Pan Roasted Cauliflower "Steaks"

Yes!  You read that correctly - cauliflower steaks!  The picture in Bon Appetit magazine was so beautiful I just had to make them!

I did call the Husband at work to tell him what would be on his plate that evening.  I even advised him to pick up a burger since I know he isn't really "into" cauliflower.  But he obliged and tried the steak.  It turned out it wasn't for him, but I loved it.  I actually really liked the relish that went on top of it.  I didn't follow the recipe thoroughly, but instead subbed jarred sauce for the homemade tomato sauce. 

Cauliflower Steaks with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce
Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine

Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower
1/4 C pitted oil-packed black olives, finely chopped
3 sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
3.5 T olive oil, divided, plus more
2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 plum tomatoes, cored, quartered

Instructions:

• Remove leaves and trim stem end of cauliflower, leaving core intact. Place cauliflower core side down on a work surface. Using a large knife, slice cauliflower into four 1/2" "steaks" from center of cauliflower (some florets will break loose; reserve). Finely chop enough loose florets to measure 1/2 cup. Transfer chopped florets to a small bowl and mix with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. oil, parsley, and lemon juice. Season relish with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cauliflower steaks until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, adding 1 Tbsp. oil to pan between batches. Transfer steaks to a large rimmed baking sheet. Reserve skillet. Roast cauliflower until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, return skillet to medium-high heat and add garlic cloves and tomatoes, one cut side down. Cook until tomatoes are browned; turn tomatoes over and transfer skillet to oven with cauliflower. Roast garlic and tomatoes until tender, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer garlic, tomatoes, and 1/2 Tbsp. oil to a blender; purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Divide tomato sauce among plates. Place 1 cauliflower steak on each plate; spoon relish over. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A New Take on Ratatouille

My mom has always made ratatouille in a skillet on the stove.  So I have always made it that way too.  And I have always just used eggplant and zucchini as the "core vegetables" and then added other veggies that I had in the fridge.  Saute that, add some crushed tomatoes, pour it over some pasta, and be done!

Is that how you make it?

I had some lots of tomatoes from my garden and a bunch of eggplant too.  So I decided to make ratatouille to use them up.  I found a different (to me) take on ratatouille and I thought I would give it a try.  I loved the result!  You spend about 15 minutes chopping up the veggies, while at the same time softening the eggplant in a skillet with some garlic and parsley.  Then you just layer everything in a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Yes, the 45 minutes is a little longer than what I usually think is acceptable for a weeknight meal.  But I think some days it is okay to have something in the oven so long.  That was enough time for me and the Toddler to go out and do some weeding!

Ratatouille
recipe from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried parsley (AFC note: I used a lot of fresh parsley)
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt to taste
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 zucchini, sliced
1 large onion, sliced into rings
2 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped (AFC note: I sliced mine!)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat bottom and sides of a 1.5qt casserole dish with i T olive oil.
• Heat remaining olive oil in skillet over medium heat and saute garlic until lightly browned.   Add parsley and eggplant and cook until eggplant is soft (about 10 minutes).  Season with salt to taste.  (AFC note: I sauteed the eggplant and parsley first, then added the garlic for about 1 minute).
• Spread eggplant mixture on bottom of casserole dish.  Sprinkle with some cheese.  Layer the remaining veggies on top, sprinkling cheese and salt between each layer.
• Bake in oven for about 45 minutes

I served the veggies over pasta that had been tossed with some pasta sauce.  It was really good!

P.S. I'm linking up to Lil Pink Pocket's blog hop and the linky party at Serenity Now!

Wednesday Edition: What's New

Finally I have a new ingredient for you!  It's been a few weeks since I have had a new ingredient, and I don't think that this one disappoints in taste, but it may disappoint a few of you in the "freshness" category.  You see, the new ingredient is canned chili!

I typically do not buy prepared food, and especially not chili since I love making it from scratch.  But last week, with an impending hurricane, I stacked up on canned goods.  One of them being chili.  Not one for letting food go to waste, I decided to make up a recipe and see what happened!

Yumminess is what happened!  Yumminess!  It was really quick to throw together (I used leftover rice) and I used only one baking dish, so minimal clean up.  What do you think?  Are you a canned chili fan?

Chili and Rice Casserole
Ingredients:
2 C cooked rice
1 can (14.5 oz) of chili (I used Hormel Vegetarian chili)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C frozen or canned corn
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 C kale, stems removed and chopped into tiny pieces (this is optional.  I threw it in to get veggie nutrients!)
2 tsp. chili powder
optional: 2 peppers sliced (I used one red and one green)
optional: shredded jack or cheddar cheese (I didn't have shredded so I just used slices!)

Instructions:
Combine the first 8 ingredients into a baking dish.  Top with sliced peppers and cheese.  Bake at 350 F for 30 mins or until desired brownness is reached.

the casserole without the cheese

my pathetic slices of cheddar cheese!

I have to say, I was surprised at how good this turned out.  It's been added to my list of things to make on a regular basis!

Updated: I'm linking up to the blog hop at Serenity Now and the blog hop at Homemaker in Heels!