Turning Veganese

If you’re a fan of Top Chef and/or live in Chicago, chances are high that you know who Stephanie Izard is. I had the pleasure of dining at her very much non-vegan restaurant Girl and the Goat several months ago. All the dishes, meaty or otherwise, were very delicious and satisfying, but it was the Roasted Cauliflower that I loved the most. Fortunately, the recipe is actually posted online. Unfortunately, it is vegan un-friendly. So, I turned it veganese, using ingredients I had on hand.

Roasted Cauliflower
4 cups sliced cauliflower
olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tsp crunch ‘butter’ (I used a hell of a lot more than 1 tsp… oops)
2 tbsp Parma Vegan Cheese, original
1 tsp capers, drained (optional)

Crunch ‘Butter’
4 oz softened vegan butter
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
2 tbsp Parma Vegan Cheese, original
2 tbsp bread crumbs

I heated up the oil in a pan and then added the cauliflower. I sauteed the cauliflower on all sides and then added some salt. Then, I added the water and let the cauliflower continue to cook.

When the cauliflower was cooked, I added a generous amount of the crunch butter. I didn’t do this on purpose. I just didn’t read the recipe very well. I don’t feel as gross as I would if I had used regular instead of vegan butter, but I still feel kind of barfy. Only use a teaspoon!

Stephanie’s recipe calls for pickled peppers. I didn’t have any, so I substituted with some capers. Then, I turned off the heat and mixed in some Parma.

This dish was delicious! I went way overboard with the butter, but I can easily mix in more vegetables for a better balance. I’m really glad that I was easily able to veganize this dish. Be sure to read Stephanie’s recipe first; you might have different ideas for veganizing the dish. She also adds pine nuts and mint to hers, which I would have done if I had them!

Here’s to cauliflower aka ‘little white trees!’  —Melissa