later… Boom. Breakfast was ready. 

 I hope you enjoy this recipe! And next time you’re avoiding a fruit or vegetable because of preconceived notions or a bad experience, please, take some time to explore the potential of that ingredient using different techniques and in a variety of dishes. You deserve to experience the full spectrum of flavors and surprises the plant kingdom has to offer! 

My friends, my family, my fellow shenanigans, it’s time to get creative in the kitchen!!