cauliflower

Asian Orange Cauliflower

February 12, 2014 by Erica

Asian Orange Cauliflower

I usually reserve words like “insane,” “unreal,” and “magical” for creations like chocolate pecan butter, ice cream with bourbon in it, chocolate peanut butter cookies, etc. But today I’m about to use those words to describe a cauliflower dish… oh yes I am.

I recently made the discovery that cauliflower can be used in place of meat in all your old favorite Asian dishes. I tried it out first with the cauliflower coconut masala, and it was a magical. Also, though I came up with the idea independently, I totally wasn’t the first person to do so. That’s what happens when you have a unique idea in the year 2014… you Google it and realize that 2.1 million other people had the same idea, starting about 1000 years ago. Sigh.

Then I realized that, sure, cauliflower might be a typical component of Indian dishes, but it also works in practically everything else, too. Up until now I had considered tofu as the most logical vegetarian substitute. And I don’t always love the texture of tofu, so I pushed most of the chicken- and beef-based Asian recipes I knew to the back of my mind.

But cauliflower opens everything back up again, and with a new and improved texture. Can I get an amen from my fellow veggie texture lovers?

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Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup

February 3, 2014 by Erica

Good morning! Did everyone enjoy the Super Bowl last night? Or were you like me, and just there for the food, beer and commercials?

I have to say the commercials didn’t really do it for me this year. I guess car commercials never really do… and there are sooo many of those. The Budweiser Clydesdales, on the other hand, just get me every time. Plus a cute puppy? Yes. That one definitely brought a tear to my eye, but I think last year’s is still my favorite. The one with the guy who raises one of the Clydesdales? Too too cute.

But yeah, I guess I am mostly there for the food and beer.

I made a good Super Bowl dip this year, though of course I didn’t get my act together to give you the recipe ahead of time. Oops? Planning ahead for food holidays is not really my strength, and for that I hope you’ll forgive me. Rest assured I’ll post that dip for you soon anyway. Maybe it can be a… Valentine’s Day dip? Now you know I haven’t planned for that one, either.

But what I do have planned is soup!

A vegan soup chock full of roasted red peppers, thyme, and cauliflower.

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Cauliflower Coconut Masala

January 22, 2014 by Erica

Cauliflower Coconut Masala

One of my favorite parts of blogging is that I get to connect with so many lovely people every day. Lovely, like-mind, food-loving people like you! The food blogging community really is the best. It was a quite unexpected bonus for me when I started blogging – I had no idea how much I’d love that part of it.

One of my great food-blogging friends is Julia at The Roasted Root. Have you checked out her beautiful blog? Julia always has something clever to say, and something delicious to feed you. Something delicious and sneakily healthy, I might add. She’s pretty much the best.

So I was thrilled when Julia asked me to be one of a series of guest posts on her blog. And today is the day! I’m posting over on The Roasted Root, hijacking Julia’s space to talk about Indian food.

It’s been a while since I made you any curry or the like, so I’m pretty excited about this one. Chicken tikka masala has always been my favorite Indian dish, and I have fond memories of ordering it for takeout along with a big side of fluffy naan. And when I recently decided to make masala with cauliflower and coconut milk instead of the ol’ chicken and cream… whoa. Worlds collided. This Cauliflower Coconut Masala was born.

Head over to The Roasted Root to check out the recipe!

Vegan Quinoa and White Bean Chili

November 8, 2013 by Erica

Vegan Quinoa and White Bean Chili

When I say chili, something meaty and tomato-based probably comes to mind. Or, if you like veggie chilis, you at least probably think of something tomato-y and darker in color than this. Wellll, I love that type of chili, but I decided it would be fun to make a semi-albino variation – no tomatoes here! – featuring white beans and (naturally) quinoa.

Quinoa chili has been on my to-cook list for quite some time, and now the weather is finally cool enough to make it. And as anticipated, I love the texture of the quinoa mixed in here! It thickens up this chili quite a bit, soaking up all that cumin-y broth. Along with the beans, it makes this dish super filling, not to mention being fun and chewy (which of course I have to mention anyway, because that is always what I love about quinoa). But the quinoa doesn’t take center stage like it did in Monday’s recipe – that is reserved for the veggies and spices.

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Roasted Cauliflower with Truffle Oil, Mint and Almonds

July 3, 2013 by Erica

Roasted Cauliflower with Truffle Oil, Mint and Almonds

We have a great tradition at work of going out to lunch on Fridays. Our office is a few miles from downtown Salt Lake, and without a lot of options nearby, lunches out aren’t really an option everyday. Plus, with all the food I cook, I could hardly justify that! But on Fridays, we’re in the habit of venturing downtown (or to other neighborhoods) for long lunches. It’s a great way to start off the weekend, and a great way to find new favorite restaurants.

This simple dish is inspired by an appetizer I had recently at Vinto, one of my favorite casual Salt Lake spots. We ordered it as an afterthought during one of our Friday lunches, mostly because I’m unable to pass up any dish with truffle oil. The flavor combination was just as interesting as it sounded, and being so simple, I knew I had to recreate it for you immediately.

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