Cauliflower Mac & Cheeze

I received the most beautiful, purple-hued cauliflower from my stepmother the other day. It was gifted from a friend's garden and somehow, lucky for me, found it's way into my little hands. I plucked off a few florets for a soup (the thing was giant!) but kept the remainder safe in the fridge. Pondering what to do with such a special brassica, I knew it had to be the star of a unique dish.

“We need to find a way to solve our problems and our differences with other people without hurting our killing them. This should extend to all living creatures as well...there is also a way to find a cure without hurting animals in the process and that is the track that we need to get on.”

— Paul Graham of The Las Vegas Informer

Instead, a wicked mac & cheese craving hit and it ended up in a cheesy cauliflower sauce for shell noodles. So, it might not have been the most proper dish to showcase a purple cauliflower...but it was so tasty and satisfying. I guess I'll just have to wait for my next fun-colored veggie to come along!

This dish is slightly adapted from my recipe for mac and cheese made with sweet potato. The cauliflower version is slightly less sweet tasting than the potato one, but still just as creamy and delectable. 

If you follow the recipe as is, there's a lot of sauce. I prefer my mac and cheeze exceptionally saucy so I add it all, but if you prefer, only add half and save the rest for later or just cut the sauce ingredients in half. 

Isn't she a beaut? 

I know you're going to love this non-dairy, 100% vegan mac & cheeze. It's a tricksy way to sneak some healthy vegetables into a child's/husband's diet and also on the lighter side of the calorie scale too!

Cauliflower Mac & Cheeze

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

This lightened vegan mac and cheeze made with cauliflower is creamy and rich, and as always the nutritional yeast lends that proper "cheesy" flavor. Notes: For a very saucy dish, add the entire cheeze sauce or save half for later if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dry pasta
• 1 small head of cauliflower (8-12 oz), florets only
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 cup unsweetened, plain coconut or soymilk
• heaping ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ Tbsp. liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. turmeric
• ¼ tsp. mustard (optional)
• pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add and cook according to package, then drain.
2. Break apart the cauliflower florets and steam for no more than 10 minutes, until just tender, in an electric or stovetop steamer. Transfer the florets to a blender.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender as well and blend on high for several minutes, until smooth and creamy.
4. Add half or the entire amount of the sauce to the pasta and stir well to combine. Serve hot.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:10
Total time: 00:20
Yield: 6

Save Money!

I buy my nutritional yeast here. It’s only $9.55 per lb versus $13.99 per lb in the bulk bin (!) at our local grocery store, Fred Meyer!

More Mac and Cheese Recipes and Cauliflower Recipes

Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Creamy Fettuccine Miso Alfredo

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

Creamy Spiced Cauliflower Soup

German Word of The Day

Cauliflower --> Blumenkohl (bloomen-coal) - Blumen means flowers and Kohl means cabbage!

Good Deed of The Day

No doubt you've seen the ALS challenges your friends and family have posted online. Have you thought about what it would mean with regards to animal rights? If not, read this article It's very thought-provoking and it's information we all need to know. 

Vegan Pot Au Feu

I had never heard of Pot Au Feu until watching the "Create" channel. We seriously only get four channels at our house and Create is one of them, lucky for me. Rick Steves and I are BFFs. Anyway, Hubert Keller was on and he was making a giant, whole vegetable and animal meat dish. My furry friends being cooked up for me to eat, I could do without but the rest of the dish; carrots, baby potatoes, celery, and cabbage...well that all looked right up my alley. 

“It was a shrewd calculation. An estimated 12 percent of millennials say they are “faithful vegetarians,” compared with 4 percent of Gen X’ers and 1 percent of baby boomers, according to one study.”

— Sam Tanenhaus from The New York Times

This recipe is inspired by Chef Keller and his Pot Au Feu. It's a classic french dish that is traditionally served with mustard, salt, and bread. It's essentially whole vegetables and a protein simmered in a broth with spices and herbs. I used tempeh as a protein instead of adorable cows.

Pot Au Feu is shockingly quick and easy to make since the vegetables need really very little prep and as far as ingredients go, it's quite simple. While simmering, it filled the whole house with a comforting, savory smell that made my mouth water. 

Although, I did exhibit a bit of unfortunate planning. You see, it's been raining for a week straight up here in Alaska and I knew this would be the perfect meal to warm my wet and chilled bones. A great introduction into early fall. Except....yesterday it was hot! Exceptionally hot. So hot that on my lunch break at a nearby lake, I had to leave early because I'm pretty sure I was experiencing heat stroke. 

Either way, this vegan Pot Au Feu was a no-frills, delicious dish. Hearty and filling. 

You see that rutabaga there on the bottom right? I (not thinking clearly) threw that bad boy in too. Don't do that. It was unapologetically bitter. 

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Vegan Pot Au Feu

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-20-2014

This is a vegan spin on a simple vegetable dish from France, using tempeh instead of animal meat. Pot Au Feu was enjoyed by royalty and peasants alike. It’s very easy, quick, and exceptionally adaptable. Note that vegetables like rutabaga and brussels sprouts should be avoided because they can turn bitter when cooked this way. Adapted from Chef Hubert Keller.

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 2 springs of fresh parsley
• 2 springs of fresh thyme
• 2 springs of fresh oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
• 2 celery stalks, cut in half
• 2 large carrots, cut in half
• ½ kohlrabi, peeled and halved
• ½ small head of cabbage, halved
• 1/2 lb. mixed baby potatoes, whole
• 1 8 oz. package of tempeh, quartered in triangles
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 dried bay leaf
• ¼ cup stone ground mustard, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Once the onion is prepared, cut off a small chunk of the bottom and stuff in the whole cloves. Place the onion halves and clove stuffed bottom in a large pressure cooker or soup pot.Prepare the leeks by first slicing them in half down the middle and washing in between each leaf very well to remove all the dirt. Then, chop off the roots and remove one outer leaf. Gather the fresh herbs in a small bundle and wrap the leek leaf around the herbs to create a bouquet garni. Slice the remainder of the leeks, leaving about an inch of the green tops to discard. Place the herb bundle and sliced leeks in the pot. Add the remaining ingredients and heat over high until simmering. Don't worry if the broth doesn't cover all the vegetables. Cover with the pressure cooker lid and bring to pressure. Then turn to low and maintain pressure. Cook for about 10 minutes. The vegetables should be tender, but not falling apart. If using a soup pot, bring almost to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot with stone ground mustard, coarse salt and bread if you like.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 6

German Word of The Day

Peasant --> Bauer (yep, like Eddie Bauer) 

Good Deed of The Day

Read this article from the NYT about us Millennials. Seriously, it's very interesting and inspiring,

Vegetable Protein Gyoza

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ”

— Edward Everett Hale

Remember when I reviewed Julia Muller's new cookbook, Let Them Eat Kale, well there will be a giveaway at the bottom of this post! It's such a wonderful book, if you want to read my review of it please see this post and of course, enter the drawing below!

You guys are going to really want to make these. Homemade gyoza are astronomically tastier and healthier than their store-bought brethren. Plus, if you're vegan like me it can be difficult to find cruelty-free ones in the grocery store. 

My gyoza (aka pot sticker or wonton) might look a bit odd, and that's because I like to use red cabbage instead of green. However, green cabbage will work just fine too. These little guys pack a big protein punch thanks to TVP, which works beautifully because it soaks up all the saucy goodness and creates a perfect "meat-like" texture for the gyoza filling.

If you use a food processor to prepare the vegetables, this recipe will come together in a snap. I've included directions on how to steam or pan fry the little buggers (I like mine steamed) and also two different folding methods.

Yep, they're pretty darn foolproof. If you've never made them before, now's the perfect opportunity! Don't worry, I'll be your copilot. 

The best part about my recipe is that you'll have some filling leftover that can be frozen for quick gyoza prep when you get a mad hankering for them, like I often do. Also, the wrappers can be frozen too in case you only want to use half a package. 

Just look how awesome they are! I swear they're super duper easy to fold up. Here, I'll show you how to make a "nun's hat" gyoza. 

In case you a weird bias with regards to nuns, here's how to fold a simple, delicious little gyoza package.

See? I told you it was easy. Now go make some gyoza and impress your friends, family, and your tastebuds!

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Vegetable Protein Gyoza

by Katie @ Produce on Parade August-13-2014

A veggie filled gyoza that's also packed with protein, but vegan! Quick and easy with the help of a food processor. Steamed or pan-fried and two instructions on how to fold. Inspired by Half Baked Harvest.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• ½ brown onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 lb. Crimini mushrooms, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• ½ head (10 oz.) red or green cabbage, minced
• ¼ cup liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 package of 40 wonton/gyoza/pot sticker wrappers
• ¼ cup mirin or rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup liquid amino acids or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar or brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• dash of sesame seeds

Instructions

I use a food processor to mince the vegetables. If you don’t have one, it’s a good idea to prep all the vegetables ahead of time. In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onions begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger and mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms lose most their moisture, about 8-10 minutes. Then, add the bell pepper and cabbage. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, until most of the water from the vegetables has evaporated. This will allow for concentrated flavors.Now add the soy sauce, agave nectar, and TVP. Stir well to combine and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until the TVP has soaked up all the liquid and is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro. Set aside. In a small bowl add about ½ cup of cold water. To assemble the gyoza, lay a wrapper flat and with a finger, wet the bottom edge closest to you and up half the sides with the water. Place one heaping teaspoon of the filling into the lower middle portion of the wrapper and fold in half lengthwise, pressing all the sides together. Careful not to overfill. Fold in half lengthwise again and then wet the lower right corner and the left top corner. Bring the two together and press to connect. Set aside and repeat with remaining wrappers. Any leftover filling can be frozen for quick gyoza making later. Also, the wrappers can be frozen too. The assembled gyoza can be steamed or pan fried. I prefer mine steamed only, but if you want them pan fried there are instructions below as well.To steam: Prepare your steamer with a few inches of water. Line the steamer basket with parchment paper to fit and spray with a nonstick cooking spray for good measure. Once the water is ready, add as many gyozas as possible without them touching. Steam for about 5 minutes, remove from the steamer basket and repeat with remaining gyoza. To pan fry: Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium. Add as many gyoza as possible without them touching. Allow to brown for a minute or two, then add about ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until most of the water is evaporated. Gently remove from the pan and repeat with reaming gyoza.For the Sauce: Combine all the ingredients below the gyoza wrappers in a small bowl and whisk well.Serve hot with the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 40 potstickers

German Word of The Day

Wonton --> Wan-Tan (vahn-tahn)

Good Deed of The Day

Do you know what a pangolin is? I didn't! Well, they are one of the cutest little creatures you've ever seen and are nearly extinct in the wild. However, in Vietnam and China, the animals are still considered a delicacy. Please help take pangolins off the menu by urging the Chinese and Vietnamese policymakers to stop standing by idly while the pangolin is hunted to extinction! 

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